There were many conversations I’d anticipated having with my parents in my life.Mum and dad, I’ve offered to help a friend have a babywasn’t an opening sentence I’d ever thought I’d say to them.
My mum’s response had been classic. “So you haven’t gotten someone pregnant by accident? That’s a relief.”Followed by –“That means I’m going to be a grandma.”Her face had lit up and she’d beamed.
I’d spent the next twenty minutes explaining what was happening, Neva’s worries about her age and how we were really good friends – which was an exaggeration at the time but one that was needed to avoid being attacked with a million and twelve questions.
My dad had been the one to probe. Asking how I’d be a father if I wasn’t together with the mother. I went through the details Neva and I had hammered out, and the agreement we’d both signed. My father had looked at me curiously, and said very little, making a joke about my mother needing to look at how to be a glamorous grannie, to which she’d battered him with a cushion.
Both of them had asked questions since, usually when I was on my own with one of them. My mum asked lots about Neva, who she’d met a few times and liked. She seemed to understand Neva’s position and was happier about a planned baby and not me knocking up some WAG wannabe. My dad asked more about how me and Neva were getting along and if there was more to it.
My answer had been short and incomplete. It was an arrangement, but I knew it was more than that. I wanted more than that, and I figured she did too. She just hadn’t accepted that she was allowed to fall for a man who was younger. I didn’t tell my dad that, but the look he’d given me suggested he suspected there was more than just friends making a baby.
On my bathroom floor, with her just about managing to control her sobs, I felt helpless. I wanted this for her, and for me. I didn’t want her to be upset and I was worried that her being anxious about getting pregnant wasn’t helping.
“I know. No one will see us until we’ve been trying six months.” I rested my chin on her shoulder. “Because not getting pregnant straight away is normal.”
“I know. I know this.” She relaxed some more. “Thank you for being you. For understanding.” She turned round and managed to smile at me. “Thank you for being my future child’s father. You’ll be an amazing dad.”
I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Maybe some of the time. I’ll try my best.” Another kiss. “They’ll be lucky to have you for a mum too, even if you’re going to be a helicopter parent.”
She laughed. I gave myself a medal.
“They’ll have you to balance me out. Or balance each other out.” She was definitely past the worst of her crying now.
“I have a suggestion. Hear me out.” I had no idea if this was the right time to suggest this.
“Okay. Go on.” She was definitely mellowing.
“We have ten days between matches coming up so Guy’s given us permission to go away. Why don’t we book a few days away – somewhere in Europe – and just have fun and pretend we’re a normal couple.” I paused, waiting to see how much she protested. None came but I decided to nip it in the bud. “I know we’re not like a normal couple, and I’m not saying this is a date or something romantic, but we get a change of scenery and we can relax.”
She was quiet for another few seconds. I’d lied about the romantic thing. I intended to romance the hell out of her, even though this was meant to be anything other than that sort of relationship.
“Where would we go?”
I thought quickly. “Amsterdam?” Paris would’ve been too obvious, Rome would’ve been my next choice but I knew she’d been there a few months ago with Genny.
“I haven’t been to Amsterdam. Is this because you want to watch the sex shows?” She was smiling properly now.
“That would be interesting, but I’m not bothered if we don’t. There’s a ton of other stuff to see. What do you think?”
“You’ve got me in a soft moment. Why not?” She shrugged, snuggling into me more. “No one’s going to say anything. Apart from making comments about you and sex shows.”
I laughed, knowing she was exactly right. “I’ll book us something. Can you get time off?”
“Yeah, I have loads of leave to use up. I was saving it in case I went down the donor route. So I guess this is the same thing.”
“Funny girl. Okay, I’ll book. What do you want to do today?” It was a Sunday and there was no game as we’d played at home the day before, scraping a one-nil win. Nate had been the most pleased because he and his defence had locked the other team out, despite them having more position. The bad start to the season had gotten better, but that was more due to luck rather than any improvement.
It was blowing a gale outside so I was really hoping she wouldn’t say anything that involved going outside, and it was only just after seven in the morning, so watching Buffy episodes in bed did not sound like a bad plan. Falling back asleep during one sounded even better.
“I don’t have really bad cramps, but they could happen, so a bath and get in bed for a bit longer.” She started laughing. “That’s what you were hoping I’d say, isn’t it?”
“Totally. Maybe we could get Sunday lunch later if you were up to it?” I knew that her cramps would last four or five hours and then they’d ease off, so somewhere for a late Sunday dinner was possible.
“Maybe. Let’s see.” She pulled herself off my lap and stood up. “I know you’re thinking I’m going to say it’s too coupley.”
“I was wondering if you’d think that. Do you think that?”
She nodded. “But we both know where we stand and what we’re doing, so we’re not giving ourselves the wrong impression, and if anyone sees us, it doesn’t matter.” She started to run a bath, daylight just about coming in through the windows. “Shit, I need to change your sheets.”
