‘Spend more time playing sport or in the pub with your friends, I suspect.’ She elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

‘How’s that husband of hers doing? What’s his name?’

‘Gerald. I don’t know. It’s difficult really. I knew her but we stopped being friends a long time ago. I’m not sure what went wrong, I just think we clashed in the end. I used to have a lot of time for her.’

‘Yes, I remember.’ Johnny took a swig of his red wine.

‘Eww, you know I can’t stand the smell at the moment!’ She put her hand over her mouth and nose in an exaggerated fashion and made a face.

‘Sorry!’ He backed away, holding up his hands in a conciliatory move.

‘It’s OK, really.’ She waved a tea towel in his direction before bending to check the chips in the oven. ‘Lay the table, will you?’

Minutes later their dinner was ready and they sat down to enjoy the expensive meat.

‘The nursery is really coming along,’ she said, savouring the flavour of the food, which seemed heightened somehow by being pregnant. ‘You know, I’m sure it’s a boy.’ Amy rested her hand on her tummy. ‘All this red meat, it must be! A mini Johnny, now there is a thought.’ She twisted her hair into a knot on her head and pinned it up. ‘Hot in here tonight,’ she said, fanning herself with a napkin.

‘The temperature isn’t the only thing …’ Johnny leant across the table and raised his eyebrows up and down.

Throwing back her head she laughed and tossed the napkin at him. ‘Honestly, I heard better chat up lines when I was a teenager!’

‘It’s good to see you laughing.’ Johnny sat back in his chair, content that he’d achieved his goal.

‘I’ve not been that bad.’ Amy frowned.

‘No, but you’ve had a lot on. I’m sorry I’ve been working away so much. This job is the last one for a while. I promise.’

‘Someone has to pay the mortgage on this place.’ It was his turn to frown.

‘You’re not worried about money, are you?’

‘No, but I do wonder what it will be like when mini Johnny arrives and you have to go away.’

‘That’s the whole reason I’m working so hard at the moment, so it doesn’t have to happen.’ Johnny was tired and the last thing he wanted was that conversation again.

‘You’d rather I didn’t miss you?’ He could see Amy was getting emotional, and he understood her point, but he’d only been home for a few hours and had been hoping to have a nice dinner with his wife. That prospect was looking less and less likely.