Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered

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‘A picture of domestic bliss,’ I said, kissing Chloé on the cheek.

‘Not quite,’ she said wryly. ‘Olly, this is Esme. Say hello.’

I bent down and shook Olly’s tiny, slightly damp hand. He regarded me with mild interest.

‘I did a standing-up wee,’ he said solemnly.

‘How lovely,’ I said, standing up again and wiping my hand on my trousers. I was never sure what to say to small children. Olly raced off as Chloé pulled the wine out of my arms and beckoned to the kitchen.

‘Come on Mary Poppins,’ she said. ‘Let’s crack this open.’

I followed her down the hall, its walls covered in photos of the children, and into the kitchen. One end had been extended into a conservatory and the rain pounded noisily on the glass roof. Inside though it was warm and cosy. On the fridge were several of Olly’s drawings and a chart with gold stars on, and something that smelled delicious was bubbling on the hob. It all felt very homely and with a sudden burst of affection I hugged Chloé. She plopped Matilda on to the floor, where she began to wail in self-pity, and hugged me back.

‘This is gorgeous,’ I said over Matilda’s roars. ‘The house, the kids, everything.’

‘I know,’ she said. ‘I am lucky. Sometimes it’s hard to remember. But I’m so excited about my new job – it’s just perfect.’

She looked at me slyly.

‘Wasn’t it so weird that it just happened like that,’ she said, opening a drawer in search of a corkscrew. ‘One minute I’m chatting to Suky, the next I’m in the running for the perfect job.’

I took the bottle from her and found the corkscrew. ‘Very weird,’ I said without looking at her.