With a flurry of goodbyes Kate and the twins were the first to leave. I looked up and saw George Pig was waiting for them outside with their eldest son. She went straight into George’s arms and he kissed the top of her head. They walked down the street together holding hands, the boys running circles round them. She might be going through hell but she had him, he was there to hold her up and do what he could to make things better. It was what having a partner was for. No matter what life threw at you, you had someone alongside you, fighting through it with you.

That’s when what you were fighting wasn’t each other.

I checked my watch. I needed to drop Gigi with my mother-in-law and get to the Platform. I said my own goodbyes and dragged a reluctant Gigi out of the café.

As I left I saw Cameron outside, map in hand, doing her best American tourist abroad look. I couldn’t be sure but it looked as though her nose wrinkled slightly at the sight of Gigi. She must’ve been assigned Peppa duty.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

I CAME OUT OF THE TUBE with Gigi. Straight in front of us were a group of mothers from nursery. I was planning on slipping by with my head down when Gigi stopped and said, ‘HELLO!’

The mothers all turned to look at us. ‘Oh, hello, Gigi, hello, Alexis.’

‘Hi, how are you all?’ I knew one was called Louise, one was Mimi’s mum and the third was Weather Mum. I wondered if she had recovered since losing the fairy-tale coup.

‘Great! We were just talking about the mums’ night out. It’s going to be such fun,’ said Weather Mum.

‘Louise is going to hire the back room of that new Italian place – lots of prosecco and prosciutto and high jinks,’ giggled Mimi’s mum. She gave me a nudge. ‘Rather handsome waiters there, if you must know.’

‘And as it’s a private room we can really let our hair down,’ beamed Weather Mum.

‘It’s going to be a riot,’ said Louise.

‘Oh yes. The mums’ night out. I’m so gutted to miss it. Such a shame.’

Louise stared at me. ‘I haven’t sent the date out yet.’

The three of them looked at me, unsmiling.

Fuck.

‘I . . . I . . . Can you believe that Miss Jenna is not Montessori-trained?’

‘What?’ said Mimi’s mum.

‘That can’t be right,’ frowned Weather Mum.

‘But she’s Sienna’s key worker.’ Louise looked aghast.

‘Felix’s mum called the Montessori board. She’s not been registered. I mean, really, what we are paying this premium for if we aren’t getting an actual Montessori-trained teacher?’

‘That is ridiculous. I’m going to have to talk to the head,’ said Louise.

I dragged Gigi away as they started chattering among themselves, my mums’ night out faux-pas momentarily forgotten.

*