Tom read to Mima from ‘Pooh’ and Stella and I made dinner. After we’d eaten, Stella picked up the book from the sideboard. “Who’s Colin?” she asked making me squirm.

“What?” Tom said.

“Colin, the book is dedicated to Colin from Daddy.” She passed it over to Tom who stretched out a hand.

“No idea,” he handed her back the book.

“So how come you’ve got it?”

“I love Sheppard’s illustrations.”

“I wondered if you’d bought it for Cameron?” asked Stella and I mentally wanted to kick myself.

“No, I bought that in Oxfam or somewhere like that a few years ago. Catherine had been gone for years by then.”

I felt myself blushing and feeling hot. “You okay, Cathy?” said Stella.

“Me, yeah, just going to check Mima.” I went upstairs and checked the sleeping cherub. I stroked her face and she smiled and moved her head against my hand. I was definitely bonding with this bit of flotsam.

I stood watching her for several minutes, how could I forget something as basic as Catherine’s previous name, was it disrespectful? Especially one as pertinent as Cameron. I can see the surprise on Stella’s face as she suggested things were ordained by a higher authority. I still think coincidence is a wonderful thing, divinely or mundanely inspired.

I came down to see Tom had poured me a glass of wine. “Thanks, Tom,” I said picking it up and sipping it.

“Stella says you might have had some helpful news.”

“We’ll have to wait and see, I don’t want to get too hopeful in case it all falls flat on its face.”

“Yes, that would hardly be a novel experience would it?” he replied.

“I think you win most of life’s battles Cathy Watts,” declared Stella, “especially with my support.”

“It sure helps,” I said beginning to clear the table.

“Leave those for Tom to do, come out into the kitchen where the light is better and I’ll trim those split ends.” As she spoke I saw astonishment in Tom’s face and sniggered as I followed her out.

Tom did clear the table and loaded the dishwasher, while Stella combed and trimmed my hair. “It could do with some more highlights, these are pretty well grown out. I’ll do them for your birthday, how’s that?”

“That would be as nice a present as any, Stella, thank you.”

“No you, silly moo, I’ll do them so you’ll look nice for your birthday. I bought your present weeks ago.”

“Oh, alright then, thanks.” What else could I say without dropping myself further in the mire? So I shut up.

“What did you read to your Catherine?” asked Stella as Tom came out with the final load of crocks.

“Eh? My Catherine? She could read by the age of four, when she was still living as a boy. By nine she was reading Iris Murdoch and understood it better than I did. By twelve she was reading Tacitus in the original Latin. She had more brains than her mother and I put together. We never did discover where they came from.”

“We say that about Simon,” said Stella.

“What about how clever he is?” asked Tom looking slightly bemused.

“No, about where he came from,” said Stella and started to laugh.

“Hoi, that’s my fiancé you are slandering?”

“Hoy? What Chris Hoy?” Stella was now in a real mischievous mood, I was rather glad she’d finished cutting my hair and was sweeping up the bits.

“Very funny, Stella, thanks for doing my hair.” I got up and walked off before she said anything else for which, I might have to hit her. I popped up to my bedroom and phoned Simon.

“Hi, Babes, I was just thinking about you. Can you speak up?”

“No, I’m in my bedroom and Mima is trying to sleep.”

“Can’t you go elsewhere?”

“I could I suppose, hang on…” I went into the bathroom and was quite pleased there was still a signal in there. “Is that better?”

“Much, Babes. How is the little darlin’?”

“She’s fine, although I spent a couple of hours in casualty today.”

“Oh God, she’s okay though?”

“She wasn’t in trouble, I was, injured twice by her own fair hand, or should I say head.”

“What?” I explained what had happened and how sore I was as a consequence. “Sounds like Stella did the best thing, getting it checked out.”

“How would you feel if she were to drive your Jag?”

“She wouldn’t, I’d kill her first.”

“That was what I thought when she got in the driver’s side of the Mondeo.”

“You didn’t let her drive your dad’s car, oh, Cathy, I am disappointed.”

“I tell you what, I’ll hang two mousetraps from your nipples and then we’ll run from the kitchen to your car.”

“You getting kinky in your old age, girl?”

“No, I’m just trying to give some idea of what it felt like walking slowly to the car and trying to head off Stella, who had a room’s lead on me. I was so sore, I could hardly move. My boobs are starting to change to Technicolor,” I said peering down the front of my jumper.

“Never mind, babes, I’ll kiss them better when I come home tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, like Friday, it’s Thursday today.”

“Is it? I’ve lost track of the real world ever since I’ve had the two little girls to look after.”

“What, Stella and Jemima?”

“The same.” I heard him laugh. “Just don’t let her treat you like an unpaid nanny when she has her sprog.”

“We’ve called her, Pudding.”

“Who? Stella?”

“No, the baby.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?”

“I don’t, just a guess.”

“Oh well, we’ll see soon enough, I suppose.”

“In another five months, Simon.”

“That’ll be soon enough for me.”

“What about Mima, you seem to like her?”

“Mima is a delightful little girl with whom one can interact, not some bawling, bag of crap which pukes all over you, wees down you or needs shit removal.”

“I take it you’re not overly fond of babies?”

“Damn, I thought I’d concealed it rather well–you must be a mind-reader, but with mine it doesn’t take long,” he said and I mimed. It was, perhaps as well, he couldn’t see me, or my multicoloured breasts.

“I’d better go and check on your new girlfriend,” I said.

“Oops! I gotta go too, Babes, have to call Santiago about a deal I’ve been trying to set up.” We each sent metaphorical kisses and rang off.

I crept back into the bedroom. Stella was already in my bed reading, The House at Pooh Corner. She beamed a huge smile at me, “Will Caffy wead to wittle Stewwa?”

I’m gonna have to kill her!