‘Mum?’ she called again as she took the stairs two at a time. She wasn’t worried though – she knew her mum could take care of herself. She’d be out in the garden, or on her way to the shops. She would be absolutely fine. She wasn’t that old, not yet.

Sitting at the kitchen table, the kettle on, Daphne checked her emails on her phone. She’d already told the embassy she needed a few days off. Hadn’t told them why. She typed a few searches, to see if any of the websites had said anything yet. The press that had been waiting for them by the birthing centre would surely start asking questions soon.

The family asks for privacy, one said. But why now?

And there was something else, a column about how the top floors of the birthing centre were out of bounds, the director of FullLife refusing interview.

She sat up, but then checked the date – it was from six months ago. OK. But why was it being shared today? She followed the links. And there it was, the brand-new headline she had been hoping not to see:

POUCH DEATH

Her eyes scanned for Rosie’s name, for any mention of her family, but there was none, this was about …

She sat back. It was a different family. She’d never heard of them, knew nothing about the case, but it was ongoing. They had lawyers. That was what the report said. They had just announced they were going to court. Not in London, they were from Newcastle. Maybe FullLife had been keeping it away from the press, while they tried to reach a settlement? It must have been an accident, she thought. Perhaps one of the doctors had made a terrible mistake … It made her nervous, seeing people suing health facilities like that. She’d sometimes wondered if it was the lawsuits that had finished off the National Health Service. Where was Holly?

She checked outside in the garden but there was no sign of her, searched from room to room in the house. Then slowing down, taking a deep breath. There was only one place left to check.

Daphne knocked gently on Rosie’s door. Maybe Rosie had seen her nana; maybe Holly was in there.

‘Come in,’ Rosie called, her voice still quiet but steadier than it had been before.

Yes, Holly must be in there with her, she must have been able to help Rosie in a way that Daphne hadn’t. Though she’d tried to offer support in the best way she knew how – she had listened to her daughter. She had held her as she cried.