Tahli nods, stepping forward to press a kiss to Bobbi’s head, before I excuse myself and take my daughter upstairs.
“This is your new home,” I say to her in a soft voice, carefully taking each step up to the landing. “One day, when you’re older, we can go out to the pond and feed the ducks. I bet you’d like that.” I coo, smiling at her as she screws up her face, a small cry passing her lips.
“I know you’re hungry,” I say, stepping into Ringo’s room,our room, and finding him waiting in the living area.
“Is someone hungry?” he asks, and I smile.
“Someone is. Lucky you didn’t have too much before,” I say, blushing, and Ringo chuckles.
“Come and feed her in here.” He gestures towards the bedroom, and I frown, since the only place to sit and feed her in there is the bed, while out here there’s an armchair and a couch.
I mean, that’s totally fine, but sitting in a chair would be better.
Following him around to the bedroom, I’m not really paying much attention to anything but the bundle in my arms, so when I look up, seeing a hole in the wall, I freeze.
Wait… No, not a hole. Adoorwaythat wasn’t there before.
“What…” I trail off, confused about what I’m seeing.
The huge framed mirror that was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall has been moved aside, revealing a door I didn’t know was there.
“Open it.” He grins, and I frown, so bloody confused.
“Has that always been there?” I ask, and he nods. “The whole time?”
He nods again.
“I should’ve told you about it sooner. I was going to surprise you with it after you had your baby, but none of that went to plan, and we thought she’d died, so I kept it a secret.” He rakes his hand through his hair, almost like he’s nervous. “I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t want to upset you.”
I’m dumbfounded as I shake my head. “I don’t understand. Keepwhata secret?”
Moving to the door, he turns the handle and pushes it open, revealing a short passage that opens into another room, and instantly, tears well in my eyes.
“Is that?”
He nods. “I had Mills and Lans clean it up and air it out when we went to South Australia to find Bobbi.” He gestures for me to step inside, so I do, rocking Bobbi as she starts to get more impatient for her meal.
It’s almost too unbelievable. There’s a room here. Anursery. Completely set up with a bassinet, cot, change table, an armchair and a bookshelf lined with teddies, toys and books.
I spin back to Ringo in disbelief.
“I don’t understand. This has really been here the whole time? What was it used for before?” I ask, sitting in the armchair when Ringo gestures for me to take a seat, and I give in, rearranging my top so I can get my breast out, and I start feeding my daughter.
The moment her cries cut off, and she starts drinking, relief washes over me, and I relax back in the chair a little more.
“This was meant to be for Hope,” he admits, and now I feel like crying.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Thispoorman.
Mypoorman.
“Shit, Ringo. I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I—”
“Abs, stop. It’s fine. I’ve had a long time to get used to this not being for Hope. I closed it off and never wanted to see it again until you came along.” He smiles warmly down at me. “Then I knew, without a doubt, that this room was really meant for you to nurse Bobbi in. And maybe even a child of our own one day.”
Bending, Ringo brushes the back of his finger over Bobbi’s cheek as she feeds, looking down at her with so much love and care that it makes me want to cry.
