Walking into the living room, she saw Chris on all fours, Jamie straddling his back wearing a Superman cape. Joshua sat in the armchair with his phone, trying his best to not look interested, although Claire could tell he was desperate to get down on the floor with them as well. It was the way his eyes followed them, trying not to laugh as Chris made ridiculous neighing noises.

Oh, but he was such a good dad!

Chris could be a difficult man, but you couldn’t fault his parenting when he did get involved. She knew Joshua could easily be off with his own friends, doing his own thing, but Chris was so much fun and so energetic with them. The very fact that Joshua was not locked away in his bedroom on one of his devices or sleeping was a testament in itself.

‘Morning.’ Claire smiled, sitting down on the couch, placing her coffee cup on the coffee table in front of her.

‘Mummy! Daddy’s a horsey!’ shouted Jamie. On cue, Chris did one last buckaroo, sending Jamie into fits of laughter as he clung on to his father’s neck.

‘Superman! Come on! We have to save Mummy!’ Chris galloped – as best as he could with a five-year-old on his back – over to Claire and deposited a sliding Jamie onto her lap.

‘Mummy! I’ve come to save you!’ cried her son as Chris got to his feet and flopped down next to her.

‘Jamie, when did you get so big?’ said Chris, rubbing his own back.

When indeed. The days were long, but the years were short.

Her mother’s words came to her now and she held her youngest son as if he was a baby. She kissed him and released him, his limbs eager to be moving again.

‘Come on, Joshua – you’re the horsey now,’ demanded Jamie and in an instant Joshua was off the chair scooping Jamie up in his arms and flying him around.

‘Superman!’ cried Joshua and Jamie copied his brother’s cry, delighted. Joshua ran out with Jamie tucked under his arm, no doubt to their den where they could play video games.

‘Thanks for getting up with Jamie,’ said Claire now, once the room had gone quiet. ‘It was nice to have a little bit of lie-in.’

‘I miss them,’ said Chris, simply. ‘I thought I’d take them to the park this morning, being as the weather is so nice. Kick a football around.’

‘They’ll enjoy that.’

Claire felt the luxury of a free morning stretched ahead of her.

‘You look tired. I hope you’re going to get a bit of rest rather than doing work,’ said Chris, looking at her pointedly. ‘I meant what I said last night – all these late nights – they’re starting to take a toll.’

On you or me?