‘I did, and I gave him a piece of my mind while I was at it, for agreeing to your crazy idea to come out here again, at your stage.’

‘I didn’t exactly give him a lot of choice.’

‘That’s what he said.’ He dragged his gaze away from Jessica and smiled, kissing her on the top of her head. ‘Well, it’s done now, and you’re okay. You’re both okay. My girls.’ He grinned. ‘Just look at her – she’s gorgeous!’

Sylvia had to agree, though she wondered if all parents thought that, in awe as they surely were at this magic trick they had performed, conjuring new life like a rabbit out of a hat. She couldn’t yet say whether the baby looked anything like her or Jim. She seemed too small, too delicate, too young for any characteristics to be evident on her face. Sylvia supposed that would come later.

‘I’ll go to the embassy in Bern tomorrow and try to get the paperwork sorted. Then whenever she’s ready to be discharged, we can head home.’

Sylvia nodded. Jessica was healthy, the doctors said, despite her tiny size. If all went well, by the end of the week she should be able to come out of the incubator and they could take her home. Sylvia couldn’t wait to be back in London, to introduce Jessica to her city, to settle her into the flat, for their lives as a trio to start properly. Nerves fluttered in her chest. Would this initial euphoria last? Would it compensate for missing out on the adrenaline highs her work gave her? Shell-shocked from the operation, woozy with tiredness and painkillers, flooded with love for this little person, she’d hardly thought about work these last few hours. Yet Jim’s arrival had reminded her of home, of London, of their life together, and she felt growing frustration at the way in which her workflow had been so abruptly interrupted. Anna’s interview notes were still in her handbag. She’d had to abandon her plans to search for Anna’s sister and do more research about the Swiss care system – she didn’t even know if she had enough to write a decent piece. But when she looked at that little face, at her daughter’s flawless skin and tiny fingers, the frustration eased a little.

‘Look at that,’ Jim said. ‘She’s got a tiny freckle on her left foot, third toe in.’