‘Huh. You always say little ones are not interesting until they are three,’ snapped back Chantal.
‘Oh, that’s just rubbish. You don’t want to listen to half the things I say. I do it for effect. I’d love our babies, but I think you’d be better carrying them.’
A big smile split Chantal’s beautiful face in two.
‘I think I would too. I am not holding you to ransom here, then? If so, I will walk away now rather than let you throw this back in my face. And the drinking.’
She eyeballed Rory. ‘You drink too much. I can’t live the life your mother lived.’
Rory reached out and pulled the only woman she’d ever loved into her arms. ‘I love you, Chantal,’ she said. ‘I want us to have babies. I will get up in the night, I will change nappies, I’ll do feeds … I’m sorry. I’ve been so selfish. About this, about the book, about the drinking, about everything …’
Chantal’s smile turned into tears and hiccups as she began to cry and laugh at the same time.
‘I am so happy,’ she said, ‘so much happiness. There are two things, though. The book—’
‘I know. And Chloe. Later. For now, let’s just sit and hug.’
An hour later, Rory got up, leaving Chantal lying in bed, smiling sleepily at her.
‘Definitely needs to be your biological child,’ said Rory, looking lovingly at Chantal. ‘You are too beautiful for words.’
‘You want me to have the stretch marks?’ Chantal said.
Rory laughed. ‘Of course. I’m going to phone Chloe,’ she added, ‘and to introduce them all. No time like the present.’
‘You want to invite them all over here?’
‘The sisters,’ said Rory. ‘And not here. Everyone’s getting ready for the dinner. Nick’s is beside the Fisherman’s Shack. I’ll get a table from him outside and we can all sneak out.’
‘But your parents—’
‘I’m still figuring that bit out,’ said Rory.
Steve zipped up Indy’s dress.
‘What should we do?’ she said. ‘Should we tell Mum?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘But she can’t go marrying him, and if he’s still drinking, if he’s gambling, it would be crazy; that’s what broke them up in the first place.’
‘It’s not the only thing that broke them up, though, is it?’ said Steve.
Indy turned to face the mirror. She was wearing a silky dress in a floral pattern. Her work clothes were so plain coloured – blue scrubs – that she quite liked wearing colourful things when she wasn’t working.
‘No, it wasn’t the only thing, but it was the big thing. I just don’t know what to do.’
‘We’ve no proof, though,’ said Steve, ‘no proof of what he was doing.’
‘No,’ said Indy. ‘No proof at all. But can we let Mum go into that, can we let Mum marry him tomorrow not knowing?’
Steve stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, leant his chin on her shoulder.
‘I don’t know, darling, it’s up to you, she’s your mum, he’s your dad.’
‘You’re lucky your parents are so normal,’ she said.
Steve laughed. ‘Nobody thinks their parents are normal,’ he said.
