Wednesday 18th November

Last night I went to parents evening at Rose's school. 'I'm not going', I said to Simon. 'Yes, you are', he said. He's in Paris or I would have made him go. I waited for half an hour behind two sets of intense new parents who were interviewing the teacher in slow motion - I have no idea why I'm there or what I'm supposed to say. I don't care any more about her spelling, her maths, her extension reading, I don't want to be here, and all I can think is 'is this the last parents' evening I will ever go to for Rose?' But when my turn comes I ask the right questions and listen attentively. I am here for Rose and that's all that matters. Back home she is waiting excitedly to hear what I thought of all her work and exactly what her teacher had said. I make most of it up and she goes to bed happy.