A mug is placed before her and she’s vaguely aware of the girl saying something friendly. Catriona doesn’t respond. She takes her coffee to a spare table in front of the play area, which consists of a small ball pit, a red-and-brown plastic playhouse and some climbing apparatus with wide tubes to crawl through and slide down. There are no children playing there and it has an oddly sad and neglected air. Catriona sits down and sips her drink. Stares at the familiar play area until her vision blurs. Of all the places to come, why has she come here? After today, this should be the last place on earth she would want to be.

There’s a bustle and clatter behind her as two women pushing designer prams arrive. They spend a couple of minutes loudly deciding where to sit, finally selecting a table by the water feature, hidden behind a couple of potted palm trees to Catriona’s right. They remove their outer layers – gloves, coats, scarves et cetera – draping them over the pram handles.

Catriona catches her breath as she notices a little toddler, previously hidden from view, behind one of the prams. The sweet little girl can’t be much more than two and a half years old. She’s chestnut-haired and round-cheeked with sparkling eyes and barely contained energy fizzing out of her little body.

A slender dark-haired woman – presumably her mother – bends down and unzips her daughter’s white Puffa coat. The girl wriggles out of it. She’s dressed in branded pink leggings, a turquoise ballet skirt and a multicoloured top studded with tiny glittery hearts. On her feet she wears pink Uggs lined with sheepskin. Her outfit probably cost more than everything in Catriona’s wardrobe put together. The little girl runs over to the playhouse, opens the door and disappears inside, banging the door shut after her.

Over at their table, one of the mothers checks inside both prams and takes a seat while the other woman heads to the kiosk. The little girl peeks out of the playhouse window. She catches Catriona’s eye. Catriona smiles and gives the little girl a wave. The little girl waves back, bless her.