Claire frowned. It was unlike Julia to sound so tentative.

‘Yes, of course, why wouldn’t be?’

‘No reason!’ Julia quickly replied. ‘You just mentioned it was a big change for him, that’s all.’

Claire thought back to Chris’s response when she’d told him she’d found a nanny. He’d seemed surprised that she managed to find someone so quickly.

‘Yes, he’s fine. Besides he’s working so hard at the moment, he won’t even notice I’m not here.’

‘And Jamie?’

‘The same – he’s so excited about school and he’s really enjoying having Lucy giving him so much attention and playing with him all the time.’

‘Amazing – I’m so happy for you and I’m so pleased that you’re coming back full-time! Can you believe it will be our ten-year anniversary as well? The business really needs you – we have so much on. Did Greg get you up to date on the recent developments on the Barker case?’

As Claire listened to the intricate details of one of their firm’s most prestigious clients, she was reminded of when she and Julia had discussed setting up their own business all those years ago when they’d both worked in the corporate world at JWTS Solicitors.

*

‘Come on, Clairey,’ Julia had wheedled. ‘You know it’s the right thing to do!’

The fact that Julia was using the cute version of her name told her that she wasn’t going to let the matter drop. Julia was not one for cuteness or nicknames.

‘And you have to admit,’ added Julia, building up her case, ‘we would be amazing, wouldn’t we?’

Claire picked up her glass of Sauvignon Blanc and looked out over the view. It was a beautiful day and they’d come out for lunch to celebrate a case Claire had won. It had almost cost her her sanity but she’d done it. Months of work for her and months of billing for JWTS Solicitors, which would no doubt make Matthew happy. She thought of her boss with his fat babyish face atop his man’s body and involuntarily shuddered. He was a screamer and if something didn’t go his way, he made sure the whole office knew about it.

Unfortunately, he was also a brilliant lawyer and despite numerous complaints, HR had failed in persuading the board to get rid of him. He’d turned the firm around in just two short years and JWTS now boasted an incredible portfolio of clients. But the pressure was immense, like a boiling pan of eggs, everyone waiting to see who would crack next. Luckily it hadn’t been Claire or Julia, but since Claire had come back to work at JWTS after having Joshua five years previously, she knew it wouldn’t be long before the stress would get too much. Children and a career in law just didn’t work.