‘Until the next quarantine sends it all down the pan,’ Charlie said, then more encouragingly. ‘We’ll talk tomorrow. I don’t pay you enough for what you do, Gwen.’

Gwen laughed. ‘That’s easily fixed, boss.’

As Gwen hung up, Charlie peered over her mound of covers. Patrick now stood at the foot of her bed, scowling.

‘Are we doing anything today?’ the five-year-old groaned. ‘I’m so bored.’

Patrick was a great-looking kid, and Charlie couldn’t help smiling because he’d got his T-shirt on back to front.

‘Come here – put your arms up,’ Charlie said, swinging her legs out of bed and catching her own funk. ‘How about a game?’

Patrick grinned as Charlie put his shirt right. ‘What game?’

‘It’s a game called pick all the dirty clothes and crap up off the floor.’

‘Aww!’ Patrick moaned. ‘What about a proper game?’

‘This room is a pit,’ Charlie said, mildly motivated as she grabbed the mound of bedding and flicked it to straighten up.

Patrick and Ed laughed as one of Charlie’s bras and a half-eaten pack of fries flew into the air.

‘Yeah, we’re the messy ones,’ Ed said. ‘Can I go across to the gym, now you’re up?’

Charlie felt weighed down as she rested on one knee and picked ketchup-daubed fries off the carpet. She loved Patrick and Ed, but she was only twenty and looking after them was a twenty-four/seven job.

‘Hold off on the gym,’ Charlie said, wiping salty ketchup fingers on her T-shirt. ‘We’re living in a sty. Did you shower when you came back from the gym yesterday?’

‘I told him he stinks!’ Patrick blurted cheerfully.

‘Shut up, squirt, or I’ll fart on you,’ Ed said.

‘You’ll have to catch me first, lumbering ape!’ Patrick grinned.

Patrick shrieked as Ed stood up with his hands in a grabbing position. It was good-natured, but the suite was two beds, a sofa and a tiny kitchenette. Charlie couldn’t stand the idea of Patrick leaping between the beds and squealing.

‘Quit it!’ Charlie yelled, clapping twice and stepping between the boys. ‘Ed, turn that damned show off, then wipe down the kitchen. Patrick, get the laundry bag out of the bathroom. Help me grab the wet towels and clothes off the floor. I’m gonna go down and do a load of laundry.’

‘So can I go to the gym?’ Ed asked as he sprayed Clorox over the kitchen cabinets.

‘You’ll have to stay here with Patrick.’

‘I’ve been keeping an eye on him all day,’ Ed protested. ‘Can’t you take him to the laundry?’

The motel’s stuffy laundry room was Patrick’s idea of hell.

‘Nooooo,’ Patrick whined. ‘Can I go to the gym?’

‘He can come if he wants,’ Ed said.

‘Yessssss,’ Patrick said, pumping a fist as he leapt on to Charlie’s bed.