by Claire Thake
After Leah arrived the pair ordered their usual lunch and drinks and had the usual chit chat they normally did.
“So, I need to talk to you about something” Carrie said a small smile creeping across her lips
“Shoot, what’s up?” Leah answered taking a bite of her chicken sub roll
“Well, I’ve made a decision about something and I wanted to tell you before I did anything else”
“Carrie spit it out hun, before you bounce off the chair in excitement” Carrie giggled and sat on her hands
“Ok well, you know about my relationship with Daniel and everything, but I’m finding the distance between us really hard, and although I haven’t asked Daniel yet I’m thinking of moving to be closer to him”
“Carrie, as I have said all along you need to do whatever makes you happy. If Daniel is the man you want to be with then go for it! But what are you going to do about your job?”
“I don’t know yet, I’m hoping I may be able to get some freelance work, maybe working from home for a bit, I mean nothing will happen overnight, I still need to find somewhere to live and we know that won’t happen fast”
“Won’t Daniel let you live on the farm?” Leah questioned leaning back in the chair
“I haven’t asked but I don’t want to put any pressure on him. I mean we haven’t been together long and I don’t want to scare him off, I just want to be closer to him” Leah nodded and took a big gulp of her cola.
“Well Carrie I can’t say I won’t miss you, but at the same time Its going to be great having a friend in Devon, and I will let you go on one condition…You accept me and Ryan and the brats for the odd holiday”
Carrie laughed and nodded, knowing she would love her best friend and her family to visit as she knew how much she would miss them once she was gone.
Carrie pushed her plate away from her, her appetite was low the last few days and the sight of the food was making her feel sick; the nerves of the move and telling Daniel making her stomach queasy.
After lunch, Carrie took a detour on the way back to the office and found herself in an estate agents finding out all her options for selling or letting the apartment. In a way she didn’t want to let it go as it had been her home with Ian and it held a lot of memories, plus if things didn’t work out with Daniel at least she would have something to fall back on.
Chapter 19
The weekend seemed to take forever to arrive but when Daniel finally called to say he was almost there, Carrie felt like a child at Christmas, running around the apartment and ordering a Chinese to be delivered, knowing he would probably be starving from the long drive.
When the buzzer finally went, Carrie practically ran to the front door to answer it and seeing Daniels handsome face appear in the hall way she had to hold herself back from throwing herself at him. Once in the apartment though she couldn’t hold back and threw her arms around him, taking in his scent and the feel of his hands holding her. She had missed him so much and she knew she was making the right decision.
Sitting on the living room floor the pair sat and ate the Chinese. Carrie had been right about Daniel being starving from the journey and he had skipped eating before he left as well to save time. Carrie sat picking at her food and pushed it around the plate, still not feeling well.
“Everything ok?” Daniel queried in-between mouthfuls
“Yes everything’s fine, although I did want to have a chat with you about something important actually” Daniels eyes grew weary, wondering what was so important and worrying that she had changed her mind on their relationship.
“I love you” She muttered “But this distance is hard work” A feeling of dread filled Daniels stomach at her words and he knew she was going to end things
“Carrie, yes it is hard but if you want something bad enough you work for it, and I know we can make things work if we try, please don’t give up on us”
“Give up on us? No, no that’s not what I’m saying, I want to move to Devon! I mean I will get my own place and everything I don’t expect to…” Carrie’s words were cut off and Daniel launched himself at her, pushing her back to lay on the carpet, his body hovering over hers.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again, I thought you were about to break up with me” He muttered, leaning down and claiming her with his mouth, before pulling away breathless and staring down into her eyes.
“Carrie I know this is all new for both of us, but I want you with me. If you move to Devon you don’t need to get your own place, you can live with me. Having you so close yet not within my reach would be torturous. Please move in with me, I love you and I promise I will do everything I can everyday to make this work. I want you to be happy; for us to be happy”
Carrie smiled back and gently pushed on his chest, a strange look on her face and Daniel immediately assumed he had been too pushy and said the wrong things.
“I mean if you don’t want to” he said cutting off his words as she put both hands up to stop him
“No, no it’s all fine, I just think I’m going to be sick” Carrie jumped up off the floor and ran to the bathroom, before the contents of her stomach made a reappearance. Feeling utterly embarrassed, and wondering if she had a stomach bug after feeling ill the past few days.
“Are you ok?” Daniel said appearing at the bathroom door with a glass of water. Carrie quickly flushed the toilet and looked up at him with red cheeks in embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, I think I might be sick” She muttered, climbing back up to her feet and washing her hands in the sink.
Daniel passed her the glass of water and pulled her into a 1 armed hug “Well then it’s a good job I’m here to look after you then isn’t it. Come on let’s get you into bed and get you some rest”
Taking Carrie’s hand he led her into her bedroom and tucked her into bed, before refreshing the glass of water, and grabbing a plastic bowl from the kitchen.
“Make sure you drink plenty miss, you don’t want to dehydrate and the bowls here just in case”
Carrie giggled; it had been a long time since anyone had looked after her. Daniel took a seat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair out of her face.
