After an hour of lying sleepless, he got up to get the bloody emails out of the way so he could spend the weekend with Josie. At two a.m. he was about to close down when his eating plan and food diary on his desktop caught his eye. He hadn’t filled it in for over a week. Then he realised he hadn’t eaten since lunch. A gnawing stomach was so familiar he hadn’t noticed it. He should have bought himself a big bar of Marabou chocolate too. His mouth watered. Then he caught himself. No! Binging on sugar was behaviour he’d left behind because it triggered the feeling that he ought to get rid of it again. He had orange and chocolate chip protein bars in his laptop bag and ate one to fill him up and assuage his sweet tooth. In a few hours he’d eat breakfast according to his plan – porridge. Josie liked porridge made the Swedish way with pudding rice, milk and cinnamon. They’d make it together.

Finally, he slept.

He woke to find Josie on the edge of his bed holding the cordless house phone and hissing, ‘Daddy. Dad. DAD! It’s Mummy.’ Her narrow face was creased with worry, hair tousled from sleep.

He surfaced with an effort and took the handset. ‘Thanks.’ He winked at Josie and said, ‘Loren?’ into the phone.

‘Can you take Maria today?’ Loren sounded high and strained.

Nico rubbed an eye. He didn’t recall any agreement about continuing to help with Maria and part of him wanted to ask Loren if she was getting him mixed up with Maria’s actual father. Then a glance at the bedside clock told him it wasn’t even six a.m. and this was odd behaviour. ‘Is there a reason?’ he asked neutrally.

After several seconds she admitted, ‘I’m not feeling good.’

‘Right,’ he replied tentatively. ‘I was going to call you to arrange to bring Josie for a visit so maybe we can discuss it further then.’

Loren’s voice began to shake. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for Josie to come today.’

Chilled, Nico put out a hand to stroke Josie’s hair reassuringly, not sure how much she could hear. He phrased his next question carefully. ‘Do you think it would be a good idea for me to fetch Maria soon?’

‘Yes.’ Loren’s voice broke.

Quickly ending the call, Nico kissed Josie. ‘Mum’s not feeling well so we’re going to have Maria home to play.’ Josie trailing after him, looking as if she wasn’t sure whether to be happy or worried, he woke Emelie to ask her to stay with Josie, dressed and drove to Loren’s.

He found Loren sitting on the step of the street door to her apartment block, crying.