‘Priyesh?’

‘Anything I should know?’ Dofi said. ‘Because I think I’m going to ask him how long he’s in London for and maybe get him out for a coffee.’

Penny looked from Dofi to Priyesh. She could see it. It made sense. ‘I want you to know we dated for ten seconds when I was up Havingley, and it feels like a million years ago, but other than that …’

‘Oh, I’m zero per cent bothered by that,’ Dofi replied. ‘Anything else?’

Penny shook her head. ‘He’s a really good guy. Do it.’

‘Okay,’ said Dofi. ‘I’m going to do it right now.’ She stood up and Francesco slipped into her place. Penny issued him with a kiss, for nothing other than the fact that he was here, at what was now their café, a joint venture since they worked together so well, offering to feed her family and friends and her baby. His open heart made her softer. His ability to savour small moments rooted her in the present. His daily pledge to be her partner made her want to do him justice, too.

‘I love you,’ she said into his neck.

‘I love you too,’ he said, smiling.

‘And I respect you,’ she said, playing their favourite game.

‘I respect you too,’ Francesco replied.

‘And I think you’re the hottest mama on the planet.’

Francesco smiled even broader. ‘It goes without saying that I think you’re the hottest mama on the planet …’

A loud crash came from around the playmat, followed by an almighty wail from Hermione.

‘Whoopsy!’ said Safiya, in a high-pitched voice. ‘I think I built the tower too high.’ She swooped in to pick Hermione up, walking over to find Penny. ‘We just hit ourselves in the face with a tower of cuppy cups, didn’t we?’ Safiya said, still in her baby voice. ‘We didn’t mean to do that, did we?’

‘Oh my darling, my baby!’ Penny said, standing and opening her arms for her daughter. It was heart-breaking to hear – every single time, whatever the need – and yet she loved – deeply enough that as she lay in bed at night holding her breath to hear her own child breathing in the bassinet beside her – being needed. She loved being Hermione’s person.

Penny raised her close and whispered that she loved her. ‘You’re okay,’ she continued. ‘You’re okay.’

Francesco came to see if she was okay too, fussing over her with Penny.

‘Da,’ Hermione said, reaching for him with pudgy fists. ‘Daddy.’

Penny looked at Francesco and shrugged. Francesco shrugged back.

‘There you go, da,’ Penny said, passing her daughter along and watching her nuzzle into his chest. She watched him hold the back of her head with his hand, how Hermie settled easily when she was with him. It was exactly how Penny felt with him, too.

‘Daddy,’ Penny said, smiling. ‘I think we should make it official.’