I roll out from under the bed and at last, at last Mum’s arms are around me, and it’s like a key fitting a lock – that utterly familiar feeling of being held by her, my head on her shoulder, her hand stroking my hair, and she smells just the same and she feels just the same, and it’s as if I am little again – a toddler – being taken onto my mother’s lap and rocked side to side. It’s a feeling of comfort like no other.

‘You really are my Tulsi, aren’t you?’ she says. ‘From my universe? Oh, darling girl.’

I can’t speak for a moment, as if my throat is clogged with all the tears I never cried after she disappeared. ‘It’s really me. I came to get you.’

She leans back and I see how thin and tired she looks. ‘But how? You’re not –’

‘Sylvie taught me,’ I say proudly.

‘What?! Sylvie?’ Her voice is filled with dismay.

‘Dad and I tracked her down. Her fifteen years are up, but you probably know that.’ I take a breath to try to settle the anger I’m surprised to feel bubbling up. ‘Mum, why did you disappear yourself when there was no-one to come and get you? It was so risky.’

‘You’re right to be upset. But I was terrified we were going to lose the circus. I thought if I could do one really show-stopping trick, we might save it … Is the circus still running?’

‘Yes.’ I decide not to mention the small matter of the collapsed big top.

She lets out a big breath of air. ‘Oh, good. And dad? Is he okay?’

‘He’s okay, but he misses you.’

‘I miss him too. I’ve missed you both, so much.’ Mum’s eyes shine with tears. ‘I’m sorry I did something so risky … I thought it would be okay. You don’t know this, but I’ve travelled to parallel universes hundreds of times before –’

‘To go and get Sylvie?’ I say.

She frowns. ‘You know about that?’

I nod. But I didn’t realise she’d been hundreds of times.

‘I never had a problem. Not once. Sylvie and I never had trouble getting home. So I started practising again recently, and it was all fine. It was just rotten luck that this time I landed in an electrical storm that continued for twenty-four hours. Just so unlucky. Did you know a storm messes up magic?’

‘Meredith told me. She’s the other version of you.’

‘You found her!’ Mum smiles. ‘Well, you did a better job at all of this than me.’ She stands and pulls on a pair of thick pants. ‘How long since you got here? To this universe?’

I look at Sylvie’s watch. ‘We have twelve hours to get back to near the magic shop. Which belongs to Meredith.’

‘Did Meredith help you find me?’