Sara pushed herself off the wall. ‘No, it’s okay, I’ll get her. Have to be quiet so we don’t wake Ezra. He’s such a light sleeper, and once he’s awake, he’s a devil to get settled again.’

The following morning, Sara made sure she was as smart as possible, wanting to look the part. She’d been temping at the community centre for almost two months now and was still getting used to being back in the workplace, but with James’s guidance, she was starting to feel comfortable with the routines and how the place worked. He’d been the manager there since it had opened seven years previously, so he was the one who’d set everything up originally. It involved more work than people imagined, managing a building with several rooms for hire, all different sizes and used by a variety of groups for a surprising array of activities. Then there were the accounts to do, on a computer system Sara was unfamiliar with, as well as the admin for board meetings and preparing figures and documents for a number of grant applications that were in the pipeline.

After completing her business studies degree, Sara had only worked for two years before she fell pregnant with the twins. She’d been a junior in a hectic office, and her job had consisted of endless filing, running errands and making tea. She’d been bored to tears. Now, she found she loved the work at the community centre, being part of something that was at the heart of the town, making sure everyone’s needs were catered for and sorting out problems as they arose. It was surprisingly satisfying work and she’d started to make new friends in the process.

The job felt like a second skin, a perfect fit, and the prospect of being in charge, if James was going to take over the family business full-time, brought a glow to her heart. A proper salaried job after all these years. She had so many ideas for raising funds, using the space more effectively and reaching out to new groups, she was excited to go to work. Fiona had been impressed with her suggestions and had even mentioned that she might like to consider an Open University degree in community development, which had really got Sara thinking about her future.