I think he likes what he sees. Then again, he’s seen me at my most exhausted and crusty over the past few weeks, so the bar, I suspect, is low for the poor guy.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asks, sounding not the slightest bit displeased.

I shrug. ‘Tabby got off to school fine this morning, so I thought I’d come in and make myself useful.’

‘You don’t have to, you know.’ He pushes his chair back from his desk. ‘You should have just taken the day for yourself. God knows you could have done with a break.’

He’s ridiculous. He pays me to do a job and I’m only doing around a quarter of it at the moment, between the enforced celibacy and a sick little girl.

‘I had other ideas about how I wanted to spend it.’ I turn and lock the door before sashaying over to him. His hungry eyes track my every step.

I stop in front of him, looking down at this beautiful man of mine, this man who is every bit as flawed as the rest of us but who has shown up for me and Tabs, over and over, in every possible way, with frankly very little from me by way of reassurance.

He may have taken things from me this summer, but God knows I’ve taken from him in a way that I haven’t allowed myself to do with anyone else aside from my parents. I haven’t even allowed myself to lean on Athena as much as I’d like to over the past few years.

But Brendan has been there for me the whole time: this big, gorgeous, steadfast rock. He’s held me and comforted me and fed me; he’s sent me packing when I’ve needed a break; he’s showered my little girl with attention and compassion. Above all, he’s been the respite we’ve both needed, the person through this entire shit show who’s been able to retain their sense of humour and hold onto their perspective.

I honestly don’t know if I would have survived without him.

I can’t bear to think about how it would have been without him.

And through it all, he’s asked for nothing. Nothing. Everything he’s given us, he’s given it freely. No agenda. And definitely no recompense.

So now it’s time to thank him. To tell him how I feel. To show him how I feel.

He stares up at me with those big blue eyes. ‘You look so beautiful,’ he stammers. ‘I mean, you always look beautiful, but…’