‘Have they ever met anyone else you’ve dated?’

‘I haven’t really dated anyone else in a serious sense. I was scared to meet someone when they were younger, and I didn’t ever want to lie to them or sneak around.’

‘Like Jude Law in The Holiday.’

‘Not seen that film.’

‘We must rectify that immediately.’

I can’t help but feel slightly relieved that there’s not been anyone else serious before me, or at least recently. It makes things slightly simpler.

We push the trolley around, and I stop by the oatmeal wraps.

‘Would you want any more kids, do you think?’ I say, reading the back of a packet.

I can’t believe how casually I just dropped that in.

He frowns, and then looks at me. ‘Wow, that’s a big question.’

‘I know, sorry.’

‘I don’t know, I don’t think so. No,’ he says, sheepishly.

‘Interesting,’ I say.

‘Is that the wrong answer?’

‘Why would that be wrong?’

‘Well, I don’t know, why were you asking?’

‘My last relationship broke off because I don’t want kids.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well, you told me you didn’t want kids the first time I met you, so I suppose I knew that already.’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Yes you did, on the lawn at Cecily’s. You shouted.’

‘Yes, OK, I don’t need a reminder on what I shouted.’

‘Having children is … the most magical thing in the world,’ Marcus says, and I can hear him swallow down a lump in his throat. ‘But also, I understand where you’re coming from.’

‘Yeah, as it turns out … it’s not very me.’

‘That’s fine, Ol. Your body, your rules. Not for everyone.’

‘Well, quite.’

‘C’mon, we need to get some sour cream,’ he says, putting his arm around me and pushing the trolley at the same time.

I sit on the loo, scrolling through Twitter. I realize, suddenly, that I need to call Bea and check in with her. I wonder how she’s coping with the Jeremy situation. I press her number in my favourites and Bea’s face flashes up on my screen, just a picture, saying ‘calling’. For a moment I thought that she could see me on the loo. I mean, it wouldn’t matter if she did, but still – boundaries.

‘Hi!’ she answers quickly.

‘Hey!’ I say, pressing the flush.

‘You on the loo?’ Bea laughs. ‘You call people at the weirdest times. I hope you wipe down your phone with a Dettol wipe afterwards,’ she says.

‘Sorry we didn’t get the chance to talk properly at my birthday. Are you OK?’

‘Honestly Ol? Everything been has totally flipped upside down, and I feel absolutely horrendous. The kids have heard us shouting at each other, and they keep crying. I think it’s really affecting them so he’s gone to live with his mate for a while.’

‘Oh, Bea.’

‘It’s horrible seeing him now, living in a shoebox with a friend while I’m in our family home.’

‘Yes, but Bea, he did this. Not you. He fucked up,’ I say.