40. Epilogue: Five years later

February 2008 - London, England

Tanya was in her kitchen issuing last minute instructions to her Bulgarian au pair.

"Aha! He's here," she said, at the sound of the front doorbell.

She strode out to the hall and called up the stairs.

"Nicki! Nicki! Where are you? I'm going now!"

Tanya put a finger to her lips to silence the au pair before she could speak. They both listened carefully but there was no sound to be heard anywhere in the house.

"Ok, bye then!" said Tanya. "See you later!"

She stomped noisily across the polished wood floor and paused at the front door for one final listen. Footsteps pattered frantically along the ceiling over their heads. The au pair laughed quietly.

"Mum! Don't go!" wailed a child's voice from above.

Tanya laughed too and hurried towards the stairs.

"I'm still here, honey," she said. "Wait there. I'll come up."

She bounded up the staircase, met the child at the top and swept him into her arms. She hugged him tightly as she ambled back down, blowing mouth farts on his cheek and making him giggle with joy. At the door, she passed him to the au pair and they had a final tussle as he refused to release his grip round Tanya's neck.

"I have to go, Nicki, darling," she pleaded. "Please let me go."

She gently pulled his hands free and kissed him while holding his wrists away from herself. The front doorbell rang again.

"Coming!" she called, cheerily.

She planted a last lingering kiss on her little boy then she opened the door and smiled at the man standing outside.

"Hello, Toby," she said.