The huge car rumbled into action. It was like a tank. Fortunately, it had absolutely no concern for the icy roads; it was as if they didn’t exist.

“How do I get to the hospital?”

“Just point it downhill,” said Sofia, “and head for the water. Oh shit, no. They moved it. Bugger. Take the bypass.”

Confused, Carmen spun out into Haymarket and followed the signs to the ring road.

The bypass was quiet this time of night, or as quiet as it ever got, but they seemed to have to drive for a long, long time, far farther than Carmen would have suspected in the small city.

Sofia leaned her head against the cool window, tensing, attempting not to make too much noise.

“Finally,” Jack was saying, “a boy in the family. I am going to start him on football straightaway.”

“Well, that’s just silly,” Pippa said. “Babies are small. For ages.”

“Well, by next Christmas,” Jack said.

“He won’t even be able to walk by next Christmas,” said Pippa.

“Seriously?” said Jack. “That sucks. I mean that’s, like, forever.”

“You’ll be too old to want to play football by the time he’s old enough.”

“I don’t believe that,” said Jack stoutly, and Carmen thought that was probably true.

Phoebe was being uncharacteristically quiet as a large sign came up indicating the turnoff for the hospital. Carmen, hands gripping the wheel, was now terrified of stopping and parking. Fortunately, the maternity unit allowed you to drop off right at the door, and Pippa went and found someone to bring a wheelchair.

“Thanks,” said Sofia weakly, then, quietly to Carmen: “Thank goodness I’ll have Pippa for when I kill Federico.”

Carmen smiled. “When’s his plane?”

“He’s probably on his second glass of Champagne and watching a movie right over the Russian steppes,” said Sofia as she managed, with some difficulty, to transfer from the car to the wheelchair.

“See you inside!” And with that, Carmen took the children with her to park the car. Out here, beyond the city and without its protective heated offices and walls, the cold was much more stark, surprising and fierce. The Pentland Hills were right above them, thick with snow. There were marks were people had evidently been skiing. Goodness.

She unbuckled the children, and they jumped out, enjoying their nighttime adventure.

“I am going to have a lot to talk about in news tomorrow,” said Pippa happily. Carmen suspected she generally did.

“I’m not sure there’s going to be school tomorrow,” she said, expecting happy cries all around.

“But! It’s the concert!” said Phoebe, eyes round. “We have to be there!”

“We do,” said Jack. “We can’t miss it.”

“But the baby might take a while to come . . .”

Phoebe and Jack had taken a hand each, not even asking for her permission, just doing it. She felt incredibly privileged, like they had bestowed a gift on her.