‘Pregnant,’ says Renata. ‘When Edie said she was off the booze I did that awful thing of assuming she was pregnant. Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.’

‘It’s OK, really. I think we’ve all done it,’ I say, feeling guilty of wondering it over the years, even if I would never have been so overt as Renata to come right out and say it.

‘I guess you won’t have to put up with that for much longer,’ Miles says, turning to me with a wink. ‘You’ll be past child-bearing age soon.’

‘Thank you very much, I turned thirty-five not fifty-five.’

‘You know, women keep having babies older and older these days, so you’ve got plenty of time,’ says Renata.

‘Not that that’ll make a difference.’ Miles takes a swig of his drink. ‘Edie doesn’t want kids.’

It takes me by surprise because I’ve never said that.

‘Um, that’s not quite true. I’ve always said that I didn’t think I’d have kids.’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

‘Not really.’

Renata’s pretending to suck her drink through the paper straw, trying not to make eye contact with either of us.

‘Were you still heading to the bar?’ I ask her.

‘Oh, yes, totally.’ She sighs with relief. ‘I’m guessing that you don’t need a drink, alcoholic or otherwise. I’ll just leave you to it.’

She hurries off and I turn back to Miles.

‘I think this is something we need to talk about, don’t you?’

‘I don’t know if we do. I genuinely thought you didn’t want kids.’

‘And that didn’t bother you?’

He looks at me and then sighs, before leading me over to the edge of the pub garden. There’s a low stone wall around the edge and he sits down on it.

‘One of the things I’ve always liked about our relationship is that it’s uncomplicated and you’re not like other women who obsess about where things are going, or imposing timelines.’

‘Right.’

My heart sinks because that’s what I’ve always loved about it too. I’ve always liked that he doesn’t root too deep into my past or want to know everything, but perhaps in keeping my past from him I haven’t considered what that means for the future.

‘I’m just saying that we shouldn’t overthink these things. We’re both enjoying it, we don’t need to complicate it.’

‘But you don’t want children?’

He shifts on the wall like he’s trying to get comfortable.

‘Not really. I guess when you said to me that you never envisaged yourself having children I thought we were on the same page. I don’t picture myself having them either. It’s not to say in the future that I won’t feel differently, but as of right now I don’t want them.’