FROM her early years, Denise volunteered when her siblings wouldn’t. Dishwasher-emptying, errand-running, Aunt Agnes-visiting; Denise always buckled and said yes, letting out an imperceptible sigh as she did so. Such acts of sacrifice brought her little joy but weren’t entirely without reward: ‘You’re so selfless and kind,’ her mother often told her, pulling her close. By the time she had her own family, Denise’s martyrdom was well established. Unlike in childhood, however, her countless acts of selflessness and sacrifice went unrecognised. With that, her sighs intensified. Some days, they filled the house like a gale fills a forest.