Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden was a short car journey from the hotel. The day was warm with a soft breeze. The spring sun shone on the new green growth on the trees. The paths were lined with flowerbeds already filled with early blooms opening up.

Olivia and Eliza began talking as soon as they began walking.

‘Eliza, while you were away, Maxie and I didn’t only go through Jeannie’s paperwork. We also argued about her. About something we’ve been arguing about for years. What we should tell you. What we can tell you. You’re thirty years old. Do you truly want to hear everything we know?’

‘Is it bad?’

‘It’s complicated. Because your mother was complicated. But you knew that. Know that.’

Eliza nodded.

Gently, carefully, Olivia shared more stories about Jeannie. About her phone call telling them she was pregnant. About Mr and Mrs Quaker. Their accident. Her and Maxie’s visits to Jeannie and Eliza over the years. The arguments. The conversation about the items in the house that may or may not have been stolen. She told Eliza about the late-night calls they’d receive from Jeannie. How angry she was sometimes. How drunk sometimes. How up and down she often was.

They took a seat on one of the benches. A cool wind had started up.

‘We can go into the café if you like?’ Olivia asked, noticing Eliza shiver.

She shook her head. ‘Not yet. Please, keep talking.’ She paused. ‘Olivia, I know Mum wasn’t always well. Mentally. I didn’t have a name for it when I was young, but since then, looking back —’

Olivia reached for her hand. ‘I know, Eliza. We tried talking about it with her. She didn’t like it. She wouldn’t discuss it. We don’t know if she was ever diagnosed as bipolar, or anything else. If she had any treatment. When we were at school we just thought it was Jeannie being Jeannie. It kept happening after we left school, too. The mood changes. The stories. If you were ready for mischief, there was no one better. If you weren’t,’ she paused, ‘sometimes it was trickier.’

Eliza fell silent for a moment, then turned to Olivia.

‘Why did she have me? She didn’t have to.’

‘She never spoke about the alternative. When she rang to tell us, she was five months pregnant with you and so excited about it. She always said you were the best thing that ever happened to her.’

‘She always said that to me too.’ Eliza’s voice was quiet.

‘Was it terrible for you, Eliza? Those up and down times. All those moves to the different towns?’