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I’m starting to feel dizzy. I don’t even know whose side I am on. And that’s the problem. I am way too enmeshed with all of them. I need to take a big step back from this family. I need boundaries with all of them.

‘Hillary, thank you for a lovely dinner. Ettie, happy birthday. I’m going to head off,’ I say.

I expect Lana to leave with me, but she’s watching me and she seems irritated. I guess she thought her presence was going to cause all the drama tonight.

‘Maybe we should all go,’ Xavier says.

‘We haven’t had my cake yet,’ Ettie says.

‘Oh, sweetheart, the custard tarts are the dessert. I don’t have any cake,’ Hillary says.

‘Oh, wonderful. No birthday cake,’ Ettie says, and her voice cracks and tears pop into her eyes.

‘Oh, darling,’ Hillary says, looking appalled and putting an arm around her.

‘It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s the hormones. I just feel, like, it’s my last birthday before becoming a mother, my last birthday before I don’t matter anymore, and no one cares about me anyway…’ Ettie is crying now.

I edge towards the door. Is it inappropriate to leave when the pregnant guest of honour is sobbing?

‘Darling, you still matter. And you’ll still matter after the baby,’ Hillary says.

‘That’s not what you said. You’ve always talked about how motherhood makes you invisible, and how hard you worked to overcome that.’

‘The gallivanting,’ Graham says, and at least three people glare at him.

‘Oh, sweetheart. That was a long time ago. It’s different now. And that was all my insecurities about my career and my looks and everything else. Motherhood is different for everyone. You’re going to love it. You’ll see.’

‘My mother raised four boys and said they were the best years of her life,’ Robbie says, and Ettie and Hillary exchange a look.

Ettie wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed. I have behaved like a lunatic tonight. Pregnancy hormones. I promise, I am going to be normal for the rest of the night.’

Hillary kisses the top of her head.

‘Darling, it’s fine,’ Graham says. ‘The same thing happened to us once. Your mother made me get out of the car and then drove off and left me on the side of the road.’

Considering their divorce, I am not at all sure this is reassuring to Ettie.

‘During which pregnancy?’ Ettie asks.

‘Oh, she wasn’t pregnant.’

‘Thank you for that story, Graham,’ Hillary says.

He laughs and squeezes Hillary’s shoulder, leaving his hand there a touch too long.

I see Ettie, James and Xavier all zero in on his hand on Hillary’s shoulder.

I have picked up my bag and I’m almost at the door. Escape is imminent.

‘What was that?’ Ettie says.

‘What?’ Graham says.

‘You touched Mum’s shoulder.’ Ettie’s eyes are narrowed. She’s a bloodhound on the scent.

‘Am I not allowed to?’ Graham asks cheerfully.

‘Not like that. Your hand lingered,’ Ettie says.