‘Kimberley. Kimberley Summers,’ the girl said. ‘Most people call me Kim. I really wasn’t sure whether I should come, but I thought I should talk to you before…’
Before what?Cassie’s heart stalled. ‘You don’t need to explain, Kim,’ she said carefully. ‘I’m glad you came. I am shocked, though, I have to admit. Josh never mentioned he was in a serious relationship.’
Kim’s eyes flicked down. ‘We hadn’t been going out for long before the baby... We were a couple, though.’ She looked earnestly back at her. ‘We did talk about you a little. Josh said that you and he were working through some things, so I wasn’t sure whether he’d told you about us or not. He said he was going to, but…’
He didn’t feel he could confide in me. Cassie swallowed back the bitter taste of regret as the girl trailed off awkwardly. ‘Was he looking forward to becoming a father?’ she asked, though it pained her, because she knew the answer. He would have been. Even if she hadn’t known about Kim, she knew that much about him.
‘Yes.’ Kim nodded sadly. ‘He was surprised, worried about how to tell you when you’ve been dealing with so much.’ She paused and reached to wipe away a tear that spilled down her cheek. ‘But once he got his head around it, he was really pleased. He would have been a brilliant dad.’
Cassie drew in a sharp breath. He’d obviously discussed her illness with Kim then, as well as the fact that they’d fallen out. ‘He would have,’ she said, her throat catching. ‘He loved children.’
‘I know.’ Kim smiled fondly. ‘That was obvious when he talked about the children he taught on his school placement programme. He would have been a brilliant teacher too,’ she added, causing Cassie’s heart to twist afresh.
‘The thing is,’ Kim went on, her eyes awash with uncertainty, ‘I’m not sure what to do. I mean, if he’d told me he wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t have gone through with the pregnancy. But when he seemed so genuinely happy at the thought of being a dad, making plans for a future together…’ She stopped, glancing away.
‘You can talk to me, you know, Kim,’ Cassie said kindly, though her stomach was knotting inside her. ‘That’s why you’re here after all, isn’t it?’
Kim nodded. ‘I’m not sure I’ll be able to cope on my own,’ she admitted tearfully. ‘I don’t have anything to offer him. I don’t even have a job at the moment. I could end up ruining his life, couldn’t I?’ She looked at Cassie beseechingly. ‘I’m thinking he might have a better future with someone else. Someone who could care for him properly. There are a million people out there who are desperate for a child, aren’t there? People much better off than I am.’
Cassie’s stomach turned over. She couldn’t really be contemplating parting with him? She looked across to the pushchair. He was still sleeping like an angel. Seeing Josh at that age, she stilled an urge to snatch him from his pram and hold him close, breathe in the innocent sweet smell of him and never let him go.
She couldn’t allow Kim to do anything rash. Something she would regret. Something that Cassie too would regret for the rest of her life. She took a breath, about to ask her not to make any decisions before they’d all had a chance to talk it through, just as Adam came back into the room.
‘It’s filtered. We don’t have any bottled,’ he said, scrutinising Kim carefully as he handed her the glass of water.
‘Thanks. That’s perfect.’ She gave him an appreciative smile.
Adam smiled back, but his expression was guarded. ‘What about your parents, Kim? How do they feel about the baby?’
Kim stopped sipping, rested the glass in her lap and lowered her gaze again.
‘Are they not willing to help you?’ he went on, unaware of Cassie trying to make eye contact with him. Kim’s cheeks were flushing furiously; it was clear he was making her feel uncomfortable. ‘Assuming they’re aware of your circumstances, that is. I would have thought they—’
‘They can’t.’ Kim looked sharply back up. ‘I come from a large family. My mum has my three younger brothers at home, as well as me. I have a chance of renting a property, just a small one, but it’s not confirmed yet. And then I have to get my benefits sorted out, so I’ve no choice but to stay at home for now. We live on Tennison Road on the Eastbridge estate.’ Her gaze went to Cassie, who understood what she was trying to convey. She’d had one or two assignments on the Eastbridge estate. It consisted largely of rented accommodation and meant the family weren’t well off.
‘As for my dad… he’s due in court next week,’ Kim continued, and took a deep breath as if summoning up her courage. ‘He assaulted a neighbour. The only blessing was that it wasn’t my mum this time. He’s not the sort of man you’d want anywhere near a baby.’
Cassie’s horrified gaze shot to Adam, who was clearly as shocked as she was.
‘Do you mind if I use the loo?’ Kim asked, now looking hugely embarrassed.
‘No, not at all.’ Cassie rose to her feet, trying to get her jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. ‘I’ll show you where it is.’
Adam waited until Kim had disappeared into the downstairs toilet, then gestured Cassie into the kitchen and reached to push the door shut. ‘Do you believe her?’ he asked.
Cassie searched his face. ‘Yes,’ she said, though she was still trying to process the information. ‘Why? Don’t you?’
‘I don’t know.’ Adam looked troubled. ‘It seems a bit odd, that’s all. Josh never even mentioned he was seeing anyone.’
‘No, but initially he might have been concerned about how we might react to the news of a baby before he’d even completed his teacher training,’ Cassie suggested. ‘And then, when he left...’
Still Adam looked wary. Cassie understood why he would be, but he must see what was staring him in the face. ‘Have you looked at the baby? He’s the image of Josh.’
‘I know. It’s uncanny. It’s just…’ He stopped and shrugged uncomfortably.
‘Just what?’ Cassie urged him, glancing worriedly towards the hall. Kim wouldn’t be long. She didn’t want her thinking they’d retreated to the kitchen to talk about her.
His expression awkward, Adam studied her for a second. ‘What if she’s just here for money? What if that’s all it ever was? She hardly seems Josh’s type.’
