Zara jumped up and down a couple of times, but Libbie just smiled.
“I am just really, really tired. I went to the hospital with your dad and the doctor said everything was fine. Promise.” I held my hand up in a scout’s promise. “But, when I’ve slept a ton today, I’ll need something to do, so I can look forward to 'Tangled' with you two.”
Libbie lost a little of the serious expression. “Can we have popcorn?”
“We can have popcorn. And tacos for tea.” Because the girls loved tacos and it was easy to sneak some vegetables in them, which they didn’t love when they knew they were vegetables.
Libbie looked even happier. “Will you make them?”
I nodded, wondering how on earth I was agreeing to make dinner for two small people. “Unless you don’t try your best at school and then I’ll get Daddy to make chicken and rice.” Which was the blandest dinner known to man and loathed by the girls.
There was a collective groan and I heard Jez call them to get their shoes on for school. Zara nipped out of the bedroom in the same way she dashed everywhere. Libbie was a little slower.
“Will Daddy and Jez look after you today?” Her voice sounded tiny.
I gave her a big smile and pulled her in close again for a hug, kissing the top of her head. “Yes, they will make sure I rest lots. You don’t need to worry.”
She gave me one last squeeze and then shifted to my stomach that was popping out from under the duvet and pressed a kiss to it, like she’d done quite a few times before.
“Be nice to your mummy.” She kissed it again and then ran out, leaving me staring at Nate.
Nate closed the door and came in, sitting down on the bed next to me. “That was interesting. I told them they needed to be quieter because you were asleep here, and you’d stayed because you hadn’t felt well. Zara understood and tried too hard to be quiet – did you hear the clatter downstairs? That was her knocking a plant over – but Libbie got really panicked.”
“Maybe she remembers Chan being ill.” I felt guilty now for staying over.
“Maybe.” He ran his hand along my side. “I’m not sure. She’s been asking me if you’re going to live here, and asked yesterday if you weren’t living here because you didn’t like her.”
My heart broke at that idea, that Libbie could think I didn’t like her. “Why have I made her think that?”
“You haven’t. I think it’s to do with some kid in her class whose step dad moved out because he said he didn’t want kids. Which is fine, but you don’t tell the kids that.” Nate shook his head. “I don’t get parents – people like Toby’s mum – who don’t consider their kids.” He bent down and kissed my stomach, just like Libbie had done. “Little boy, be nice to your mummy.”
The last couple of minutes had been the first and second times that I’d been referred to as ‘mummy’. Not for the first time I felt all-consumed with this overwhelming love for my son.
And then for his dad, who was looking at me like I was a miracle maker.
“Are you okay for me to stay tonight?” That niggle of doubt snuck in, stealthier than a mouse at midnight.
Nate shook his head, slowly and with purpose. “No. I’ll only be okay if you stay for longer. In my bed.”
I sat up, moving slowly because I really was exhausted. “Isn’t it a bit fast?”
He laughed, as if I’d just made an award-winning joke. “Amber, you’re having my baby in four months. It’s possibly too slow!”
CHAPTER17
Nate
TWENTY-TWO WEEKS (STILL)
Amber Ward was possiblythe most stubborn woman I’d ever met, apart from Libbie. She was asleep, in my bed, snoring the last time I checked on her when I got back from training. The duvet was wrapped around her, her dark hair spread over my pillows as I’d once fantasized, and she looked utterly relaxed.
Which was how I wanted her right now.
Last night had been epically scary. When my phone had gone off, I’d known that something was wrong. The only other people who would’ve called me at that time would’ve been Jude, because he’d been arrested for doing something stupid, or Jesse, because Jude had been arrested for doing something stupid.
I knew that Jude was at his parents for some family thing, so he was out, which left a stretch of road between mine and Amber’s houses that I hoped didn’t have any more than one speed camera.
She hadn’t been the only one to do her research, and I knew that what her doctor was keeping an eye on could lead to miscarriage at this stage. I cursed not pushing her more to move in, but now she was here, I wasn’t going to let her move back home.
