It took so long to get to the Opera House, on and off trains, and all the time Mummy singing that little song and not even caring that people were staring, and then it was so long waiting in the sun with sparks shooting off the water at her eyes and she was scared she would wet herself like a baby and scared she’d miss the princess if she told Mummy she needed to wee. Finally a roar went up and Mummy was jumping up and down and squealing. All Nic could see was adult knees and calves and she began to panic, but Mummy laughed and said, ‘It’s okay, Nicky baby,’ and bent low so Nic could climb on her shoulders, but it wasn’t like with Daddy, the clambering and then the tummy-flipping fast swoop upwards. She didn’t say that, though, because talking about Daddy made Mummy sad and angry at the same time and today was a magical day of joy, even if Mummy was currently saying swears as she stumbled, still crouched, to the side and almost dropped Nic when she tried to stand. Please, let me help, a man they didn’t know but who was standing very close said, and Mummy told Nic to pop down and said, Oh, that’s so kind, she gets heavier every day, and then the man crouched and she had to climb on his weird wide shoulders and balance herself by touching his hair that looked wet and felt like two-minute noodles straight from the packet.