Page 86 of The Village Midwife
‘I think she’d be glad of a few hours of your time too. I’ll talk to her and let her know your plans. When are you thinking you might be up and running?’
‘It depends on what I need to do first. As soon as possible, really – at least, as soon as Chloe has moved out.’
Zoe felt a little hand tugging at her skirt and looked down to see a toddler grinning up at her. ‘You’re an extrovert in training if ever I saw one!’ She smiled. ‘Hello!’
‘Sorry!’ The child’s mother came dashing over. ‘He’s at that age where he thinks everyone wants to play.’
‘They go one way or the other, don’t they?’ Zoe said. ‘Very shy or the life and soul of the party.’ She crouched down to talk to the child. ‘What’s your name?’
He simply grinned, exposing two tiny teeth and a stream of drool that oozed down his chin.
‘You’re Carlton, aren’t you?’ his mum said, scooping him up. ‘Say hello, Carlton.’
Carlton didn’t say hello; instead, he wriggled to get free of his mother’s arms.
‘Carlton,’ Zoe said. ‘Haven’t met a Carlton before. How do you do, Carlton?’
He grinned again then started to pull a face of desperate concentration that slowly turned puce, and then he settled into a look of deepest satisfaction.
His mum sniffed the air. ‘You little…I’ve just changed your nappy!’
Stacey and Zoe both laughed as Carlton’s mum threw an exasperated look their way and then took him off to the changing station. A moment later, Mackenzie started to wriggle to be free of Stacey’s arms.
‘Go on then.’ She put him down, and he toddled off in the direction of the toy box.
‘Where’s Chloe today?’ Zoe asked.
‘It’s a study day.’
‘She’s still doing her course then?’
‘She wants to keep on with it as long as she can. The plan is to get as many credits as possible, and then she can pick it up and finish the course after the baby is born.’
‘It’s a good idea.’
‘It’s not often she has them, but I think so too. I would imagine Ollie has had a hand in the decision. He seems to have his head screwed on. Lucky she dropped on such a good one – things could have been worse. She could have stayed with Mackenzie’s dad, for a start. Although, I’d have driven her to a convent myself if she’d told me she was doing that.’
‘Ollie’s the new baby’s father? Forgive me, I lose track.’
‘Of Chloe’s baby daddies or everyone in general?’
Zoe’s face fell. ‘Oh God! I didn’t mean?—’
Stacey laughed. ‘I know you didn’t! Your face! Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you freak out; I was only joking. I forgot you’re not tuned into my humour yet – it takes most people a while. That’s why I love Ottilie so much – she got me straight away. Come on – the natives are getting restless so you might want to get your talk started.’
While Stacey began to clear a space for her to sit, surrounded by her displays of baby foods and information leaflets, Zoe watched, smiling to herself. She could see why Ottilie had become such firm friends with her, and she wondered if Stacey might be the perfect, no-nonsense woman to help Billie out when the baby arrived. Even if Alex could only afford a few hours a week, having Stacey take the baby off their hands might relieve a lot of the pressure from both him and Billie. She decided she’d call over to see them later and mention it.
In the end, she didn’t make it to Hilltop. In fact, she didn’t get back to Kestrel Cottage until gone midnight, and by that time all she wanted to do was fall into bed. Earlier that evening, one of her expectant mums, Helena, had called after clinic hours in a blind panic because she’d gone into premature labour, and it was progressing so rapidly she didn’t think she’d make it to thehospital. Zoe always trusted the mother’s instincts, and so she’d raced over, ready to take on an unplanned home birth.
It was lucky she’d made such haste because Helena’s instincts had been right, and labour had progressed to the point where it might have made it unsafe to transport her, and so she’d jumped into a routine she knew well, ordering members of Helena’s family to fetch cushions and glasses of water and whatever else she needed, and shortly before 11 p.m., just as the rest of the medical team arrived and with her three other children crowded around, she’d given birth to a healthy little girl.
The following morning, Zoe got ready for work and planned again to go over to Hilltop to tell them about Stacey’s childminding plans. But once again, the day wasn’t to go the way she’d anticipated. Morning clinic was uneventful, but lunch brought big news. As they all tucked into their tuna pasta bake, Fliss dropped the bombshell with the nonchalance of someone who had simply decided hers needed more salt.
‘While I’ve got you all here, I might as well tell you I’ve decided to retire. I’d like to be gone by the end of the year.’ She glanced at Simon, who was so unmoved that it was obvious he’d already been told. But Lavender looked horrified and then burst into tears.
Fliss shook her head impatiently. ‘Now, now, Lavender. You must have known this was coming.’
‘Not this soon!’ Lavender sniffed, getting a grip again.
