'Let me think about it and get back to you,' my step-daughter said.

'ONE HUNDRED!' the boys roared in unison.

'I'd better go.' Christelle left to go and play with the boys.

'Julie, she's a legend,' Marian said. 'Why the hell couldn't Greg have got someone pregnant when he was a student? Useless git.'

'Well, it wasn't so great when I thought Harry was having an affair,' I reminded her.

'I know, but you've had a good result. You lost weight, you cut your hair, which turned out nice, thanks to my hairdressing skills, and you've inherited a super and scary nanny.'

'I suppose when you put it like that ...' I laughed.

Marian got up and put on her coat. 'I have to shave my legs. It's Greg's birthday so he'll need his birthday shag. See you tomorrow.'

A week later, Christelle had gone back to France and the triplets were starting their first day at big school. After much chasing, shouting, wrestling and threatening, they were finally lined up, dressed in their new uniforms grey trousers, white shirt, navy jumper and red tie. They looked adorable.

I had been waiting for this moment since the minute I'd found out I was having triplets and everyone had kept saying, 'You won't see daylight for five years'; 'You won't come up for air for five years'; 'You'll only get your life back when they go to proper school.' Now here we were. The day had finally arrived and I felt sad, nostalgic, emotional and guilty for having wished it would come so soon.

I crouched down to take a photo. 'Say cheese.'

Liam stuck his tongue out, Leo crossed his eyes and Luke did bunny ears behind Leo's head.

'Well, boys,' Harry said, coming into the kitchen in his suit, 'this is a big day. Your first day in real school. Are you excited?'

'I hate school,' Leo complained.

'It's so boring,' Luke moaned.

'I want to go back to bed,' Liam whined.

'Well, this is a very proud day for me,' I said. 'Now please just stand close together in front of Daddy and Tom and smile, just for one second. If you do I'll give you all a jelly.' They did. I took the photo of my husband standing holding little Tom, and in front of him our three boys, our tearaways, our wrestlers, our angels, our babies.

'Mummy, why are you crying?' Leo asked, munching his jelly.

'Because I love you all so much. I'm so lucky to have this amazing family. And this is a really big day and you're the best kids in the world and I know I don't tell you that enough. But I really do love you and I'm so proud right now that my heart is bursting.'

'Is it going to explode and loads of blood will come out?' Luke asked.

'Like a big tub of tomato ketchup?' Liam sniggered.

'Are you going to die?' Leo looked excited at the prospect.

'OK, that's enough. Get your coats on.' Harry ushered them to the front door. I'd asked him to take them because I knew I'd make a show of myself at the school gate, bawling.

I hugged them all and kissed their clean, shiny faces. 'Have fun and try to be good. I love you.'

I picked Tom up and we waved the triplets off to their new school, to a new chapter in their lives ... and mine.

Threescompany: Hi, everyone, Sorry I've not been in touch for ages. So much has happened since my last message. Thanks for all your support by the way. You won't believe it my husband wasn't cheating on me after all. He actually had a daughter he didn't know existed, who lives in Paris, and they were meeting up for the first time. He didn't want to say anything to me until he had met her himself.

Anyway, I followed him to Paris with my two sisters, who have been so supportive, and we confronted him and then we realized the whole thing was a complete mix-up. Honestly, it was just like in the movies only more dramatic! But it's all sorted out now, so I didn't lose a husband, I gained an eighteen-year-old step-daughter. You couldn't make this stuff up.

She's a lovely girl, grown-up, independent, mature, not needy or troublesome at all. She came to visit and it went really well. The boys were mad about her and followed her around the house like adoring puppies.

The triplets started school today. I was an emotional wreck, but I know it'll get easier and that in no time I'll be waving them off with glee. It's funny I've been living for this moment since the day they were born and now that it's here I feel a bit sad and nostalgic. No wonder men find us difficult: we women can be so contrary!

