‘I used to fancy Raphael,’ I said, to the guffaws of both Prossers and Ty, even though he didn’t know what we were laughing about. ‘I don’t still fancy him,’ I blanched as Tyrion insisted on holding my hand instead of Daddy’s.

‘You wanted to bang a cartoon turtle?’ Ryan guffawed, drawing several snooty looks from tourists with earpieces in.

‘Well, he was the hottest one. Oh, come on, don’t tell me you never got wood for Daphne from Scooby Doo or She-Ra.’

‘I didn’t. But Jessica Rabbit, now you’re talking. At least she’s human.’

‘Yeah, but she shagged a rabbit.’

‘He had a good sense of humour, Old Rodge. It’s not all about looks.’

‘Says the guy who spends half his life flexing before a full-length mirror,’ scoffed Jayde. ‘I used to fancy Baloo.’

‘Jungle Book Baloo?’ said Ryan, incredulous.

‘Yeah.’

Ryan threw me a look and I caught it and threw one back at him.

‘Hey, the heart wants what it wants,’ said Jayde. ‘He was so cuddly. And that deep voice. And he could dance. That bear had some serious moves.’

Ryan seemed surprised. ‘I never knew you were into chonks.’

‘I’m not, as a rule. There was just something about Baloo.’

‘Silly Mummy,’ Tyrion giggled. Ryan picked him up and threw him over his back in a fireman’s lift and we headed off out into the crowds.

Our coach gang was supposed to meet back outside the gold jewellery store on the corner of the piazza at 4.00 p.m. so we ditched the guided tour and made our own way around the rest of the city.

I enjoyed my time with the Prossers, talking to their kids, making up stories about hunched creatures living in the bell tower of the Santa Croce and the horses who drew the carts of lazy-assed tourists through the streets. I got to carry Sansa for a bit when she didn’t want to go in her buggy and her parents were getting tired of holding her. I never minded and I liked smelling her head. We played the full cheek game again and counted pigeons together – the child was a genius with numbers by the time I’d finished with her. I tried not to close my eyes and imagine she was my Ivy – I really did.

We each took it in turns to mind the pushchair full of bags while one of us dipped into a shop to investigate souvenir shot glasses or designer leather goods but for all the fun I had, I wasn’t part of their family. It made my teeth itch to see how happy they were as a unit, the four of them. Swinging Ty between them. Ryan with Sansa on his shoulders, her holding onto his ears. Taking licks of each other’s gelato. Happy human bonds. I read the message from Dannielle again.