‘Hmm, you’re lucky I love you and want you to have the career you’ve always dreamed of, because I wouldn’t be standing up against a tree all afternoon for just anyone, you know,’ Sofia said, feigning exasperation and shaking her head before giving Maddie a quick hug. ‘But yes, I can see it was worth getting backache for. I don’t suppose you would print a few for me to keep please?’ she asked. ‘I’d like to have some to show this one when he or she is grown up.’ She stroked a loving hand over her bump.

‘Of course, I’d love to. And thank you for today. Sorry it took so long. You’ve been amazing.’

‘Well, amazing is a stretch! I’ve done a pretty good job of being tired and irritable though. And I want to put my feet up.’ Sofia let the kaftan slip over her head and float down around her naturally tanned body.

‘There you are!’ It was Ben, his kind eyes twinkling as he came through the white wooden gate at the other end of the garden, waggling a phone in the air and with a twin hanging off each outstretched arm. ‘I just got home, and your mobile was ringing on the hall table – I saw it was Evergreens so thought I’d better answer it in case something had happened to your granny again.’ He handed the phone over to Sofia, simultaneously planting a kiss on her lips and saying, ‘You look gorgeous, by the way. You too, Mads,’ he added with a brotherly grin. Then to the twins, ‘Hey, enough climbing, you two … I’m not a flaming tree!’ He shook his head as the twins let go and ran to hug Sofia, then Maddie, before making a beeline towards her silver camera case. ‘Ah, I don’t think so!’ Ben said, intercepting them just in time. ‘Right, I’m off to put the lasagne in the oven. Sofia, don’t rush, babe, I’ve got it all under control,’ he yelled back over his shoulder.

Maddie smiled, tenting her eyes with a hand to shade them from the sun as she watched Ben wade through the wildflower meadow that had sprung up in that section of the garden which had been left to nature, with a twin under each arm. Sofia and Ben had been together since their teens, having first met one summer when Sofia came over to visit her English granny, then falling in love and eventually marrying in their twenties. They were the quintessential teenage sweethearts; they just went together, like toast and jam, sweet and kind to each other.

Sofia motioned to Maddie to bring her a wooden garden chair from over by the summer house.