Olivia sighed, watching the woman steer the pushchair through the doorway and follow them in. A wave of self-doubt washed over her. Women like that made Olivia feel completely inadequate. Women like that made it look easy. Five children! They couldn’t all be hers, could they? And even if they weren’t, how was she managing to cope with them all single-handedly? If that was Olivia, she’d be in a hot sweat, utterly frazzled, frantically counting heads every thirty seconds, terrified of losing someone in the crowd. If that was Olivia, she probably wouldn’t have left the house at all, let alone manoeuvred the whole group around the busy streets, let’s face it.

She trudged miserably on, feeling worse by the minute. Then again, who would entrust her with five children to mind, after what she’d done? She didn’t deserve her boys. She didn’t deserve to have anyone at all.

The Summer of Yes group chat

Izzie – Guys, it was a lie, okay? Nothing happened with me and Mum’s boyfriend. OBVIOUSLY. Because I am sixteen and he is, like, old. Also because he is MY MUM’S BOYFRIEND. I just felt embarrassed because nothing fun was happening to me so I made it up. Sorry. If you have told anyone about it, please pass on the truth. Mum is about to kill me and hates me. I feel such a dick.

Izzie turned off her notifications before she could see or hear any of her friends’ messages, which would no doubt pour in thick and fast. They would probably chuck her out of the friendship group for this, or someone would start a new group without her and they’d all bitch about what a weirdo she was and what a liar. She cringed, imagining how it would go round everyone from school like a flash. How she’d start at sixth form and be faced with loads of people she’d never met giving her the side-eye because they all knew about her.

Don’t make friends with her, she’s a liar.

Yeah, she makes stuff up about sleeping with old people. That’s a bit creepy, don’t you think?

Ew, gross! I’m steering well clear.

She flopped down onto the bed with a groan. Next she had to phone up her dad and confess to him as well, which was going to be equally horrendous. Meanwhile downstairs it was ominously quiet. Mum had looked as if she was about to puke when George put his head round the door and said that Charlotte had turned up. ‘What?’ she squawked, aghast. ‘Here? Now?’

He’d nodded, looking glum. ‘She flew back a day early to pick up Seren,’ he said. ‘She’s been trying to ring me, but because of my phone going in the pool . . .’