Yvonne laughs, she relaxes, but the food is disappointing. Or maybe it’s just that it’s so hard to enjoy with Emma constantly bitching about the portion sizes and over-ordering because she doesn’t want to go home hungry. At one point she even compares the pudding to that of her boarding school and declares the school’s superior. By the end of the meal most of the food on Emma’s side has been picked at, prodded and discarded.

‘Why aren’t you eating? This is why you’ve lost so much weight.’

‘Have I?’ Emma smiles. ‘Thanks.’

‘It’s not a compliment. I’ve never seen you this skinny.’

‘It’s the stress, babe.’

It’s all she’s spoken about all night, her anxieties about starting work again after being a ‘stay-at-home mum’ for so many years, her parents’ complete lack of faith in her, Kiama’s continued struggles at school. Yvonne listens and wonders why they bother anymore. But perhaps, after she tells all about Lewis, Emma won’t want to see her again anyway.

It’s an uncomfortable thought. Is that really what she wants? For the friendship to end?

Emma looks up. ‘Sorry. I’ve been going on and on, haven’t I?’

‘No, it’s fine. I’m tired, that’s all.’ It’s true, today has exhausted her. She doesn’t have the energy for it now. ‘We should get the bill?’

‘Already? I thought we were going out proper?’

‘I’ve got a hundred things to do tomorrow.’ It’s not the right time to talk about this. Maybe it never will be. Maybe something will happen and Yvonne and Lewis will be able to exist in a place where Emma need never know about them.

‘Spare me, I get you’re busy.’ Emma grabs her bag and rattles around for her purse. ‘Going halves, are we?’

‘Oh, don’t be like that. Stop it. Em.’

‘You know us frumpy single mums don’t get out much, so forgive me for boring you.’

‘Don’t give me that single mum routine. You’re out all the time. Let’s have one more drink?’ One more and maybe Yvonne will get her confidence back.

Emma nods, ‘Only if you’re not too busy?’

‘I’m going to the loo. Get lover boy’s attention and order something strong.’

Yvonne looks at her reflection in the mirror. She doesn’t want to do this anymore. She doesn’t want to keep the secret. Emma doesn’t need to know about the stuff which came before, the one-night stand she had with Lewis at twenty-one, or the summer she was interning and spent every spare moment she could up at his flat. All Emma needs to know is that they’re seeing each other now, and it’s going well, so well, apart from this one big thing.