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But then Mum always remembers to check in. Always remembers what cake we like at our birthdays; chocolate for me, carrot for Sophia. And our parents helped with hefty deposits for our flats. It’s just sometimes hard to reconcile the woman who used to dance around the kitchen with us, with the woman criticising us at brunch.

When we step inside I immediately spot Mum. She’s already seated at a corner table, a coffee in front of her, reading a magazine. Looking up, she gives us both a brisk once-over, and then a tight nod. Her usual pearl necklace lies neatly on her collarbone and her Chanel lipstick is perfectly applied. She never leaves the house without either. Today’s outfit is one of her matching skirt-and-jacket sets, finished off with a glittering brooch and hair in a smooth chignon. I dressed smartly, in an A-line skirt, blouse and jacket, but I still feel scruffy next to her.

“There you are,” she says. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten.”

“I wish,” Sophia mutters under her breath as we sit.

“What was that, darling?” Mum asks.

“Nothing.” Sophia reaches for a menu.

Mum ignores her.

“Earl Grey for you.” She nudges one cup towards me. “And peppermint for Sophia. I remember you said the caffeine was making your migraines worse.”

Sophia blinks. “They’ve actually been a lot better recently.”

“Good.” Mum smiles. “And how’s the new project you’d started working on? The difficult one you mentioned last week?”

For a moment Sophia looks surprised. “Still difficult.”

Mum hums. “Well. You’re very good at your job.”

I settle back into my chair and take a sip of the slightly cold tea.

“So, Claire.” Mum clasps her hands. “How was your date with Angus? He told Veronica that he had a lovely time.”

Sophia coughs out a laugh as she swallows a sip of her tea and ends up snorting some out of her nose.

“Oh, did he?” I ask.

I can’t believe he called his mum to tell her about the date, or that his mum then immediately called mine. Or maybe I can. Mums love to meddle.

“He said you were very pretty. Though he did mention you seemed a bit distracted toward the end?”

Pretty. Wow. What a unique compliment. Not like it’s the one guys reach for when they don’t have anything better to say. I’m glad my inherited bone structure was his takeaway from our hour together. Though in fairness he asked me so few questions that he probably doesn’t know anything else about me.

“I had to leave early,” I say. “A friend had an emergency.”

“Hmm.” Mum looks unconvinced. “Angus is a very steady young man. Comes from a good family. Lots of security, you know. Bankers make a lot, Claire.”

“He told me a fifteen-minute story about when he clicked the wrong tab on a spreadsheet.” I fidget with the cuff of my sleeves, before immediately stilling at a look from Mum. “It was… a journey.”

“Smart women prefer stability over excitement.” She frowns before taking a measured sip of her coffee. “Not everyone wants drama.”

I make a neutral sound and Sophia nudges my leg under the table. Smoothing my hands on the pristine white tablecloth, I try not to look too closely at Mum. I don’t want her to read into the annoyance I know will be in my eyes.

Mum waves a hand like she’s swatting a fly. “You always were fussy. But don’t worry, I think my friend Cordelia’s son is recently single. He’s a lawyer at a very prestigious firm. Maybe you can bring him to the gala, darling.”

I shrug. Mum’s main hobby is being on the boards of things, ranging from charities to the opera. Somehow, with few qualifications other than a frighteningly good memory and iron will, she’s worked her way up the ranks. Board-related events seem to be her main source of socialising, and unfortunately she’s cornered me into attending one with her in two weeks’ time.

It’s an event about wellbeing in sport, which does, in fairness, sound like a great charity. But I know that Mum’s all about the optics and only wanted me because I could bring my “famous friend”. Sam hates public events, but he was happy to come to this one given it’s something he actually cares about. As a decorated Olympian, he’s a household name anyway, but alongside his swimming he’s done loads of work talking about mental health in sport. And since he’s going out with Kath, I thought we could make an evening of it.

“I might bring my own date, Mum.” I sit up straighter.

“I think you should meet Cordelia’s son first. You do really need to try harder on these dates, Claire. You never seem to have a second.”

I press my lips together. I don’t even want to think about what Mum would have to say about Tom. He definitely doesn’t come with the “prestige” she seems to crave; a teacher’s salary isn’t quite up to scratch for her. He wouldn’t even make her longlist of eligible men, let alone the shortlist.