I reminded her that Emma and Oliver were not responsible for the disagreement, but school fees were their parents’ duty.

They had selected a school costing far more than their income comfortably supported, and I had helped because I believed the arrangement would be temporary.

“We planned around your support,” Claire said.

“Plans can change,” I answered.

“I should have told you sooner that mine needed to.” I did feel responsible for allowing the arrangement to continue without clear limits.

So I offered something carefully defined: I would pay the last installment I had specifically agreed in writing to cover, directly to the school after verifying the balance, if that commitment remained outstanding.