The cash and carry is only a ten-minute drive, but as soon as I hit the road, my mind flies back to Bella Morris and what I’m going to do about her. I really need to see her again, to make sure I didn’t get it wrong. Maybe the next time I see her I won’t have such a strong reaction. If I do… well then I can decide what to do about it. And I also need to find out how old Bella is. See if the dates match up. Although she probably would have been given a different birthday, so that might not help.

The other thing I need to make a priority is to really get to know Kate. Find out about her past and exactly where in London she used to live. I never asked if she’s married or a single mum. If she’s married, then could they both be in on it? That figure in the hoodie who took Holly – their gender wasn’t obvious, so it could even have been her husband, if she has one, or her partner. I’m going crazy with all these unanswered questions. The ache in my stomach is growing stronger. The pull on my heart intensifying. After all these years, could I finally have found my missing baby?

My shift at the café finishes at two thirty, leaving me plenty of time to drive home and walk the twenty minutes to school. It would have been quicker to drive straight there, but the parking’s a nightmare and I don’t mind walking, despite the cold greyness of the afternoon. In any case, I wanted to pop home first and smarten myself up. Kate is so well put together that I feel dowdy by comparison, and if I want to get to know her better, I can’t let anything stand in the way of that. I need to present myself in my best light. I opt for a pair of grey skinny jeans, a cream cable-knit jumper and my ‘good’ wool coat that cost way more than I should ever have spent on an item of clothing. I justified the purchase by telling myself it would be a nice classic item that I’d get years of wear from, but the truth is, I’ve hardly worn the thing. Trudging along the well-worn route to school, I almost feel like a yummy mummy in my perfectly casual outfit.