‘Well,’ said Clio slowly. ‘There’s someone outside who I know you’d get along with famously if you just had the chance to spend some time together. So, I thought, if I took the children out for a couple of hours that would give you the perfect opportunity.’

Now I was really confused.

‘Who?’ I asked, frowning hard at Clio.

‘Take a look,’ said Clio, nodding towards the street.

Rather than opening the front door, I bought myself some time by going through to the lounge and peering through the window. I couldn’t see anyone that I knew. In fact, I couldn’t see anyone at all. I turned back to Clio.

‘What are you up to?’ I asked, narrowing my eyes at her and grinning. ‘There’s no one out there.’

Noah had wormed his way in between my hips and the window and now he was pointing at the parked cars.

‘There, Mummy, there!’ he shouted.

I followed his finger and then spotted the Volvo that had picked us up from the station. There, in the front seat, sat the carroty head of . . .

‘Marlon!’ I said. ‘Is it Marlon?’

For a second, I saw Clio’s smile slip, as if she might have misjudged the situation, but her doubt was fleeting. She was obviously getting to know me well, and annoyingly I thought this might actually be a good call, although I wasn’t going to tell her that. Not yet, anyway.

‘Yup!’ she said confidently.

‘And what is this exactly?’ I asked. ‘A blind date?’

‘Noooo,’ said Clio, shaking her head, her smirk a mile wide. ‘It’s just two potentially good friends who haven’t yet spent much time together leaving the house at the same time. With each other. And no one else.’

How long was a film? A couple of hours at least. Oh, good God. Would we find enough to talk about? I mean, he seemed nice enough, but still . . . I pulled back from the window.

‘Oh, Clio. I’m not sure . . .’

‘No time for all that,’ said Clio, bustling Noah back out into the hall. ‘The cinema tickets are bought and if we don’t get a shift on there won’t be time to get the popcorn before we go in. Where are your shoes, Noah?’

Noah raced off, nearly bursting at the prospect of the double treat of a film AND popcorn.

Clio put her arm round my shoulder and gave me a little squeeze. ‘It’ll be fine, Leah,’ she said. ‘He’s lovely, and if nothing else he’s great company. I think it’ll be good for you to meet some new people and anyway, you said you had nothing better to do this afternoon.’

I was still sceptical. ‘What did Marlon say when you asked him?’ I asked. ‘He doesn’t think it’s a date, does he?’