Amuse bouche... Open-plan

‘I think we should change everything,” said Siobhan. Ben hadn’t the energy for this. Siobhan had these bursts of energy, in contrast with the periods of inactivity that now characterised their lives.

Ben had them too, but not necessarily at the same time. This could lead to tension.

This is why Ben didn’t say: “Jesus, what now?”

Ben said: “OK.” In an interested way. He hoped.

They are in the kitchen. It’s a kitchen-dining-living room. Most of their friends have them. Most of their neighbours have them, Ben has observed in recent weeks.

He can see into their kitchen-dining-living rooms from the upstairs of his house, through huge, expensive glass doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. They can all see each other, while they work from home. They do not wave at each other. That would breach the code of mutual invisibility and might end in wife-swapping or something.

Ben laughs at this thought. Siobhan doesn’t ask to share the private joke. They’re way past that at this stage.

“We need to put in some walls,” says Siobhan. “Ditch the open-plan.”

She’s making bolognese.

More bolognese. Siobhan makes a great bolognese and, of course, it freezes wonderfully, but they’ve eaten a lot of bolognese lately.

Still, they could be glad of it. “Like,” says Siobhan, “If we had walls, and the kitchen was a room of its own, I could be listening to vintage Sue Lawley

Desert Island Discs right now, without you sitting there, giving out about it. And you could read your book without the smell of onions.”

“And we would be, like, away from each other,” said Ben.

“Yeah,” said Siobhan. “I love you, but...”

“Yeah,” said Ben. “It’s a bit depressing having to go and sit on the bed if you want some space. It makes me wonder why I bother having a shower and getting dressed.”

“Where are the kids?” said Siobhan.

“I’d say Alice is in the coat cupboard,” said Ben. “She’s there half the time, in the dark, with her Kindle. Last time I saw Emily, she was under her bed.”

“See?” said Siobhan, “Walls.” “They won’t be happening any time soon,” said Ben.

“Unless you’d like to learn a new skill during this trying time,” said Siobhan.

Ben laughed.

Siobhan stirred a glass of red into the bolognese. She considered having a glass herself, even though it was only three o’clock. If Ben hadn’t been in the room, she probably would have. Just as well, really.

Open-plan had its advantages.