‘Aspen?’ Bill spat out the letter ‘p’ like it was a bitter pill. ‘What sort of name is that?’

I stroked my swollen abdomen and gazed out the window for added wistfulness. ‘Mum would have loved it.’

‘Hazel still rules our lives from beyond the grave,’ he muttered into his tea.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I stood up, losing my balance. In an instant he was easing me back onto the sofa, my vulnerability softening him.