‘Can you believe it, Eddie?’ Mario said softly, putting his arm round his father-in-law. ‘Your first great-grandchild!’

‘Well, the first that we know of,’ Bess’s dad said, reaching out to grip her hand, and it was this gesture that set her off crying.

‘Would you like to hold her, Mum?’ Jake asked now. He stepped forward and placed his sleeping son in her arms. Bess peeped inside the blanket at the scrunched-up little face, red and squashed, not yet fully popped, and with such an impressive mop of straight, dark hair. He was the most beautiful baby! Her heart lurched at the scent of him, the weight of him in her arms! She knew she would never tire of holding this child, spending time with this child.

‘He’s only hours old and already he needs a haircut.’ Jake ran his finger over his boy’s head.

‘Jake, he’s beautiful – so beautiful!’ Bess studied his tiny fingers, gripping the edge of the blanket. ‘Just perfect . . .’ Her joy filled her up.

‘You know, Mum, Dan and I were saying, we’ve been on this journey with Gigi, who has worked so hard to bring him into the world, and we can’t imagine what it must have been like going through what you did, all on your own. I mean, Gigi has had counselling and talked for days about the mechanics of it all, and yet you just . . .’

‘I just left her in a hospital like this one and her new parents arrived and took her home. I walked to the train station, and that was that.’ She shook her head at the brutality and sheer tragedy of it. Philip’s muffled sob behind her drew her gaze, and she turned to acknowledge his presence both then and now and how truly grateful she was. They shared a knowing look. ‘Here you go, Grandad!’ Bess said, changing the tone. She didn’t want to linger on thoughts of that, the saddest of days, not right now. Reluctantly she passed the sleeping baby to Mario, who seemed unable to speak or see, tears fogging his eyes and clogging his throat.

‘Well, you’ve done a grand job, boys – he’s a right little bobby-dazzler!’ Bess’s dad said, wrapping Jake and then Dan in a warm hug. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be getting home. I need a decent cuppa in a china cup and one of your nan’s sandwiches.’

‘I think you’re coming back to ours, Dad, for chips?’ Bess said, reminding him of the plan.

Everyone said their goodbyes to the new dads, and it was time to leave the little family in peace. Bess stood next to Mario as Jake and Dan disappeared behind the swing doors of the maternity unit with their son in their safe care.

‘What a day!’ Mario said, smiling at her.

‘One we won’t forget.’