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by Dizzy Girl

  “Here?” said Charlie. “No, I wanted doctors, and drugs. My birth plan includes lots of painkillers.”

  The young man got on his phone and rang the delivery unit. “They’re sending midwives here” he said. “Should be here in about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, do you have some old sheets we can put down? I’ll grab a birth pack out the ambulance outside.”

  Charlie stood up. “I’m telling you” she said, her voice getting louder with each word, “that I want to go to hospital.” And at that point her waters broke. Sunny turned and walked out the room. I wasn’t sure if he was going to hide, or going to get a mop.

  “Look, if you’re sure, then we can try” said the young man, “but I have to warn you, we might be pulling over on the way to deliver.”

  “It’s ok”, Charlie grunted. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I’m about to start pushing.”

  Sunny came back in with some towels, we spread them on the floor and helped Charlie take her trousers off. The door slammed and Sunny ran back through the hall to greet Mark and Jason and to tell them what they were walking in to.

  I heard the front door slam again, and Mark walked in. He walked straight to Charlie and kissed her. He took her hands and told her that she was beautiful. He started stroking her back and telling her that she was doing a great job. I could see her relax now that he was there. He told her that Sunny had taken Jason to the park, and not to worry.

  I didn’t know whether to stay or to go, so I hovered, just in case I could help. Mostly I boiled the kettle and poured it into pans. I’m not sure how much hot water I thought they’d need or what they’d use it for, but at least it felt useful. Ten minutes and some screaming later, and Charlie delivered a little girl. The paramedics wrapped her in a towel and handed her to Charlie.

  The doorbell rang, I opened the door and found two midwives. “I think you’re just in time to cut the cord and have a cup of tea to celebrate. The hot water and towels are ready too in case you need them” I said. They looked at each other, then the taller one thanked me. They didn’t ask for any though once they were inside.

  The paramedics stayed until the midwives had helped deliver the placenta and checked that Charlie was ok. The paramedics congratulated Charlie once more and drove away. Mark carried her upstairs and brought her tea and toast. I rang Sunny to tell him that it was safe to bring Jason home. The midwives stayed to make sure that Charlie felt well and to help her start nursing her little girl.

  Sunny, Jason and I sat in the kitchen eating biscuits. A little while later the midwives left too, and Mark came downstairs and took Jason up to meet his little sister. Sunny and I were left alone. I reached out and took his hand. “About what we were talking about earlier. You were just asking me something.”

  Sunny started to push his chair back from the table and the screech of the table legs sounded loud in the quiet of the house. He started to bend over and I realised that he was getting down on one knee again. “You did that already” I said, “you can get up, you must be exhausted after today. Come and give me a hug instead my lovely man. I could do with a hug. That was an amazing day. I can’t believe the baby is here. Charlie was incredible.” I was on an adrenaline high still and the words tumbled out so fast that they ran into each other as I uttered them.

  “And breathe” Sunny said. “It was an amazing day. But if I can speak, I’d still like to ask you something.”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box again. He opened it, and once again I saw the beautiful ring that he’d picked out. “Let me do this properly” he said. “This is already going to be quite the story to tell our grandchildren one day.” He got down on one knee. “Would you do me the honour of…”

  Jason ran into the room. “Come and meet my sister. She’s so cute. And look, she got me the new West Ham shirt.”

  Sunny closed the box and put it back in his pocket. “Let’s go buddy” he said, and we followed Jason upstairs to Charlie’s room. She was sat up in bed, Mark was sat next to her, and they were cuddling and cooing at the baby.

  Charlie waved us closer. “Thanks for being here today” she said.

  “No problem. And congratulations. She’s beautiful” I said.

  “Have you chosen a name for her?” Sunny asked.

  “We have. We’ve called her Grace, because she of the happiness that she has brought to our family. And her middle name will be Myrtle, after my mum, because I don’t know what I’d have done without her the last eight years.”

  “She doesn’t have to use her middle name if she doesn’t want to” Mark said, and Charlie tickled him.

  “For that you can go and let Mum in when she gets here in a minute. And get Jason ready for bed, and make me another round of toast. I’m starving.”

  Mark kissed her again and when downstairs.

  “We’d better be going too” I said. “We’ll leave you in peace to get to know your beautiful little girl.”

  I kissed Charlie on the cheek and kissed Grace on her tiny cheek. I felt my eyes welling up, Sunny noticed too and took my hand.

  Chapter Forty

  “Do you think your parents will still be there?” Sunny asked as we walked home.

  “I don’t think so. It’s nearly ten o’clock. Mum will be asleep by now, especially as we left them with an entire bottle of champagne.”

  I yawned.

  “I’m not sure we’re destined to have our chat tonight are we?” Sunny asked.

  “Let’s go and get the flat straightened up and see how we’re doing. That was a long evening” I said.

  “You doing ok?” he asked. “You got a little teary when you met baby Grace.”

  “She was beautiful and I felt really happy for them. And honestly, I felt really happy for us too. That was all. Nothing else. For once.”

  He took his key from his pocket and opened the door. “I’ll wash up and you have a bath. I’ll bring you in a cup of camomile tea once I’m done.”

  “You really are a lovely man aren’t you” I said, kissing him.

  We walked down the hall into the living room. The table had been cleared already. I followed Sunny into the kitchen, all the dishes had been washed and dried and were on the draining board. I opened the fridge to grab a glass of juice, and there in the door was a brand new bottle of champagne.

  I got it out and saw a label around the neck. Sunny round it out loud. “Thanks for a lovely evening. We took the open bottle with us so we thought we’d replace it. Just in case you had anything you wanted to celebrate.”

  We looked at each other. “You lock the door and I’ll switch our mobiles off” Sunny said.

  I locked the door, then grabbed a small box out of my handbag and met Sunny back in the living room. He had two glasses ready and popped open the Champagne.

  He got down on one knee, again. “Third time lucky” he said.

  “I feel guilty that you keep doing that” I said, getting down on my knees too.

  He pulled out his box again, and this time I took out mine too.

  “Would you do me the honour” he said, “of marrying me? I’ve loved you for years, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, if you’ll have me.”

  “Yes” I said. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” He took the ring and placed it on my finger. “If you’ll do me the honour of being my husband? You’re my best friend, you make me feel safe, and loved, and special. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  I took the ring from my box and placed it on his finger. He had travelled half way around the world and I’d been heartbroken without him, but that was all in the past now. We were together, and we were home.

  232

 

 

 
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