It’s a sombre Tuesday. I wake up having dreamt about the Kinderbesten going missing while I’m on holiday. A nightmare in all senses of the word. I’m relieved when I wake up and, for once, real life is emphatically better than the dream.

Nevertheless, much of the morning is spent pondering the death of my friend. I message a work colleague who, I’m ashamed to realise, I’ve not caught up with for a couple of months. The news reminds me that we should catch up and chat, especially as I suspect he will also be mourning. However, he’s off on a school excursion for the day.

The hardest part is having to tell Rachel. I spend some time trying to figure out the best way to break such terrible news, but quickly decide that simply getting on and doing it is for the best. I message her as I walk back to the office with my coffee, and then forward the same email I received.

The rest of my day is filled with meetings, and the arrival of a new work PC … which sits on my desk and leaves me vaguely intimidated for the afternoon.