‘I’m sorry to hear that. Not all mothers are good to their children. Bonnie is very lucky to have you.’

I want to tell him that she isn’t. That I am not a good or nice mother. If I were to be honest with him, I would tell him that some nights I lie in bed dreading the morning because my interactions with her are often so distressing. Some days I stand outside her nursery and take long, deep breaths to try to stop the tears consuming me as I prepare myself for the two hours of childcare I need to get through before I put her to bed. I could tell him how I don’t really know what she likes, because I rarely ask her. Or that when she cries, I tell her off instead of cuddling her. I could tell him all of those things because he is a stranger and it wouldn’t matter. But I don’t.

‘Yes,’ I say, instead of all of that truth. ‘I feel very lucky to have her too.’

‘Well, cherish every moment,’ he says, getting up. ‘It was nice to meet you.’

‘You too,’ I say, smiling as he walks away. I wait until he’s gone before I try to get Bonnie home. He doesn’t need to be reminded how hard parenting can be.

Beth

Sometimes, because there are only two of us and we can work remotely, Risky and I work in a lovely café around the corner from the office. We cover the table in paper and talk to people on the phone – probably to the huge annoyance of the people around us. I always have the full English breakfast, a smoothie and a decaf coffee, aka the most pointless drink on the planet. But I love the taste and I have to watch my caffeine levels because of breast feeding Tommy. Risky always gets the avocado on toast, but only eats half of it. She washes it down with around three large lattes. If Risky was around in the Eighties, she’d definitely have been a chain smoker.

‘Look, it’s awful and I’m really sorry it happened, but it wasn’t anyone here. OK? I hope you get to the bottom of it. And yes, tomorrow is fine,’ I say to Lauren’s PR, Jenny, on the phone, whilst rolling my eyes at Risky and trying to eat a piece of sausage as quietly as I can. Someone leaked a wedding invite and she’s obviously calling everyone on her contacts list and having a go at them. This is quite typical of Jenny. PR around Lauren and Gavin is impossible to control; she likes to make herself feel useful by yelling at people on their behalf.

‘OK, what do we need for the meeting with Lauren and Gavin tomorrow?’ I ask Risky.