‘It was so sudden. She had meningitis, you see, except I didn’t detect the signs, so really it’s all my fault, but Chloe says she doesn’t blame me but she misses me, misses all of us. But I can’t do anything about it except be sorry, which isn’t enough, is it? Worst day of my life, what it did to her beautiful face. I couldn’t wake her up in the morning and I tried shaking her and calling her and Emily screamed her name and we phoned my husband but he couldn’t cope because he jumped off a bridge but they’re not sure if he’s alive or not and I keep hoping that he is because I can’t imagine life without him no matter what he’s done because I found out he has been living with this other woman and a boy, who is so sweet and the image of my husband.’ Maddy pauses to take a breath.

‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry this has happened to you. You don’t seem very well though, are you feeling okay?’ The woman glances over her shoulders.

‘You see, this is why baby Sam is so precious,’ Maddy’s voice wavers, on the brink of tears again. ‘He’s my little miracle sent from Chloe, because only she knows how much I’ve lost and how much I miss her and that I needed to hold my baby more than anything in this world. He’s not to replace her, you understand, nothing could replace my darling girl.’ She sniffs back tears.

‘He is beautiful.’ The woman turns to go. ‘It’s been so nice to meet you. I’m just going to go and get someone for you, see if they can get you the help you need, so if you could stay here a minute?’

‘Yes, he is so beautiful and I am very lucky. Very, very lucky,’ Maddy says, staring at Sam. When she looks up, the woman has gone, so she turns the pram around and leaves the shop.