I tell her, okay. I don’t mind this, a bit of a chance for myself and Maeve to have a chat. Our conversations are few and far between at the moment. Mikey and Joey have their heads fixed to the television and I invite them to Tesco, mainly to witness their reaction. I shout out to Jenny that I am going to Tesco with Maeve, as if we are about to embark on a positively interesting expedition. The truth is I secretly enjoy these visits, but I don’t let on to Jenny.

I ask Jenny if we need anything in the shop.

She is engrossed in her work and when she is like this, she completely blocks me out. It drives me up the wall, but I hide it. Instead I just shout milk and sausages to nobody in particular and these words thrown out into the air serve me sufficiently for now. I will brood over her behaviour later.

I drive to Tesco with Maeve even though we could easily walk the distance. Maeve is one of those children who is chatty when the mood takes her but mainly she is content with her own thoughts. She is in that reflective mood of hers today, and I am not getting a whole lot in the way of feedback from her when I ask about school and friends and the rest of it. I know only too well that she has inherited many of her behavioural traits from Jenny.

We drift in and out of the aisles and we buy junk cereals and I lose my normal strictness. I allow a few treats to go into the trolley and this lightness makes Maeve smile and for that I am grateful. I want this day to be a happy one.