‘It’s not about money, is it? It’s about that little human being inside you that needs love and care and to be brought up correctly. And you definitely want to keep it?’
‘Please don’t ask me that again.’ Star stood up, his jacket slipping to the floor. ‘I want to go home.’
With Conor now hunched up in the car with the roof closed, they travelled in silence back to Ferry Lane. Star parked up at the back of her shop, switched off the engine and put on the handbrake.
Conor turned to her and put his hand under her chin. ‘I really do think the world of you, Star, and I mean that, but I just need to go into my own place and have a big think about this and digest it – and then we can work out what we both do with this news. Do you understand?’
Star nodded. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Apologies not required. I was there, remember? It takes two, after all.’ He kissed her gently on the lips, looked down at her tummy then clambered awkwardly out of the car. As he walked up the stairs to his flat over the florist’s, he called back, ‘Give me a couple of days to get my head around everything. OK?’
Star nodded again, then when he was out of sight she bashed her hands on the steering wheel and through gritted teeth repeated, ‘Damn Estelle! Damn bloody men! Damn getting bloody pregnant!’
