A Forever Family Collection

He placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘You need to take a break and go eat your comfort food with someone else. I’ll watch Reuben. Why don’t you go along after dinner and take your mind off things?’

She shot him a look of exasperation.

‘I know, I know, but a change of scene might do you some good.’

A loud, belly laugh came from next door. Something in the cartoon had caught Reuben’s imagination and filled the house with little-boy laughter. The sound twisted in her gut, bringing yet another tear to her eye. How much longer would she be able to hear it? Maybe Luke was right. Maybe she did need a break—even if it was only for half an hour.

She sighed. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ She looked towards the front door. ‘A walk along the path might clear my head a little. And it might be nice to offer Jennifer some support. I don’t suppose James Turner is a bundle of laughs.’

It only took her five minutes to wander back along the coastal path to the hospital. She could probably have been quicker if she hadn’t stopped to pick some flowers from her garden for Jennifer.

The hospital seemed pretty quiet, with only the black sporadically placed mumbling men giving any hint that anything out the ordinary was happening.

The man at the door gave her a little nod and moved to the side as she entered. Jennifer was lying on her side, watching television, still attached to the drip and looking bored to tears.

‘Abby!’ she said, sitting up in bed and reaching for the remote control.

‘Hi, Jennifer. Luke said you were a little bored, so I thought I’d come and see you.’ Abby sat down on the bed beside her and glanced at the pile of books and DVDs on the bedside table. ‘How many of these have you read?’

Jennifer gave a guilty smile, as if she were a teenager caught out misbehaving. ‘I’ve watched all the DVDs but don’t take them away—I’ll watch them again. And I’ve only got one book left to read. I’m a sucker for romance novels.’

Abby ran her eyes up the pile of books then looked at her in amazement. ‘You’ve read all those books already?’

Jennifer shrugged. ‘Reading is my passion. I just never normally get the time to do it.’ She shuffled some of the books out of the way to make room for Abby’s package. ‘What’s this?’ She inhaled deeply, catching the whiff of melted chocolate and marshmallows. ‘It smells gorgeous.’ She unwrapped the tea towel surrounding it, letting the aroma fill the room. ‘Whoa!’

Abby gave her a little smile. ‘Comfort food. Thought you might want to eat it with me.’ She lifted the bunch of flowers in her hand. ‘I brought you some flowers too, but I see that everyone else had the same idea.’

Every available space in the room was filled with exuberant displays of multicoloured flowers. Jennifer waved her hand at them. ‘They look gorgeous, but most of them have no perfume.’ She took the bunch from Abby’s hand. ‘Now, these…’ she inhaled ‘…smell wonderful.’ She lay back against her pillows, a tiny little crease forming across her forehead. ‘So what do you need comfort food for, Abby Tyler?’

Abby bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes. She couldn’t possibly tell her the real reason. She couldn’t even get her head around the thought that Reuben might be unwell again, so the last thing she wanted to do was speculate. Not when there was another, easier answer she could give Jennifer. She gave her a little smile. ‘It’s not easy, living under the same roof as your ex again.’

A gleam appeared in Jennifer’s eyes. ‘Oh, do tell. This place has been mind-numbingly boring today.’

Abby unpacked a blunt knife and started cutting the marshmallow and chocolate loaf. She pointed to Jennifer’s belly. ‘You tell first. Any sign of Junior making an appearance yet?’

Jennifer swung her legs off the bed and switched on a latte machine in the corner of the room. She laughed at Abby’s raised eyebrows. ‘It’s the only perk I’ve got, okay?’ She gave her hip a little rub. ‘Nothing’s happening at all. Nothing. Nada. They gave me some steroids today to help mature Junior’s lungs.’ She pointed a finger at Abby. ‘And you’re in big trouble, Dr Tyler, for not telling me how much that would sting!’

Abby laughed. ‘Oops, sorry, I might have forgotten to mention that.’

Jennifer shook her head in disgust. ‘Sure you did. They gave me some more antibiotics as well.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘And there’s only been the tiniest trickle today, so I guess that must be good.’ She pressed a few buttons on the machine as Abby put the loaf onto some plates.

A few seconds later Jennifer handed a steaming mug to her. ‘Don’t get too excited. It’s a caffeine-free latte.’ A smile crept across her face as she eyed the gooey melted marshmallows and chocolate. ‘Now, this is what I call comfort food.’ She took a big bite. ‘Yum.’

