As I open the lid of the kettle and place it under the tap to fill it with fresh water, I notice the washing-up bowl – where last night’s mugs were put after Nick and I finished the hot chocolates. Scattered over the mugs and within the bowl are broken pieces of china – as if something has been dropped from a height. For a moment I’m confused – the mugs we used are blue, the shards of broken china are mostly white.

Then I realise.

Barb’s bone-china cup is smashed into several pieces. That’s what’s broken. Not the mugs.

But I hadn’t touched the cup; it’d been in the cupboard when I took the mugs out to make the hot chocolate. I stand frozen in a state of confusion for a while, trying to think how this has happened.

Did the boys come down for a drink of water in the night and use it? Then accidentally break it when putting it in the sink? There’s not usually anything in the bowl as I put everything in the dishwasher, but I hadn’t bothered for just two mugs.

‘Finley! Leo!’ I shout up the stairs.

They slope down and amble into the kitchen, doing their best grumpy-teenager impressions – I’m half dreading them reaching that stage for real. They both immediately deny touching it. Both say they didn’t even come downstairs during the night. I believe them. They’d have had to climb the counters or get the steps to reach that cupboard anyway. I shoo them back out again, telling them to hurry up.

‘If you hadn’t called us down, we’d be ready,’ Finley complains before skulking away. Both of them seem lethargic this morning, as though they haven’t slept well. I’ve no time to grill them on that now, though – I need to clear up the broken china. I groan. Barb is due to come over and sit and wait for the locks to be changed – this will be another thing she’ll add to the “Things Amber has Fucked Up” list, no doubt.

No time to dwell.

I pop back after dropping the boys off to wait for Barb and to make sure everything’s still in its place. I’m aware the idea that it might not be is ludicrous, but nonetheless, I’m compelled to check.

I bet Barb will take this opportunity to mooch around the house.