You wipe your tears and vow he will never hurt you again: stuff toys in a bag, tuck the baby under your arm, plead with the car to start quietly. You don’t notice the moment when darkness lifts and you can breathe again, only the glow of a new dawn.

Fiona H Evans is a mathematician and wanna-be writer. She lives on Noongar Boodja in Western Australia. You can find her on Twitter at @FionaHEvans and fionahevans.com.