One Last Chance

by Hollowed, Beverley

  “Why are you telling me this?” Ally said looking at Nathan in confusion.

  “What happened to me was not your fault, Ally,” Nathan explained. “Cole didn’t ask me to do this, I wanted to do it. Cole is my only family and that makes you my family. We take care of family. You need to stop blaming yourself for what has happened.”

  “But I don’t want anyone hurt because of me,” Ally insisted.

  “But it’s not because of you,” Nathan argued. “Don’t you see that? None of this is because of you. This is because of him. And we will do whatever it takes to keep you safe because that’s what families do.”

  “He’s right,” Cole said suddenly from the back door. “We aren’t doing any of this because we feel we have to, we are doing it because we want to, because we love you.”

  “I know,” Ally nodded her head as the tears began to flow again. “I love you all so much too. I am just scared I will lose one of you. And I could never forgive myself if that happened.”

  “You won’t have to,” Nathan said reaching out and taking hold of her hand. “Because you have done nothing to need forgiving for.”

  She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek.

  “Thank you,” she whispered against his cheek. Then she stood up and walked up to Cole, slipping her arms around his waist, she raised herself up on her tippy toes and kissed him. “And thank you too.”

  “You are very welcome, my gorgeous girl.” Cole said and he pressed his lips to hers once again.

  “Okay, okay,” Nathan said standing up and walking towards them. “Keep it P.G. Now are you going to show me the video of my niece and future goddaughter, I hope?”

  “Come on, trouble,” Ally said reaching out her had to Nathan and pulling him into the sitting room. “Let me show you our gorgeous little girl.”

  Ally and Nathan sat down on the big sofa, while Cole put the DVD in the player before he joined Ally and Nathan on the sofa.

  They watched it again and again. Nathan was completely blown away by it.

  “That is so weird that she is inside you, right now,” Nathan said in complete amazement. “But there she is there, on the screen. Clear as crystal.”

  Ally was very touched by this crazy yet caring man’s reaction to the DVD. Suddenly the baby woke up and started kicking Ally.

  “Quickly,” Ally said, reaching out to Nathan. “Give me your hand.” She took his hand and placed it her bump. For a moment there was nothing but then, kick.

  “OH MY GOD!” Nathan exclaimed as his eyes lit up. “That is the weirdest thing I have ever felt. But man it is incredible.”

  He held his hand on her stomach and waited for another kick and he wasn’t disappointed.

  “I think you have a footballer in there,” he said looking over at Cole.

  “That would be a rugby player, Nathan,” Cole replied dead pan.

  Nathan howled with laughter.

  It was a little after ten when Nathan was getting ready to leave.

  “Hey,” he said as he got to the doorway. “Any chance of getting a copy of the picture of my girl in there.”

  He pointed at Ally’s bump.

  “Sure I have a spare one outside,” Ally said and turned towards the kitchen. “I think I left it on the patio table, be right back.”

  She stepped out on to the deck and walked towards the patio table. She picked up one or two things but she couldn’t find the picture anywhere. She looked on the ground under the table.

  She stood for a moment and thought. She didn’t remember bringing it inside. But clearly she must have.

  She headed back into the house and down the hallway, towards the living room.

  “I swear to God,” Ally laughed as she past Cole and Nathan, standing in the hallway. “This pregnancy brain is getting worse. I keep forgetting what I do with things.”

  “Isn’t the picture out there?” Cole called out after her as she headed into the living room.

  “Nope,” Ally replied as she walked to the sofa. She searched behind the cushions, on the floor, on the coffee table and on the sofa once again but the picture was nowhere to be found.

  “What’s wrong?” Cole asked as he came up behind her in the living room.

  “I can’t find the picture anywhere,” Ally said as she scanned around the room.

  “It was out on the patio table,” he replied looking at Ally in confusion.

