Tread softly

by Wendy Perriam

Lorna, 39, is married to unconventional Ralph, who in turn is wedded to his 27 pipes and his artificial-grass business. In fact, it's a menage a trois, the third party being Lorna's Monster, a gleefully sadistic personification of her panic attacks. The Monster has a field day when, following a botched operation, Lorna is sent to convalesce among the deaf and demented inmates of a Care Home from Hell, where the staff have more problems than the patients. But despite such unpromising surroundings she begins to blossom, discovering new friendships, untapped talents, and even a reawakened interest in sex, thanks to the attentions of an ardent young care-worker.Meanwhile, back in the outside world, Ralph is being sued by a vindictive business client, and risks losing his house and his livelihood. As his fortunes wane, Lorna is offered a challenging new job, which threatens the already precarious balance of their life together.