“Carrie, what you said tonight about moving to Devon, it’s a dream come true for me, but are you sure? I know you have your job and everything and I don’t want you thinking you have to give up your life for me”
Taking his hand and kissing his finger tips she smiled “You are my life now silly. I don’t want to be apart from you if I can help it. I’ve already spoken to an estate agent and I can put the apartment up for let, so I will still have it to fall back on, and if not the rent will be a nice little earner. I have also spoken to my boss and even though she doesn’t want me to leave, she can help me out with some freelance work until I can find something suitable.”
Daniel was shocked at how much she had already planned, and his eyes went as wide as golf balls.
“Wow in that case I guess you are serious”
“Nothing is fully decided yet, as I wanted to talk to you first, I just wanted to see my options”
Daniel leaned in close to Carrie’s face and gave her a peck on the nose
“So how fast can we push this so I get to wake up to your smile on a daily basis?” Carrie giggled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so happy and so excited as what the future held and she couldn’t wait to spend it with Daniel.
3 weeks later and Carrie was sitting on the double bed in her new bedroom, unpacking her things. There was still a lot to get sorted that would involve a few trips back and forth to London but she hadn’t wanted to be away from Daniel any longer than necessary and so was making weekend trips back to retrieve more of her things and to pick up any work or sign any forms she needed to.
Carrie’s mobile phone vibrated against the bedside table and she jumped up to answer it; seeing that it was her doctors surgery that was calling. After numerous bouts of sickness and feeling awful over the past few weeks s
he had gone and seen her doctor who had sent her for numerous tests.
“Hello” she answered nervously, knowing it must be her results they were calling about.
“Hello Mrs Summers?”
“Yes, hello” Carrie replied biting her finger nail
“This is Dr Singh’s receptionist, I had the results of the tests she sent you for and she thought you would want to know them straight away” Fear spread through Carrie; what if she was really sick, they never normally called to give you the results they normally waited for you to call the surgery.
“Ok please go on” Carrie said and listened carefully to the words the lady spoke through the phone.
“I’m sorry can you repeat that, are these definitely my results? Could there be a mistake?” she questioned not quite sure she had heard right.
“No mistake Mrs Summer, they came through this morning”
After getting the receptionist to repeat the results several times, Carrie thanked her and hung up the phone. Shock settling in and the familiar sick feeling she had recently took over and she found herself running once again to the bathroom.
As she hugged the toilet bowl, tears fell down her cheeks, and she cried big heaving sobs, struggling to get her breath. This wasn’t how things were meant to go and she wasn’t sure she would be able to cope.
Pulling herself back to the bedroom, she flopped onto the bed in exhaustion and curled herself up into a ball. How would Daniel react to what she needed to tell him? And how would she cope? She had no idea.
That evening Daniel came back to the house and made a lovely roast dinner, with all fresh produce from the farm, but Carrie couldn’t stomach it even though she knew she should eat.
Daniel eyed Carrie suspiciously knowing something was wrong, but not wanting to push her into talking, after all moving the huge distance had been a big jump and it must be hard to leave everything behind. He knew it had been for him when he moved back when his father died. He had a funny feeling though that there was more to this than meets the eye.
Clearing the table, he put the dishes to one side and joined Carrie on the sofa and stretched his arm around her shoulders.
“What’s wrong Carrie? I know this is a big step you moving here, but you seem so worried. Please tell me what’s bothering you so I can try and make it better” Carrie looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “Baby, please what’s wrong, please don’t cry” he said as she pushed him away and sat up straight.
“I’ve got a lot of my mind Daniel” she sniffed, Daniel sank back on the sofa and sighed, he didn’t want to push her but he felt hopeless. He couldn’t help her unless she told him what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.
“Is it me? Carrie have you changed your mind?” Panic began to hit Daniel as he worried maybe she had changed her mind, maybe she didn’t want to be with him after all, and if that was the case he would rather her be honest than to be living a lie; one where she was so unhappy. It would kill him to lose her, but he couldn’t see her in so much pain either.
“It’s not you; please don’t think that Daniel, you have been perfect. I had a phone call from the doctors today about my test results”
“Ok, what were they?” He asked, his panic turning from her not wanting him to facing her being seriously ill.
“I had to get them to repeat them a few times, I didn’t believe what they were saying, but they were dead sure they had the right results but I don’t know how they can be right, I’m not sure how things can be working out this way, and I don’t know how I’m going to cope” she stumbled over her words, hardly taking a breath.
“Whatever is wrong Carrie, we will get through it, and I am here for you always you must know that please baby tell what they said.”
“I’m pregnant.”
Daniel stood up and paced the room as Carries words sunk in, Carrie continued to sit on the sofa and picked nervously at her finger nails.
“Tell me what you’re thinking?” Carrie asked, unable to take the silence that was filling the air. Daniel stopped pacing and turned and looked at her, his eyes glistening.