  “I thought so too,” Ally replied. “But it is not out there now. I must have picked them up and put them somewhere. Damn my pregnancy brain. I still don’t know what I did with Ben’s elephant. I lost a blanket when I was at the park last week. I could have sworn I left a pack of six brand new bottles on the counter the other day and for the life of me, I have no idea where I put them.”

  “The picture is around somewhere,” Cole replied and half laughed. “I am sure it will turn up somewhere, and if not I will give him a copy of the one in my wallet. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay,” Ally said with a smile but she was angry with herself for being so careless.

  “Ally,” Nathan said from the door way. “You are just going to have to get my little footballer to pose for another picture for Uncle Nate.”

  “Deal,” Ally laughed. They walked Nathan out to his car.

  “Come on, Mrs. Thomas,” Cole said when Nathan pulled away from the house. He took Ally by the hand and led her back up the steps and into the house. “It’s been a long day and your husband wants some quality time with his gorgeous girl.”

  Ally laughed as Cole wiggled his eye brows and dragged her towards the stairs.

  Ally moved ahead of him on the stairs and called over her shoulder.

  “Last one up has to do a sexy striptease for the other.” She laughed and when Cole groaned she laughed harder.

  Then she stopped and turned back to Cole and said.

  “By the way, I think I have Little Bean’s name, finally.”

  Chapter 28

  As the weeks continued to fly by, Ally’s bump got bigger and bigger. She had to go to the hospital for weekly visits, her blood pressure was still slightly raised and she was showing the early stages of preeclampsia. Also, the baby was still very low as was the placenta. They were talking about a caesarean section. She had to spend a lot of time resting and keeping her feet up.

  They were still worried the baby might arrive early. So Cole wouldn’t let her move. If he could have wrapped her in cotton wool, he would have.

  But he was relieved Ally seemed more at peace with herself. She stopped blaming herself for what had happened to Nathan. And since Nathan’s visit, he and Ally had grown closer.

  When Nathan stopped by to visit, he used to have full blown conversations with Ally’s bump. On the occasions Caitlin was with him, Cole would tease her saying she needed to get working on Nathan’s very own little football team. Caitlin always replied over her dead body.

  The only shadow was the fact no one had seen or heard from Jason in a couple of months now. Ally had begun to relax a little. But he was always in the back of her mind.

  On the 11th of July, it was Ally’s birthday. Cole arranged for her family and friends to drop by the house for a surprise birthday party and baby shower all in one.

  He arranged caterers with a menu of all of Ally’s favourite food, especially lots of fried rice, the one thing Ally had constantly craved since she became pregnant. Ally cried tears of joy when she arrived home from a spa trip with Caitlin and Hannah, the usual birthday routine the girls always had, to find all her family and friends gathered in the house waiting for her. She was more thrilled when Ella and James arrived to surprise her about an hour into the party.

  “Oh my goodness,” Ella exclaimed when she saw Ally. “You look wonderful my dear girl. And I see the bump is coming along just fine.”

  “If it gets any bigger I think I will pop,” Ally sighed. “Five more weeks to go. I wish she would hurry up already. I can’t remember the last time I saw my feet.”

&n
bsp; “Oh that explains the odd shoes,” Nathan said with a laugh as he emerged from the living room and straight over to Ella, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “They aren’t odd,” Ally sighed as she lifted her feet up one at a time to check.

  “Made you look though,” Nathan laughed loudly as Ally slapped his arm.

  “Asshat,” she groaned and he just laughed harder.

  “Oh you behave,” Ella scolded him as she linked Ally’s arm and they walked back in to the living room.

  “Why aren’t you sitting down?” Cole asked as he came in behind Ally.

  “For pity sake, Cole,” Ally sighed. “I was just greeting your mother.”

  “Well she is greeted,” Cole replied taking hold of Ally’s arm and leading her to the armchair. “Now, sit down.”

  “Fine,” Ally pouted and everyone laughed as she stuck her tongue out at Cole.

  Ella handed her a gift bag with, “it’s a girl” written on the side of the bag. Ally pulled back the tissue paper and found the most beautiful photo frame she had ever seem. It was a Belleek frame with the words our family carved on the bottom of it.

