Upstairs in the little bedroom, Matteo was standing at the foot of the bed, wide-eyed, as his mother moaned and panted.
‘Jacob,’ said Livia, ‘take Matteo downstairs. There’s a jigsaw puzzle on the table. He needs distracting.’
‘Can you really manage?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she replied bravely. ‘I’m sure we’ll be fine; off you go.’ Turning to Sara, she said, ‘I know it’s hard, but you must be as quiet as you can. People in the building might hear you, and then all will be lost.’
Sara’s eyes were filled with fear, but she nodded uncertainly.
Livia found a small piece of wood that had been used to steady a table leg. She washed it in the basin and handed it to Sara. ‘Bite down on that when you want to scream. I’m sorry, but you must.’
Back in the kitchen, she poured the boiling water into a bowl, and brought it back up to the attic, with some soap. She wasn’t really sure what else would be required, but sat next to the bed, mopping Sara’s forehead. When the contractions grew more intense, Sara grabbed Livia’s hand, and dug her nails into her palm.
The hours slowly ticked by, and as the contractions got closer together, Livia steeled herself to look between Sara’s legs. ‘Sara,’ she whispered. ‘You’ve done this before. I don’t really know what to do. You must tell me what you need.’
Sweating and panting, Sara nodded. ‘In a moment,’ she gasped, ‘I’ll be ready to push. I’ll try not to scream.’ She began to strain, her face screwed up with agony. She squeezed Livia’s hand and clamped her jaws down on the piece of wood.
‘I can see it,’ Livia said excitedly. ‘I can see its head.’
Sara gasped, panted and pushed again. She let out a solitary cry as the child’s head was expelled.
‘The head’s out, it’s there. Oh God!’ whispered Livia. ‘It’s amazing. Can you push some more?’
Sara pushed again, her face once more screwed up in agony, and the child’s body slithered into Livia’s waiting hands.
‘It’s a girl,’ Livia announced, ‘a beautiful girl.’
The baby took a gasp and cried out. Livia laid the child on Sara’s stomach. ‘Thank you… thank you, Livia,’ Sara whispered, stroking the baby’s head. ‘You must cut the cord – do you see? Not too close to the baby – and tie it off.’
Livia looked at her, appalled. ‘What do you mean – cut it?’
‘With some scissors,’ Sara said.
Livia ran downstairs. She was rummaging in a drawer when Jacob came into the kitchen. ‘Is she all right?’ he asked nervously.
‘Yes, you have a daughter, Jacob. Come and see – in fact, you can help. We have to cut the cord, and I don’t know how to do it.’
‘I do,’ said Jacob, ‘I saw the midwife do it last time.’
Livia found a pair of scissors, which she washed under a tap, and then went upstairs with Jacob and Matteo.
When the cord had been cut, Livia washed the baby in a bowl of water, wrapped it in a towel, and laid it on her mother’s breast.
‘I’ll leave you now, Sara. I’ll bring up some coffee, would you like that?’
‘And some food?’ Sara asked weakly.
‘I’ll see what I can find.’
Downstairs in the kitchen, Livia was opening the cupboards, searching for some food for Sara, when her father ambled in, wearing his dressing gown. ‘Has the baby come?’ he asked.
‘Yes, a lovely little girl. But Sara needs to eat something and there’s nothing left.’
‘Is there no bread?’
‘No. I was going to try and get some today. I’ll go out quickly and get it now.’
‘It’s nearly eight o’clock,’ her father said. ‘You mustn’t be late for Villa Triste – I’ll go.’
‘It’s all right,’ Livia replied, already slipping on her coat. ‘I’ll be back in time.’
At the baker’s, Livia joined a line of women queuing for bread. The line moved slowly, and she checked her watch anxiously. By the time she arrived at the front of the queue, it was already half past eight and she was due at Villa Triste at nine.
She raced back to the apartment. Her father was working at the dining table, as Livia threw the bread down in front of him. ‘Papa, please can you take this up to Sara. I have to go now.’
She ran all the way to Villa Triste, arriving five minutes late. The guard glared at her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised breathlessly. ‘I had an accident. But I’m here now.’
The guard told her to wait and left the room. A few moments later, he