The Soulmate: A Novel

Gabe confesses to previously having had sex with a woman who recently died of a drug overdose. A friend of the woman has contacted Gabe to tell him that he has a daughter, Asha. When Pippa meets Asha, she immediately sees a resemblance to Freya, who is only six months older. Pippa is angry with Gabe, but her immediate connection to Asha overcomes her anger. They adopt the young girl.

Max is driving to his and Amanda’s home in Portsea, and the newspaper article about Gabe is on the seat beside him. Amanda wonders what he’s going to do.

Max was always security conscious, but Amanda never realized that he was actually concerned for their safety—she thought he liked the technology. Because their property is gated, she is surprised by a knock on the door one day. When she opens it, two men force their way inside. Max calls her phone at just that moment, and when she tells him that there are men with her, he asks to speak to them. After they hang up, the men leave the house. When Max comes home, he is so apologetic that she ends up comforting him. Amanda reflects on how this was, paradoxically, one of the best moments of their marriage.