by Jo Bartlett
‘I love you so much.’ Anna pressed her lips against his and for the first time in hours, some of the tension left her spine. She already had the best person in the world and he was right, she just had to keep reminding herself that anything else really would be a bonus.
7
The good weather from the long Easter weekend continued into the second half of April and, if she wasn’t on call or doing home visits, Anna had started walking into Port Agnes when Brae left early for work. His cousin, Pete, was running the shop and its small self-contained dining area most evenings, with the help of a team of young part-time staff. It meant that Brae was able to spend that time with Anna, when she wasn’t working, and he did the majority of the day shifts in the fish and chip shop as a result. His day started as early as six a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, to give him enough time to get the prep for the whole day done and be ready to open up for lunch from eleven.
After leaving Brae at the shop, Anna headed up the coastal path and then onto the footpath that weaved through the farmland above Port Agnes, eventually leading to a path that opened up by the back of the car park at the midwifery unit. It was definitely preferable to running in Anna’s book – there was no pain involved – and it was so lovely to immerse herself in springtime in Port Agnes. The lambs chasing each other across the fields epitomised joy and the footpath even skimmed Honeypot Flower Farm, where daffodils and tulips swayed in the breeze and their gorgeous scent seemed to cling to Anna’s skin. No wonder the Three Ports area, which comprised Port Agnes, Port Kara and Port Tremellien, had come in the top ten happiest places to live in the UK. There’d been some celebrities moving into the Port Kara area, where some of the large seafront properties even had their own beaches. They might just get a celebrity delivery at the unit one of these days.
Anna always felt better for walking to work and it was really helping her keep a positive mindset and her determination to follow Brae’s lead and count her blessings. Living and working in Port Agnes, with a close team who she also considered to be good friends, was just one of those blessings.
‘Morning!’ Anna greeted Jess as she came into the staffroom. ‘From the look of the board we’re not going to have a chance to have a morning briefing today!’
‘It doesn’t look like it, does it? Gwen and Frankie have been in with one of the mums for hours, but she panics every time they leave apparently. Ella’s lady is at eight centimetres and with Toni and Bobby away, that leaves me to cover the home visits since you’ve got all the clinics this morning.’
‘Thank goodness I’ve got Bev and Louisa on call for home births, otherwise we’d definitely need to clone ourselves! What time is Bobby’s graduation ceremony? I can’t wait to see the photos.’ Anna had organised the rosters so that Toni and Bobby could both be off together. Bobby had been a midwifery assistant initially and had then trained to be a midwife. The story was that Toni was attending his graduation ceremony in her role as his mentor, but it was obvious she was there because they were in a relationship. Albeit a secret one.
‘I think Anna said it was two o’clock.’ Jess turned towards her. ‘While I’ve got you to myself, I need to ask you a big favour.’
‘Go on.’
‘Can I put you down as a reference for my fostering assessment? Presuming I even get that far.’
‘Of course, you know I’ll do anything I can to help. Are you nervous about the course tomorrow?’
‘Petrified! I don’t know what I’m going to do if I they turn me down. Once I decided to foster it felt like it was meant to be and the reason why I had to go through all that crap with Dom. But if I don’t end up fostering, then what was the point of all of that?’
‘You’ll be fine, Jess. Just be you and they’ll sign you up in a flash, I’m sure of it. And, trust me, the reference I write you is going to be incredible!’
‘Thanks Anna.’ Jess blew her a kiss. ‘Are we still meeting the others in The Jolly Sailor on Monday night?’
‘Yes, well Tara and Lucy are going to be there, but Jacinda wasn’t sure if she’d make an evening meet up. I just hope it isn’t because we chose a pub.’
‘I take it you still haven’t heard from India?’ Jess furrowed her brow. They’d both been worried about the fact that India hadn’t turned up to the first support group meeting, after she’d seemed so desperate to meet up when they were chatting online.
