The front door slammed and she sighed with relief, that was everyone gone to work and school and she could have a good tidy up. She switched the radio on, what rubbish had they been listening to? She turned over to Radio 4, bound to be someone talking about something clever. At least they had put the dishwasher on, but what was that letter doing on the counter top? Just rubbish by the look of it, recycling box.

She drifted into the hall where a bright pink glove lay on the floor, Evie’s, her hands would be cold, it was frosty out.  Car keys just dropped in that dish, don’t they ever think about security? Mason’s scarf left on the stairs, probably deliberately, he always insists he won’t be cold. She picked the scarf up and carried on up the stairs.

The bedrooms were a complete mess as usual, well making beds was not on her agenda. On the landing she tried to straighten up the ghastly picture, but it fell off the wall, hook fallen out. Dan would have to fix that, it was about time he improved his DIY skills. Someone was going to trip over that toy truck, put it away safely. She could do with a cup of coffee, pity she wasn’t drinking it any more. £20 note just lying on top of the dresser, put that in the money pot, see if anyone missed it.

She looked out of the front bedroom window, new people moving in across the road, how many times had that place changed hands? Library book on the floor, hmm due back tomorrow, better put it by the front door …and reading glasses on the floor, they could go safely in that drawer.

Was that the time already, end of the peace and quiet…

‘Don’t leave your school bags on the floor… no not till you have got changed and done your homework….. I can hear voices in the kitchen! Wait in the hall. It’s okay, the radio was on, but I’m sure I switched if off and I never listen to Radio Four…   I’m coming upstairs to make sure you’re getting changed and not playing with… hey who knocked Grandma’s painting down.’

‘Not me it was Evie.’

‘No it wasn’t, it was Mason.’

Hello Darling, hello kids.’

‘Dan, can you fetch my reading glasses down, they’re by the bed. I need to read the instructions on this packet.’

‘Who knocked the picture down, I only put it up last week. Couldn’t see your glasses.’

‘They are with my library book.’

‘Just give me the packet, I’ll read it out to you… See what you mean about the tiny writing, well whatever you are supposed to do you have to do it for five minutes. Now where is that letter I got yesterday, I left it in the kitchen so I would not forget to phone them.’

‘Mummy, where’s my new truck?’

‘I don’t know, where did you leave it, surely it’s too big to lose.’

‘I can’t find my reading glasses anywhere and I can’t find the library book. It’s book club tomorrow and I still have two more chapters to go.’

‘Why do you have to read in bed anyway?’

‘I always read in bed.’

‘Borrow my Kindle, you can just make the writing big, now that’s funny, when did I last have my Kindle?’

‘How am I supposed to know?’

‘Evie, did you find your other glove? Mason will you put your scarf on, there’s a cold wind. What do you mean you can’t find it? Not on the coat hook or in your school bag? Look it’s getting late, I think we’d better go in the car.  That’s funny, where are the car keys?’

‘Hello Darling, how was your day?’

‘Don’t ask… Dan, do you think I’m going through the perimenopause?’

‘The peri what?’

‘Brain fog, I keep losing things, or at least forgetting where I’ve put them.’

‘Everyone mislays things. You wanted a nice big house, but it’s easier to lose things than when we were in the flat. Either that or it’s haunted, like on that programme ha ha.’

‘Dan, you don’t really think… the neighbours reckon we got this place cheaper because some old lady died here and her family wanted to sell quickly.’

‘Cos they needed the money probably. Well it was our luck.’

‘Certainly was and all clean and tidy when we viewed it, not like we were expecting, good thing she can’t see it now.’