Tina was alarmed. ‘What about all those people who can’t have children? You could have the baby and put it up for adoption, make someone’s dream of having a child come true. Don’t rule that out.’ Tina welled up and a single fat tear rolled slowly down her cheek. She couldn’t help herself. ‘Amelia, you might as well know – I’m one of those women. I can’t have a child and do you know how hard it is for me to sit here and listen to you? It’s selfish, very selfish.’

Amelia stared at her. Then she punched the dashboard. ‘You fucking have it then, go on, you have it.’

Tina retaliated. ‘Have you no feelings, Amelia? This is a child we are talking about, not a bleeding pair of trainers or something. You just can’t make a decision like this in a few minutes. You have to think about it properly.’

Amelia turned her head towards the window and sucked in large mouthfuls of the cold air. She slowly calmed down. ‘Miss, I’m sorry but I really, really don’t want a kid. Maybe if I was older and had a partner, things might be different, but look at me, Miss, I’ve been thrown out of mainstream school and let’s face the facts: I’m never going to finish school with any qualifications, am I? And certainly not if I’ve got a baby to raise. The best thing to do is to get rid of the baby. Go on, what other options do I have?’

Tina answered without even thinking, the words leaping from her tongue before she could hold them back. ‘Then maybe you’re right. I’ll have the baby. If we’re careful, nobody has to know that you’re pregnant. When the time comes for you to give birth I will stay by your side and take the baby when it’s born.’ Tina was completely caught up in the moment. Why shouldn’t she have a baby? Turn this unwanted pregnancy into a longed-for child?

Amelia reached over and squeezed the teacher’s hand. ‘D’you mean it, miss? If I have the baby you’d take it? And it will be our secret; nobody will ever know? How would we manage that? It’ll be months.’

Tina was in deep now. What was she thinking? How would it work? The logistics … She had to tell the girl that it wasn’t possible. But she couldn’t do it. Where was her head at? There were laws about this sort of thing, procedures to follow. She needed to tell Amelia this instead of getting involved in some ridiculous web of deceit. But she couldn’t let go of this dream. Tina turned the key and closed the window.