‘It was great. And I have a new friend – Luke. See? His mummy is over there.’

Claire looked over to see a beautifully dressed woman, holding her mobile phone in one hand and a school bag in the other, bending over a boy who she assumed was Luke. Just at that moment, the woman looked up and Claire gave a wave, keen to be friendly. The woman smiled and started walking towards them, her son tugging on her arm all the way.

‘Hello,’ greeted the woman, ‘you must be Jamie’s mum.’

‘Hello! Yes, Claire,’ she replied introducing herself, ‘and this is Lucy.’

‘Linda Alderton,’ the woman said smiling, ‘and you must be Jamie,’ she continued, kneeling to Jamie’s level. ‘I’ve heard lots about you from Luke!’

Claire watched as her son smiled at his new friend’s mum.

‘I made a robot!’ he announced again, pleased to be able to tell someone else.

Linda laughed and stood up. ‘So, I hear. And a little birdie told me they’re hung on the classroom wall!’

The two boys jumped around together, before breaking into a few robot moves.

‘Well, it’s lovely to meet you,’ said Linda, turning back towards Claire. ‘Perhaps we could arrange for the boys to get together after school? I work full-time, but I’ve taken today off…’

Claire felt a moment’s pleasure about meeting another working mum on the first day. Not that she doubted her decision but still… she’d learnt from Joshua’s time at primary school, the playground could be as harsh on the mothers as it was on the kids.

‘I’m going back to work full-time tomorrow as well,’ said Claire. ‘A playdate sounds great.’

Linda looked up. ‘You work? What do you do?’

‘I’m a solicitor.’

‘I’m in banking. Well, that’s a relief – I thought I was the only bad mother round here!’ Linda chuckled at her own joke, but Claire saw the thin layer of guilt beneath the beautiful clothes and expensively made-up face.

‘Not at all!’ Claire laughed, keen to put Linda at ease. ‘Take my number and we’ll arrange something for the boys. They seem to get on really well.’

Bored of their mothers’ conversation, Jamie and Luke, under Lucy’s watchful eye, had gone back inside the school gates and were inspecting something on the grass. Claire hoped it wasn’t a worm. Jamie had gone through a phase of being obsessed by them, even putting one in his bed and saying goodnight to it before Claire had found it and removed it.

‘They do, don’t they,’ replied Linda, following Claire’s gaze. ‘It’s reassuring to know he’s made a friend already.’

Claire nodded in agreement, searching in her bag for her mobile to exchange numbers, as they chatted.

‘Right, I’d best get off,’ announced Linda after a few minutes. ‘Luke!’

Luke looked up and started running, Jamie and Lucy following behind.