Abby nodded as she took a sip of the coffee. ‘I agree. So what can I do to liven this place up for you?’ She nodded at all the flowers. ‘Does anyone know that you’re here? I haven’t seen any reporters or television crews about.’

‘No, no. They’re just from my husband and his few “closest” aides. Hopefully we’ll get this baby safely out before the newshounds get wind of it.’ She settled back against her pillows again. ‘What’s the story with Lincoln Adams? He’s a friend of yours, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, he is.’ The oozing, warm marshmallow melted in her mouth. Yup. Luke had been right, this was definitely making her feel better.

‘How come a man as handsome as that looks so incredibly sad? Have I dragged him away from his wife and children? Is he unhappy about looking after me?’ Her brow was furrowed.

Abby shrugged her shoulders. ‘To be honest, Linc hasn’t said much since he’s been here. But his mood…it’s been like that for a while. I’m not sure what’s going on with him.’ And she hadn’t asked him either. What with the First Lady being in her hospital, her ex appearing and now Reuben’s bruising, she hadn’t even thought to ask Linc what was wrong. Some friend she was. Maybe it was time she sat him down for a chat? She made a mental note to do that and changed the subject rapidly, ‘What do you think of David Fairgreaves?’

Jennifer broke into a big smile. ‘Oh, I love him! He’s just like a grumpy old man. You should hear the way he talks to James Turner. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone be so indifferent towards him. Sometimes he just completely ignores him.’ She took another bite from her loaf. ‘You know what? I’m going to pack him up in a big box and take him back to Washington with me.’

‘It’s going to have to be a pretty big box.’

‘How come?’

‘He doesn’t go anywhere without that fishing boat.’

The door was pushed open and James Turner stuck his head inside, to be met by instant laughter from the two women. ‘Just checking on you, Mrs Taylor.’ He caught sight of the sticky mess on the plates and rolled his eyes at Abby. ‘But I see that Dr Bad Influence has already got things under control.’

‘She certainly has, Mr Turner.’ Jennifer licked her fingers. ‘Best medicine I’ve had since I got here, Abby.’ She glanced over to the windows, her gaze settling on the ocean view. ‘You know, Pelican Cove’s not too shabby. I get so swept up in living in a big city that I forget about the small-town stuff. I think this has done me the world of good.’

‘How so?’

She dropped her hands down on the bed. ‘Well, it’s certainly been restful.’ She rolled her eyes at Abby. ‘I probably wasn’t resting the way I should have been.’ Her hands lay on top of her stomach. ‘Now, seriously, I need to ask you something.’

Abby lifted her head. ‘What is it?’

Jennifer’s brow wrinkled. ‘Well, actually, David Fairgreaves told me to speak to you. I asked him about umbilical stem cells. He told me a little but he said to ask you. How come? I thought he was the world-renowned expert on it all.’

Abby gave a slow smile. ‘He is. But it’s his “baby”. He knows so much about it all he tends to get all technical when he talks about it. He wouldn’t want to get carried away and blind you with science. Plus, he’d be worried that you wouldn’t consider him to be impartial. And because he’s so enthusiastic about the subject, it’s easy to see why. Were you thinking about collecting the cells?’

‘To be honest, I wasn’t sure. But if there was a possibility it could be useful in the future…’

Abby sat on the side of her bed. ‘You do realise it isn’t always successful? Sometimes they can’t extract enough cells from the cord.’

‘What do you think? And why did he tell me to talk to you?’

Abby looked at her sadly. ‘As a physician I think it is a good idea. It’s not going to do you or your baby any harm, in some areas the cord would be thrown away, but the possibilities for the future could be great.’ Her head turned towards the window. ‘I told you things were complicated.’ She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘My son has leukaemia. One of the types of cancer that can be treated with stem cells. So I guess I’m not entirely impartial either, I’m a bit biased about the possibilities.’

Jennifer’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Reuben has leukaemia? Oh, Abby, I’m so sorry.’

The tears formed in her eyes again. Abby took a deep breath. ‘We don’t really know all the possibilities for stem cells as yet. They can treat some kinds of cancer, some autoimmune disorders, there’s research into Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease. But it seems that we learn something new every day. There are still risks, certain genetic conditions can be contained in the stem cells. But, on the other hand, it might be the best insurance policy your child could have.’ She gave Jennifer’s hand a squeeze. ‘You need to consider all the possibilities. And you need to decide if this is the right decision for you. I’ll print out some information that you can read in your own time. If you decide to go for it, the hospital would usually receive a collection kit from whichever company you’ve decided to use. If the collection is successful, they normally have a courier collect it and take it to their storage facility.’

