---

Small people were swarming everywhere: appearing from tunnels, whooshing down slides and falling all over each other in pits of brightly coloured plastic balls. The air was permeated with a smell of feet, sweat and baked beans, and the noise level approached that of a death metal concert. Picking her way across the floor, Jenny could see her own horror mirrored in the faces of Antonia and Gail. Where was Naomi leading them? Naomi stopped and indicated a sorry-looking set of chairs. Apparently, here.

Gail started to take off her changing bag and then seemed to think better of it: Orla Kiely wasn’t used to plastic tables. ‘What in the name of sanity is this place?’

Naomi put both hands on her baby-sling-wrapped hips. ‘We need somewhere the babies can play and we can talk to one another, rather than trying to keep them amused in a restaurant.’

Antonia lifted the hem of her Michael Kors maxi dress and peered at the floor. ‘I’d heard of these places. But I had no idea it would be so terribly awful.’

Naomi stuck her chin out. ‘Well, you all asked me to choose somewhere to meet and I thought we should try something different.’

Naomi was getting upset and she had enough to deal with. Jenny put a hand on her shoulder. ‘It was a good idea, Naomi. Look, we can get lunch here, too.’

The others followed her pointing finger with their eyes to a white Formica counter in front of a display cabinet full of brightly coloured drink cartons. Leaning on the counter was a bored-looking young woman, staring vacantly out into the room. From the doorway beside her, another girl appeared and called out, ‘Twenny-free!’ whereupon a harried-looking mother in the corner put up her hand and was rewarded with two plates of sausages and beans. At least that explained the smell.

Sensing that her lunch tangent had not been a wise one, Jenny suggested that they sit. Antonia was horrified when Naomi explained she would have to leave her expensive shoes on the floor where anyone could take them. She did her best to secrete them in her tiny handbag.

That tiny bag was the object of Jenny’s envy. ‘How do you manage with such a small bag? My bag is big enough for a weekend break and I still can’t fit everything in.’

Antonia shrugged. ‘I leave most of the stuff in the car unless I need it. I can’t bear the “bag lady” look. No offence, darling.’

‘None taken.’ Jenny had an overriding urge to snap the heel off one of Antonia’s protruding shoes. She still hadn’t forgiven her for lying about her mother’s visit.

‘See! This is good!’ beamed Naomi. ‘Look how much the babies are enjoying themselves.’

They all had to admit that the children did seem very happy, rolling around in the small padded area for under twos, throwing balls onto the ground and then laughing at them.

With everyone relaxed, Jenny thought it was a good time to start doing some digging. ‘How is everyone getting on?’

Antonia was still trying to poke her shoes further down into her bag. ‘We’ve been interviewing for a nanny. Geoff suggested it a while ago and I’m beginning to think it might have its merits.’

Gail looked surprised. ‘Are you going to get a job?’

Antonia shook her head. Gail hid her face by bending over to pick up Jake, who had flopped over onto his stomach and wasn’t enjoying it. Her face was probably a picture. Not a friendly one.

Naomi frowned. ‘I’m not sure I would be able to let someone else look after Daisy. I’m not judging you, though.’ Course you’re bloody not.

Jenny was still annoyed with Antonia, but she wasn’t going to let the others make her feel guilty. ‘Think of the benefits. You could just pop out to the shops on your own. Have a lie-in whenever you needed it. Sit and drink a cup of coffee whilst it’s still hot. Hold on, I want a nanny, too!’ Jenny pretended to stamp her feet.

Antonia smiled. ‘That’s what I thought. It’ll give me a little bit of freedom. I’m not getting some flighty young thing. We’ve hopefully found someone, and she comes with a lot of experience.’

Gail crossed her legs and folded her arms. ‘Be careful who you choose. Husbands often have affairs with the nanny.’

Antonia’s smile was cold. ‘I think you have to pay them extra for that, darling.’

‘You’ll have time to read a book. Have a long, hot shower every morning. Maybe even a bath!’ Jenny tried to wrestle the tone to a lighter level.

Naomi was far less enthusiastic. ‘I can see the benefits but I just don’t think I would trust someone else whilst they are so small. Oh, hang on.’ She jumped up and went to rescue Daisy, who had rolled her way into a pile of foam animals and didn’t seem to be able to find her way out.

Antonia followed her with her eyes. ‘This is the shape of things to come. Soon we’ll all be jumping up every two minutes, now they’ve started to move around.’

‘You’ll be all right, the nanny can jump up for you.’ Gail smiled sweetly, as if she was joking. She clearly wasn’t.

Antonia stuck out her chin. ‘You don’t think the nanny is a good idea, then?’

‘Who am I to judge?’ Gail held her hands out at the side, palms upward. ‘I have my mother providing my childcare. I’m hardly a model for the stay-at-home mother.’

‘But you clearly don’t approve.’

‘It’s about choice, isn’t it? I have little choice about whether I leave Jake or give up my job. You have a choice whether you want to be with your daughter all the time or not. No one else can make your choices for you, can they?’

‘Is anyone feeling brave enough to risk a coffee?’ Jenny needed to keep them all on speaking terms: no talk meant no blog ideas. ‘I’m dying for a caffeine hit… can you watch Henry for me?’

Naomi reappeared with a wriggling Daisy under one arm. ‘Would you get a peppermint tea for me? I just need to change Daisy’s nappy. Can you pass me my changing bag? Thanks.’

‘I’ll come with you.’ Gail stood up, flicking imaginary lint from her smart trousers. ‘I’m sure Jake needs a change, too. I’ll have a black coffee, thanks.’

