‘It’s nothing serious, Sophie,’ she said finally. ‘My mum’s not doing very well and I think she needs to move into sheltered accommodation. And I’ve been having a bit of a panic over my work-life balance. I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of things at home but it’s incredibly difficult to cut down my hours at work because of the nature of the job.’

Sophie nodded in sympathy. ‘I’m sorry to hear that; it must be hard. Is there anything that can be done? Perhaps you just need to take some time off? Or a sabbatical even?’

‘What I need,’ Angie said, ‘is a good holiday.’

Sophie nodded. ‘Me too! The weather’s been appalling, hasn’t it? I don’t know what’s happened to spring but I feel like we’ve been in the depths of winter for decades.’

‘Have you booked anything for the summer yet?’

‘Not yet, I’m usually more organised but time has got away with me a bit this year.’ Sophie looked at her and said tentatively, ‘Would you fancy doing something together maybe? We could get a big villa or a couple of apartments next to each other?’

Angie considered the prospect. They often went away with Simon and Alex in the summer holidays but she hadn’t spoken to Alex in weeks and she had a feeling that she was being phased out. She couldn’t blame her; she had made little effort with their friendship this year. What with everything else, she just hadn’t had the bandwidth and a couple of Alex’s messages had gone unanswered. She thought of her old Greenwich gang, of their weekend barbecues, park playdates and mum nights out. It all seemed like a distant memory now. She looked at Sophie and smiled.

‘That would be wonderful!’ she said. ‘Perhaps we could do some research after the party? I’m thinking Greece, I’m thinking tavernas, I’m thinking beaches.’

‘I’m thinking yes.’

As Angie started getting plates and cutlery out of Sophie’s kitchen cupboards, she realised that she was feeling better already. Perhaps that was all she needed after all, something to look forward to after a long winter. A change of scene, a few weeks off work, good company and a chance to recharge the batteries. She’d been overthinking things and her brain just needed a break. Yes, she thought in anticipation, the winter months were always a slog but with the prospect of summer, she was feeling optimistic again.

‘Indie’s bringing her boyfriend to the party today by the way,’ she told Sophie conspiratorially as she wrapped knives and forks in napkins.

‘Oooh, what’s he like?’

‘Sullen and evidently incapable of conversation. But she seems to adore him.’

‘I can’t believe she has a boyfriend. When Katie gets her first boyfriend Alan is going to lose the plot. How’s Jack about it?’

‘Oh he’s fine, he’s pretty laid-back about things like that.’

‘Do you remember your first boyfriend?’

Angie thought back and smiled wistfully at the memory. ‘His name was Peter Banks and he went to the boys’ school down the road. We went out for two weeks, after which time I left him for an older man. And by older man, I mean the school year above me, which was incredibly exotic. I must have been thirteen or fourteen. How about you?’