Jennifer nodded thoughtfully. ‘I’ll talk to Charlie about it later. Thank you for tonight, Abby. It’s great to have some company. And I’m sorry about Reuben. Is he going to be okay?’

Abby bit her bottom lip. ‘I’m not sure. He needs to have some tests done again. But I’m hopeful.’

‘Then so am I.’ She leaned back against the pillows. ‘I think you’re really lucky, staying here.’

Abby raised her eyebrow. ‘In comparison to the city? I took you for a city girl, Jennifer Taylor— not a country bumpkin like me.’

‘But it’s different here. What I like most about this place is the people, the sense of community. You lose all that in the big cities. Here…’ she gestured outwards ‘…everyone knows everyone. The guy that is the janitor, Davie, his wife works in the kitchen and his daughter works at the local school. The nurse who looked after me this morning has three generations of her family all living in Pelican Cove. The girl who does the cleaning, her little brother goes to the local Special ed school. I like that.’ She turned and faced Abby. ‘This must be a great place to bring up a little boy.’

Reuben. Tears pricked her eyes again. She was a mess. Was she going to burst into tears every time she thought about him? She had to get a hold of herself.

She gave Jennifer a little smile. ‘It is a great place to bring up a child. Particularly if, like me, you don’t have any family. That’s why I moved here. I holidayed here as a child and there is a real sense of community spirit here. The people here embrace you, and draw you into their community. That’s what I want for my little boy. A real sense of family.’

‘And can’t you get that with someone else?’ The words were heavily weighted.

Abby took a deep breath. ‘Not everyone wants a family, not everyone’s that good with kids,’ she said quietly.

Jennifer reached over and took her hand. ‘I don’t know if Charlie or I are going to be that good with kids, Abby. But in a few days’ time we’ll find out. And hopefully we’ll learn as we go. Things aren’t always what they seem. Luke was in here earlier, talking about you and Reuben. His face comes alive when he talks about you both. Don’t tell me that doesn’t mean something.’

She shook her head. ‘Luke doesn’t want a family.’

‘No. Five years ago, he didn’t want a family. Have you asked him what he wants now?’

‘I don’t know how appropriate it is to have that conversation. It’s been five years. I’m living a completely different life now. One that I don’t know if Luke would like.’

‘No. That’s not it.’ Jennifer folded her arms across her chest.

‘What do you mean?’

‘This isn’t about what Luke wants. This is about what you want.’

‘I don’t understand. What do you mean?’

‘Abby, I’m a lawyer. I’ve spent fifteen years reading between the lines, hearing the things that people haven’t actually said. You still find him attractive, don’t you?’

Abby could feel the colour flooding her cheeks. ‘Obviously.’

‘Then this has to be about Reuben. Is there a problem with his father?’

Abby shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ‘There is no father. Reuben’s adopted. It’s complicated.’

‘Abby, life is complicated. Ah. I get it.’ Jennifer leaned back, nodding her head thoughtfully.

‘Get what?’ Abby was bewildered. She had no idea what was going on in this conversation. She just knew that little bells and whistles were currently going off in her brain.

‘You don’t want to share.’

‘What?’ Abby was stunned.

‘Reuben. You don’t want to share Reuben.’

‘But—’

‘But nothing. Reuben is all yours. You’ve built a comfortable life here for you both. And you’re worried about how Luke could upset all that. You’re also worried about being replaced in Reuben’s affections. It’s obvious they’re naturally drawn to one another. You don’t want to share.’

‘That’s a ridiculous thing to say.’ Abby stood up, lifting the plates and walking over to the sink.

‘If it’s a ridiculous thing to say, why do you feel so uncomfortable?’

Abby sloshed warm water on the plates, scrubbing them furiously. She didn’t have an answer.

Jennifer rested her arms on her distended stomach. ‘That’s the great thing about kids, Abby—or so I hear. They give lots of unconditional love. And once you’ve experienced it, I imagine it’s a pretty hard thing to share.’

Abby finished washing the plates and grabbed some paper towels to dry them. She sat them at the side of the sink and turned around to face Jennifer, folding her arms across her chest in self-preservation mode.

Her voice was low and steady. ‘People must run a mile when they see you enter a courtroom.’

