Nigel
‘No point getting squeamish, Daddy. It’s going to be even worse in a few months,’ Pam said gleefully.
‘What a lovely, strong heartbeat.’ Pam sounded thrilled.
He nodded. It was good news. The dash to the hospital had been worth it.
‘Would you like to know the sex?’ Pam offered. ‘I got a great view then.’
‘No!’ Nigel snapped before Lucy could say anything. This was taking the daddy thing too far. Mark would never forgive him.
Pam looked at Lucy, obviously taken aback at his abrupt answer.
‘I would actually,’ Lucy said.
He had to stop this charade. ‘Don’t you think Mark should be here for that?’
‘We can tell him later.’
‘But you and he should be the first to know.’
Pam had a confused frown on her face, which morphed into a fixed smile. Oh God! She thought they were in a throuple.
‘If Daddy doesn’t want to know …’ She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence as Mark burst through the door.
‘If Daddy doesn’t want to know what? Luce?’
‘Mark! Darling! Everything’s fine.’
‘So Nigel said. But it doesn’t look like it. Why is this woman calling my brother Daddy?’
Nigel removed his hand from Lucy’s grip as Mark stared at him.
Pam glared at Mark. ‘Perhaps you could wait outside while we finish up here,’ she suggested.
‘I have no intention of waiting outside.’
‘Or I could call security?’ Her voice had taken on a stern quality.
‘Lucy’s my partner, not his,’ Mark said.
From Pam’s expression, Nigel guessed she was going to entertain everyone at the maternity unit Christmas party with this story, possibly for several years running.
‘I think it’s time I wasn’t here.’ He slipped out of the room before Lucy could stop him.
‘Are Lucy and the baby still alright?
Helen’s voice. Of course she’d be here. Mark would’ve driven straight to the hospital from Somerset.
He turned around to look at her and smiled. ‘They’re fine. Not sure Mark is, though.’
‘Not quite as fancy as our usual cafes,’ Nigel said as they sat down at the table with hard plastic chairs fixed to it. He’d rather have taken Helen somewhere else, but he was desperate for a hot drink, so they were making do with the hospital cafe.
‘I don’t mind. It’s better than it used to be,’ Helen said, tipping a sachet of sugar into her latte.
‘I didn’t know you took sugar.’
‘I don’t normally. But I could do with some extra energy. I missed breakfast this morning.’
‘We can drink these in the car and go somewhere else.’
‘Which car did you bring?’
‘The Triumph.’
Helen raised her eyebrows. ‘Does your mother allow hot drinks in her precious Triumph?’
‘Probably not.’
‘I’m amazed she added you to the insurance after the bumper incident.’
Nigel went pale. ‘She hasn’t.’
‘So you drove here uninsured? Blimey, Nigel. Law-breaking is a slippery slope.’ She laughed. ‘You’ll be drug running next.’
‘Only if Madison takes me to the cleaners.’ But he was surprised that, in the rush to sort Lucy out, he’d completely forgotten about car insurance. ‘I’d better break the news to Mum.’
Helen sat back in the chair, looking at her phone while he made the phone call. His mother answered immediately.
‘Darling. Everything ok?’
‘Yes and no. I had to rush Lucy to hospital, but she and the baby are all fine. I guess they’ll be sending her home very soon and Mark’s here now.’
‘Thank goodness for that. How did you get there?’ She sounded suspicious.
‘I borrowed your car.’
There was a silence. He resisted the urge to say anything, formulating his plan in his head.
‘And what shape is it in now?’
She hadn’t forgotten then. ‘The same shape as when I got into it. But Helen’s pointed out that I need putting on the insurance if I’m going to drive her home.’
Neat move, Nige. She’ll be keen for you to spend more time with Helen, so you’ve painted her into a corner there.
There was another silence.
‘Well. You’ve not left me with much choice, have you? Give me five minutes.’