‘And do you know what that is in lesbian years?’ she asked. I shook my head. I did not. ‘Well, it’s thirty-five because lesbian years aren’t a thing but, my point is, everyone’s life is moving forward and I’m stuck. You went away and had this amazing career adventure in the US, Adrian is going to be married by Christmas at the rate he’s moving and Lucy is already married, living in a gorgeous house, about to have an actual baby and the happiest person I have ever met. What am I doing with my life? Nothing.’

‘Apart from your very important job? And your very lovely architect girlfriend and being a badass?’ I corrected. Shocked wasn’t the word. Sumi, out of all of us, had always been the one who knew exactly what she wanted and went for it. She was living her best life before anyone even knew that’s what they were supposed to be doing. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

‘I didn’t want to put it up for debate until I was sure in my own mind,’ she said slowly. ‘It’s not an overnight decision, it’s something that’s always been in the back of my mind. I’m not Lucy, I’m not going to meet a man and just “get” pregnant, am I? I always knew there would have to be planning involved and that’s what I’m doing now. Planning.’

‘And what does Jemima think?’

Sumi pursed her lips and looked upwards, blinking. ‘Jemima isn’t sure she wants a baby,’ she replied. ‘But I do. I know I do. There won’t be a better time for me to do this and I’ve told Jemima if she doesn’t want to do it with me, I’ll understand but my mind is made up.’

The waiter reappeared and slipped half a dozen small paper cups of frozen yoghurt on the table. ‘I’ll just leave these here for now,’ he whispered before melting away.

‘You’re really serious?’ I said as Sumi dug into the salted caramel sample. Halfway to tears, breaking the news of the biggest decision she would likely ever make and she still wasn’t about to miss out on her fro-yo. At least I knew it was really her and not some very sophisticated clone.

She looked up from her dessert to fix me with a very serious stare. ‘When have I not been serious?’ she asked.

‘When you were going to adopt a dog from Russia, when you decided we were all going to be vegan, when you said we should go to Japan for Christmas, when you went to look at that tiny house in Wimbledon and put an offer in and then cancelled it and then put it in again and—’ I said, counting off examples on my hand.