It had taken weeks, and a heavy toll on Em’s nerves. Sometimes she felt that Norm and the other Stapletons were ganging up on her, coming between her and Robbie. But at the same time she could see that if Robbie didn’t settle and carried on demanding so much of her, it would drive a wedge between her and her newly returned husband. Even now, at times she felt torn in half.

‘He’s got in with a lot of boys in the road,’ Em said.

‘That’s good, isn’t it? Have him make some friends.’

‘They’re older, though. But they’re not old enough to know to look out for him. He loves it – thinks it’s all a big adventure.’

Robbie was not yet five, and a lot of the other boys were eight and nine. Sometimes it felt as if Robbie wanted to be a baby at night, but far too grown-up in the daytime.

‘Aren’t there any others he can play with?’ Cynthia said. ‘Girls?’

‘Girls!’ Em made a wry face. If there was one thing in the world for which Robbie had complete contempt, it was girls.

She and Cynthia laughed.

Robbie came bursting back into the room, hair spattered with droplets of rain, knees all muddy. ‘It’s bostin! Is it finished – can I go on it?’

‘I’ve told you: no!’ Cynthia said. Wait till Granddad gets back later, and then we’ll see. Anyroad, you’re going to have to come to the shops with me today.’

‘Again?’ Robbie groaned. ‘That’s boring!’

‘You can say that again,’ Cynthia said. ‘Queue after flaming queue. But it’s got to be done. We’ll see if we can find you a big aniseed ball, eh, Robbie?’

‘I’d best get off,’ Em said, downing her tea and picking up the umbrella. ‘Bye-bye, darlin’,’ she said to Robbie, but he was sulking about the unfinished moke and wouldn’t look at her. Em felt rather crushed by this.

‘We’ll be all right,’ Cynthia said. ‘Won’t we, Robbie? Off you go.’

Em set off into the wet, cursing the hole in her left shoe. Her spirits were low. Though she was trying to put a brave face on it, she loathed living with her mother-in-law. Edna and Bill Stapleton had both been kind to her, though she knew Edna thought she was soppy over Robbie. Bill was a quiet, capable man and there was no reason to be ungrateful. But now – especially now that the war was over and Norm was home – all Em wanted was for them to have a home of their own, not always be living with other people.

The other reason she felt drained and disappointed was that her period had come on that morning. Somehow she had thought that, with Norm back, it would happen straight away – another baby on the way. She knew she was being silly, but it had happened so easily the first time that she just expected things to repeat themselves. Robbie was growing up fast and she didn’t want him to be on his own. He would already be a lot older than any brother or sister who came along.