He looked confused that I had already been inside and that the doors were now once again closed. Ms Yvonne was a stickler for timekeeping and there were officially still three minutes until pick-up.

‘Nuts are a problem.’ I rolled my eyes.

He frowned.

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got it sorted. Anything on the Pigs?’

‘Nothing to report.’

‘There’s a WAF play date at your house after lunch. Hopefully I might learn something from the wives.’

‘I’ll make sure I’m out of the way. I need to get back to Peppa and George anyway.’

‘Oh God, those pigs,’ a Scottish mother behind Frederick in the pick-up line cut in. ‘I swear I go to sleep humming that theme tune.’

A conversation among the waiting parents was then launched as to just how many millions the creators must have made, followed by a debate as to why their town had both a doctor and a vet when they were all animals, and then there were more specific questions between a few mothers at the back:

‘Is it just me or is Danny Dog hot?’

‘Marianne, he’s a dog.’

‘And a child.’

‘And a cartoon.’

The doors opened and Ms Yvonne waved the other children out.

‘Don’t forget, everyone, it’s our Roald Dahl celebration tomorrow. We can’t wait to see some beautiful costumes!’

The demands from this nursery never seemed to end.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

I RANG THE DOORBELL of Camilla and Frederick’s house and waited. There was always a murmur of excitement at getting to nose around someone’s house. I was going to enjoy this.

I looked down at Gigi in her princess dress and sparkly shoes. My daughter was a princess, day in, day out. She loved pink. And she hated getting dirty. I loved her. She was my everything. But dammit, I couldn’t help but wish she was a little less conventional. I had tried my best. Given her trucks to play with. Told her she could do anything she wanted. That ‘like a girl’ meant being strong. Fearless. But this was her. This was my Gigi. And if this was how she was, I would love and accept her. As a pink-loving princess.

The door finally opened. ‘Alexis, Gigi. How lovely.’ Camilla smiled at us. ‘Come on through.’

We followed her into a beautiful kitchen. Dark blue cabinets with a marble countertop. As befitting an art gallery owner, what looked like expensive, but not necessarily nice, art was dotted all over the walls. Crittall-style doors led out to a garden with fake grass. Kate and Dionne were already there. Kate’s twins were chasing each other round and round as Peppa’s daughter Bella and Florence sat colouring at a mini table and chairs. Gigi immediately ran to join them.