From <[email protected]>

Jess, you’ve found her! After all this time, after everything that’s happened. I’m so pleased for you, darling. Will you meet her? I hope so. I think you need to.

You know, this whole journey of yours has brought back a lot of memories for me. I remember so clearly when I first saw you as a baby. You were so beautiful, so tiny, and I felt such love for you right from the moment I met you. And you know, I can’t imagine you not being part of my life all these years. It makes me feel quite ill to think that, if the hospital hadn’t got things so wrong, I wouldn’t have had you in my life. It’s brought me such joy to see you grow up as you have, I’ve felt so proud to have you as my goddaughter.

I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now, at the prospect of finally meeting Anna. From what Daniel said in his email, I presume she must already know you’re hers. Why? For how long? How did she find out? Did she try to find you? I’m sure you have all these questions churning around in your head – and you deserve the answers, Jess, you really do. I hope you get them – and that it brings you the peace you need.

If you decide to meet her, just remember that we are all there with you in spirit – me, your dad, and your mum – we’re there holding your hand in this. We’re your family, darling, whatever happens.

Now, tell me more about this Jorge chap…

‘Are you going to meet her?’

We’re sitting on rocks on the lakeshore, holding drinks from a pop-up bar that seems way too cool for elegant, posh Montreux.

I nod. ‘Julia said Anna will come to Switzerland next week, wants to meet me in Lutry, where she says she used to go sometimes, back when she lived around here.’ I still don’t know if I want to. I don’t know how I feel about any of this anymore. But I know I have to go through with it. I have to end this somehow. I need to know how, and why, I came to live someone else’s life. Tears prick the backs of my eyes and, to my embarrassment, I can’t suppress a loud, ugly sniffle.

Jorge looks at me. ‘Come here.’ He puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in to him. I smell a mixture of sweat and suncream and musky man-ness. It’s comforting. Warm. Lovely. If only I could just stay like this, and not have to face up to everything I’ve done, everything that’s been done to me.

‘It feels like a betrayal.’

‘What do you mean?’