Meeting a man who already has a child is a daunting prospect for anyone – but I was just 28 when I got together with Mark in 2010 and, at 12, his daughter Jade was on the brink of becoming a teenager. Fortunately, I had a big head start because I’d known Jade since she was seven. I ran a children’s play centre in Derby, and Mark, who managed a business in the same building, would bring Jade in to play regularly.
Mark had separated from Jade’s mum, Cath, when Jade was small, and he and I were friends
