just got home from a night at my neighbours. Petra and Tony have just had baby no. 2 and I said before Christmas that if needed I’d come down and watch baby no. 1, Liam, if they needed.

Last night, Petra went into labour and I went downstairs. Liam woke up in the middle of the night and started crying for his Mum. He was quite when he saw me but cried as soon as I left the room. Well it must be a bit of shock waking up and seeing your upstairs neighbour in your room and no sign of your parents! So I slept on the day bed in Liam’s room. d

On Tuesday, I’m going to have dinner with Jo and see ‘godchild’ 6.

Next weekend, I’m spending Saturday in Watford looking after Oliver.
At some point this week, I need to spend some time with godchildren 2 to 4 (fortunately they are all under one roof), Luc and I have a new book to start and Helene has something she wants to tell only me. who knows what Elise and Josh will want when I get there.

It’s a staple of chick lit that single people get asked to godparent because they are single and we are supposed to resent it. In truth, sometimes I am so sad that I don’t have children and that I probably won’t now. Harder than that is the way, my singleness is considered by society to be less valuable, less important than that of ‘hardworking’ families.

I work hard and I do contribute and last night Tony was able to be at the hospital, with his wife because I could just go downstairs and sleep in Liam’s room. Ben and Laura can go out and have some time by themselves because I’m having Oliver. Ryan (who is now 26) had a place to go when he was a stroppy teenager, because I had a space he could stay and didn’t have to worry about putting the kids to bed. My godchildren have a space in me that isn’t their parents but is a safe space. It does take more than parents to raise a child, it takes a whole heap of family and friends and even society and I’m a big part of that. So there.