‘That never happened. Zac is lying. Did you see her yourself?’

‘I wanted to, but she’d been out for as long as she could. Even Zac barely had time with her. He felt that time – her, her being out – needed to be yours.’

‘Why not longer? What do you mean, as long as she could?’

Peggy didn’t answer. ‘I – I tried to get a cuddle cot, but the hospital doesn’t have them yet.’

‘What’s a cuddle cot?’

She took a deep breath. ‘It keeps baby cool, so they can stay with you for longer. I was phoning everywhere, trying to get one. But I couldn’t. I’m so sorry.’

There was a cry, thin and insistent, coming from somewhere nearby.

‘I can hear her. Listen, please listen. Don’t you hear? She needs me.’

Peggy was crying too. ‘It’s someone else’s baby.’

‘Make them bring me mine. Please make them.’

Peggy was sobbing so hard she was choking. ‘I’m so sorry. Milly made me promise not to do this.’ She gulped water. ‘You’ve had a trauma, Holly. That’s why you don’t remember. There are so many people who love you. We’re going to get you all the help you need.’

‘The help I need is to see her. I want her with me.’

‘Holly my love, it’s been too many days. After you cuddled her, they had to take her away. Do you understand?’

‘No. No. No I don’t.’

She reached into the pale pink box. She retrieved a tiny white teddy bear and held it up. It was identical to the ones in the photo. ‘This is for you to keep. The other one stayed with her – the two were made as a pair.’

I did not answer. I did not move. At last, I said, ‘I don’t want a stuffed toy. I want my baby.’

Peggy returned the teddy bear to the box, but pulled out something else. ‘The nurses took her footprint for you. They used a special ink, so they could wipe it off, afterwards. Look.’ She offered it to me. When I refused to take it, she laid a framed display card on top of the bedclothes.

The foot that made that print was no bigger than a doll’s. I was shaking my head again. ‘That isn’t hers. That could be any baby’s.’

Peggy took the paper as if it were something holy and returned it to the box.

‘I want to take care of her.’ I pushed the bedclothes away. ‘I want to show her how much I love her.’

‘It will be too upsetting for you. She – her little body – it deteriorates. You had her with you as long as you could.’