Snapping out of her daydream, Jessica began fussing around her daughter. ‘Look at your uniform – your skirt’s all dirty. You can’t wear that, Frankie. Go upstairs and change it.’

Frankie tutted and snatched at the dishcloth. Her skirt only had a tiny mark on it and it was easily wiped off.

‘There, done. Now instead of getting on my case, do you think you can make me some breakfast? I’ll have a fry-up, if that’s OK.’

Jessica put the frying pan on and buttered some bread. ‘Go and ask Joey if he wants one, too,’ she ordered Frankie.

With a stomp of her feet and a flick of her hair, Frankie marched out of the kitchen. Jessica sighed and shook her head. The twins were her life, she adored them, but they were fifteen going on fifty. Frankie, in particular, drove her up the wall. She was her father’s daughter all right, she was Eddie to a tee.

People who had never met the twins before always assumed that Frankie was older than Joey. They didn’t even look like twins. Frankie was voluptuous, with dark hair and tanned skin like her father. Joey was as skinny as a beanpole, with blond hair and pale skin like herself. Their personalities were also very different. Frankie was hot-headed and impulsive, while Joey was laid-back and comical.

Frankie had always been Eddie’s favourite out of the two and still was. Both fiery, they argued constantly, but adored one another at the same time. Joey’s relationship with his father was more complex. They had nothing in common whatsoever, and although their conversations tended to be polite, they were also stilted.

‘Joey just wants toast,’ Frankie said, plonking herself down at the kitchen table.

Jessica pricked the sausage to make sure it was done properly, then dished up her daughter’s breakfast.

‘Morning, Mum,’ Joey said, kissing her on the cheek.

‘Toast won’t fill you up. Why don’t you let me make you a nice bacon sandwich?’ Jessica asked him.

Joey sat opposite his sister. ‘Toast is fine, Mum. What you up to today? You off out anywhere nice?’

Jessica smiled. Unlike Frankie, Joey was always so interested in her life. ‘Yes, I am going out. Vicki’s coming round and we’re going clothes shopping together. We’re gonna pop in and have lunch with Nan and Grandad on the way back.’

‘Mum, see if you can get me a pair of bleached jeans with rips in them. Don’t get me rubbish ones though, get a decent make. I’m bursting out of a size eight now, so you’d better get me a ten,’ Frankie told her.

‘OK, darling, I know the ones you mean. What about you, Joey, do you need anything?’

Joey smiled. ‘I could do with some new trainers. Get me Nike, Mum, the ones with the light-blue tick down the side.’