The mother began to fuss with the pushchair straps. ‘They’re too tight,’ she muttered at her partner, crossly.

Definitely let sleeping babies lie, I nearly warned – but the young woman fiddled until the baby woke, squawking like a seagull, whereupon she turned to the father as if to say ‘Told you so!’ With an air of macho resignation, he rolled his eyes and scooped up the indignant bundle.

But that’s the easy bit, I found myself thinking: enjoy it. This bit when you know where they are and what they’re doing at all times; the bit where they still lie placid in your arms and meet your adoring gaze with their own wide-eyed stare.

‘Drum roll, please!’ Marcus plonked a plate of burnished custard tarts between us. ‘Portugal’s finest – pastel de natas!’

‘Oh, I see. I love a bit of egg custard, me,’ I said as he sat down.

‘Fair play.’ He had the good grace to look abashed. ‘Posh egg custard.’

Everything about him seemed posh to me, but I didn’t say that.

‘So, I wanted to say it’s a real relief that your lovely boy’ – Marcus offered me the plate – ‘sorry, what’s his name again?’

‘Zach.’ I took one of the cakes, turning it in my hand, like a tiny yellow sun.

‘Great name.’ He turned his headlamp smile on. ‘After Efron?’

‘Er – no. After a reggae musician.’

‘The beloved Efron is Willow’s idol. I can’t count the times I’ve had to watch him smoulder in The Greatest Showman! Anyway, look, it’s great Zach’s agreed to help out – and I’d love to help him out.’

The waitress put his coffee down so hard, milk slopped out onto the table. Mine, she placed more carefully, with a meaningful look.

Surprised, I caught her eye. ‘Thanks!’ With a thud, I realised I recognised the young woman now rushing back to the counter.

‘Cheers, Dores. The truth is, Ruby.’ A cloud passed across his face, like the weather changing. ‘We haven’t been, like, completely honest.’

‘Oh?’ I felt a sudden pressure in my belly. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, I do want to support the state system, of course.’

‘Of course.’ Did he detect the sarcasm in my tone?

‘And it’s also brilliant that Rex is in charge. He seems like a good guy.’

‘He’s not the actual head,’ I said as irritation flared hot in my chest, though I couldn’t say why. ‘He’s assistant head of learning, or maybe of sixth form now.’

Marcus’s face dropped, and immediately I felt guilty. ‘But of course, it can’t hurt, can it? With Willow.’

‘The thing is, between you and me’ – Marcus lowered his voice so much, I was forced to lean across the table – ‘I owe everything to the state system myself – though that’s a story for another day. But in this case, in Willow’s, we didn’t – let’s just say, we didn’t have a lot of choice.’

‘Really?’ I said slowly. ‘I see.’