I look out of the window. The house feels quiet now that Louis is back at school. I think about the night before the autumn term began, how we went through all the things we were grateful for, Louis tucked up in bed. ‘Uncle Ben, Nellie and Emily. I’ve had the best summer, ever, Mum.’ Words that make my heart sing. ‘What was the best part of it?’ ‘All of it! We did such interesting things. I liked the surfing on my little board.’ Ben, Emily, Louis, Nellie and I went on holiday to Polzeath a couple of weeks ago. We hired a self-catering cottage two minutes’ walk from the sea. I was in charge of the suncream and picnics. Ben taught Louis and Emily to surf on their child-friendly boards. Ben loves the sea. As a child he went on many holidays abroad. ‘Even if I hated my stepdad, Grace and I did love the sandy beaches, jumping off our boat and snorkelling.’ He described to the children the colourful underwater world with its jellyfish and octopuses. I was content to be watching them all from a distance, reading books on my Kindle, looking after Nellie and waving when they were up on their boards.
