‘We need to calm down a bit,’ I said, and I managed not to be persuaded to have one more game. ‘Does anyone need to do anything for school? Any reading?’

‘You read me a book!’ shouted Coco, pointing at me.

Zara turned her liquid eyes on me and she was entirely Joe. ‘I could read to you from my reading book?’

‘Yes, please,’ I said. ‘How about we do that, and then, Coco, I’ll read a story to you, if you find one you’d like?’

I felt like the number-one top babysitter in the entire world. I was brilliant at this. I was going to be an awesome aunt. I realized that nothing had made me feel confident for a long time.

Zara and I sat on the sofa and she read me a chapter of a fairy-tale book, but we diverted into talking about why a princess might need rescuing, which led us to the patriarchy. Then Coco arrived with a picture book about a mum turning into a monster when the children were crap at tidying up, and that gave me a vivid flash of grief, just when I wasn’t expecting it.

I was blinking back tears, and hoping the girls wouldn’t notice, when Gus walked in. He was wearing a suit and looking flustered, but I saw him making an effort to be polite and friendly to me. He didn’t look very much like Joe today; he was sandy-haired where Joe was darker, and his face was different. All those genes had gone right through him to his eldest daughter.

‘Ariel,’ he said. ‘Thank you so much. You’ve been a lifesaver. And I know you’ve got exams coming up, so thank you even more for making time for this.’

‘It’s a pleasure,’ I said. ‘Really. The girls have been great.’

‘Ariel is going to be our babysitter now,’ said Coco. ‘She’s nicer than Jane. Me and Zara think so. We want Ariel all the time.’

Gus laughed. ‘Luckily you’re the queens of the world, so you get to make all the decisions. Ariel’s a bit busy, darling.’

I remembered what I’d promised Sasha. ‘I’ve got exams soon, so I will be a bit busy, but I can always do evening babysitting and bring my schoolwork with me.’

‘See,’ said Gus. ‘Ariel’s sensible and she gets on with her homework.’

‘Not always, but I do need to concentrate now. My exams finish in the middle of June. And after that I’ll be totally up for hanging out with you two. Though my sister’s baby’s due at the start of July, so I might be a bit tied up around then.’