It was Mrs Quaker, as Jeannie always called her, who rang Olivia to say Jeannie had gone into labour, two weeks earlier than expected. It was Mr Quaker who rang again to say it had been fast, that Jeannie had only been in the small hospital for two hours before the baby arrived. His wife was in there with her now. ‘It’s a girl. A beautiful little girl.’

Olivia and Maxie flew to Melbourne the next day, drove a hire car for two hours and met the beautiful little girl. Jeannie had already named her. Eliza Maxine Olivia Miller.

Jeannie smiled up at them, her baby daughter asleep in her arms. ‘I appointed you joint godmothers in your absence. I hoped you wouldn’t mind. I tossed a coin to see whose name went first.’

They were thrilled. They didn’t care about the order of their names. They took turns holding the tiny baby. Mrs Quaker – whose first name was Elizabeth – was there too. Maxie and Olivia immediately noticed the bond between her and Jeannie. Elizabeth was so touched to have the baby named after her, she told them, her face glowing.

‘I was tempted to name her after your husband too,’ Jeannie said, smiling. ‘Eliza-Douglas.’

After two days with her, Maxie and Olivia returned to Sydney surprisingly content. It truly felt as though everything would be all right for Jeannie and her baby. They were further buoyed by regular phone calls, by the photos Jeannie sent every couple of weeks: Eliza in different poses, sleeping, crying, always with that funny cross expression. They came back to Victoria for her christening, staying with Elizabeth and Douglas. It turned out Jeannie was right. They were Quakers. They were there for her first birthday party too. It was a happy occasion. Eliza had become a very smiley baby. They’d never seen Jeannie so happy.

‘Thank you for being so kind to Jeannie and Eliza,’ Olivia said to Elizabeth and Douglas privately that weekend.

‘It’s the easiest thing we’ve ever done,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Life was dull before they came along. They’re welcome with us for as long as they want to stay.’