Page 33 of Lessons in Love at the Cornish Country Hospital

‘Not the sort of question I was expecting over a smoked Old Fashioned.’ Frankie frowned. ‘But I’ve been thinking about Chloe a lot too.’

Wendy’s friends knew about what had happened, and the fact that she and Gary had invited Chloe to live with them until she decided what was next for her, but this was the first time Wendy had seen them in person since Beau had died. ‘On the outside she probably looks like she’s doing really well. The crying finally seems to have stopped and she’s getting support from a group of other women online who’ve been through a similar loss. But she’s barely eating, and she won’t talk about a funeral for Beau. I don’t want to push her so hard that she feels like she wants to get away from us, but she needs to start making some decisions about Beau’s funeral soon.’

‘That poor girl. It was hard enough letting go of Charlie, when I made the decision for him to be adopted, but I can’t even imagine what it’s like for Chloe to have to think about saying goodbye to her baby.’ Connie shook her head, and Wendy’s heart ached for her too. So many women had to go through pain and loss as mothers, and those were things they couldn’t ever fully recover from. But Connie had found a way to live her life without Charlie and, even though the circumstances were completely different, there had to be hope for Chloe too.

‘It’s so difficult to know how to help, but one thing I’d say, and I’m pretty sure that Gwen would too, is don’t try to force Chloe to see too far into the future until she’s ready, even if you’re trying to get her to think positively.’ Frankie exchanged a look with Gwen, who nodded. ‘You’re going to want to try to fix this. That’s what women do, especially mums like us. I’m sure you’d never do this, but saying things like “at least you’re still young”, or “you’ve got plenty of time to try again” won’t help, it’ll just make Chloe feel as if the loss of Beau is being minimised.’

‘Frankie’s right, nothing can make this better.’ Gwen shook her head. ‘So, you can’t try to achieve that; instead you just need to listen when Chloe wants to talk. Saying Beau’s name is something else that’s important. The woman I’ve worked with over the years, who’ve lost a baby, have often told me that one of the things that hurts the most is people acting like their child never existed. Chloe needs to know she’s not the only one thinking about him and wishing he was still here. I’m sure Alice and Zara can help a lot with that too.’

‘They’ve been great, especially Zara, because she’s home with us all the time, and she’s even managed to persuade Chloe to get some support for her issues with food, which seem to have come back since she lost Beau.’ Wendy reached out for her glass. It was reassuring to hear they’d taken the right approach so far, but she still had no idea how to get Chloe to think about arranginga funeral. ‘Beau’s at the hospital, but if Chloe doesn’t make some decisions soon, I’m worried they’ll go ahead and arrange a cremation without her.’

‘Has she spoken to Issy?’ Frankie looked at Wendy as she spoke.

‘I don’t think so, why?’ Issy was one of the team from the Port Agnes midwifery unit where Frankie worked. She also spent part of her week as a midwife within the hospital’s maternity department. It was a role some of the midwives decided to take on when St Piran’s first opened, so that they could care for a wider range of women with differing needs which couldn’t all be accommodated at the unit.

‘She’s the lead midwife for the hospital’s maternity bereavement service, and she offers help and advice to patients who’ve been through a stillbirth. It helps that she’s married to Noah, the vicar at St Jude’s, if the parents are thinking about a church service.’

‘I think it would be really good for her to do that.’ Wendy just hoped it was something she could persuade Chloe to consider.

‘The only thing that might make it even tougher, is that Issy is quite heavily pregnant herself at the moment.’ Caroline bit her lip. ‘She was chatting to Danni at Esther’s wedding rehearsal, and her bump was obvious to me then. I know Chloe can’t avoid seeing other pregnant women, but I’m guessing that would make the conversation even harder for both of them.’

‘Good point and I haven’t asked Issy how she’s handling the role while she’s pregnant herself.’ Frankie sighed. ‘It might be that she isn’t doing the face-to-face sessions at the moment, but I can certainly check if you want me to? And Issy will be able to recommend someone else if not.’

‘That would be great, thank you.’ Wendy took a sip of the cocktail she’d ordered, which was a marbled combination of purple, green and blue that gave the drink its name of Mermaid’sTail. It would be good to put Chloe in touch with a professional who could talk to her about Beau’s funeral arrangements, so that Wendy could follow her friends’ advice and just be there to listen when Chloe was ready to talk. She couldn’t fix this, no matter how instinctive it was for her to want to make things right for Chloe. All she could do was continue providing the safety net that she and Gary had willingly offered, and which would be there for Chloe for as long as she needed it.

