‘Love in a time of lockdown would have been impossible for Alex and me’

When Charlotte Cripps suggests she and the kids move into her dad’s house for lockdown, he opts for self-isolation without any hesitation. Who can blame him?

Love in a time of lockdown would never have happened for Alex and me. We weren’t living together, and therefore we’d never have seen each other. I wouldn’t have two kids and a dog – that’s the reality. Even if he had moved in, IVF would have gone out of the window – just as it must be for so many women right now. How could I have stockpiled his sperm if I couldn’t drive it to Harley Street to freeze it? My biological clock wouldn’t have waited.

These scenarios play out in my mind as we are stuck indoors. I can just imagine the conversations: “Are you moving in or not? We have to decide right this second before lockdown. Make up your mind!” He would have done a runner. Men don’t respond well to pressure: when I broached the subject of moving into my 87-year-old dad’s house – with the kids and the dog – he opted for self-isolation without a moment’s hesitation. I don’t blame him. I imagine that’s how most men might feel.