Over the next two weeks, we settled into a routine. Saturdays were reserved for girl time with Sofia, Jansen and Jude got me for practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I ate dinner with Linc on Wednesdays and Fridays. The rest of the time when I wasn't in class, I spent with Hisashi or playing the Fazioli at home. Or texting, emailing, and calling Linc while considering whether it was worthwhile buying shares in a telecoms company.

The second recital came and went, and this time I played without missing a note. Linc kept out of the way which disappointed me, but when he brought me a huge bunch of flowers afterwards, I couldn't be too upset.

The schedule worked well until Mozart played one Friday afternoon as I left my final music theory class of the week. When I picked up, Sofia sounded frantic.

"My cousin just called. She's had a couple of dizzy spells, and they want to keep her in the hospital for tests. Is there any chance I can leave early today so I can look after Jemima?"

Sofia had told me plenty about Jemima, her cousin's four-year-old girl, who by all accounts got herself into endless trouble through her innate curiosity. Only last week, she'd managed to bring a snail to the dinner table and insisted on giving it a plate of lettuce leaves to munch through while she ate. I still had those joys to come with Hisashi. Maybe I could convince him he'd like a goldfish instead?

"Of course. I'm on my way home, so I should be there by the time you've packed a bag."

"Thanks so much. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She had nothing to make up, seeing as she put in so many extra hours without complaint, but I couldn't help being disappointed by the prospect of cancelling date night. Linc had been threatening to cook for ages, and tonight he was supposed to be attempting spaghetti bolognese.

I picked up the phone to reschedule, but when he answered, that wasn't what came out.

"Sofia's had to go out unexpectedly."

"Sofia? That's your nanny's name?"

"Did I never mention that? Yes, it is. Anyway, I need to postpone."

"Are you sure about Sofia? Or are you just using her as a convenient excuse to avoid my cooking?"

"No, I was looking forward to it, honestly."

"Will you be free tomorrow?"

"She'll be gone for the whole weekend." And I'd be lonely. "Look, why don't you come over to my place? It's about time you met Hisashi."

"Really? You're sure you're okay with that?"

No, but I needed to see how he behaved around my son. Linc was now the second biggest piece of my life after Hisashi, and I had to find out how they fitted together. "I'll be home in half an hour, so come over when you're ready. Apartment 404."

Linc turned up at a quarter to six carrying a bag of ingredients. I'd found time for a quick tidy up, but Sofia kept the place so neat there wasn't a lot that needed doing. Once Linc had spread out all the meat, spaghetti, and vegetables on the counter, I led him through to the living room where Hisashi was bouncing in his chair.

"This is my son," I said needlessly, picking him up so Linc could see him properly.

Linc held out his arms. "Can I hold him? I promise I won't drop him. I had plenty of practice with my godson."

How would Hisashi react? I held my breath as I stepped closer and passed him over. First he scowled, then he giggled and made a grab for Linc's beard and tugged.

"Occupational hazard," Linc said, uncurling Hisashi's fingers.

"Do you want me to take him back?"

"No, we're good here."

And surprisingly, they were. Hisashi cried when the bodyguards held him, and on the rare occasions Emmy or her husband picked him up, he stared at them without making a sound. But Linc soon had him laughing, and they played together until my grumbling stomach reminded us about dinner.

"I'll put him to bed," I said. "You're sure you know what you're doing?"

"I printed a recipe off the internet."

"Well, okay then."

Half an hour later, a hideous screeching assaulted my ears, and Hisashi, who'd been on the verge of dropping off, started to scream. I closed his door to keep the noise out and rushed through to the kitchen, where Linc was busy taking the batteries out of the smoke alarm.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It smells pretty bad, though."

Bad, yes. And plasticky. "What did you put in the oven?"

"Garlic bread."

I peered through the glass window at the melting mess on the tray. "You didn't take it out of the wrapper?"

Blank look. "I had to do that? It just said to warm at two hundred degrees."

"Yes, without the plastic bag on it."

"Oh, hell. I ruined it."

I grabbed a tea towel and carried the smoking disaster out to the roof terrace. "It doesn't matter. Just sort out the pasta while I get Hisashi back to sleep."

Dinner turned out surprisingly edible, and Linc had even brought chocolate mousse for dessert. Chocolatey goodness and a delicious man to feed it to me—Friday nights didn't get much better.

"Movie?" he asked after we'd cleared the table.

I nodded, even though we both knew we had no intention of watching it. Canoodling practice took precedence, and I reckoned I was making a definite improvement. Without a peep from the baby monitor on the table next to us, I could put in some serious effort.

Before we knew it, midnight struck, along with a fork of lightning in the sky outside. From the full-length windows in front of the roof terrace, the electrical storm was mesmerising.

"You can't go home in that," I told Linc. "I've got two spare rooms." Part of me wanted to invite him into mine, but when I thought of the hurdles I still needed to overcome in my own mind, I realised it was too soon.

"You sure?"

"Stay, please."

So he did. For all of Saturday and most of Sunday. As I watched him play with Hisashi through the open kitchen door while I made breakfast, the F-word popped into my mind. No, not that one. Family.

Did I dare to hope for that with Linc? Or was I wishing for something never destined to happen?