her. ‘Samuel’s awake a lot in the night at the moment, but he sleeps quite late, so I—’
Cassie seized on that. ‘I could come early. You could have a good lie-in then, and I could—’
‘No,’ Kim said adamantly, and walked around the pram to open the front door. ‘It’s nice of you to offer, Cassie,’ she added, attempting a cordial tone, ‘but I have a friend coming in the morning. Thanks, though.’
‘What friend?’ Cassie asked, her sharp tone sending a shiver down Kim’s spine. ‘I mean, is it anyone I know?’ she added, more lightly.
‘I shouldn’t think so, no.’ Kim didn’t look at her as she tipped the pram back, negotiating the step and then hurrying down the driveway.
‘Are you sure you want to walk? It looks as if it’s about to rain,’ Cassie called after her. ‘I could give you a lift if you like.’
‘Positive,’ Kim called back. ‘The exercise will do me good.’
Turning the corner at the end of the road, she spotted Adam’s car parked a short distance off. Relief flooded her veins. She’d thought he might have gone permanently, and wasn’t sure where that would leave her. Cassie didn’t appear to have completely lost it yet, but she did seem perilously close to the edge.
Adam climbed out of his car. ‘Sorry,’ he said, looking sick to his soul as he walked towards her. ‘I shouldn’t have stormed out like that. I just…’
‘Had to get out before you lost your temper?’ Kim finished. ‘It’s okay,’ she said kindly. Flicking the pram brake on, she checked on Samuel, whose sobs had mercifully quieted, and then walked around to press a reassuring hand to Adam’s forearm. ‘I understand. I think you did well to hold your temper at all, to be honest.’
‘I’m not so sure I did.’ Adam smiled ruefully.
Kim’s attention went to his injured hand. He’d wrapped a cloth around it, one he must carry in his car. It wasn’t very clean. Cassie would have a fit if she saw it, and would probably be right on this occasion. The hand was still bleeding.
‘She wasn’t always like this.’ He sighed wearily. ‘When I first met her, she was house proud, yes, but she was fun to be around.’
Kim nodded understandingly.
‘She loved to go out,’ Adam went on, his voice edged with despair. ‘Theatre, concerts, music festivals. She would dance, let go and enjoy herself. But now… I just don’t get what…’ His voice cracked.
Tentatively Kim reached for his injured hand. ‘It needs a proper dressing on it,’ she said softly. ‘This cloth is probably crawling with bacteria.’
Adam looked nonplussed for a second. Then, seeing her teasing look, he laughed, a strangled laugh, before swallowing hard.
‘She didn’t mean the things she said, Adam,’ Kim ventured. He was clearly in utter despair about his wife, but Kim realised she had to tread carefully. She wanted him to think of her as sympathetic and understanding, not someone who would cheerfully dig the knife in. ‘She’s unwell,’ she went on cautiously. ‘This obsessiveness, her distraction, her mania… She’s obviously trying to soldier on, but she’s been through so much: her illness, losing Josh. I think she might need to see someone. A professional counsellor possibly?’
Adam sighed again, heavily. ‘I know. The thing is, how the hell do I convince her? I’ve tried, but it’s as if she’s not hearing me. She insists she’s fine. She doesn’t seem to be aware of what she’s doing.’
‘Maybe if you tell her she needs to do it for Samuel’s sake,’ Kim suggested. ‘You could tell her I’m worried about leaving him alone with her unless she makes an appointment.’
‘Are you?’ Adam asked, his look one of trepidation.
Kim took a second. ‘To be honest, with all that’s happened, I am a bit.’
He nodded.
‘If she agrees to get help, she’ll be admitting she has a problem, won’t she? We can work it out, Adam. She needs support, that’s all.’
‘I’ll talk to her,’ he said, sounding less despondent.
‘Do that.’ Kim gave him a reassuring smile. ‘And don’t forget, if you ever need to talk, I have an ear. Two, actually.’
This time he managed a half-hearted smile in return.
‘You need someone to be there for you too, you know,’ she said carefully. ‘We all need that.’
Adam glanced down, his troubled gaze now on the thumb she was gliding across his injured knuckles.
‘You’re human, Adam. It’s not a weakness to admit it. You’ll get through this,’ she assured him.
Adam eased his hand away. ‘I’d better get back,’ he said, nodding past