20
The drive back was a silent one, not a sound in the car except their breathing. Tom could feel the tension in Vic and the silence from the girls meant they could sense something was wrong.
As soon as Tom parked the car, in a flash Vic was out of the vehicle. She had the girls out of the back seat and had marched them upstairs before he was even in the front door.
Tom understood. A lot had suddenly changed between them and this was how Vic coped with stresses and strains in their relationship—she would throw all her energy into caring for the girls, keeping her distance from Tom, and giving them both time to process things. Vic made a fantastic mother; she was much more than Tom could ever have hoped for after Helen.
One evening, shortly after he and Vic had got together, she had ope
