‘He’s a fine weight, considering. Are you feeling well in yourself? You look exhausted if you don’t mind me saying. Do come and see me if you need anything and when you’re ready to discuss contraception. Don’t leave it too long.’ Max shows him out. She can hear them whispering.

When the doctor has gone, Maddy gives Sam some medicine and takes him into their bedroom. Max follows in silence. Once she’s rocked Sam to sleep, she lays him in his crib and covers him with a cotton sheet. Max lies next to her on the bed. She tries to hold his hand, but his arms are rigid and he pulls away. He shuts his eyes. Soon her eyes close too.

In her grave of sleep, a worm of sound burrows in her ear. A soft rustling at first. Then, click. She forces one eye open by a hair’s breadth. Lying on her side, all she can see through the little crack is the empty space next to her. The rustling starts again and seems to be coming from behind her. The room falls silent once more. Too quiet. She tries to move again, but sleep paralyses her. Another soft click. An unmistakable slam of a car door. At last her eyes flick open, released from a catch. The engine fires up and tyres crunch over thousands of tiny stones to the smoothness of the road. She rolls towards the empty cot and a scream erupts from her throat.

She leaps out of bed and runs downstairs. Max’s jacket and the baby’s changing bag have gone. She grabs her mobile phone and quickly slips on a pair of trainers. Her mother’s voice is loud and clear: He’s betrayed you again. She runs next door to Sarah’s house and bangs hard on the buzzer until the door opens.

‘Maddy, what’s wrong?’ Sarah puts her hands out to her, but Maddy can’t stand still, turning this way and that.

‘He’s taken Sam, can you pick Emily up from school today?’

‘Slow down a second, what are you talking about? Who’s taken Sam?’

‘Max has.’

‘What, he’s alive?’

‘He turned up last night and now he’s trying to give my baby to someone else, because he’s been lying to me about where he’s been, and I can’t trust him and I need to have Sam back with me in my arms, because I can’t lose another child, I can’t.’ She starts shaking and Sarah comes forward and holds her arms, rubbing them up and down.

‘Hey, it’ll be all right. Slow down a second. Why would Max give your baby to someone else? Surely he’s just taken him out and he’ll bring him back soon?’