He didn’t even have to think about his answer. ‘I love you with all my heart, always have, and I always will. But what do you mean, you can get a baby?’

‘I’ve … I’ve …’ She paused. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

‘What is it, Tina? Get it out, get it all out.’

She closed her eyes tightly and her whole body was clenched as she spoke. ‘A student needs help at school and I’m helping her. She’s only young and she could never look after a baby, she has her whole life ahead of her and here’s us wanting a baby and, well, I’ve told her I will take it.’

Chris was stunned into silence, trying to digest what she’d just said. ‘I … Tina … I don’t understand, what are you saying here? You’re going to have to spell it out for me.’

‘Amelia is a student at the school, and she is pregnant. She doesn’t want the baby and her family would kick her out if she told them, so I’ve said if she has the baby, I will bring it up as my own and it will want for nothing. It makes sense, doesn’t it, Chris?’

He let go of her and held her at arm’s length. Was she off her rocker? She seemed to have lost it big time.

‘It doesn’t work like that, Tina. You can’t just take a young girl’s baby. Are you for real or what? This is fucked up, Tina, I mean really fucked up.’

Tina was defiant. ‘I can do this and I am. I’ve rented a flat and Amelia is there now. Nobody knows she’s there and a few months is not that long to be missing from home. Teenagers get lost on the streets every day. At least this way she’s safe and the baby is wanted. She can go back when she’s had the baby, and nobody will be any the wiser. I’ve gone over and over this a million times in my head. It can all work out, please help me.’ She was crying again now. ‘You said you loved me and would do anything for me. Amelia can ring home and tell her parents she’s alright, it’s not like she is going missing off the face of the earth.’