Chapter 8 #2
‘Flo’s doing her guard dog act?’
‘Something like that. She’s almost certainly put herself in charge of security around here.’
‘I don’t think she really wanted to let me in, come to think of it. Are you coping with her?’
‘Yes…’ Ottilie gave a small smile. ‘She’s only trying to be useful, and Anthony is her great-grandson, after all.
Like she keeps telling us, not many women get to meet their great-grandsons, so she’s bound to want to spend time with him.
She also keeps telling us that we have to let her because she could be dead any time now, so… ’
Zoe let out a chuckle. ‘Let’s hope not. Is she even going home at all?’
‘If she has, I don’t seem to have noticed.’
‘Apart from that, and Heath trying to feed you up to begin sumo wrestling, everything else is OK? You’re feeling better? Nothing worrying you, health-wise?’
‘I’m tired a lot, but that’s to be expected, isn’t it? A bit sore, sick of being in my nightie all day but too exhausted to do much about it… Other than that, I’m dandy.’
‘Well, it seems as if you’re being well cared for, so that’s something.
With all this fuss you ought to be up and about in no time.
Don’t push it, though.’ Zoe wagged a finger at her friend.
‘I know you. You won’t want to bother people, and you’ll feel as if you ought to be doing everything yourself. ’
‘There’s not much danger of that at the moment, trust me. And the way I feel right now, I’m happy to take all the help I can get. I don’t know when I last felt so wrung out.’
‘It was a tough birth – it’s only natural. As long as you recognise that and take the rest you need.’
Flo burst in with a tray. On it were two mugs of tea almost as black as the road outside and a plate of garibaldi biscuits.
‘Here…’ She put the tray down on the low table next to Ottilie. ‘You said you wanted one.’
‘Thanks, Flo,’ Ottilie said.
Flo stood back, arms folded as she regarded Zoe and Ottilie like they were a huge, demanding drain on her resources. ‘Anything else?’
‘Oh, no, thanks, Flo.’ Ottilie gestured for her to sit down.
‘I haven’t got time for that,’ Flo replied sharply. ‘The kitchen cupboards need cleaning…’
With that, she marched out, leaving Ottilie to raise her eyebrows at Zoe. ‘See?’
‘I do.’ Zoe glanced at the two mugs on the tray.
She’d told Flo not to bother, but it looked as if Heath’s grandma had decided she was having a cup of tea whether she wanted it or not.
If anyone could look at what she’d brought them and classify it as tea, but that was another matter entirely. ‘I suppose I have to drink that.’
‘If you value my sanity at all, please do,’ Ottilie replied with a weak grin. ‘Because if she comes back in and both mugs aren’t empty, I’ll never hear the end of it.’
Zoe let out a theatrical sigh as she reached for the mug, wrinkling her nose as she peered at the contents. ‘The things I do for you…’
Zoe was heartened to see that although Ottilie was obviously tired and in some discomfort from a difficult birth, both mum and baby were doing well, and Ottilie was in good spirits.
The visit had also gone some way to putting Zoe’s own worries from her mind, so much so that Ottilie hadn’t noticed anything amiss, and Zoe hadn’t felt the need to offload at all.
As she walked back to the surgery, thoughts of her dad coming to the fore again, her phone pinged in her bag. She lifted it out to read a message from Ottilie’s best friend, Stacey.
Thought you might like to know Chloe has had her baby.
Her waters broke while she was in Nando’s with Ollie!
Rushed to the hospital at ten and baby came at midnight weighing 8 lbs on the nose.
Haven’t got a name yet – keeps changing her mind!
Of course, we would have wanted you at the birth, but since she’s out of the area now, it didn’t seem right to ask you to drive over. Hope you’re not offended.
Zoe smiled at the message. She loved to see babies being born, but in this instance she was perfectly happy to let someone else take care of it.
Stacey’s taciturn daughter, Chloe, had hardly been an easy case during the short time Zoe had been responsible for her, and so, when Chloe had moved in with her boyfriend, out of the area and into the jurisdiction of another midwife, Zoe had secretly been a bit relieved.
She had the skill to deal with all sorts of people, of course, and plenty of experience, but she also had a lot of work on and some difficult clients already on her books.
Not one bit. I’m so glad all is well. Congratulations to you all! I’ll pop over and see her at some point if I may. Just to visit, because. I’m sure her midwife has everything in hand. I bet you’re thrilled. Did it go well?
Stacey replied right away. Zoe could imagine her in the hospital canteen or somewhere quiet having a breather after all the excitement, perhaps messaging everyone she knew with the news.
Like clockwork. She’s a pro at this now, but I’ve told her to give us all a break before she decides to have another! Two under the age of two is enough to be going on with!
Zoe had to agree, though she usually shied away from giving that sort of advice to new mums. In Chloe’s case, it was more about money and her age than anything else.
She and her boyfriend were both young and just starting out in their first home.
Add that to a baby and a toddler and that was quite enough for anyone to be going on with – at least for a few years.
It suddenly occurred to her that Ottilie hadn’t mentioned anything.
She had to assume that she’d only just found out, as Zoe had, in that round of texts Stacey must have been sending out.
So many babies all at once… sometimes it happened like that.
For Zoe back in Manchester, they came thick and fast with every day on the job, but here, where her list was far smaller, she often went for weeks without a birth.
When she got a spare moment, she’d pop round to see Stacey and also chat to Ottilie about it.