‘So what was this thing you wanted to tell me?’ she asked when she came back in with a pile of books, and her bag on her shoulder.

‘Sit down, Sophie,’ said Andrew.

‘I’ll hear you whether I’m standing up or sitting down,’ she said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

‘Fine. I’ve asked Emily to—’

‘This is the best translation, isn’t it?’ said Sophie, holding up a book.

‘I’ve asked Emily to—’

‘We’ve decided together to,’ said Emily.

‘Yes, we’ve decided together to… that we’d like to get married.’

‘Oh,’ said Sophie.

No one had looked at me once during this exchange except Sophie, a quick glance of panic. I didn’t say congratulations or anything at all.

Sophie coughed. ‘Just to be clear: you are going to get married? When?’

‘We won’t wait long,’ said Andrew. ‘The end of the summer, perhaps early September.’

‘Congratulations,’ I said, to break the silence.

The engaged couple looked in my direction and smiled with their mouths shut. While they were looking away from her, Sophie pretended to vomit, composed herself and said, ‘Yes, very well done. Now I presume it’s my job to tell Mum about this. Have you thought about Mum at all in this?’

‘I’ll call her this evening,’ said Andrew.

‘Don’t call her this evening. If you call her this evening I’ll have to go home and pick up the pieces, and I might have other plans this evening.’

‘There won’t be any pieces to pick up, Sophie. We’ve been divorced for eight years.’

‘Eight years is nothing. Eight years is eight weeks.’

‘That’s startlingly mature and nihilistic of you, Sophie, but in this case eight years is eight years. I do still speak to Jean as you know, and she’s fully aware of my relationship with Emily.’

‘That’s what you think. You don’t live with her.’

‘No. I live with Emily, and I will be marrying her this summer.’

‘Well… congratulations. Congratulations, Dad. Congratulations, Emily.’

‘Thank you,’ said Emily, as flatly as Sophie.

‘And you’re getting married this summer?’ I said, wishing I wasn’t there.

Emily had carefully avoided looking at me until she couldn’t any more. ‘It won’t be a big thing,’ she said. ‘The smallest room in the registry office. A handful of people.’

‘So not as big a deal as your wedding to Carole, Dad?’

‘Oh, Sophie…’

‘Are you even inviting me?’

‘Of course we’re inviting you,’ said Andrew. ‘You will come?’

‘Depends if I’m free,’ said Sophie. ‘I’m very busy this summer.’

‘And you, Paul, I hope you’ll come too,’ he said, which Emily looked startled by before she said yes, and nodded her head at me.

‘Perhaps we could both bring a witness,’ said Andrew to Emily.