brave.”
“Funnily enough, he says everyone uses that word. He said to me when we were cycling, ‘What’s brave about it? No one calls a woman brave when she stops work.’ ” Pete paused. “He and Kate are in a similar position to us, actually. She earns more than he does.”
I frowned. “I’d always assumed we’d both have to work. The mortgage is pretty steep.”
“Well…I did a few rough calculations, and it’s not impossible.” He added quickly, “But look, now isn’t the time to go into all that. I just thought it was an interesting idea, that’s all.”
17
Case no. 12675/PU78B65, Exhibit 14C: email from Miles Lambert to Peter Riley.
Dear Pete and Maddie,
Lucy and I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was meeting you this morning—and of course, Theo too. To be honest, we’d been somewhat apprehensive about what sort of family our birth son would turn out to be living with. I think we can say for sure that both Theo and ourselves have been incredibly fortunate. We really feel we haven’t lost a son but gained some new friends.
We were deeply touched by your suggestion that we become Theo’s godparents. That’s a definite yes from us, if you’re sure.
And Pete, I meant to say—let’s go out for a beer sometime. Maybe this Wednesday after work? I think Lucy is going to get in touch with Maddie, too.
Very best,
Miles
18
PETE
THE EMAIL FROM MILES was waiting next time I checked my inbox. It had been sent at two P.M., just a couple of hours after we’d left them.
“He’s keen,” Maddie commented when I showed her.
“Should I? Go for a beer with him, I mean?”
“Why not? You always say you miss going out with your mates after work. And Wednesday evening’s a good time—I can be back by six, so you won’t need a sitter.”
* * *
—
NEXT MORNING, WE HAD a Skype call booked with Maddie’s parents. We were both slightly apprehensive—her father is a big character, and the relationship between him and Maddie is definitely a complicated one. They used to clash when she was a teenager—she was impulsive and headstrong, he was authoritarian and domineering—but she talks about him a lot and he’s very important to her. I sometimes wonder if part of my own appeal for her is that I’m about as far away from him as she could possibly get, both geographically and personally.
The call started well. Theo was in good form, taking Maddie’s iPad and proudly showing his grandparents a tower he’d made from Duplo. Then he used both feet to kick it all apart.
“Pow! Pow! Pick up, Mika!” he told them.
Jack laughed. “Who’s Mika?”
“He means Michaela. She’s the nanny for some people we visited yesterday.” I took a deep breath. “Jack, Carol, there’s something we need to tell you. Just hang on a minute while I take the iPad upstairs.” Our bedroom was the only place in the house where Theo wouldn’t overhear, although unfortunately it meant I was now going to have to break the news to them on my own.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked. I didn’t reply until I was safely out of Theo’s hearing. Then I explained. They didn’t say much, just the occasional “Jesus!” and “Bloody hell!” from Jack. When I got to the bit where we’d agreed with the Lamberts that we weren’t going to swap back, he was incredulous.
“What? But they’ve got your bloody son!”
“Yes. Just as we’ve got theirs.”
“Well, if it was one of my children, I wouldn’t be happy,” Jack said with finality. “Carol, what do you think?”
“Of course we’re not happy,” I said patiently. “We’re really shocked and upset. But what other solution is there? Give Theo away?”
“I guess not,” Carol began, just as Jack said, “At that age, they’d get over it in no time.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” I said coldly.
“Have you spoken to a child psychologist?”
“No,” I admitted.
“What about a lawyer?”
“The Lamberts have spoken to a lawyer. But that’s because they’re talking about suing the hospital—”
“Bloody right they are.”
“We just think that the proper way to deal with this is through dialogue and compromise,” I said. The words somehow came out sounding wrong—priggish and pompous instead of reasonable and considered. I tried a different tack. “You always say, once lawyers get involved in a deal, everything goes to shit. Why would this be any different?”
“A lawyer’s already involved,” Jack said darkly. “Just not yours.”
Carol started to say something, but he cut her off. “So tell me, Pete. What exactly have you done,