‘You can tell me,’ Tara continued, reaching into her bag for a pack of tissues and placing them in my lap.

‘I just don’t think he’s ready. For fatherhood. And I’m scared,’ I uttered hesitantly. They were such big words to say aloud.

The train stopped at Stockwell and we stood up to cross the platform onto the Victoria Line. I swallowed hard and wiped a rogue tear from my eye with one of the tissues.

‘Maybe I could speak to him?’ Tara offered. I knew it pained her to see me like this.

‘I don’t think he’ll listen,’ I replied.

‘Or perhaps I could ask Hugo to take him out for a beer? Maybe he’ll open up to him?’

I shrugged; it was sweet of her to make suggestions, but Jason and Hugo weren’t close. Besides, deep down, I knew this was mine and Jason’s situation to work out.

We were making cooing noises around The White Company baby clothes, when I spotted Lucy walking towards us.

‘Fancy bumping into you! Literally,’ she joked, as we embraced each other and our bumps touched. My middle felt especially massive now, so black had become my staple colour. Lucy looked great in a leopard print coat and her trademark red lipstick. She was holding a cashmere onesie in each hand, one grey, one navy.

‘Aren’t they cute?’ She cocked her head, to take a closer look at one of them. ‘Found them in the Ralph Lauren sale area. I still can’t get my head around the fact that they’re going to be filled with an actual baby soon.’

‘They’re gorgeous, you should get them both,’ I replied, before turning to Tara. ‘This is Lucy, from The Baby Group.’

‘Really? I’d never have guessed!’ Tara rolled her eyes sarcastically.

‘Guilty,’ Lucy smiled, looking down at her bump, which was poking out of the coat. ‘This thing is a bit of a giveaway.’

‘This is Tara,’ I continued, ‘one of my oldest friends. We met at primary school.’

Tara smiled warmly and held out a hand, which Lucy shook enthusiastically.

‘Lovely to meet you. I could go wild in here,’ Lucy said, replacing one of the cashmeres on a nearby rail. ‘I need restraining.’

‘Me too,’ I replied, thinking Lucy really could go wild in here if her Gucci handbag and the fact Oscar ran his own company was anything to go by.

I suggested we go to the Foodhall to take the weight off our swollen ankles.

Over mint tea and macaroons, Lucy explained how Oscar would be working flat out this week and going on his last work trip before the baby, so she’d be home alone most of the time. I told her she could call me if she needed anything and Jason and I would try to help. I got the impression she didn’t have family nearby. She had never mentioned them.

‘How’s Jason coping with the man flu?’ she asked. My instinct told me she had sensed things hadn’t been quite right between Jason and I that day.