‘Come on, let’s explore our new place.’ Rav’s giddiness is infectious as he pulls me towards the staircase, and I am glad we have left Mina with Avó. Ascending the stairs, I try not to grimace as I notice the swathes of dark cobwebs that hang from the ceiling.

‘It’s like a haunted mansion in here,’ I say, cringing at the thought of having to deal with them. ‘You’re going to have to sweep those down; I wasn’t expecting to be five months pregnant when we moved in.’ We had taken the test a week after having our offer accepted on the house, and I had had to break both bits of news to Naomi in one go, that we were leaving, and that we were having another baby.

‘It’s just a bit of dirt,’ Rav says. ‘It’s all structurally sound.’ He bangs a fist against the wall, coughing as a white shower of plaster dust bursts from the wall.

‘Let’s have a look at the bathroom,’ I say, ‘see if it’s as bad as I remember.’ I push open the door, watching Rav’s reflection in the dark spotted mirror ahead of me. A brief flicker of doubt brushes over his features before he rearranges his face into an enthusiastic smile.

‘This bathroom is going to be amazing,’ he says, running his hand over the lip of the claw-footed bathtub before surreptitiously wiping it on his jeans. I take in the mould-spotted walls, the rust that stains the bottom of the tub, the black ring that sits in the toilet bowl.

‘Really?’

‘Really. I promise.’ Rav wraps me in his arms and I lean contentedly against him as the baby swoops and swirls in my stomach. ‘I’ll clean up that tub, re-enamel it if we have to, and that mould will scrub right off. In fact, I’ll do that tonight, before you and Mina sleep your first night here.’

‘So, we haven’t made a huge mistake?’ I grin into his chest, knowing that despite the mould, the cold air that doesn’t seem to be warming up despite Rav lighting the boiler, and the huge cobwebs, Rav is exactly where he needs to be.

‘Absolutely not.’ He kisses the top of my head and releases me, heading into the bedroom that will be Mina’s. I wait for a moment, smiling into the stained mirror until the electric bulb overhead flickers, making me jump.