Her answer was drowned by the sound of the helicopter overhead and I saw Jack on his trail bike flying by, pointing to the flat end of the field.

‘Nikki, I need to see what’s happening with the baby…OK?’

In a moment Sam covered me up again. ‘Nik, on the next contraction, you must not push until I say. This is important…’

‘Why?’

‘It’s possible the umbilical cord is caught round his neck.’

‘Sam, am I going to lose this baby?’

‘He’s doing OK so far, sweetie, but we’re going to have to get him to hospital pronto. So be brave and do exactly as you’re told – even though you’ll want to push…’

The rotary blades caused a wind and whipped the grass where I lay. It landed noisily and two men in flight overalls came running towards us. They talked to Sam and then one paramedic gave me something to help the pain and put an oxygen mask over my face. ‘You’re doing good.’

Jack was beside me as another contraction gripped me and I screamed, ‘I want to push!’

‘No!’ three voices said sharply.

‘Come on, breathe, darling…’

‘OK, lady, let’s see what’s going on…’

‘Sam!’ I gasped. ‘The baby’s coming, I can’t stop it. I can’t.’

The pain was overpowering. ‘Stop for a sec! Hold still, Nik. OK…OK. Now you can push. Push!’

I bore down with all my strength and I felt the baby slip out of me.

Silence. I listened to everyone’s quick breathing and frantic movements. Please God. Please God. One of the paramedics ran to the helicopter. I looked round. Fleur had her hand over her mouth. Jack was ashen. Then suddenly a tiny splutter, a hiccup, and then a thin wail of fury.

‘Atta girl!’ a paramedic yelled. The baby was held near my face briefly, so fleetingly, and then placed in something and whisked away as they ran to the helicopter. Sam smiled down at me as I was bundled tight onto the stretcher.

‘Well done, sweetheart. You’ve got a little girl.’

Then they were running with me towards the helicopter and the rotary blades were already starting to turn. Jack climbed in beside me as we rose up from the flower meadow. And that is all I remember.

FORTY-THREE

Fleur and Sam watched Laura and Peter Llewellyn walk off the tiny plane at Kerikeri.

‘God, they look old, Fleury,’ Sam said. ‘Old and tired and small.’

Fleur felt her heart constrict. ‘It’s all too much for them at their age. It’s all too much.’

Sam held up his hand and waved and Laura’s face lit up, changed in an instant as she saw her son. Saw only him. Fleur drew in her breath in a stab of familiar but almost forgotten pain. She found her father’s eyes and he held them and smiled and all was well again.

Peter held her close for a minute as if she was very precious. ‘My beloved Fleur,’ he whispered.

Fleur turned to Laura. ‘Mum, how was the journey? Have you survived? You look wonderful.’