As I think over the first meeting between Liam and Jack, I’m reminded of how much I appreciated having Liam there when I first told Jack he was going to have a sibling. I think in some messed-up way, I wanted to prove to my son that I could pick a man who wanted to be around. That I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

Realistically, I know Jack won’t really have noticed yet how much not having his dad around will affect him. He is still so young, but I think having Liam by my side for that chat was a way for me – for us – to show a united front. As Jack meets other kids, watches them get on their dad’s shoulders and play sports together, I know one day he’ll want the same. And again, I won’t be enough for him.

“Mummy what is a feet-us?” Jack’s little voice breaks me out of my head as he points at a poster on the wall next to him.

“It’s what the baby is called when it’s still in my belly, when they are still growing.” I made a foolish promise to my son while we were alone in that delivery room that I would always answer his questions with as much honesty as I could, and it has been one promise I have tried my hardest not to break. The problem with that is Jack sure knows how to ask questions that I don’t know how to answer. Where do stars live? What does yellow taste like? Why does Tom have two dads and I don’t have any? They should warn you about all the questions your kid is going to ask in those Parenting for Dummies books but they don’t – I checked.

“Oh, so where—” please don’t ask were babies come from please please please, “is Liam going to be when we call him?”

I gasp a sigh of relief. “I’m not sure, maybe in his hotel or at the rink getting ready. His game isn’t until tonight though, so he promised he would be waiting for us.” Jack hasn’t asked too many questions about Liam yet, but I know he’s mulling them over. I’d love to be inside his infant mind and see how he perceives this whole situation. I wonder if it’s any clearer than my own.