My younger sister, whose husband lost all their money, has got a job and is doing really well. I never thought I'd see the day when she was supporting her family, but she is and I'm really proud of her. The whole situation has put a huge strain on their marriage, but hopefully in time they'll work it out. It's amazing the way the dynamic shifts in a relationship when one person stops earning and the other becomes the bread-winner. It's like a shifting of power. They've been through a lot, but I honestly think she's a better person now. She'd got very wrapped up in her jet-set lifestyle and lost sight of what's really important in life.

My other sister is moving back to Dublin to set up her own legal department so she can spend more time with her little baby. She's happier than I've ever seen her. Becoming a mother has mellowed her and she's a much more content person. Her career will always be incredibly important to her, but having a baby has forced her to stop and smell the roses.

Life has changed for all of us. I think we really grew up this year.

Anyway, that's all for now except to tell you that something exciting might be coming my way. Something I hope you'll be able to share with me. I'll keep you posted when I know for sure ... Sorry to be cryptic, but it's not definite yet.

41.

Louise.

Moving back to Dublin had been so much easier than I imagined. Mum and Dad collected me from the airport. Dad carried my bags to the car, and Mum held Clara. They had a lovely lunch waiting for us when we got back to their house. Mum gave Clara her bottle and put her down for her nap. She then offered to look after her for the afternoon while I went to sort out my apartment and unpack my boxes.

Sophie and Julie came to help me. They brought wine and music, and we had fun doing it. I had only ever moved and unpacked alone before. They helped me make up the beds, put together Clara's cot, hang up my pictures, then flattened all the boxes and left them outside my front door. Dad collected them and brought them to the dump for me. I barely had to lift a finger. It was fantastic.

That evening, when I went back to pick up Clara, Mum had fed her, bathed her and put her into a gorgeous new pair of pyjamas she'd bought for her. When I got home to the apartment and put her to bed, I discovered Sophie and Julie had packed my fridge and cupboards full of groceries and formula milk, nappies, wipes and all the other things I needed. I curled up on my couch with a glass of wine and smiled. It felt good to be back. I had made the right decision, I just knew it.

Work wasn't quite as straightforward, however. Some of the partners at Price Jackson were very cool towards me. They had found out the salary I was on which I discovered was second only to the managing partner's and they weren't too pleased about the 'blow-in' from London being so highly paid.

I had to prove myself to them, but that was nothing new to me. I'd been proving myself all my life. I did what I'd always done: put my head down and worked incredibly hard. It took me six weeks to hire my team: two were internal appointments and two were from outside. They were bright, ambitious and keen to get ahead, but they knew who their boss was and they respected me. As the clients rolled in and the other partners realized I wasn't some prima-donna with an over-inflated ego, they began to pay me a grudging respect until, after a couple of months, I became 'one of the boys'. Interestingly, of the twelve senior partners at Price Jackson, five were women and three of them had children. It seemed as if more glass ceilings were being smashed in Dublin than in London.

As for Clara, she was thriving. Mum's friend's daughter had a fantastic nanny she no longer needed as she had given up work after her third child so I inherited the wonderful, capable, cheerful Suzie from Sydney. She was lovely with Clara and I trusted her completely. Sophie had left me a list of playgroups for them to go to, so Suzie took Clara to all the happy-clappy ones I'd have absolutely hated, and everyone was happy.

I worked from home every Friday, so I had a leisurely breakfast with Clara, then went into my home office (a desk in my bedroom), while Suzie took her off to a playgroup. At two o'clock, after Clara's nap, Suzie left and I spent the afternoon with my little girl. Granted I spent half the time on the phone, but I was still with her physically, so it was a big improvement on my old job.

At weekends we went to Mum and Dad's for family lunch on Sunday and Clara got to see all her cousins, uncles and aunts. I loved those days long, leisurely and lively.

Moving home had been a fantastic decision. I felt safe, supported, loved and genuinely happy. Clara was getting tons of attention and love every time we drove up to Mum and Dad's house she'd squeal with joy and wave her arms.

Last Sunday at lunch, Gavin announced he had something to tell us.

'This'd better be about a job,' Dad muttered.

'You know the way I've always been really into animals?' Gavin asked.

'No,' we all answered.

'I have,' he replied.

