The girls were playing with their dolls, Trish was really pleased with her new one and its outfit. Thankfully, Mima didn’t seem jealous, she was pushing her dolls around in the pushchair.

I went into the kitchen to start dinner and also to talk with Simon, who perched near me on a kitchen chair. “Where’s Stella?” I asked him.

“She went out with a friend, she said she’ll be back by six.”

“I’m surprised she can reach the steering wheel.”

“Her friend is even bigger, she’s due the week before.” As Si spoke I conjured up the vision of two pregnant ladies locked in the lavatory and smiled to myself. When he asked what I was smirking at, I had to tell him and he chuckled.

“Si, are you happy with Meems, calling you daddy?”

“She seems happy with it.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

“Okay, yeah, it’s okay. I don’t think it does any harm, it’s only a word after all.”

“Yeah, but it’s quite a powerful word.”

“Not as much as mummy. I notice you seem uncomfortable with it.”

“I love it, but I’m scared it’s tempting providence. What would Meems do if we lose and they take her away?”

“I hate to think. I mean what would we do? And poor Tom would be heartbroken, losing his grandchild.”

“I know, so now you know why I’m resistant to the name. I’m not her mother anyway, and she could return and upset the apple cart, too.”

“I doubt that will happen for a bit.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Dad got some private investigator in South Africa to talk with her lawyer. She’s done a runner with half of Africa after her. If they catch her, she could end up doing a long stretch in an African jail.”

“Oh, poor Janice.”

“It’s of her own making.”

“So? I still feel sorry for her.”

“I don’t. Those guns probably killed a lot of people.”

“Maybe, I think that was probably her husband more than her.”

“Stop deluding yourself, Cathy, some people are total shits and need flushing away.”

“I still think she loves her daughter, which was why we were chosen so carefully.”

“Why didn’t she just skedaddle with Mima?”

“Because that would have put Mima at risk, and remember she was injured, too. They had tried to kill her, that horrible van driver. If only I’d known at the time, I’d have kicked his goolies up round his lugholes.”

“Remind me not to upset you, oh warrior queen.”

I poked my tongue out at him, “Why’s that then?”

“I don’t think I want dangly earrings.”

“In your case it would be cutting off my nose to spite my face, oh maker of my pleasure.”

“You have a point there,” he sighed deeply with relief.

Mima came clomping into the kitchen in my red shoes, I thought I’d put them away, obviously not. “Can we have dwinks?”

“What’s the magic word?” I asked.

“Pwease, Mummy.”

I gave her two tumblers of squash. “You be careful in those shoes.”

“Yes, Mummy,” she tottered back into the lounge.

Simon and I continued chatting as I peeled the vegetables and chopped them for the stir-fry I was going to do.” She clomped back in with the plastic tumblers in one hand, the other pushing her pushchair laden with dolls.

I carried on with my conversation and a few minutes later we heard loud laughter from the lounge and Mima racing about. I dashed to the room, pausing at the door and peeping through the crack in the back of it. I gasped.

Mima was dancing about chanting encouragement to Trish who had her feet in my red court shoes and was inching her way to the edge of the sofa. She stood and wobbled, falling down again onto the sofa. I gasped again, hoping she wouldn’t hurt herself but also not wanting to interfere. Trish tried again and failed and said something which I didn’t catch. Mima went and hugged her. Then she got her doll’s pushchair, and passed it to Trish. Once again Trish rose on wobbly legs and grasping the pushchair walked the length of the sofa before collapsing on the far end.

Mima ran and hugged her and they both laughed. I felt tears streaming down my face, and rushed back to the kitchen when I saw Mima walking towards me.

“You alright?” said Simon noticing my tears.

“Uh huh,” I wiped my face in my pinny.

“Wossup?” he said.

I waved him to be quiet. Mima rushed in very excited. “Twish got Mummy shoes.”

“Has she now,” I said.

“So can she walk any better than you?” asked Simon.

“No, Daddy, she fawwed over.”

“She fell over?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Well go and look after her, then.” He shooed her out of the kitchen, then said, “I take it you saw this happening?” I nodded, and felt my eyes water again. “Aren’t you going to see her?”

“I suppose so, I was going to let it happen a few more times first.”

“Well Mima has pretty well blown that out of the water.”

“Only if Trish knows what she said.”

“That is very true, you women are a cunning lot, aren’t you?”

If you’ve only just noticed that Simon Cameron, you are more stupid than I thought. “Sometimes,” I actually said, not wishing to question his intelligence in case I got the answer I was expecting. When I thought about it, women, who are smaller and less aggressive than men, only survive because they tend to make up in brains what they lack in brawn. It’s a sort of natural balance, most of the time.

I wandered into the lounge followed by Simon. Trish was still wearing my shoes. “So that’s where my red shoes went.”

“Yes, Mummy, am I being naughty wearing them?” she looked ready to burst into tears.

“No, of course not. I didn’t say you were naughty, did I?”

“No, Mummy.”

“Nor did I say you couldn’t wear them, did I?”

“No, Mummy.”

“So just be careful and not fall off them, okay?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

“Good girl. Right, Simon, let’s go and make some tea, shall we?”