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She nods, collecting her chopsticks from the bag and passing me mine too, along with my ramen. “Better. Although now I feel bad because you’re too far from the table, and that’ll make eating difficult. Oh, come back to where you were. If our knees touch, it’s not the end of the world. I mean, you’ve put your penis inside me before, so—”

“Bloody hell!” I splutter. I’d just taken a big gulp of water, and it goes down the wrong way. Coughing, I pat my chest. “Shit, I’m sorry, but I wasn’t expecting you to say that. It took me by surprise.”

Grace’s lips curl upwards. “It was a bit blunt, wasn’t it? Then again, I’m pregnant, and in a few months, I’ll have to push out our baby. That’s hardly going to be glamorous, so why beat about the bush? Your penis has been inside me.”

“Er . . . aye, you’re right, it has.” I scratch behind my ear, my cheeks warming.

I don’t get embarrassed about sex—it’s far from a taboo topic for me—and yet Grace’s casual references to my cock catch me off-guard. But soon the initial shock fades, and that’s when laughter bubbles up in my chest. I can’t contain it: it bursts out.

“Oh God, please tell me you’re not some immature schoolboy who giggles every time the sex-ed teacher says ‘penis’?”

“I didn’t think I was! I’m a thirty-year-old man with a well-developed sense of humour. And yet . . . you keep on saying it, and it keeps on making me laugh.”

She shakes her head. “So much for your reputation as a ladies’ man. This is the real you, isn’t it? No maturity whatsoever. I’m not even surprised. Anyway, scoot back in and eat your food.”

Letting out a final chuckle, I do as she instructs, drawing closer to the table again, our knees inevitably touching. But it’s fine. In fact, the incident has broken the ice. It wouldn’t have been relaxing to spend the evening at a distance from her, careful never to accidentally brush against her. It’s better to be as we are now, laughing and not worrying about the odd bit of contact. After all, aye, we’ve agreed things are to be platonic between us, but friends can still hug and show affection through light touches, right?

I lift the lid of my ramen, and steam rises in soft curls, its spicy scent tickling my nose. “This does smell incredible. And, mmm, it tastes good too.”

I can get by with chopsticks, but Grace is defter with them than me. She’s also not self-conscious about slurping the hot broth, so I don’t hold back either.

“Talking of good food,” I say after chewing down some noodles, “my maw said when she was pregnant with me, I’d go wild in her belly whenever she ate chocolate. Have you noticed anything like that?”

Grace shakes her head. “No. I haven’t actually felt her move yet, so it was a relief when the sonographer told us everything is okay. Most mums feel movement by twenty-four weeks, so it should be coming soon.”

“Oh, right. And is that when I’ll be able to feel her kick?”

Her eyebrows snap up. “You’re assuming I’ll let you put your hand on my belly, are you?”

I nudge her leg with my knee. “Won’t you? I’d like to feel our baby.”

“Hmm.” She nudges me back. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. Anyway, it’s normally a few weeks more before others can feel the movements.”

I take some more ramen. “Do you remember the sonographer’s warning about making everything pink?” I glance around the tiny room. “What colour will we paint the nursery?”

“Oh, don’t!” She stamps on my toes with a soft, fluffy slipper.

“Ow! Maybe I’d be safer back where I was.”

“Probably, but you deserved it. I’m already worried about how I’ll cope with a baby in here. I could do without you stressing me out even more.”

It’s clear she’s genuinely upset about it, so I immediately switch gears. “Sorry, I was only teasing. Look, you’ll be able to fit a cot over there, and babies don’t need much space anyway. Sure, you get a lot more for your money in the Highlands, but you’re paying to be in London, in the midst of everything. You’re in a nice spot. You and the baby will be just fine here.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Aye, I do.”

Her shoulders lower, and her brow smooths. “Good. Anyway, talking of babies, are you ready to move on to today’s topic?”

I blink. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? On our last call, you said we’d talk about family this week. Sure, we’re seeing each other in person rather than by video, but I reckon we should stick to the schedule. Does that work for you?”

I drink some broth, mulling this over, then grin. “All right. Let’s do it.”

“Great. I’ll ask the first question. Hmm, okay, I’ll start with an easy one. You and Iona are pretty different. What was it like growing up with her?”

“We got on well, but aye, we’re opposites in some ways. When I was a teenager, Maw was always trying to get me to take my exams more seriously. She wanted me to spend less time outdoors and more time reading and revising. But Iona always had her head in a book, so Maw was forever suggesting she put it down and try experiencing the world first-hand. When Iona wasn’t reading, she was hanging out with Lewis.”