I used to yearn so hard for the sunshine of Jake’s approval. But now I’m feeling a different kind of glow. Conviction that we’re doing the right thing.

I just feel kind of rueful. Because how much of my life have I spent comparing myself to Jake? And how utterly pointless was that?

has decided to bring up her children as Danish–French hybrids. Apparently then they’ll be super-relaxed, stylish and eat their vegetables. (I said once, ‘Why not bring them up British?’ and she stared at me and said ‘

And I’ve got here early because … Well. Just to watch and enjoy.

I mean, you have to see the funny side of things, otherwise … what? You start brooding morosely on why he’s with someone so blinkered,

So instead I’m zapping her lots of smiley faces and emojis of shiny suns and sailboats, and dodging the truth altogether. (Maybe that’s what emojis were invented for in the first place, and I’ve just been using them wrong. They’re not there to convey thoughts in a fun way, they’re there to lie to your mum.

Because that way I feel like I’m in control of something, even if it’s just my own story.

shout at you and you don’t seem to care.’ ‘I guess I think about why I’m speaking,’ says Seb thoughtfully. ‘Who I’m speaking for. Who I represent. I’m speaking for people who don’t have a voice, and that inspires me. That powers me along.’

‘You forgive the person and you endlessly rationalize and you forget