Page 36 of Christmas for the Village Midwife
Billie ruffled Grizzle’s fur as he rested his head on her lap, his huge brown eyes staring up at her with adoration. ‘I’m not going to get my hopes up either.’
Zoe exchanged a brief look with Alex. He’d been encouraged to hear how well things had gone the evening they’d spent learning to make gingerbread with Corrine at Daffodil Farm and noted for himself how she’d returned home with a cautious enthusiasm. They’d discussed how good it would be for her to have something to do that would take her mind off her worries. It was only a silly village event, but Zoe suspected it meant much more than that. Perhaps it would signal the start of Billie’s rehabilitation. Perhaps she would finally begin to enjoy life again and move on from the bitter losses of the past couple of years. And perhaps she might finally begin to see herself as a capableyoung woman. Who knew what that might mean for her future and that of her baby?
It seemed, in one way or another, that many of Zoe’s expectant mums had been on her mind. Since her impromptu chat with Maisie in her clinic, Zoe had been pondering what to do about her too. Maisie had dutifully returned the following day, and they’d had another frank conversation about nutrition, and Zoe had – yet again – issued her with recipe cards and pamphlets full of information, but she still wasn’t certain that her advice would cut through the noise coming from everyone else in Maisie’s life. In particular, Maisie’s mum, Bridget, seemed to have too much influence. Ordinarily, Zoe had no issue with supportive family members – in fact they were mostly to be encouraged – but Bridget had some odd ideas, and not all of them, as far as Zoe could tell, had Maisie’s best interests at heart.
Maisie was younger than Billie but only by a couple of years, and the one thing Billie had that Maisie didn’t was a stronger sense of herself. She wasn’t swayed so easily by the opinions of others, and she had a more mature, practical outlook. Zoe had toyed with the idea of setting up a village support group for her pregnant mums, but she’d wondered whether it would be a waste of time. She had enough to keep her busy in clinic, but whether the numbers willing to be part of such a group would be enough to make it viable was a different matter. She’d suggested to one or two they go along to the existing mum and baby group run by Stacey at the village hall, but was aware it probably wasn’t what they needed, especially if it was a first baby who hadn’t yet arrived.
The idea occurred to her now, as she turned her gaze back to Billie. Maybe Billie and Maisie could be good for one another. It wasn’t exactly a support group in the strictest sense, but they might be able to offer support to one another – albeit in very different ways. Billie needed something to restore herconfidence and sense of worth, and Maisie needed someone who would encourage her to stand up for herself, perhaps to show an example with a little more common sense than the people she currently had around her. She needed to find a way to frame it that might persuade Billie it was a good idea, and that was the first problem Zoe could see with the plan.
‘The shopping arrived,’ Billie said, breaking into Zoe’s thoughts. ‘I put it away.’
‘I said I’d do it when I got back,’ Alex said. ‘You shouldn’t have strained yourself.’
Billie rolled her eyes. ‘It’s hardly straining myself. The heaviest thing in there was a bag of peas, which would have been defrosted if I’d left them in the bag for you to put away. I can still do stuff, you know, Dad.’
‘I know. I worry you’ll?—’
‘I won’t,’ Billie cut in. ‘Stop fussing. Did you see Victor’s girls?’
‘We did,’ Zoe said. ‘They’re as cute as ever.’
‘And greedy,’ Alex said. ‘Love their treats.’
‘A bit like Victor with Corrine’s cakes then,’ Zoe said with a grin. ‘They say dogs look like their owners, but maybe alpaca behave like theirs?’
‘Dogs look like their owners?’ Alex eyed Grizzle. ‘God help me then.’
‘I didn’t like to say anything, but now that you mention it…’ Zoe grinned at Billie.
‘Oi!’ Alex said. ‘Who’s to say it’s me who looks like Griz?’
‘Everyone,’ Billie said. ‘Because you do.’
‘Thanks a bunch. So, enough of that. What shall we eat?’ Alex asked as he went to the fridge. ‘It looks like everything is here. No substitutes?’
‘Don’t think so,’ Billie said. ‘I thought I’d cook, actually.’
‘You don’t have to…’ Billie met his protests with a deep frown, and he smiled. ‘All right, that sounds nice. What were you thinking of?’
Billie turned to Zoe. ‘You like curry, right?’
‘I like everything,’ Zoe said.
‘OK, cool. So I thought I’d make a chicken curry.’
‘Want some help?’
‘Nah, I’m better doing it on my own – I’ll only get annoyed at someone being in the way.’
‘Trust me,’ Alex said as Zoe looked set to argue. ‘I know from experience that’s true. Best to sit in the other room until she’s done.’
Billie stood up. Zoe had noticed it was taking a little more effort for her to move around over the past week or so, but it was understandable as she was in her third trimester and the baby was getting big. However, as she still wasn’t finding pregnancy unduly difficult and, despite Alex’s concerns, seemed to have plenty of energy, she was happy to let Billie get on with things. On a selfish note, it meant more time for her and Alex to chat in the living room, and she didn’t think she could ever get enough of talking to him – no subject was too boring as long as he wanted to discuss it. If she could have seen herself, she’d have probably told herself to stop being so soppy. It was a good job, in that case, that she couldn’t.
Not yet, though. Zoe’s thoughts were occupied by the problem of Maisie, and as she hadn’t yet found the right way to frame her proposal to Billie, perhaps the only way was to come straight out with it.
‘Billie, I’ve got an expectant mum who comes to clinic,’ she began slowly, ‘and I must admit I’d appreciate your take on her situation.’
Billie stopped at the door, frowning. ‘My take? Are you even meant to talk about other people to me?’
