He turns to look at her and she says, ‘But you’ve changed your mind?’

‘I just need you to tell me the truth,’ he says, and she tries to hold his eyes.

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Tom continues to stare at her for a moment and then looks back towards the water.

‘Whose child is it, Gabriela?’

There is a note in his voice that stops her answering straight away.

‘I told you,’ she says, lifting the coffee cup to her lips.

Tom snorts quietly, ‘Of course you did.’

‘I don’t understand. What exactly do you want me to say?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t know what I want anymore.’

‘Look, I can see you’re upset. I get it, obviously I get it, this whole thing is insane, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and you’re right, things haven’t been OK for a long time. Us, the kids … I want a fresh start. My job isn’t working, Sadie hates her school; Callum, well, Callum needs more time with his mother, you said it yourself. I think we should sell the house and move somewhere completely new. Start again. Like you said.’

There is silence as my words drift out to sea. Tom appears to have barely registered what I’ve said. But then he speaks. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Us, and that child.’

‘Yes.’

‘That baby that the authorities have so readily let you take, without ever meeting me or our children?’

‘These are exceptional circumstances, Tom. The government agencies are involved, they—’

‘Exceptional circumstances? Jesus, Gabriela, this isn’t a case of you getting a note for PE – we’re talking about you, about us, taking possession of another woman’s child!’

He turns and looks at her. ‘I mean, holy crap, give me some credit. Give me an ounce of fucking credit for once in my life, would you? Can you do that? You’re honestly telling me that I should risk putting our kids’ lives in danger for the child of a complete stranger based on absolutely no information about how it came to be in your possession?’

He is gathering speed now.

‘I mean, surely there is protocol, Gabriela? Basic checks, a safe house, for God’s sake? They can’t honestly think that—’

‘Jesus, Tom, what are you saying? Are you saying I’m making it up? That I’m lying? I mean, what the hell do you think – do you think I’ve kidnapped her? Do you think that I’ve stolen someone’s baby and I’ve—’

The sound of crying cuts across the garden suddenly and when she looks up, Sadie is standing in the doorway of the house, holding Layla in her arms. Gabriela runs to them, afraid Sadie might drop her.