She feels him lean over her. A little pool of tight light punctures the holes by her nostrils. She tenses as his arms brush her shoulders, his hand strokes up the back of her neck.
She closes her eyes. Sends her love out into the universe. Mum, Mummy. I love you. I’m sorry. I love you.
The grinding metal teeth of a zip, and the mask loosens. She feels his fingers work beneath and peel it off. And her face is out in blessed air and all she can see is bright, bright light, so bright she has to squeeze her eyes closed.
‘Oh, Jesus,’ he says. ‘Right, I’m going to take that off you. Remember, Gemma, no noise. It’s very important – not a sound, okay?’
She nods again.
‘Shit,’ he says, ‘you don’t know who I am, do you?’ and the light moves. Gemma opens her eyes. It’s Paulo. The big security guy from the house. Grinning at her as if he’s just won a game of hide and seek.
The relief is so great that she starts to cry.
The smile falls away. ‘Oookay,’ he says, the tones of a groom calming a skittish racehorse. ‘Okay. Just breathe. Breathe … ’ And he leans forward and reaches behind her head again.