‘We’re heading back after breakfast, mum. Daisy’s got to teach a class later.’ Ben heaped sugar into his mug.

‘Oh,’ Annie said, her disappointment obvious. I looked at Ben, who was looking at his teacup. ‘And on Boxing Day? Well, I say, you girls never stop. Who wants to work out the day after Christmas? And in your condition?’

‘Daisy’s perfectly fine to keep teaching right up until the birth, Mum, as long as she takes it easy. And Boxing Day is a very popular day for classes at the gym.’

Ben looked at me and gave me a quick subtle wink.

‘Well, I never,’ Annie said eyeing me up between serving the eggs and bringing the plates to the table.

‘Breakfast smells great,’ I said through a strained smile as Annie laid our plates in front of us. She returned with a full teapot, the very one she had burned me with at our last visit. Annie stared straight at me as she edged the tea pot between me and Ben. I folded my arms and laid them on my lap. She walked to the other side of the kitchen and when she was far enough away, I picked up the teapot and poured out. As I was pouring tea into Ben’s cups I whispered, ‘You’re going straight to hell lying to your poor mother like that.’

‘Not entirely lying.’ Ben leant over the table and whispered, ‘We’ll be doing our own work out later.’ He winked and I slapped his hand.

‘Naughty boy,’ I whispered and looked up as Annie returned our way carrying a plate of toast.

Twenty minutes later I pushed my plate away with barely half the food eaten, I looked over at Ben who had cleared his plate entirely. He was now standing up patting his pockets.

‘Hey, Mum, did you find anything else in my pocket when you washed those jeans last night?

‘No, son, why?’

‘Oh, it’s just I swore the flat keys were in one of these pockets.’

‘You probably didn’t bring them. We didn’t lock up because Eve was still at home,’ I said, picking up a piece of dry toast and nibbling on it. Annie who had been hovering around the table the whole time, looked down at my plate.

‘Oh, Daisy, dear? Not hungry? I thought you had quite an appetite, young fit girl like you?’

‘Sorry. It’s just that, well, I’m not a massive eater first thing in the morning…’ I felt sweat prickle under my arms. Was she doing this on purpose or had she forgotten what pregnancy felt like. ‘It was good, thanks Annie. Just not as hungry as I thought, I guess.’ I looked at Ben for some moral support but he was still frisking himself and looking agitated.

‘So no keys, Mum?’

‘No son!’ Annie’s bark rang loud and clear around the kitchen. ‘I mean… really, could you not have just dropped them somewhere?’ she said more softly. ‘Stop badgering your poor old mum.’ Annie gave a silly laugh, and then her attention was back on my plate. I flashed a look at Ben; his face was a myriad of emotions I couldn’t fathom.