Jennifer nodded. ‘Yup. They usually do.’

‘Next time I need a lawyer, you’d better be available.’

‘I’m always available for friends.’

There was silence for a few seconds. Abby contemplating the words that Jennifer had just said to her. Little pieces were making sense. The way she’d felt when she’d seen them spending time at the beach together yesterday—something that he’d always done with her. Could she share?

Abby wandered back along the coastal path, admiring the beauty of her surroundings. The sun was setting over the horizon, sending orange and red streams of colour across the ocean. The smell of the sea air and the brightly coloured flowers littering the coastal path made her realise that it wasn’t just the community here that made her happy. It was the whole place, the whole environment, the best possible place for she and Reuben to be. But was this somewhere Luke would want to be?

It was an uncomfortable thought because she knew what the answer to that question was. Pelican Cove wasn’t a place for someone who was building their career and wanted to be at the top of their field. Pelican Cove wasn’t the place new research was carried out and new discoveries were made. Pelican Cove was a place where life ticked along happily, and there was time for people and families.

Abby couldn’t live in a city again. Her priorities had changed. This was the life she wanted. And there wasn’t a place for Luke here.

She stopped at her white picket fence and looked in towards her house. She could see through her front bay window right inside her living room. Luke was sitting on the floor with Reuben in front of the dimly flickering fire. Reuben was animated, running circles around Luke and talking nineteen to the dozen, and for the first time Luke didn’t look distinctly uncomfortable. He was obviously trying to make an effort—but how did that make him feel?

How did that make her feel?

Reuben had never really had a father figure in his life. Sure, he’d played with some of Abby’s male colleagues, but most of the time it was just her and him. She hadn’t really given much thought to what he might be missing out on.

Something twisted inside her. Was this her fault? She’d always imagined that she was giving her son everything that he needed. But what if he needed more than her?

The window banged. Reuben and Luke had spotted her at the garden gate and were gesturing for her to come inside and join the battle. She gave a little wave and started up the path.

Reuben met her at the door. ‘I’m winning, Mommy,’ he shouted as he sent a sponge ball flying across the living room.

‘I can see that.’

Luke crossed the room and slipped an arm around her waist. ‘Is everything okay? How did you get on with Jennifer?’

‘We got on fine. Has Reuben been good?’

She watched as he sent a toy truck careering into a legion of soldiers, catapulting them around the room.

‘Yes, Reuben’s been fine. Can I do anything for you?’

Abby leaned her head against his shoulder. Comfort was nice. Relying on someone was nice. Having some you trusted look after your child, someone that wasn’t just a childcare worker, was reassuring. Someone that felt like family. She slipped one arm around his back and put the other on his chest. The heat radiated through her, filling her with warmth and compassion that was more than just a comfort.

She lifted her head and gave him a smile. ‘Yes, you can.’ Her fingers played with the button on his shirt. ‘I want you to hold me, just like this, all night.’

Luke nodded. She needed him. For the first time in her life Abby really needed him. He kissed her on the forehead. ‘Your wish is my command,’ he whispered as they watched Reuben play.

CHAPTER TEN

ABBY’S eyes flickered over to the white board. There were currently fourteen patients in the ER, six of whom were children. It was busier than normal, with patients appearing to crawl out of the woodwork on the dull, overcast day.

Her eyes caught the tail of Luke’s white coat as he swept into the trauma room to deal with the third chest pain of the day. What were they going to do in a few days’ time when he went back to Washington? They hadn’t managed to arrange a replacement yet for Valerie Carter, their cardiologist, who’d just delivered a bouncing baby boy.

There was a little nudge at her elbow. David Fairgreaves, for once dressed immaculately in theatre scrubs, gave her a little smile. ‘It’s day four and Jennifer Taylor’s just started to labour. I’ll let you know when we’ve got a baby.’ He gave her a little wink and disappeared around the corner. A shiver ran down Abby’s spine. Pelican Cove would well and truly be on the map once the First Son or Daughter arrived. Did this mean the President would be coming? James Turner would spontaneously combust!

For the next few hours she worked steadily, seeing one child after another. Asthma attacks, nettle stings, tiny things stuck in places they should never be made the time fly past. By lunchtime she was ready for a break, but there was still one child to be seen. She lifted the chart and trudged behind the curtains. A familiar face sat in front of her. Jon King was a teenage skateboarder and spent his spare time in her emergency room, getting the latest part of his body stitched back up again. She gave a sigh. ‘What is it this time, Jon?’

