‘Oh, should I be worried?’ She did as she was asked, sitting in her preferred corner, with Mario next to her now. She reached out to take his hand, but he curled his fingers against his thigh, and she pulled her arm back, mortified, wounded and worried by his reaction, but with her smile in place so as not to alert Jake or Daniel. Her heart, however, stuttered with rejection that was familiar.

‘This isn’t a balloon for you, Mum,’ Jake said. He and Daniel took up position in front of the fireplace, a handsome couple holding hands, a couple very much in love. The sight of this bolstered Bess’s determination to get closer to Daniel and highlighted quite how far she and Mario had slipped off course.

‘It’s a balloon for Mario Jack,’ Daniel announced, his voice a little faltering.

‘Who’s Mario Jack?’ Bess asked the obvious question. And before she could speak again, Daniel stepped forward and placed a grainy black-and-white picture in the palm of her hand. She could see instantly what it was. She held it out so Mario could see it too. Emotion stoppered the words in her throat.

Mario leaped up. ‘How? Who is—? I mean, is this—?’ He was as lost for words as she was.

‘It’s our baby boy!’ Jake cried. ‘It’s your grandson.’

Bess felt her stomach leap and her blood race with joy – a baby! A grandchild! It was the most wonderful news. She recalled Michelle’s words earlier, and Mario’s too, and how he had longed for the baby they lost. Her tears sprang as she pictured holding the child, marvelling at how dearly she loved it already.

‘Oh, Jake! Dan!’ Jumping up, she crushed her son to her and then reached for the man who had made her boy happier than he had ever known was possible. ‘Who’s the mum?’ she asked.

‘Well, the surrogate,’ Daniel corrected, ‘is a very dear friend of ours, Gigi, who already has three children and has agreed to do this selfless, incredible thing for us.’

‘Oh my goodness!’ Just the thought of holding the little baby and all the glorious moments that would come their way was enough for her excitement to bubble. ‘This has to be the best birthday present ever! I can’t believe it!’ Using her sleeve, Bess blotted the tears from her cheeks.

‘Oh yes, happy birthday, Bess.’ Daniel held her hand and the two exchanged a long look. It was time for her to build a bridge with this man who was now her family, the father of her grandchild.

‘Gigi lives in Glasgow,’ Jake explained, ‘hence the Scottish honeymoon. She also fell pregnant a lot sooner than we had all anticipated. We thought it might take months.’

‘And hence our sudden decision to marry,’ Daniel said, filling in the gaps. ‘We wanted our baby to share our surname.’