He had. With a weak smile, the assistant had assured him, ‘Queen-size is very popular too, sir, and usually ample for most people’s needs.’

But not large enough for some people’s egos, I didn’t say; nor did I bother arguing.

Instead, I’d spent every night since taut as a drum on the bed edge.

When had it come to this?

Probably around the time he was promoted to Assistant Head.

The same time I realised how pompous he was: that my dreams of the perfect partnership had been just that. Dreams. How wrong I’d got it.

Breathe, Melissa, breathe: in and out, calm and calm: just as I taught my old ladies in the care home; the yummy mummies and the yoga bunnies at the gym, who sucked up mindfulness like some drug.

Personally, I had no truck with living in the moment: I’d prefer to burn off the frantic energy I could barely contain these days.

The scrape of metal downstairs said Ceci’s key was in the front door, back from the cinema with her new friend Portia.

‘All right, honey?’ I called softly down the stairs, and I saw Ceci’s upturned face, a pale flower in the night’s gloom.

‘Yes thanks!’ She gave me a thumbs up. ‘Thanks for waiting up.’

My dear one. I’d never guessed I could love a child not of my own blood the way I loved Miss Cecilia Whitaker, but it had come to be.

It was a shock to both of us, I think, and it definitely hadn’t always been easy. She was a wary child; a trait that was easy for me to recognise. What we called a tomboy in my day, Ceci was more into magic tricks and ‘grunge’ than good hair, nails and karma: my obvious routes into bonding. Still, we did bond, gradually: I taught her the Tarot, and she taught me about Pearl Jam and Nirvana, and how to turn water into ice while it was pouring, or magic a hanky from a cuff – with varied results, it had to be said.

But I was lucky. Her mother, Lynette, had always been kind and, given the way Rex and I had got together, for that I could only thank her. Slowly, though, it dawned on me that Lynette was probably so glad to be shot of Rex, she’d do anything to keep him by my side.

Recently, Lynette had been struggling with depression, expressing gratitude when I’d had more of Cecilia to help out. Frankly, I was glad of the company – and to my great surprise, we’d become allies of a sort, Lynette and I.

Quietly, I closed the bedroom door and tiptoed back to the bed.

At least now Cecilia was home, I could relax a little.

Thirty minutes later, I’d listened to the shower drain away and Ceci’s light snap off – and I was more awake than ever.

Getting out of bed, I peered out of the window again.

Nothing, just a couple kissing in the shadows on the corner – oh, and a Deliveroo bike propped against next door’s Ford Galaxy.