I didn’t say anything back, but he didn’t seem deterred by that. Nowadays he stands with me, him on the outside of the porch and me on the inside, and runs through everything on the list, making sure I have everything and telling me sometimes about substitutions. The substitutions are when they don’t have the exact item on my standing order, so they give me the next best thing. He apologises for that, but I don’t mind. Sometimes they give me sprouts instead of broccoli. It doesn’t matter. Perhaps I’ll ask him about the letter, although we’ve built up such a good understanding I don’t want it to seem as though I doubt his trustworthiness. Because I don’t doubt his trustworthiness. I’m sure he has posted it for me in the village and that is all he could do.

I wonder how you are. It is not often I wish I had a phone – so rarely I can’t remember the last time I thought about it – but if I had one now I would probably be dialling your number. You wouldn’t be glad to hear from me. Intrigued though, I expect. If nothing else your curiosity will bring you to my door sooner or later.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping for now. I can’t do it any other way. I am stubborn, I dare say, but I can’t put myself on your doorstep to be turned away once more. Do you remember, what you said to me that last time? Do you remember how completely you slammed the door?

If I had to hear those words again, I honestly think they might kill me.

Chapter 5

ROSIE HAD TOLD the journalist that she wasn’t nervous, but now it came to the day, there was something – not nerves, exactly, but a sort of tingly excitement. Adrenaline, she supposed, and thought again how the pouch had made everything better. She wouldn’t want baby Will to be pumped full of her own silly adrenaline on the first day of his life.

It was a funny phrase that, though, wasn’t it? He had so clearly been alive in there for months now. He responded to her movements, kicked about if he was excited, was soothed by her singing and by the music they played him through the audio adapter. She wished she knew what it was like, listening to music through that adapter – like surround sound but so much better, like the world itself was humming and resonating in tune.