He lifted his elbow, which had a large blood-soaked dressing pad on it. She gave a nod of her head. ‘Right, let’s get this cleaned up and see what we can do.’

Ten minutes later, Lincoln Adams stuck his head around the curtains.

‘Abby, can I steal you for a while?’ A wicked smile spread across his lips. ‘It’s a special request.’

Abby looked up as she finished snipping her last stitch. ‘There you are, good as new, Jon.’ The teenager gave her a nod as he examined his latest row of sutures in his elbow. ‘Nancy will put a dressing over that.’

She snapped off her gloves and rinsed her hands at the sink before joining Linc outside the curtain. ‘What’s up?’

He wrinkled his nose. ‘Things are progressing quicker than expected and I’d like another pair of hands in the room.’ He paused for a second. ‘And right now I strongly suspect Jennifer Taylor could do with the moral support.’

‘Doesn’t she have anyone with her?’

He shook his head. ‘Her husband isn’t here yet and she’s thrown all her aides out of the room. It’s medical personnel only.’

Abby gave a nod. ‘If you need me, I’m yours.’

‘Fabulous. Come on.’

He led her down the corridor and they pushed past the six men in black positioned outside the door. ‘I think we’re going to need Luke,’ mumbled Abby. ‘James Turner looks as if he could have a heart attack.’

Linc shot her a smile and nodded in the direction of the corner of the room where Dr Blair, the original obstetrician, sat positioned in a chair. ‘We might need Luke anyway. It seems that the family obstetrician doesn’t want to miss the main event—cardiac condition or not.’

‘Abby, you’re here. Thank you.’

Jennifer’s voice sounded strained. Her face was pale and sweating, with strands of hair sticking to her forehead.

Abby walked over and picked up the nearby hairbrush from the locker and automatically started combing Jennifer’s hair from her eyes, re-doing her hair and pulling it into a ponytail, just like she would have wanted someone to do for her. ‘Can I give you a shoulder rub?’ she asked as she positioned herself on the bed to support Jennifer.

Jennifer sighed and leaned back against her. ‘That would be great, Abby.’

Abby lifted her hands and started kneading away the tight knots in Jennifer’s shoulders. ‘How are we doing, David?’

David gave her a relaxed smile. He looked like the cat who had got the cream. Not like a man who was about to deliver the premature First Baby.

‘We’re doing great.’ He gave Jennifer’s hand a squeeze. ‘Mom is doing great. Almost fully dilated and this baby will be crowning any time soon. The main man had better get a move on. This baby waits for nobody—President or not.’

Jennifer gave a little gasp as another contraction hit her. ‘But I don’t want to do this without Charlie. I need him here with me.’

Lincoln Adams took a look at her face. The last thing he needed right now was a stressed mom. ‘I’ll get an update,’ he said as he stuck his head outside the door. There were muffled voices. ‘Five minutes. James Turner is apparently out on the helicopter pad, waiting for him.’

Jennifer sagged back against Abby as the contraction eased. ‘Thank the Lord,’ she breathed, and turned her weary head towards Linc. ‘Is this where I tell you I really, really want to push?’

He glanced towards David, who gave a nod of his head. ‘We’re ready when you are, Jennifer. On the next contraction feel free to push as hard as you like. I’ll tell you when to stop.’

Jennifer glanced towards the window as the noise of a helicopter approaching grew louder. Seconds later the sounds of thudding feet came down the hall.

Abby held her breath as the door swung open and the President swept into the room. James Turner and the rest of the security detail came to a halt at the door as it swung shut.

Jennifer gritted her teeth as another contraction racked her body. ‘What time do you call this, Charlie Taylor?’

Abby bit her lip as the man she’d only ever seen on television before dodged around the multitude of bodies in the room. He only had eyes for his wife. Abby slid out from behind the First Lady to give him room and went to take her place by Lincoln at the neonate cot.

She watched as Charlie Taylor, the President of the United States, kissed his wife on the forehead and then gently on each tensed eyelid. ‘I love you, baby,’ he whispered. ‘And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.’ He slid into place behind her, supporting her shoulders and sliding his arms around her stomach, feeling the contraction grip her. His eyes lifted, acknowledging the others in the room but resting on David. ‘Everything okay?’

David smiled, as if he spoke to the President every day. ‘Let’s get this baby out.’