'No, you haven't,' Julie said.

He frowned. 'I used to take Toby for walks when none of you would.'

'Only because you could have a smoke while you were doing it,' Julie retorted.

'You were fifteen tell me you weren't smoking!' Mum pleaded.

'Thanks a lot, Julie,' he drawled. 'I actually loved that dog.'

'Well, how come you forgot to feed him for two days when Mum and Dad went away and you were supposed to be looking after him?' Sophie grinned.

'I was busy in college. Anyway, I was really sad when he died.'

'Were you?' Mum asked. 'You told me you were too busy playing football to say goodbye to him the day I had him put down.'

I roared laughing. 'Yes, Gavin if I remember correctly you said of Toby's demise, "It's no harm, he was banjaxed anyway."'

'I'm not good at showing my emotions, OK? Anyway, can I get to the bloody point without being interrupted, please?' Gavin snapped.

'Go on. I can't wait to hear this.' Jack grinned.

'My money's on a new tree-hugging expedition in the Amazon.' Harry chuckled.

'I'm betting on save the whales.' Jack snorted.

'Ssh let him speak,' Sophie scolded them.

Gavin carried on oblivious: 'So, I've been offered an internship programme with the NWF.'

Everyone stared at him blankly.

He looked at me. 'Come on, Louise, you're in bloody Mensa, you must know them.'

I let him sweat for a minute and then piped up, 'It's the National Wildlife Federation. They're very well regarded and I'm impressed you got on their programme. It's really competitive. Seriously, well done.'

'Of course he got on. Sure he's brilliant,' Mum said, patting Gavin's back.

'What exactly does this mean and how much is it going to cost me?' Dad was less enthusiastic.

'Nothing, except my flight to Washington DC.'

'America?' Mum looked upset.

'Are you telling me you're going to get paid on this internship?' Dad was suspicious: he was looking for the catch.

Gavin nodded. 'Yes, Dad, you're off the hook financially. It's not exactly millions, but it'll be enough to live on. Eighty people applied for the internship and I got it. They were very impressed with my on-the-ground campaigning.'

'It looks like the tree-hugging paid off.' Julie winked at him.

'So is this it, then?' Dad asked. 'This is where you want your career to go?'

Gavin shrugged. 'It's a great opportunity. I'm not saying I'll stay with the NWF long term, but I'll see how it goes, see if it lights my fire.'

'Oh, to be young and carefree and have choices,' Sophie said.

'Footloose and fancy free.' Julie sighed.

'Feckless and clueless,' Dad muttered.

'Well done, Gavin. You've done yourself proud,' Mum said. 'I'll miss you, though. It'll be lonely here without you.'

'When do you go?' I asked.

'January the third.'

Mum looked relieved. 'Oh, good, so you'll be here for Christmas.'

'It'll do you the world of good to get out there and stand on your own two feet,' Dad said.

'Do your own laundry,' I added.

'Cook your own meals,' Julie said.

'Pay your own bills,' Sophie noted.

'Get away from you three witches.' Gavin grinned.

I was pleased for him. Going to America, looking after his own finances and working with new and diverse people would be good for him. He was ready to leave home. He needed to cut the apron strings. Mum spoilt him and it was time for him to assert his independence and be his own man.

When things had settled down in work, I took Sophie and Julie out to a nice restaurant for an early Christmas celebration and to thank them for having been so great in helping me settle back home.

We all dressed up and, I must say, we were a fine-looking bunch. Sophie had put on weight and looked much better for it: her face had lost that pulled look now that she had stopped getting Botox. Julie had kept off the weight she'd lost and glowed with happiness and contentment. I was back running every day and felt fit and healthy. I was also much less stressed and I could see it in my face.

We ordered our food and sipped our wine.

'It's such a treat to get dressed up and go out after a long week at work,' Sophie said.

Julie and I looked at each other and laughed.

'What?' Sophie asked.

'You used to go out for dinner three or four nights a week,' Julie reminded her.

Sophie looked surprised. 'God, you're right. I did and I never appreciated it. It was just the way my life was. Now I consider it a huge treat.'