“Honestly Carrie, I can’t say it’s not a shock, and I’m more worried about what you are thinking, but if I’m honest with you…It’s the best news I’ve ever had in my life” Daniel crossed the room and knelt in front of Carrie and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m happy don’t get me wrong, it’s just…” Carrie stuttered her words between sobs, “I’m worried things are going to go wrong again if I let myself be happy, last time things fell into place and were perfect, but then it was all torn away from me so fast”
“Carrie it won’t happen again, baby please I understand why you are worried but you have to put the past behind you and focus on the future now. I love you and you are having our baby Carrie, our child”
“Daniel I feel so ill though, I’ve never felt this ill, surely this isn’t right. I never felt like this last time, what if something else is wrong”
“Carrie please listen to me, we will see a doctor tomorrow and get you checked out ok, but whatever happens please listen to me, I will do my very best to look after you and our baby”
Carrie let Daniel scoop her up in his arms and carry her to bed, she was so tired and emotionally drained she felt as if she could sleep for a week, and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep.
When Carrie woke the next morning she sat up expecting to be alone and for Daniel to be on the farm, but no he was sitting in bed with her, leaning up on one elbow watching her.
“Good morning beautiful” He said bending and giving her a kiss on the forehead
“What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be working?” Carrie asked
“Graham is covering for the day, I messaged him last night, I wanted to spend some time with you today and make sure you were okay. I’ve also made an appointment for you to see my GP and we will get you checked over”
Carrie nodded feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything; that was until the nausea took hold once again and she had to run to the bathroom, even though there was nothing in her stomach to come up her body still acted as if there was and wouldn’t let up.
Daniel came into the bathroom and rubbed Carrie’s back and held her hair out of her face. “I did a bit of research last night before I came to bed, and from what I read this sickness is all completely normal and should ease around 12 weeks, do they know how far gone you are?”
Carrie stood up and rinsed her mouth out with water from the sink before answering
“No idea, but no more than about 8 weeks” Daniel nodded and helped her back into the bedroom and into bed, before disappearing and coming back with a packet of ginger biscuits.
“Biscuits in bed?” Carrie said and raised an eye brow at Daniel, who chuckled and put them on her lap.
“Eat up, apparently they are great at helping with morning sickness” Carrie looked at him and smiled, she hated ginger but hated being sick even more so she was willing to give anything a try.
It wasn’t long till the small amount of biscuits Carrie had ate made a reappearance, and Carrie then vowed never to touch ginger again, as it burned her throat coming back up.
Later that afternoon they walked hand in hand into the doctor’s surgery. Carrie was nervous and stressed, and worried there was something wrong with the baby for her to feel as bad as she did. Daniel gripped her hand and they sat in silence waiting to be called. Daniel giving her hand a reassuring squeeze every few minutes.
Finally they were called in and a nice male doctor smiled at Carrie.
“Nice to meet you Mrs Summers, I’m Dr Lovitt, I understand you’re new to the area”
“Yes I am, I just moved here from London”
“Wow, that’s a big step. So what can I do for you today?” He asked smiling at her, and Carrie immediately felt at ease.
“Well I recently found out that I’m pregnant, and I’ve been suffering with terrible sickness and I’m finding it hard to hold an
y food down” Carrie felt herself shaking as the doctor listened to her concerns, and scanned her notes on the computer.
“Ok well let me reassure you first of all, that morning sickness is perfectly normal, in fact it’s a sign of a healthy baby, so you don’t need to worry there. I’m afraid there isn’t much I can say to be much help instead of the usual advice; eat ginger, eat little and often, maybe try and eat a dry cracker to line your stomach before you get out of bed, and drink plenty of fluids. It should clear around the 12 week mark as you go into the second trimester, but please try not to worry.”
Carrie nodded and suddenly felt very silly bothering the doctor with what was just a case of morning sickness.
After thanking the doctor Daniel drove Carrie home and she spent the afternoon on the sofa watching TV, scared of moving to far just in case the movement caused her stomach to lurch.
Chapter 20
7 Months later
Lying in the hospital bed, Carrie cradled her newborn son. Looking down at him she was amazed at the rush of love she had for such a tiny little bundle. He had Daniels facial features, with her mouth and was the most beautiful newborn baby she had ever laid eyes on.
“Hey sis” Jason said appearing at her bedside, and taking in the sight of his new nephew,
“Want a cuddle?” Carrie asked as he took a seat next to the bed
“As if I would say no” he replied, taking the tiny bundle from Carrie and leaning back in the chair, taking in everything he could about the newborn.
“Where’s Daniel?” Jason asked, noticing he wasn’t at the hospital.
“He’s just popped back to check on the farm and to grab me some more clothes, as Tyler was sick on the ones I bought to travel home in. He will be back later and then hopefully they will let us go home later on today”
Carrie couldn’t wait to go home and to get out of the hospital. As much as she knew it was best for her and Tyler as they were getting the best care, she still hated what hospitals represented for her and knew she would feel better at home in her own bed, in her own surroundings.
