That was part of the reason the trust existed.

It did not answer every financial question, but the connection between the photograph and the paperwork finally made sense.

‘The words on the back?’ I asked.

‘Your grandmother wrote them,’ Richard said.

‘She wanted you to know your mother had once considered another life.

I think she hoped you would understand that making a difficult choice didn’t have to mean losing your family.’

I stared at the baby in the picture.