Page 64 of The Happy Family

‘Just answer the door and let’s get this over with,’ Sadie says simply, and I don’t really see how I have much choice. I can’t hurt her now, not if the police are here, so better to try and play the innocent housewife who has just had another stressful visit from my husband’s ex.

‘Come with me,’ I say to Sadie as I go for the door.

I don’t want to leave her unattended, where I can’t see her and see what she might try next. I certainly don’t want her reaching for the knife I put down.

I wonder if Sadie will refuse, but she complies, following me as we leave the kitchen and I head for the door, which has been knocked on for a fifth time.

I can see the silhouette of a male face through the frosted glass of the door and wonder how many more people are behind him. How many officers in uniform with handcuffs and questions and ways of making this day get even worse?

There’s only one way to find out.

I take one last look at Sadie before I pull the door open, making sure to use my other hand to hold Jude even tighter to my chest as I do.

Then I see a man holding a cardboard box.

‘Hi, I have a package for you,’ he says.

What? Where are the police? It’s just a delivery driver?

I glance at Sadie, but her blank expression doesn’t tell me much about what she is thinking right now. Did she really think the police were here or was she just trying to spook me?

‘It’s quite heavy. Would you like me to bring it in for you?’ the deliveryman asks me, clearly able to see that I already have my hands full with my child.

‘Erm,’ I say, unsure because with everything that’s been going on, taking receipt of a package is the last thing I care about.

But the man doesn’t wait for a response, presumably because he has dozens of deliveries still to make, so he can’t dither on this doorstep for too long.

He steps in and places the package down, leaning it against the hallway wall while Sadie stands by watching.

‘Thanks,’ I say, ready for this man to be gone so I can get back to dealing with the far more important task of what to do with my husband’s ex.

But the delivery driver doesn’t leave. He is still in my home, and then he speaks.

‘I can’t leave without her,’ he says, and I realise he is referring to Sadie.

‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me. I’m not leaving this house until Sadie is safe,’ he replies. He looks to her. ‘Are you ready to go?’

‘Yes,’ Sadie says, and I watch on in astonishment as she goes to leave my house with this guy she seemingly knows.

What the hell is going on?

‘Wait,’ I say when I realise that they are going to leave without so much as an explanation and, thankfully, they do stop.

‘What is happening?’ I ask.

‘I’m leaving,’ Sadie says with a shrug.

‘What happens now?’

‘Whatever you decide.’

With that, she makes her exit alongside the mysterious man who was a delivery driver but might not be now that he has revealed himself to be on Sadie’s side.

I stare at them as they walk away from me, having absolutely no idea what just happened. But neither of them is going to explain it to me.

As they go out of sight, I have no choice but to close my door and now it’s just me and Jude again. Or at least, me, Jude and the mystery package.