‘You’ll be glad to know I changed the sheets and vacuumed after she left, so it’s quite presentable for a change. The bathroom is just along there on the right. Ladies first. Good-night, Maia,’ he said, coming towards me and dropping a gentle kiss on my forehead. ‘Sleep well.’

With a wave he disappeared back upstairs and I went to use the bathroom. Entering Petra’s room a few minutes later, I looked at the biology text books stacked on rough shelves above a desk, saw the jumble of cosmetics strewn over the dressing table and a pair of jeans tossed haphazardly onto a chair. As I stripped down to my T-shirt and climbed into the narrow bed, I remembered that I too had once been a carefree student with my whole life ahead of me – a pristine canvas waiting for me, the artist, to paint upon it – until I’d found out I was pregnant.

And with that thought, I fell asleep.

47

I was woken by the sound of a door opening and the feeling that I was not alone in the room. I opened my eyes and saw Valentina standing at the end of the bed, staring at me.

‘It’s already ten o’clock. Papai and I just made pound cake for breakfast. Will you get up now and help us eat it?’

‘Yes,’ I agreed, still coming to, having obviously slept deeply. Valentina nodded in satisfaction then left the room and I rolled out of bed and dressed quickly. As I walked along the narrow corridor, a delicious smell of baking filled my nostrils, reminding me of Claudia’s kitchen at Atlantis. Following the sound of Valentina’s chatter, I climbed the stairs to the roof terrace and found father and daughter already seated and tucking in with relish to the circular ring of cake that sat in the centre of the table.

‘Good morning, Maia. How did you sleep?’ asked Floriano, wiping crumbs from his mouth as he pulled out the rickety wooden chair for me to sit down on.

‘Very well indeed.’ I smiled at him as he cut me a slice of cake and smeared butter all over it.

‘Coffee?’ he asked.

‘Yes please,’ I said, biting into the still warm cake. ‘Is this what you get for breakfast every morning, Valentina? It beats the boring cereal and toast I eat at home every day.’

‘No,’ she sighed. ‘Only today. I think Papai is showing off for you.’ She shrugged nonchalantly.

Floriano raised his eyebrows helplessly at his daughter’s words, although I did notice a faint tinge of colour come to his cheeks. ‘So, Valentina and I were just discussing how we thought you needed some fun.’

‘Yes, Maia,’ Valentina interrupted. ‘If my papai had gone to heaven, I would be very sad and need cheering up.’

‘So, between us we’ve come up with a schedule,’ Floriano said.

‘No, Papai, you have.’ Valentina frowned at me. ‘I suggested you go to the fun fair and then to see a Disney film, but Papai said no, so you’re doing boring things instead.’ She lifted her small palms upwards and sighed again. ‘Don’t blame me.’