There were bottles and nursery appointments, illnesses that turned out to be ordinary childhood illnesses and still frightened me, the first time Maya slept through the night while I lay awake listening.

There were lawyers’ meetings.

There were business decisions I did not yet understand well enough to make.

There were courses, hours with advisers, and occasions when I asked a question someone else considered basic.

I asked it anyway.

I had been a copywriter, not an acquisitions executive.

My advantage was that I knew how much damage a confident person could do while other people were afraid to admit confusion.

As my knowledge grew, so did my responsibility.