  “It’s just something I saw,” Ella explained. “I thought it was pretty.”

  “I love it,” Ally replied and she placed it carefully back into the gift bag.

  “Your proper birthday present and a little something else for the baby is over with the rest of the gifts,” Ella explained.

  “You really didn’t have to,” Ally replied. “You being here is present enough.”

  “So how have you been?” Ella asked when everyone started chatting again. “Really?”

  “I am doing okay now,” Ally smiled.

  “You look a little tired,” Ella said reaching for her hand. “You haven’t heard anything more from that God awful man have you.”

  “No,” Ally smiled, but she was disappointed that even tonight, she had to be reminded about him. “I think he has moved on.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” Ella exclaimed. “But I am a little concerned at how exhausted you are looking. When are you back at the doctor’s?”

  “I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon,” Ally replied. “I am just tired because I have to get up a hundred times a night to pee. This little madam likes to tap dance on my bladder all night long.”

  “I remember Cole was exactly the same,” Ella replied as Cole returned with a glass of wine for his mother and a 7UP for Ally.

  “What did I do now?” Cole asked as he sat on the arm of Ally’s chair, draping his arm casually across the back of it.

  “You used my insides as a trampoline when I was pregnant,” Ella laughed. “And be warned, he couldn’t sit still for five minutes when he came out either. So this little one will keep you on your toes too, no doubt.”

  Hannah walked into the room carrying Ben and Ella was on her feet in no time.

  “There’s my grandson,” Ella exclaimed the moment she spotted Ben. Ben buried his face in Hannah’s shoulder, as Ella reached out to him.

  “Oh no,” she exclaimed a little sadly. “He doesn’t recognise his grandma.”

  “He is just going through a shy phase,” Cole reassured his mother as he took Ben from Hannah and smiled down at him. “You got a kiss for your grandma, buddy?”

  Ben just snuggled into Cole, shyly.

  “We need to be visiting you more,” Ella said as she softly rubbed the little boys back. “I don’t want my grandbabies to be afraid of their grandma.”

  “Actually,” James said from behind Ella. “We were thinking of looking for a little place over here, somewhere we could spend weekends. And maybe even get to do a little babysitting for you two.”

  “That would be lovely,” Ally exclaimed. “You spending weekends here I mean.”

  “Although babysitting sounds good too,” Cole added.

  “What sort of a place were you thinking of getting?” Ally asked.”

  “I always wanted a little apartment,” Ella grinned. “I think it would be fun.”

  “Ally still has her old apartment,” Hannah chirped in, then added. “You do, right?”

  “I do,” she replied. “I was planning on selling it but with one thing and another, I never got around to it. Cole cleared the mortgage on it. So it’s ours, good and clear.”

  “Wow that sounds perfect,” James replied eagerly. “We will of course buy it from you.”

  “Well if it’s okay with Cole,” Ally said looking from James up to Cole. “I would rather you just took it. I mean, I don’t need it. And to be honest I just want it gone. It’s just sitting empty.”

  “We couldn’t do that,” Ella insisted.

  “Why not,” Cole asked. “If Ally wants to do this for you both, I think it would be a great idea. At least until you looked for somewhere a little closer perhaps.”

  “Thank you Ally,” Ella replied. “I don’t know what to say. This is wonderful.”

  “Maybe we could take you by there to see it after the hospital visit tomorrow?” Ally suggested hopefully.

  “I will take them by,” Cole interjected immediately before anyone else could answer. He leaned down and kissed the top of Ally’s head. “You my dear will be coming home to…”

  “I know, I know,” Ally grumbled. “Rest. What a shocker.”

  “You will do what you are told,” Nan said as she joined the conversation along with Laura and Gus. Ally just rolled her eyes.

  “Sooner this little woman arrives,” Ally groaned. “The better. I am so sick of sitting on my ass.”

