Claire tried to keep her face expressionless and nodded noncommittally, but the surprise must have shown on her face.

‘Oh, not because I don’t love him, or anything like that,’ backtracked Linda. ‘Just because I’m so exhausted in the evenings, I don’t have anything left to give. It’s quite nice to just do what I want in the evenings.’

Claire thought about the night before, Jamie refusing to go to bed, Joshua egging him on, and Chris’s eyes locked on the TV studiously ignoring them, forcing Claire to intervene. It had been almost ten o’clock when she managed to get a minute to herself.

‘I can only imagine. I barely have time for myself these days and when I do, I’m too shattered to do anything!’

‘Exactly,’ replied Linda. ‘And I only have one child! You have an older son as well, don’t you?’

Claire nodded. She must have mentioned Joshua when they’d first met in the playground.

‘How old is he?’ asked Linda.

‘Seventeen. He’ll be taking his A-level exams next year.’

‘You do have a lot on. Is it stressful with the exams coming up?’

‘Oh, he’s fine,’ replied Claire. ‘Joshua is one of those kids who sort of sails through life, very easy-going, nothing is too much trouble.’

Claire wondered if it sounded like she was boasting, so she quickly added, ‘Although we did have a rough few months with him last year. Plus, he sleeps all the time!’

Linda laughed. ‘You know, I’m actually looking forward to Luke’s teenage years – I might be able to get a bit of a lie-in then!’

Claire chuckled too, warming to her new friend. It was nice to meet someone who understood what it was like to be a full-time working mum and it was great that she lived so close – just a ten-minute walk away. Claire adored Julia – they’d been best friends since they’d met at JWTS; she was her one constant, but their lifestyles were very different. Julia was single, having gotten divorced a few years ago. It had been a difficult time for her friend but looking back, it had been the making of her. Perhaps the constraints of marriage just didn’t suit some people.