Page 28 of The Baby Plan

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Sophie’s meeting went very well. The company knew her work from previously and were happy to take her on as a freelancer. There might be times when she’d need to visit their London offices, but basically, she could work from home doing whatever work they sent her. And she’d had a voice mail from the estate agents handling her flat letting her know they’d found tenants.

It was a big relief to have the security of some proper income coming in and not be surviving on tiny local jobs coming in dribs and drabs which was what she was suspecting she might have.

She even finished with them earlier than she’d expected. Pleased to be missing rush hour and able to get back to Alana, she hoped she might even have time to take her to the playground before tea.

Her mood rapidly changed though when she reached the front door of Samson’s house and could hear Alana’s screaming from the other side. She’d never heard her that incessant and distressed. What could have happened? Her heart beat faster as she fumbled frantically with her key in the lock, and rushed inside. She dumped her bag as she ran, following her niece’s cries, up the stairs, along the hallway and to the baby’s room. A very stressed Mutt was pawing at the door trying to get in. Sophie gently moved him out of the way and went in. Poor Alana was red in the face, crying her heart out and covered in milk sick. She smelt like she needed her nappy changed.

Sophie’s ire towards Helena took a back seat as she comforted the baby. She picked her up and spoke softly to her, carrying her into the bathroom where she ran a warm bath with plenty of lavender baby bubble bath. Alana’s little body, completely rigid with the effort of protesting her distress, gradually relaxed along with the volume of her cries. There was no point trying to keep the dog out of the room, he was resolute that he needed to stay with his new little sister.

By the time Alana was lifted from the bath and wrapped in a fluffy towel, the good-natured baby was smiling again but clung to her aunt in a way she didn’t usually.

Sophie kept up ceaseless chitter-chatter to make Alana feel reassured, but once she had her clean and happy again, her anger returned. Where the hell was Helena? She knocked on Samson’s bedroom and, when there was no answer, pushed open the door. The room was empty. The same was true of Samson’s study.

She carried Alana downstairs to get her tea and see if there was any clue as to where Helena was.

They found her in the den, upside down against a wall with headphones on.

“Helena,” said Sophie, as calmly as she could, then when she didn’t get a response she shouted, “Helena!”

Helena’s eyes opened and she gracefully climbed out of her pose. Only when she was on her feet and tightening her ponytail did she say, “Great, you’re back.” She picked up her yoga mat from the floor. “Tell Samson I’m going home to decompress,” she continued, breezing past an astonished Sophie.

Helena had wafted into the kitchen before Sophie called out, “Alana was screaming her head off.”

“Yeah,” Helena answered from the next room. “I had to put on my headphones to block it out or I’d never have been able to focus on my mindfulness.”

“How long did you leave her crying for?” Sophie questioned incredulously, now marching after Helena who clearly wasn’t going to come to her.

“I don’t know,” huffed Helena, packing up her stuff into a Louis Vuitton handbag on the kitchen table. “She was all grisly, and it’s not like there’s a lot you can do with her other than feed her. Which, by the way, is gross.”

“If you couldn’t manage, you should have called Samson or me.”

“It was fine.”

“It was not fine,” said Sophie in total exasperation. “Alana was very upset and covered with sick!”

“She seems OK now,” said Helena.

“No thanks to you!”

Helena and Sophie glared at one another, each daring the other to continue.

“Is everything all right?” called Samson’s voice as he came up the hallway. “The front door was wide open.”

“Apparently I didn’t do a good enough job looking after your daughter,” said Helena haughtily before Sophie could get a word in.

Samson glanced from one woman to the other. “I’m sure Sophie wouldn’t want you to feel like that...”

“Yes, I would actually,” responded Sophie hotly.

“I don’t have to take this! I was doing you a favour! I wasted the whole day dealing with a screaming kid! I’m going.” Helena pushed past Samson and stormed out of the house.

A very confused Samson asked, “What’s been going on? Why’s Helena so upset?”

“You’re worried about your irresponsible girlfriend?” Sophie said, disbelievingly. “What about Alana, your daughter?”

“Alana appears to be completely fine.”

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