I couldn’t believe I had my very own room. It was so pretty with pink flowery curtains and a big bed with a fluffy duvet with fairies on it. The bed was a real one which was there all the time, not the kind that could be folded up like my one at home.

There was a wardrobe and a chest of drawers but I hadn’t brought anything with me apart from Teddy. I wasn’t sure what I was going to wear tomorrow so I asked Rhonda and she said that it was OK because she could lend me a few things, but Anna was going to go to my house and get some of my clothes so that I could have my own things to help me feel at home, which seemed like a weird thing to say because I wasn’t at home. I didn’t have many clothes but I did want my bubble nightie and my favourite owl T-shirt. Most of my other clothes were too small and Mama always said that I grew very quickly and money didn’t grow on trees so sometimes I had to wait for new clothes, and I wondered if the ones that Rhonda might give me would be nicer and fit me better.

We went back downstairs and there were some other children in the kitchen. Rhonda said: ‘Would you like to sit down and have some crumpets?’

I said, ‘Yes, please!’ I didn’t know what crumpets were, but it was always nice to have something to eat.

‘This is Ben, Ryan, and Layla – your new brothers and sisters.’ Layla was very big, almost like a grown-up and the boys were a little bit older than me. ‘And there’s William,’ she added, pointing at a baby sitting in a bouncy chair on the floor.

‘Where’s your mum?’ Ben asked, his mouth full of chocolatey crumpet.

‘Ben!’ Rhonda cried, louder than I’d heard her speak so far. ‘You know we don’t ask questions like that in this house. If and when your new sister wants to talk about her family, then she will. In her own time. If not, it’s none of our business.’

‘My mum’s in prison,’ Ben said proudly.

‘I don’t know where my mama is,’ I said. ‘But she will be back soon.’

‘Course she will,’ muttered the big girl, ‘they all say that.’ and Rhonda said, ‘Layla! Please!’ and I didn’t know why because she wasn’t asking for anything.