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her very soon, although I appreciated that at her age she might want some time to herself. When she hadn’t appeared by nine o’clock I went upstairs. Her bedroom door was ajar and the light was on, but I couldn’t hear any movement inside.
    I knocked lightly. ‘Jade? Is everything all right?’
    There was no response so I knocked again. ‘Jade? It’s Cathy. Can I come in?’
    Still nothing, so I opened the door wider and went in. Jade was lying on the bed on her side, in her clothes and fast asleep with her mobile in her hand. Her bag was open on the floor but not unpacked. The poor kid must have been exhausted. I didn’t want to just leave her there for the night. Although she’d taken off her shoes it would be uncomfortable for her to sleep in her clothes, and without the routine of changing and getting into bed if she woke in the night she might wonder where she was.
    Leaning slightly over her bed, I said: ‘Jade, it’s Cathy. Shall I help you to get changed and into bed? Are your night things in your bag?’ I guessed they would be but I didn’t like to just start rummaging in her bag to find them. With a younger child I unpacked their bags when they first arrived, but at Jade’s age I needed to respect her privacy. ‘Jade, love,’ I tried again, gently stroking a few strands of hair away from her face. ‘It’s Cathy. Would you like to get changed so you are more comfortable?’
    Still nothing. She was clearly in a very deep sleep. I then decided it might be best to leave her for now to have a sleep. I’d cover her with the duvet, leave the light on low, and listen out for her. She’d probably wake before I went to bed. I reached to the foot of the bed and began drawing up the duvet. Suddenly I jumped with fright as a loud noise shot from the bed: a hundred decibels of rap, scaring me silly and blasting Jade awake.
    ‘Oh my god, Ty!’ she cried, waking, sitting and answering the phone with one movement. ‘I was asleep. Oh my god, where am I? Help!’

Chapter Five
Jade’s Story
    ‘You’re safe,’ I reassured Jade. ‘You’re with me – Cathy.’
    ‘Oh yeah,’ she said, now fully awake and realizing where she was.
    ‘That’s quite some ringtone,’ I said. ‘I nearly jumped out of my skin.’
    ‘I usually put it on silent at night but I fell asleep.’
    ‘I know you did, love. You must be exhausted. Let me help you unpack and then you can have an early night.’
    Jade nodded and swung her legs off the bed. Tyler was still on the other end of the phone and Jade said to him: ‘I’ll phone you later, Ty. I’ve got to unpack.’
    She closed the phone and put it on the pillow. She looked pale and tired, and my immediate concern was for her to have a good night’s sleep. ‘What time do you usually go to bed?’ I asked as she yawned.
    ‘Any time, really. It doesn’t matter. It was difficult sleeping in a single bed with Ty.’
    I’d have thought it would have been impossible given the size of Jade’s bump, and contrary to what Jade said about bedtime not mattering, it did matter. I knew that in pregnancy it was just as important to have enough sleep as it was to have a good diet; otherwise the expectant mother could become run down.
    ‘I think you could do with an early night,’ I said. ‘How about you go to the bathroom and have a wash and change while I unpack your bag?’
    ‘Do I have to have a bath?’ Jade asked, as a small child would.
    ‘No, I think that can wait until the morning if you’re very tired. Just have a good wash and do your teeth, then have your bath tomorrow. You’re not in school, so there’s no rush in the morning.’
    Jade nodded and yawned again.
    ‘Are your nightdress and wash bag in your bag?’ I asked.
    She nodded, but remained sitting on the bed and making no move towards the holdall.
    ‘Shall I find them for you?’
    ‘Yeah, please.’
    I unzipped the holdall and her wash bag and towel immediately came into view. I took them out and passed them