The Perfect Barmbrack bread-and-butter pudding

‘J ust give them to me,” said Sharon, taking the bag of frozen peas from his hands.

“No need to grab,” said Ed. “I didn’t grab, but you’ll never get them in there,” said Sharon.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child,” said Ed.

Their actual children, teenagers Tina and Paul, exchanged a glance from where they sat at the kitchen counter. They watched their mother grab the bag of frozen peas from their father, shift a few things around in the freezer, shove the peas into the freed-up space, and close the door.

The beeping stopped. The kitchen was silent.

Tina and Paul wondered which way this would go. In lockdown, there were two choices in a parental stand-off: major blow-up, or micro row from which they quickly moved on.

“You’re very good at that,” said Ed to Sharon.

Mercifully, she laughed. “Thanks,” said Sharon. “I’m chuffed.”

The teenagers were only up out of bed, but Sharon and Ed had a full day under their belts already.

Sharon had her Zoom yoga class done by eight, while Ed was out for his run, and they’d been at the supermarket by nine.

“Did you get any ice cream?” Paul asked his parents.

“You know there’s no room in the freezer,” said Sharon.

“It’s a huge freezer,” said Tina.

“But it’s full,” said Ed. “Yeah,” said Paul, “with food we’re not allowed eat.”

“It’s for just-in-case,” said Sharon.

“Just-in-case what?” said Tina. “Is now not the just-incase?”

“No,” said Ed. “Your mother made all that food just in case it came a time that we couldn’t get to the shops. That’s not now. Not yet. We could be desperate at some point for something nice to eat.”

“But, Dad,” said Paul, “I’m desperate now. Couldn’t we just eat one lasagne?”

“Yeah,” said Tina. “If we took out one now to defrost, we could fit a tub of ice cream for after, and that would be the best dinner in ages.”

Sharon and Ed looked at each other.

“Please, Mum,” said Paul. “You can do it. If anyone can fit a tub of ice cream in there, it’s you.”

“The boy’s right,” said Ed to a smirking Sharon.

“Charmers,” said Sharon. “But I bags to not be the one going to the shops again.”