They sat overlooking the water feature. The second ‘fake spring’ of the season was doing a great job of acting like actual spring, with a cloudless sky and neither of them in coats. Uncle David had said on the family WhatsApp group this morning that they should both enjoy it, because snow was forecast at the weekend. He’d sent a gif of the two sisters from Frozen, for emphasis. He often joked that they looked like those sisters: Clementine with her long blonde hair and Penny the bright redhead.

‘I mean this in the most grateful possible way, Clementine, but please don’t mess with me.’

Clementine turned and put her hand on her sister’s knee. She fixed her features to sit encouragingly and kindly. ‘Let me speak,’ she said, slowly. ‘I don’t want to screw this up.’ She took a breath. ‘Rima and I have really thought this through, and we want to do it. We want a part in continuing our – yours and mine – bloodline. Because, without family, what else is there? We support this decision one thousand per cent, and if you want to use me as your oven, well, you absolutely can.’

Penny shook her head. Could finding someone to help her start her family really be this simple? ‘This is … I don’t know. I can do what I said. I can go to Russia for it. People do.’

‘That worries me,’ Clementine mused. ‘Who knows if those girls are doing it willingly, or for the money, or …’ She paused. ‘Is it selfish of me to say I want to be a part of this process? Rima and I will truly never start a family of our own – we don’t want that, really, really. But we know how much you want it.’ Clementine bumped her shoulder against Penny’s, smiling. ‘I hereby volunteer as tribute.’

Penny twisted the cardboard sleeve around her takeaway cup, staring at it going around and around. It felt dangerous to be hopeful, to think this was something her sister really would do. It wasn’t offering to share her chips or pick up the tab for lunch. This was everything.

‘I can’t get my head around this. It’s too much.’