I spent a few moments taking deep breaths and planning my next moves. I would go back downstairs and tell them that I was very sorry but I couldn’t do it after all. My friend was pregnant – or Sophie’s friend was pregnant – and I had to be around for her. Or Plan B: I’d tiptoe back down the stairs, open the front door, and run the hell out of there.

I was still weighing up Plan A and Plan B when I opened the door to find a small child staring up at me. She had white-blonde hair tied back in a loose plait, a pink gingham dress with a strap hanging off one shoulder, both arms behind her back. Round green eyes shone through turquoise spectacles, and I noticed that someone had drawn pictures all over her hands and bare legs in red felt-tip. She surveyed me curiously.

‘Are you my new nanny?’ she said.

‘I’m … I’m Sophie,’ I said.

It sickened me to lie to a child, I swear, but I could hear Tom’s footsteps on the stairs.

‘I’m Gaia,’ she said. ‘I’m six. How old are you?’

‘I’m twenty-eight.’

‘My mumma’s in heaven,’ she said.

This was a sucker punch to my heart. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said.

‘This is my teddy,’ she said, producing an old teddy from behind her back with floppy limbs, a tweed waistcoat, and a missing eye. ‘He’s not feeling very well today.’

It was clear that there would be no sprinting out the front door, so I crouched down in front of her and said, ‘What’s your teddy’s name?’

‘Louis.’

‘And why’s Louis not feeling very well?’

‘He’s just feeling a bit sad. And he has a sore tummy.’

‘Ah,’ Tom said, reaching the top of the stairs. ‘I see you’ve met Gaia and Louis.’ He winked at Gaia. ‘How are you doing, pudding?’

‘Daddy!’ She ran to him with her arms out, wrapping them around his legs and burying her face in his thigh. ‘Is this my new nanny?’ she said, glancing back at me.

Tom scooped her up and grinned at me. ‘Well, that depends.’

‘On what?’

‘Shall we introduce Sophie to Coco?’