“Who was that?” asked Stella when she saw the look on my face after I closed the door.

“Another social worker, one who seems to think I have little chance of fostering a certain person.”

“Why? She’s so good with you and you with her, you’re made for each other.”

“I think that’s the problem, they smell a rat.”

What d’you mean?”

“They think I arranged it.”

“So why did you call the police? You could have gone on indefinitely without telling anyone.”

“I’m beginning to wish I had. No, the powers that be have rules for a reason.”

“I thought that was just to keep the proles down, stop them usurping the authority.”

“Them? Don’t you mean us?”

“Cathy dearest, you are soon to be one of us, proles are definitely them.”

“You can be such a snob, Stella.”

“What d’you mean can be? I am, darling, I am.” We both laughed as she mocked herself. “Seriously, I think I need to speak to Daddy, see what he suggests.”

“She said it would be a waste of time.”

“Of course she did, just in case you were gullible enough to believe her. You look after your baby, I think she was trying to give the dog an enema by the way, whilst I speak to Daddy.” She disappeared.

“Mima, where are you?”

“Wiv Kiki.”

“Where are you with Kiki?” I might as well have asked the dog, however, with a trained ear, I followed the giggling and found her hiding under the stairs with the dog, who was now wearing her crash helmet.

“Why is Kiki wearing your helmet?”

“She wanted to.”

“She told you, did she?”

“Yes, dinnyou Keek?”

“Come on pest, let’s take it off her and wipe it out with some cleaner. It’s you young lady who has the soft skull, not the dog, do not take it off and put it on Kiki again, do you understand?”

She nodded emphatically, as toddlers do. “Is the wady gonna take Mima way?”

I wanted to say all sorts of things, many of which should not be said in front of adults, leave alone children. “I hope not, Mima, I’m growing quite fond of you.”

“I wuv you, Mummy.” She gave me a huge hug and popped the catch on her dungarees. I did it up for her and she hugged me again, “Done wet her take Mima.”

“I love you too, sweetheart, and I won’t let them take you if I can possibly prevent it.”

“Mima, stay wiv Mummy,” she held onto my legs.

“I’d like that, Mima.”

“Mima stay,” she held my legs very tightly.

“Are you teaching her to play rugby?” Stella came down the stairs, at first I wondered what she was talking about, but then as Mima was holding my legs it could appear she was trying to rugby tackle me. “Daddy said he would see what he could do, but the only way he could guarantee you kept her was to lock you both in the bank vault.”

“Gee thanks, Stella, you’re a real comfort.”

“He suggested to take a copy of the conversation you recorded.”

“I did that, it’s on my computer.”

“And keep notes on any contact you have with them. He suggested that your case was different because you entered into a contract with Jemima’s mum, not social services. If this has all been a misunderstanding, she might come back to claim her kid.”

“What about the letter telling me she was abandoning Mima to me?”

“A practical joke?”

“I need to get a copy of that letter, as it was addressed to me.”

“Certainly any counsel you use will need to see it.”

I looked down and Mima was watching anxiously still clutching my legs. “Come on, sweety-pie, let’s make some lunch,” and to Stella, I said, “We’ll keep adult talk for adult ears, if that’s okay?”

“Oh yes, sorry–what’s for lunch?”

“I’m going to make some soup, what d’you think?”

“Sounds good to me, shall I entertain our guest?” I nodded and she tried to take Mima into the dining room. Mima however wasn’t playing and resisted the attempt.

“Let’s go and play ball with Kiki,” Stella said enthusiastically.

“Mima stay wiv Mummy,” and she locked herself around my legs again. I did manage to get her to sit in her high chair while I made the soup, chicken and lentil, and we ate it with some home baked bread.

After we ate, Mima came and sat alongside me on the sofa, and again clung to me every time I moved. I phoned Dr Rose, who very kindly called me back half an hour later. Mima was actually sleeping with her head in my lap as we talked.

“I thought made it clear that she should stay with you for now. I feel it’s critical to her continuing recovery.”

“She’s walking by herself, she walked to my bed and woke me up in the night to take her to the loo.”

“That is wonderful, so many of these cases don’t recover.”

“She’s showing distress, she is now clinging to me, especially if I go to do anything.”

“I think that’s understandable, having been dumped by her parent or carer once already.”

“I wonder if it’s worth me seeing a psychologist to prove how unsettling this is to her, maybe make social services back off a little.”

“So you want a name?”

“Please, if that’s okay?”

“I’ll get her to ring you.”

“Thanks so much, sorry to bother you, I know how busy you are.”

“It’s okay, if she’s walking, being with you is obviously good for her.”

“Maybe, but I’m getting too bonded to her and she to me. This calling me mummy, really gets under my defences, but she insists upon it.”

“It obviously works for her, whether that means she was told to call you that or if it’s just her way of feeling more secure, I wouldn’t like to say, just go with it for now.”

“Go with it, I love it.”

“She has stuck her tentacles into you.”

“Absolutely, and it’s wonderful.”

“I’ll get her to call you, her name’s Stephanie Cauldwell,” with that he rang off, and it was time to take Mima to the loo again.

An hour later, we were baking cakes and Dr Cauldwell called. I explained the situation over the phone and she arranged to come and see us the next afternoon, she also explained this wasn’t NHS, so I could expect a bill. Stella overheard me talking and told me Henry would cover costs. I thanked her but suggested I’d pay my own way. “Well it’s there if you need it,” she shrugged and went back to her book and I went back to try and stop Mima eating all the cake mix.