‘I messaged her after she didn’t turn up to The Cookie Jar and she never replied. She seems to have left the online forum too, so I’m hoping it’s because she’s found out she doesn’t need it any more, but there’s not much more I can do.’
‘Definitely not. And what about you? When do you get your results?’
‘Next week.’ Anna’s attempt to keep her tone casual made it turn into a squeak. They’d finally had their tests the week after Brae’s birthday and it had been Anna who’d almost backed out in the end, when the reality of knowing the outcome had hit her in a way that he’d understood all along.
‘It’ll be okay, whatever happens. You and Brae will work it out together; he couldn’t be more different to Dom.’
‘I’m so sorry for the way he’s treated you.’
‘I’m going to be fine and so are you.’ Jess gave her a hug and, at a good ten inches shorter than Anna, it could have felt awkward if they hadn’t been such good friends. ‘Right, I’ll have to get on the road to Port Kara, or I’ll be late for my first home visit.’
‘If I don’t see you before, good luck for tomorrow and remember they’ll be lucky to have you!’
Anna just about had time for a quick cup of tea before her first clinic. She was seeing both her own patients and some of Toni’s. By the time it got to half past twelve, her stomach was rumbling and she was starting to wish she’d made time for breakfast before heading into Port Agnes with Brae.
‘Hi Jade, come in.’ Anna looked up and smiled as her last patient before lunch came into the room. Toni was her assigned midwife, but it was the unit’s policy for all of their patients to meet as many of the midwifery team as possible during their pregnancy; this gave them the best chance of knowing the midwife at the delivery, if they chose to give birth at the unit or at home. Anna had already met Jade once before, earlier in her pregnancy, but she was now at thirty-eight weeks and could potentially deliver any day.
‘You might need a crane to get me back up from the chair. I got indigestion just doing up my trainers before I came out today!’
‘Bless you! That’s just baby taking up all the room and pressing against your stomach.’ Anna gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Are you feeling okay other than that?’
‘Apart from being worn out because I have to get up three times a night to have a wee, because a certain little mister presses against my bladder even more than my stomach!’
‘Hopefully it won’t be for much longer now and it’ll all be worth it when he arrives, although I don’t have to tell you that the sleepless nights won’t ease off any time soon!’ Anna laughed. ‘Have you thought about your options if he doesn’t put in an appearance by the time you get to forty-one weeks.’
‘Whatever it takes to get him out!’
‘There are a few things to think about if you’re induced. It’s a bit more likely to lead to an assisted birth, like a forceps delivery, than if you go into labour naturally. So it means you wouldn’t be able to give birth in the unit or at home.’
‘I was never planning to give birth at home anyway!’ Jade pulled a face. ‘And you don’t do epidurals here, do you?’
‘Unfortunately not. Is that something you think you’ll go for?’
‘I’m rubbish with pain. I stubbed my toe last night and cried for about an hour afterwards, so I’m not the sort to try and convince myself that I’ll grit my teeth through labour.’
‘I think you’re being really realistic about what’s right for you.’ Anna had seen lot of ladies in labour transfer to hospital when they couldn’t cope with the pain relief on offer at the uni
t and the realities of how it would affect any individual woman could never be guaranteed. There was never any judgement from the Port Agnes midwives about the choices their patients made, though.
‘The only thing that worries me is how many people I’ll be allowed to have in the labour room with me.’
‘Every hospital has its own policy on that, but most restrict it to a maximum of three and they’re not keen on birthing partners swapping in and out, because of the risk of infection.’
‘I obviously want Alfie there, but I’d also like my mum to be there and it’s really important that my nana can come too.’
‘That’s lovely, three generations of the family seeing its newest member arrive.’ Anna had got better over the years at not experiencing a twinge of envy every time someone mentioned having their mother at the birth. She’d also heard it all in her time as a midwife. Quite a few of her ladies had wanted their fathers at the birth, along with their mothers, and one woman had even wanted her brother there. It had taken all of Anna’s composure not to pull a face that gave away her true feelings on hearing that particular request.
