‘It’s fine,’ Sophie said. ‘To be honest I’m glad of the help. Thank you. I don’t know why I decided to go all Nigella. I really don’t have what it takes.’

‘They look great,’ Angie said, finishing her dozen cupcakes in frustratingly quick time. ‘Now while we wait for the last batch to cool down, what else needs doing?’

With Angie’s help, the house was party ready by the time everyone arrived. Alan and Jack had hidden eggs all around the garden and the children grabbed buckets and dashed off to look for them, while Sophie introduced Angie to some guests. As she was heating up some soup and bread in the kitchen, one of her school mum friends, Eve, sidled up to her.

‘He’s a bit of a dish, that Jack,’ she said.

Sophie slapped her playfully with a wooden spoon. ‘He’s also married to my very nice neighbour,’ she reminded Eve.

‘Never hurts to look,’ Eve said shamelessly. ‘I don’t suppose he does naked yoga in the garden, does he? Because if so, I’m coming round for breakfast.’

Sophie laughed in wicked delight. ‘He’s all right but he’s not my cup of tea.’

‘What, tall, dark and handsome isn’t your cup of tea?’

‘He’s too… I don’t know… perfect looking. He looks like a cardboard cut-out. I prefer my men more real and rugged. Like my Alan.’

‘Well good job you’re married to him then,’ Eve said, sticking her finger in the soup.

‘Oi, get away with you.’ Sophie laughed, batting her away. Eve winked and wandered off to introduce herself to Angie. Sophie observed the two women talking easily together and enjoyed a moment of satisfaction. She loved it when a good party came together. Smiling to herself, she put the soup and bread on the table and went outside to watch the egg hunt.

‘How’s it going?’ she asked Alan.

‘Yeah fine, they’re all losing their tiny little minds.’

‘Perfect.’ She stood next to him and watched the children running around frantically in different directions. ‘They’ll be as high as kites when they’ve scoffed all of those eggs. We’d better make sure all the guests leave before the sugar rush wears off.’

‘Yeah, we don’t want a repeat of last year.’

‘What happened last year?’

‘One kid vomited all over the kitchen floor and another one beheaded all of Katie’s Barbies and she cried for three hours straight.’

‘Oh God! How have I forgotten that?’

‘I wish I had.’

Two hours and three meltdowns later, everyone had left apart from Angie, Jack and the kids.

‘Can we stay a bit longer, please?’ Ellie begged.

‘Five minutes,’ Angie agreed, as Alan opened a bottle of wine. They all sat down, glad to finally be able to relax, and Sophie started absent-mindedly picking at the leftover party food.

‘That was a great party,’ Angie said, raising her glass to Sophie and Alan.

‘It really was,’ Alan agreed. ‘I thought we were in for it when you said you were baking.’