For Abby it was surreal. She stood in a room, surrounded by others but feeling as if she was the only person there. The slippery bundle was delivered within minutes, David lifting the baby out and laying her on top of her mom’s stomach. Lincoln sprang into action, checking the baby while the cord was cut and clamped and Mom and Dad had a cuddle.

A minute later he carried the First Daughter over to the neonate cot for a full examination. Abby breathed a sigh of relief as he did the routine newborn checks. She could see for herself that the little girl was breathing and her colour was good. A few seconds later she let out a hearty cry. Lincoln finished his checks, wrapped her in a blanket and took her back over to her parents.

‘Here we go,’ he said, handing her over. ‘A beautiful baby girl. 4 pounds 10 ounces—not bad for 32 weeks. She’s breathing well and her colour is good, but we will need to monitor her for the next few days. We will need to keep a careful eye on her feeding too, but for now she’s all yours.’

Jennifer breathed a huge sigh of relief as she and her husband bent over their baby daughter.

‘Hi, gorgeous.’ Charlie Taylor stroked his daughter’s face. ‘Just like your mommy.’ He bent over and gave Jennifer a kiss.

David smiled. ‘Do we have a name for the First Daughter, Mom and Dad?’

Jennifer looked up at her husband with tear-filled eyes. ‘Well, do we, Charlie?’

The President gave a little smile. ‘Jennifer got to pick the boy’s name and I got to pick the girl’s name. So our daughter will be called Esther Rose Taylor. After Jennifer’s grandmother.’ He gathered his wife and daughter in a warm embrace as the rest of the staff smiled and nodded at the gesture.

Esther, a biblical name. Just like Reuben’s. But Abby hadn’t got to choose Reuben’s name. It had been the one he’d come with and she would have never dreamed of changing it.

Abby felt her knees start to tremble and her arms start to shake. A beautiful, perfect baby. A little early maybe, but with the best care in the world. This little girl would have a better than average chance at life. But what about her own precious bundle? What would Reuben’s chances be? Her head started to swim.

‘Do you still need me, Linc?’

He looked up from where he was making a few notes and shook his head. ‘No, everything’s fine here. I’ll give you a call if I need a hand.’ He took in her pale expression. ‘Are you okay, Abby?’

She nodded wordlessly and pushed her way out of the room, her legs on autopilot as she strode down the corridor. Her hand reached into her pocket and she pulled out the hospital letter with Reuben’s appointment on it. She needed air. She needed clean, fresh air that you could only get from being outside.

All of a sudden she couldn’t be in there. But why now? Why, when it was probably the most important birth of the year? She hadn’t felt this way when she’d seen Valerie Carter’s new baby boy yesterday. But then again, she hadn’t witnessed the birth. She hadn’t seen the commitment and love of two devoted parents getting their first chance to hold their child—the child that would quickly become the centre of their whole universe.

And it made her want to cry. Because her little boy didn’t have that. He didn’t have two devoted parents and the best expert care in the world. He had one scared-out-of-her-wits mom.

‘Abby…’

She heard the voice shout her name, but ignored it, throwing open the outside door and walking out into the streaming sunshine. She tried to take some deep breaths, to fill her lungs and calm her heartbeat.

Seconds later a pair of arms swept around her, then a hand brushed her blonde hair from her eyes. ‘Are you okay, Abby? Did something happen to the baby?’

Luke’s voice was filled with concern, his arms supporting most of her weight while her legs were buckling under her. He pulled her over to the nearby bench outside the front doors of the hospital.

She sat for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on the horizon, her trembling hands in her lap. The hospital appointment card was screwed into a ball in her hands. ‘The baby’s fine, Luke. It’s a girl. And she’s perfect.’

The words broke her. Broke her last few seconds of stern resolve and she dissolved into tears.

And Luke just knew. Knew exactly what was wrong. The irony of the perfect baby wasn’t lost on him. Not while Abby feared for her son’s life.

He gathered her into his arms and stroked her hair. ‘One more day, Abby. Just get through today and we’ll find out tomorrow.’ He could feel the tension in her shoulders, the strain in her face.

‘I can’t do this,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t lose my baby.’

‘Stop thinking the worst. This might only be a minor setback. The bruises—they might just be that, bruises. It might not mean anything.’

The words made her angry, as if he wasn’t taking this seriously. She sat up. ‘You don’t know that. I don’t know that. Tell me something. Did you manage to get a good night’s sleep last night? Because I didn’t—I couldn’t sleep a wink.’