  “You don’t have too much longer left,” Gus replied cheerfully. “Then maybe we can get you back under the hood of a car again. I must admit, the garage is not quite the same without you.”

  “Now, that sounds like a great idea,” Ally said with a huge grin. She really did miss her job. And although she had no intentions of going back to work and leaving the babies. She did long to get her hands dirty again. Playing with an engine was her idea of pure bliss.

  “Let’s wait until we get one important job out of the way, “Cole sighed. “Before you start planning the next one.”

  The rest of the evening went wonderfully. Cole had arranged the perfect birthday cake for Ally. Her favourite fresh cream and fruit sponge. On top there was a car with the bonnet open and a girl in overalls and 5” stilettos with her head under the hood of the car. Ally laughed her head off when she saw it.

  As the night wore on, people began to leave. First to go where Nan and Pops. They were going to catch a ride home from one of Ally’s uncles. Next Gus, Laura and the three girls left.

  Sid, Hannah, Caitlin and Nathan were the last to go. Ally had been pleased to see Nathan was almost back to his old self again.

  When everyone was gone, Ally said goodnight to Ella and James, then kissed Cole before she excused herself and headed up to bed.

  “Now, how is she really doing?” Ella asked Cole once they were alone.

  “She’s doing okay,” Cole replied as he poured his mom another glass of wine, before pouring a Scotch for himself and his father. “She is tired and bored, but considering everything that has happened in the past few months, her spirits are good.”

  “And what about her blood pressure?” Ella asked.

  “It’s still a little high,” Cole confirmed. “But the doctors are keeping a close eye on it. She has an appointment tomorrow. We should know more then. They are talking about a planned caesarean section.

  “And this Jason chap,” James asked with concern. “What is happening there?”

  “We have no idea where he is,” Cole replied as he sank down onto the chair next to his father. “I think he is long gone. He knew it was over. He talked a good talk. But with Nick and Adam always around, and Ally being extra careful. He knew he was wasting his time.”

  “Cole, I still think you should continue to be careful,” James said as he took a quick sip of his scotch. “He could be gone. Or he could be just biding his time. Waiting for you to relax and drop yo
ur guard. Just be careful son.”

  “I will Dad,” Cole nodded and smiled, grateful for his dad’s words of wisdom and support. “And on that note. I think I will call it a night myself. I have a very beautiful woman waiting upstairs for me.”

  Cole kissed his mom goodnight and gave his dad an affectionate slap on the back before he headed up to bed.

  When he had finished in the bathroom, he slipped into bed next to Ally and slid over next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

  “Thank you for tonight,” Ally whispered sleepily.

  “You are very welcome, my gorgeous girl,” Cole replied and kissed her on the cheek.

  “You know I really do love you,” she sighed as she was drifting back off to sleep.

  “I know you do,” Cole smiled and then added. “But I love you more.”

  Ally just laughed.

  “Goodnight Mrs. Thomas,” Cole whispered. “Happy birthday and sweet dreams.”

  Ally didn’t reply. Cole smiled knowing she had drifted back to sleep. He pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes, giving himself over to sleep too.

  Once again he dreamt he was searching for Ally. He could hear her cry and plead with someone. She called out his name again and again.

  Suddenly he was back in front of the big black door. He just kept banging and banging.

  “COLE HELP ME!” She cried out but he couldn’t get to her. Then there was a loud bang.

  “COLE! COLE!” He could hear Ally calling him. His eyes flicked open as he sprung up in the bed and was face to face with a very worried looking Ally.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked her as he tried to catch his breath.

  “I was just going to ask you the same question,” Ally replied. “You were shouting and kicking in your sleep. Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay,” Cole replied quickly. “Just a bad dream. I will be okay.”

  “You sure?” She asked, looking at him with concern,

  “Positive,” he replied with a big smile. “Sorry for waking you up. Now let’s get you back to sleep.”

  “I need to pee first,” she said as she climbed out of the bed and headed straight to the bathroom.