‘My granddad died just before I found out I was pregnant, and it’s been the thing getting Nana through her grief.’ Jade sniffed, wiping away the tears that had sprung up in her eyes with the end of her sleeve. ‘They were together for sixty years and she said she wouldn’t have been able to face the future without him, if she hadn’t had the baby to look forward to. She doesn’t drive and she finally sold his car this week, but she’s insisting on spending the money to buy me the most expensive pram she can find. We’re going out shopping straight after this, but I can’t help feeling guilty that she’s spending all that money.’
‘Don’t feel guilty, it’s so lovely that you having the baby has given her something to look forward to.’ Anna gestured towards the examination table. ‘You could record the sound of the baby’s heartbeat on your phone when I use the Doppler, if you like, and you could play it to your nana when you meet her later.’
‘She’ll love that, she’s out in the waiting room already.’
‘Really? Why don’t you bring her in then?’
‘Is that okay?’ Jade was already on her feet and she’d gone from tears to smiling in an instant. ‘I didn’t know if she’d be allowed in for the checks.’
‘Of course she is, as long as you’re happy with that?’
‘I’ll be back in two secs!’ Jade shot out of the door and less than a minute later, she was back with her very sprightly looking grandmother in tow.
‘Hi, I’m Anna, one of the midwives looking after Jade.’
‘I’m Lilian, Jade’s nana.’ The older woman couldn’t seem to stop smiling. ‘I’m eighty-three next birthday and I’ve never heard a baby’s heartbeat in real life before. They didn’t let us listen in back when I had Jade’s mum and auntie. I can’t believe I’m about to start with my first great-grandson!’
‘Let’s get Jade settled then and see if we can get the baby to give you his big performance.’ Anna was already silently praying that the baby’s heartbeat would be really easy to find. It wouldn’t only be a disappointment if he was tucked in a position where it was difficult to hear, it would probably send Jade and her nana into meltdown.
Within five seconds of Anna putting the Doppler on Jade’s stomach, the sound of the baby’s heartbeat came through loud and clear.
‘Oh Jade, can you hear that?’ Lilian bent over and kissed her granddaughter’s forehead. ‘Your grandpa would be so proud of you. He so wanted one of you girls to have a son. He loved having two daughters and three granddaughters, but he kept saying that your generation would have to even up the balance a bit.’
‘I hope he can see what’s happening.’ Tears were sliding out of the corners of Jade’s eyes again, as she turned to look at her nana. ‘I wasn’t going to tell you this, until he arrived, but me and Alfie have decided to call the baby Arthur, after Grandpa.’
‘Really?’ It was barely more than a croak, as the word caught in Lilian’s throat.
‘Yes, really, there was never any other choice. And if he turns out to be half as lovely as Grandpa, I’ll be a really lucky mum.’ Jade held out a hand to her grandmother. ‘Oh don’t cry, or I’ll never stop.’
‘These are happy tears!’
‘You two are getting me going now and I won’t be able to get through the rest of Jade’s checks at this rate!’ Anna took the box of tissues off her desk, taking one and passing the rest on to Lilian and Jade. Days like this reminded her that she had the most privileged job in the world and it made her blessings all the easier to count.
Ella wouldn’t tell Anna why they so desperately needed to get down to the harbour by half-past five; she just kept giggling to herself at the prospect of whatever it was they were going down there to see.
‘If it wasn’t way too early to be sorting out my hen night, I’d be worried that I’m going be ambushed by the Dreamboys or something.’ Anna screwed up her face. ‘Which, just for future reference, would probably be my definition of hell!’
‘If your idea of hell is perfectly toned men parading around in their underpants, then you are going to love this!’
‘Can’t you just tell me what it is?’
