As we climb the tree, I tell him about London and Efa and flying and shapeshifting and try to explain how evil the other version of Sylvie is.

At the top, through the leaves, we have a dappled view over the circus. Li Lin’s shaking out blankets and Vince is sitting on his van steps, talking on the phone. Zanni’s bending awkwardly – her pregnant belly huge now – adjusting the ropes on the low tent where the dogs sleep.

I wonder what unexpected turns their lives have taken over the years, and how many alternative lives they have that they’ll never know about. I guess there’s another version of my life with a Tulsi who wasn’t brave enough to go and get her mum, and a version of my life where it was me who gave up her power to save Mum. Perhaps – and I feel sick at the thought – even a version where Mum didn’t survive.

‘You know, I used to think magic was just a sparkly, easy, happy thing,’ I say to Kit. ‘But it’s not always. There were some pretty scary moments when I was away. And hard decisions …’

‘Acrobatics is not as sparkly as it seems either,’ says Kit. ‘It looks like I’m as light as a feather but I have to work really hard and my body aches all the time, and there are moments I’m filled with terror that I’m about to fall.’ He smiles. ‘And I do fall. But it’s what I was born to do, just like my mum and dad. And you were born to do magic.’

I know Mum wouldn’t want me to tell Kit that his dad is alive in the other universe, but not telling Kit feels like lying, and I don’t want to lie to anyone anymore.

‘Kit,’ I say, tentatively. ‘I didn’t see him …’ I pause, trying to find the right words. ‘But apparently your dad is alive in the other universe. Another version of you and your mum and dad are living in England, working in a circus.’

‘He’s alive there?’ His eyes are wide. ‘How?’

‘Well, I guess the version of your dad in that universe didn’t get sick.’

Kit’s eyes cast from side to side, as if trying to land on something real and concrete to help him make sense of this information. ‘How do you know?’

‘I saw Claudie there – another version of her, obviously – and she told me. She’d also never heard of the twins, so it seems that they don’t exist there.’

‘They were never born in that universe,’ he says quietly. ‘Just me.’

I nod.

He takes hold of my arm. ‘I want to go,’ he pleads. ‘You have to take me.’

‘I know.’ I swallow. ‘I’ll find a way. I promise.’

He gives me a wobbly smile, his eyes full of longing and hope.