---

Jenny made it back to Antonia, and placed the tray of drinks on the table nearest to where they had perched. ‘I wouldn’t get your hopes up about the coffee. We’re not in Starbucks any more, Toto.’ She glanced in the direction that the other two had taken. ‘Everything okay?’

Antonia was tight-lipped and merely nodded. She took a mug from the tray, but just stared at its contents.

‘Don’t worry about the others. I’m sure they didn’t mean to sound so judgemental.’ Jenny wasn’t so sure about that, but it seemed the right thing to say.

Antonia looked up. Her eyes were glittery. ‘I know what they think. They think I don’t want to look after my own daughter.’

‘No! Of course they don’t.’ Or maybe they do.

Antonia went back to staring at the murky coffee. Then she put the mug back on the tray. ‘I just want to get it right, Jen. I just want to have everything done properly. Jess was premature. I know the midwife said three weeks doesn’t make any difference but I want to make sure she’s okay. And Geoff is no help at all. Everything is on me.’ Her voice cracked. She paused to compose herself. ‘I just want a little professional help. Is that so terrible?’

‘It’s not terrible at all. Not at all.’ Isn’t that what all new mums wanted – someone on hand who knew what the hell they were doing? ‘But don’t be so hard on yourself, Antonia. We’re all in the same boat. None of us got the manual.’

Antonia smiled. She ran a finger under her eyes. Jenny could have told her that her make-up was still perfect. Time to change the subject. ‘I’m looking forward to our night out with the husbands. Is Geoff still keeping it free?’

Jenny had been pleased with her brainwave: a night out with the husbands might give her a new angle. She hadn’t broken the news to Dan yet.

‘He is. I’ve written it into every diary he has so he can’t make another arrangement.’ Antonia got up and shook her dress gently. She leaned down to pick up Jessica. ‘Speaking of which, I think I’m going to go. We’ve got a dinner tonight with some of Geoff’s clients and I could do with trying to get some rest this afternoon.’

‘But you haven’t even drunk your coffee.’

Antonia peered at the mugs on the table. ‘It doesn’t look up to much, does it? I’ll get a drink when I get home. I really should go. Can you say goodbye to the others for me?’

‘Of course.’ Jenny watched Antonia walk to the door with Jessica on her hip, putting on her large sunglasses before opening the door to go out.

---

‘Where’s Antonia?’ Naomi was the first to return with a still-wriggling Daisy under her arm.

Jenny knew that Naomi would take this personally. ‘She genuinely had to go. Something about a business dinner to prepare for.’

‘She hated it here, didn’t she?’ Naomi’s face was a mixture of defiance and deflation.

‘No, no, it wasn’t that, really. She had to go. She said to thank you for arranging today,’ Jenny lied.

‘Sometimes I wonder if she really wants to be with us all,’ Naomi sniffed. ‘She can be quite superior at times… or maybe that’s just with me.’

Jenny didn’t want a rift developing in the group. It was difficult enough keeping Gail and Antonia in the same room. ‘No, I know what you mean, but I think that’s just her way.’

Gail marched over. ‘Those baby change facilities are disgusting. I have never smelt such a stench in my life. Excuse me.’ She stopped a young girl who was half-heartedly wiping tea around a table near them. ‘The bin in your baby change room needs emptying immediately.’

The girl continued wiping. ‘I’ll let them know. I’m not on bins today.’

Gail shuddered. ‘I need a shower after being in there for five minutes. You’d think a place aimed at children would have good facilities for changing nappies. It’s disgusting.’

‘Henry is going to need a change soon. Maybe I’ll just go home and do it there.’ Jenny was grateful for an excuse to go. Another day gone with no material. Although she could probably knock up a post about this place. A whole new inflatable world she hadn’t known existed.

‘Good idea. Thanks for the drink. I’ll have that and then go myself,’ said Gail. She put Jake back into the baby area, picked up a mug, peered into it and then put it down again. ‘Where’s Antonia?’

‘Gone.’ The expression on Naomi’s face implied that the two of them had been discussing Antonia in the baby change room.

Jenny was irritated by their knowing looks. ‘She had to get ready for a business dinner,’ she told Gail, firmly.

‘Of course, the perfect wife needs to do her duty.’

There was venom in Gail’s tone. Surely it wasn’t just about the nanny thing? ‘That’s a bit harsh.’

Gail held her hands up. ‘Sorry, I take it back.’ She turned to Naomi. ‘At least John doesn’t make you attend dinner parties with his work colleagues.’

‘Even that would be better than spending time with his friends and family.’ Naomi sighed as she scooped up Daisy. Obviously, things had not improved between them.

‘Have you talked to him about it?’ asked Jenny.

Naomi shook her head. ‘Not properly. But I will. I’m going back to stay with my parents in a couple of weeks. I’ll see how that goes. Then I’ll talk to him.’

From the look on Gail’s face, Naomi had obviously been talking to her about it. And Jenny wasn’t sure that Gail was the best person to talk to about men.

‘Well, we’ll all have a nice night out with our men next week, anyway,’ said Jenny, brightly. ‘Even Ruth and David are coming!’

‘Yes, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.’ Gail had her head inside her changing bag, rearranging the contents. ‘I’m not sure I can make it.’

Jenny’s heart sank. ‘No. You can’t back out. We are so looking forward to finally meeting Joe.’

‘He might be working.’

‘Not again!’ said Naomi. ‘What were you just telling me about putting my foot down? We want to meet him. Tell him to come later on if he has to.’

‘We’ll see.’