The receptionist directed him up a flight of stairs. He peered through the wire-enforced glass. Ali sat alone, hunched in one corner of a dim waiting room. He wanted to walk away; he couldn’t face this – he knew the script. As he turned the handle, Ali looked up with her dark smudged eyes, face pale and ragged. Unsteady on her feet, she flung herself at him, burying her head in his chest.

‘He’s in surgery for the gash on his head.’ She drew back from him and pointed to the same spot on her forehead.

‘You never said.’ His heart knocked against his chest.

She guessed its size for him with her thumb and forefinger. ‘They don’t know yet. They don’t know if…’ She slumped back in the seat. Max crouched in front of her, cupping her hands in his, gently jogging them up and down.

‘He’ll be fine, I know he will.’ But as he said it, he hoped he hadn’t somehow unstitched his son’s destiny. It seemed like the right thing to say. He hoped it turned out well. He remembered saying it to Maddy, and her nodding, believing every word. And thankfully Emily had been fine. The brain damage was slight. It meant she was a bit slower at times and susceptible to fits, but she’d been lucky. A few more seconds under water and it would have been a different story.

Ali wiped her face with a crumpled tissue, rocking back and forth. He slipped into the chair next to her and leaned back, his head touching the wall. Perhaps there was no point in worrying if the outcome of their lives had already been decided. His gran had believed a person had little influence over fate. All he knew for certain was that wishing with every cell in his body was never enough.

The door swung open and a nurse in silent black shoes came towards them. She crouched down and took Ali’s hand in hers.

‘Jamie’s out of surgery and he’s responding well.’

‘Thank God.’ Ali covered her eyes and sobbed.

Max put an arm across her back and kissed her wet cheek. He swallowed hard and pressed his lips shut.

The nurse turned to Max. ‘Are you Jamie’s dad? I’m sure you realise, he’s a very lucky boy.’

Max squeezed Ali’s hand. ‘Is he going to have any… lasting effects?’ He pictured himself and Maddy asking the same thing about Emily. He could feel Ali’s eyes flash at him. He guessed she hadn’t wanted to think that far ahead, but they had to know.

‘The doctors think not,’ said the nurse. ‘They’re as sure as they can be at this stage, but the next 24 hours are critical in assessing the outcome of a head injury. All his vital signs are normal, so it’s looking positive.’