I’d somehow ended up going for drinks and dinner with Seph’s sisters. Vanessa and Victoria had been asked too, but Teddy had a cold and Vic was also heavily pregnant and unlike Payton, wasn’t wanting to go far from home.
“Hello, pregnant lady.” Ava bent down and kissed her sister’s cheek. “Hello no longer breastfeeding lady, and hello non-pregnant and not no longer breast-feeding lady. I’m going to kiss you too so you’re not left out.” She did, bending down and pressing a peck against my cheek.
Ava was fun. She liked to laugh and joke, and she was always finding something to be happy about. Seph and I had ended up spending a lot of time with her and Eli, going round to their gorgeous home and them coming to mine. They’d babysat Rose a couple of times so Seph and I could go out together and once because we’d both needed to work late when a mediation went on until nearly midnight.
I hugged her back. “We think Payton’s in labour.”
Ava glanced at Payton who was still rubbing her belly. “Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it? She’s about seven months overdue. I think I’ve seen pregnant elephants that were smaller.”
“I love you too, Sis. Just wait till you’re up the duff with Eli’s spawn.” Payton managed a glare.
Ava sat down and took the spare glass, emptying the rest of the wine into it and taking a big mouthful. “Just proving I’m not joining the pregnancy club. Yet.”
“You mean you have plans to?”
Ava nodded. “We talked about it last night, actually. I’d like to leave it a couple more years – I took on that big renovation last week and it’s going to be an epic pain in the arse – but Eli doesn’t want to look like the baby’s granddad.”
I laughed. Eli had no chance of looking like the baby’s granddad. “I think you could leave it another couple of years if you wanted.”
Ava shook her head. “He’s broody. And, to be honest, when I think about him with a baby, my ovaries explode. Other than that, I could wait, but he keeps getting all gooey eyed with Teddy, and Rose.” She looked at me. “As is Seph.”
I just about managed not to spit my wine out. “I don’t think Seph’s interested. He’s seen how hard work it is with Rose.”
I wasn’t sure if that was true or not. He’d never once even pulled his face about having her around, or when she was in a mood or refusing to go to bed when she was told or demanding that he had his face painted with my make up – that was when I pulled my face. I just couldn’t let myself think about any more than what we already had. I knew better than anyone what early days actually meant.
Ava laughed. “Georgie, Seph doesn’t think Rose is hard work. He’s said a couple of times how tiring it is, but he says it more after he’s babysat Teddy or the girls.” She picked up an olive.
“Seph would be an amazing dad.” Payton was still rubbing her stomach. “Do you want more kids, Georgie?”
“I’d love more. Yes.” No point lying. “I loved being pregnant, and what they say is true, you don’t remember the birth. The first few months were really tough, and leaving her to go back to work was horrible, but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.”
“You and Seph should have babies. They’d be so beautiful.” This was Ava. “And Rose would be an amazing big sister.”
I saw Claire staring at me curiously and expected her to say something, given that she usually spat out what was on her mind, but she didn’t. She said nothing, which made me slightly nervous.
“Rose would,” Payton nodded. “She loves Niamh.”
This was true. Rose had gone from being insanely jealous that Seph had other little people in his life and she had to share, to adoring Claire’s baby. Seph had taken us along to his parents’ London home for Jackson’s birthday, promising Rose that he’d stay with her all afternoon if she wanted him to. It had taken two point three minutes for Rose to find the baby and Eliza and then Max, who she followed like a mini-stalker all day, which pissed off Seph and caused a minor row when Seph accused him of brainwashing her.
This had entertained everyone no end, especially when Victoria let it slip that they were expecting a girl. They hadn’t meant to tell anyone before, so there’d been a lot of gloating and winding Max up. The whole boarding school in the middle of the moors had become a tad more thought out at that point too.
“She does. Payts, are you okay?” I’d noticed that she was wincing.
Payton nodded. “I think so. You know, when your waters break, how wet does it feel?”
It was at that point we called in reinforcements. This baby wasn’t waiting to be induced.
The Callaghan clanhad a new boy that weekend after a sixteen-hour labour and forceps delivery. Tomas David Anders was born weighing eight pounds two, and around two hundred decibels, after he’d screamed down the entire maternity ward. Seph had another nephew and the whole office felt a sense of elation. Tomas was beautiful and perfect, and the moment I saw Seph hold him, something inside me broke wide open and screamed.
Then I screamed again, for an entirely different reason. We were a few months in. I had no grounds for considering a future, only I had done, because for Rose, Seph was part of her family.
My sister called one evening after Rose was in bed. I had no idea what time it was in Tokyo, and neither, I suspected, did she. She was completely immersed in work and I was worried how she’d come out the other side this time. Exhaustion was almost inevitable, but Liv was almost hyper in what she was doing, wearing herself out, but making enough so that she could retire in another couple of years and do whatever creative thing she really wanted to.
“How’s the baby?”
I’d forwarded the photos of baby Tomas onto her, along with the pictures of Rose holding him, which were too cute for me to explain or think too much about.
“He’s amazing. Payton’s worrying about everything and hates handing him to anyone that isn’t her or Owen, but she’ll learn.”
