Page 12 of Prognosis Do Over

‘And so...you were okay with having the baby inside you for nine months, growing it, nurturing it, and then just handing it over at the end?’

‘Absolutely one hundred per cent okay. It wasn’t my baby to keep.’

‘Is it really that simplistic?’

Lou nodded emphatically. ‘It’s her egg and his sperm. It’s their baby. It’s their genetic material. I’m just incubating it for them. Could I have done it if it had had my own genetic material? No. But to be able to give them their own baby after all their problems — nothing has ever been simpler.’

‘And now? Now they’re gone? You didn’t exactly sign up for this, did you?’

Lou gave him a sad smile. ‘No. Not really. But you know, this is my sister’s baby, and whether this was the plan or not, I’m going to give it the best damn life I can.’

Will’s heart swelled with pride at her selfless generosity. He’d always been proud to know Louise Marsden, but this was the icing on the cake. She was doing something completely selfless.

Completely worthy.

Lou had been through so much in the time he’d been away. Such a momentous year. And then an awful thought struck him. ‘Did they know you were pregnant before the accident?’

Lou felt the impact of her sister’s death again at his quiet question. The same picture that always haunted her came back again. The despair Jan and Martin must have felt as the plane spiralled towards the ground, knowing they wouldn’t ever see their baby. Hold it in their arms. She swallowed a sudden lump of emotion blocking her throat.

‘I was eight weeks when they died. They’d known for a month.’

Will shut his eyes briefly as he, too, thought about Jan and Martin’s last earthly moments. He could see the mist in Lou’s eyes. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I know,’ she said. ‘I know.’ The sincerity in his voice was too much. Revisiting the nightmare was too much. Having him here to confide in again was too much. How often had she wanted him to lean on this last year? A pool of tears brimmed in her eyes and splashed down her cheeks.

‘Lou,’ he said, his voice a low growl as he got out of his seat, came around the desk and crouched down in front of her. ‘Don’t cry.’ He reached up and wiped the tears away gently with his thumb.

‘I’m sorry. I can’t help it. It was just so awful, and I wanted to pick up the phone so often and talk to you, and —’ Her voice cracked. ‘And I hated that I couldn’t.’

Will got to his feet and pulled her up with him. ‘You could have,’ he said, hauling her into his embrace and rocking her while she silently cried. ‘I wish you had.’

He felt the strange intrusion of her bump between them and held her awkwardly at first. But when she relaxed he did too, and it felt as right as it always had in the circle of her arms.

‘It’s just not fair,’ Lou sobbed into his shirt. ‘Why? Why them? They had so much to look forward to.’

‘I don’t know, Lou. I just don’t know.’

Lou knew she shouldn’t be doing this. That this was crossing a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed any more. That she was over him. But he felt so good, and he smelled so wonderful, just as she remembered, and sharing her grief with someone who knew her as intimately as Will was such a relief.

‘And now I’ve got to look after this baby. I’m scared, Will,’ she said, pulling away and looking up into his beautiful face. ‘What if I suck at it?’

He chuckled and kissed her forehead out of habit, snuggling her close to his chest again. ‘You’ll be fantastic, Lou. You’ve been marvellous with Candice, and all the kids at work. And, trust me, we all suck at it from time to time.’

Lou had an ear pressed to his chest, and could hear the deep rumble of his voice vibrate through the layers of skin and bone. A delicious shiver puckered her skin. ‘You don’t. You’ve always been a fantastic parent.’

He laughed again, and the vibrations tickled her ear, causing her stomach to flop. ‘No, Lou. I’ve tried to make the best of a really sucky situation. But there have been times when my parenting has been pretty average.’

She pulled away and looked into his serious face. ‘Maybe. But, you know, you never once put down Delvine in front of Candy — and God knows you had plenty of reason to. You never called Delvine on any of her outrageous monetary claims, you always paid your child support and rearranged your life at a moment’s notice when she got herself another hot date. You took everything Delvine dished out just so Candy knew she was the most important thing in your life. I think you deserve a medal.’

He shrugged. ‘That’s what you do when you’re a parent.’

‘Exactly,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t planned for this to happen but...it did, and I want to be the best. Give this baby the best start in life I can. It’s all I have left of Jan,’ she said, her hand rubbing her stomach. ‘It’s too important to stuff up.’

‘You’re going to be great,’ he said firmly. ‘What about financially? Are you going to be able to afford to take time off?’

She nodded. ‘A year. Jan and Martin changed their will the minute the preg test was positive. They left me well looked after. Money won’t be an issue.’

He hugged her close again, and they were silent for a few moments.

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