Wendy had asked her friends whether they thought she should go ahead with hosting the bonfire night get-together that she and Gary had planned in lieu of throwing an engagement party. Their response had been a resounding yes, and she’d been ready to explain that she’d understand if Chloe didn’t feel up to being sociable. As it was, Chloe had seemed excited about the idea and had admitted to Wendy and Zara that she’d never been taken to a bonfire night celebration as a child, at least not after her mother had died. When Zara had talked about the idea of making a Guy for the bonfire, Chloe had put down her phone and asked if she could join in. Wendy hadn’t been able to suppress a smile when she’d seen the finished results, and Gary had picked up on the reason for her amusement straight away.

‘Is it just me, or does that Guy bear more than a passing resemblance to Mike?’ He’d laughed as Chloe and Zara had trundled past, with their creation in a wheelbarrow, heading towards the unlit bonfire.

‘It’s not just you.’ She’d laughed too, and she’d begun to allow herself to feel much more hopeful about how Chloe was doing. Two hours later the party was in full swing, and the weather had been kind to them. It was a clear, crisp night, but the now ragingbonfire made it possible for the guests to spend the evening in the garden, and the baked potatoes, sausages, and spiced rum punch were all helping to keep everyone warm too.

‘Well, if this is what you guys do for a bonfire night party, I cannot wait to see the wedding.’ Danni smiled as Wendy came to join the group from A&E, which Gary was already in the middle of. ‘Although I appear to be taking the eating for two to extreme levels tonight. I was weighing up whether a third jacket potato was one too many, but seeing as I already look like one, I thought what the hell!’

‘You look beautiful.’ Wendy wasn’t just saying it. Danni could genuinely have been described as glowing, and it wasn’t just because they were standing in the reflected light from the flickering flames. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Really good. It’s been nice to have a bit of time to sort things out after finishing work, and I finally feel ready for when the baby arrives. Although Esther has told me under no circumstances am I to give birth before she gets back from her honeymoon.’

‘When is that?’

‘On Tuesday, thank God.’ Aidan pulled a face.

‘Are you missing her at work?’ Wendy couldn’t help laughing at Aidan’s expression.

‘Too much, with her and Danni off, I’m stuck with your fiancé and the woman the press are calling Lijah Byrne’s muse.’ Aidan laughed and then poked his tongue out at Amy and Gary. ‘I gave her a lift home from work the other day, and there was actually a photographer in the bushes by my car. I need some warning if I’m going to be papped!’

‘So that’s all still going on?’ It had been the talk of the hospital, when two weeks before, one of Amy’s old school friends had sold a story to a national newspaper. She’d told them that Amy had been Lijah Byrne’s girlfriend from the age of fourteento eighteen, and that there was no doubt in her mind that Amy was the inspiration for most of the songs on his new album. She’d also supplied the papers with photos of Amy and Lijah from back then.

‘Thankfully most of them lost interest as soon as I told them I’m not in contact with him any more.’ Amy affected an air of nonchalance, but there was a hint of something in her eyes that Wendy couldn’t quite read, and when she’d had a bit too much champagne at Esther and Joe’s wedding, she’d seemed quite keen to lay claim to being Lijah’s muse. ‘There are one or two desperados hanging on and trying to make a story out of nothing, but I suspect they’re from theThree Ports News, rather than the tabloids.’

‘I still think there’d be no harm you getting back in touch with him. You never know where it might lead.’ Isla’s suggestion was met with a snort of derision from her friend.

‘Just because you and Reuben are madly in love, it doesn’t mean we’re all destined for a happy ever after. And I still haven’t forgiven Reuben for persuading my best friend to go travelling for months on end, and leaving me behind at the hospital.’ Amy winked, and it was clear there was no malice in her words. After what Isla had been through following a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia the year before, everyone was happy that she was making such exciting plans, but no one more so than Amy. ‘You’d just better be back by the time Aidan goes on paternity leave, or I really am going to sulk that I’ve been deserted by everyone.’

‘Oh, and what am I, chopped liver?’ Gary pretended to look offended, but he couldn’t quite pull it off, especially once Amy had thrown her arms around him.

‘Sorry Gaz, you know I love you to bits, but if I’m planning what to text to the latest guy I’m talking to online, I don’t thinkyou’ve quite got what Aidan and Isla can offer me in the way of advice.’

‘Fair point.’ Gary shrugged. ‘Although you can always go to Gwen.’

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