‘No, it’ll spoil the surprise and you’ll find out in about three minutes anyway!’ Ella pulled into a space in one of the side roads that led off from the harbour. ‘We need to head up to the slope behind the bakery. That’s where they’re doing it.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Just come with me and you’ll find out.’ Ella almost broke into a run as she took the alleyway that bordered her parents’ bakery on one side. It opened up onto a stretch of common land where the most exciting thing Anna would normally expect to see would be a family flying kites, whilst trying to avoid dog walkers and the occasional group of kids playing football. Except today there was a spotlight set up on a tripod and very professional-looking photographer with the sort of long lens Anna assumed was only used by the paparazzi – not to mention the small crowd of onlookers.
‘What on earth is going on?’ Anna turned to her friend, still none the wiser about what they were looking at.
‘Look up there, at the top of the slope!’ Ella pointed to what looked like an old fashioned butcher’s bike with a load of blankets piled up in the crate on the front. ‘Have you worked out who it is yet?’
‘Oh my God, is it Brae?’ Anna peered harder as the bike came further down the hill. It was definitely Brae, wearing a bright red hoodie, and it wasn’t a pile of blankets in the crate, there was someone wrapped in a cream-coloured sheet.
‘Yep and that’s Dan wedged into the crate on the front, with his legs hanging over the side. They’re supposed to be Elliott and E.T.!’
‘I could ask why, but my biggest concern right now is how on earth Dan’s ever going to get out again and whether they’ve got any chance of stopping before they plough into the crowd!’
‘It’s for the lifeboat station fundraiser.’ Ella didn’t take her eyes off the bike as she spoke. ‘Port Kara has been getting loads of publicity because a couple of the beach houses have been bought by celebrities recently. So the boys decided to re-enact a few classic Hollywood movie scenes to get some traction on social media, off the back of our famous neighbours, to see if it helps with the fundraising.’
‘Who’s the photographer? Oh God!’ Anna screamed as Brae attempted to stop the bike, tipping both him and Dan onto the grass, but thankfully they got straight back onto their feet.
‘He’s one of the artists who sells his photographs in Pottery and Paper, so Dan managed to rope him in to help out.’ Ella shook her head as the sound of Dan and Brae laughing carried on the air. ‘I think we better take out a couple of insurance policies on them, though, because next on the list is attempting to recreate the balloon lift from Up!’
‘I’d assume you were joking, but nothing would surprise me with those two.’ As Anna looked up again, Brae and Dan were headin
g across the grass towards them, the crowd who’d turned out for their E.T. re-enactment still watching their every move.
‘What did you make of our Hollywood debut then?’ Brae grinned, pulling Anna in for a kiss before she even had the chance to answer.
‘I’d be happier if you had stunt doubles!’ Anna couldn’t help laughing, as Brae let her go. Dan still had the sheet – which was now covered in grass stains – draped around his head and neck.
‘We’re working our way up to doing the ending of Titanic in the harbour; we’ve just got to work out if it’s going to be me or Brae who gets to play Rose and lie on the piece of wood, while the other one slips beneath the waves like poor old Jack.’
‘In that get up, I think it’s pretty obvious which one of us should play Rose!’ Brae patted his friend on the back and another wave of happiness washed over Anna. It was going to be so much fun seeing what else Brae and Dan came up with, all because they wanted to try and save the lifeboat that had given all four of them so much to be grateful for. Anna and Brae might be too old to ever quite manage the sixty years that Jade’s grandparents had spent together, but still having him around at all was by far the easiest blessing to count. She had so much more than most people – a job she loved, community spirit that made every corner of Port Agnes feel like home and friends she was closer to than some people were to their own families, not to mention a fiancé who would do anything to make her happy. Even if the test results did their worst, maybe that really could be all she needed.
8
Jess took a deep breath as the last still of the video faded away to nothing. Watching the little boy’s story unfold on screen made her chest tight, memories she wasn’t even sure were real flooding her body with adrenaline. Fight or flight they called it. The trainers running the fostering skills course had warned all of the participants that it would kick in at some point and that no one would judge them for walking away at the end of the training, having decided that fostering wasn’t for them. Jess wouldn’t be one of them, though. She was determined to fight, even if she had to sit and get control of her emotions for at least two minutes after the video had ended.
