‘I couldn’t be happier for you both. How have you been feeling, love? Any sickness?’
Lottie smiled up at Brad.
‘Yeah, quite a bit at first, but it’s calmed down now.’
‘Good. I was sick as a dog for the first few months with both of you. And I had a weird craving for tuna and gherkin sandwiches at all times of the day and night.’
‘Yuk. For me, it’s burgers. Really greasy burgers, dripping with mayonnaise and mustard.’ Lottie grasped her boyfriend’s hand. ‘But Brad’s been so good. He’s happy to go to the drive-thru any time to satisfy my every whim.’
‘Yes, your father got so that he could whip up a tuna and gherkin sandwich in seconds. And you know what a terrible cook he was…’
Grace stopped speaking as her daughter’s face crumbled. Phil had become the elephant in the room. She hadn’t meant to mention him; it had just slipped out. She’d been thinking about her husband less since she’d arrived in Greece and there had been whole days when she hadn’t thought about him at all. But with something as monumental as this, their first grandchild, she couldn’t stop herself.
Her daughter’s imminent tears were about to set off her own. Grace fought to be the calm one. She couldn’t lose it. Her daughter needed her to be strong.
‘Oh, Mum, I can’t stop thinking about how thrilled Dad would have been.’
Grace blew her daughter a kiss to give herself a moment.
‘He would, darling, he would have been over the moon. But please don’t upset yourself, it’s not good for the baby.’
Protecting her daughters from all the things they’d lost with Phil’s death was second nature to her now, but sometimes she wondered, who was going to protect her? Those plans for the future had gone up in smoke for all of them, not just the girls. Most of the time she managed to keep a lid on it, but when it was staring her in the face, like today, it hurt.
A tear made its way down her daughter’s tanned cheek.
‘It’s bloody unfair that Dad will never know my child.’
Brad’s arms went round her daughter, and she laid her head against his chest while he stroked her hair. Grace experienced a pang of envy that she quickly dismissed. It should be her comforting her daughter. But she’d passed that baton on a long time ago.
‘Sweetheart, please don’t cry. Your father will know about the baby, somehow, somewhere, I really believe that.’
‘I’m glad you do, Mum, because I absolutely don’t believe in any of that stuff. Dad’s gone and he’s never coming back.’
Her daughter’s voice was muffled and the dark tearstain on Brad’s T-shirt was spreading rapidly as Lottie kept her head against his chest. A change of subject was needed urgently.
‘Have you told your sister, and Jilly, about the baby?’
Lottie turned back to the camera, and Brad passed her a tissue. Grace waited for the answer while her daughter blew her nose several times.
‘Not yet. It was you first. After Brad’s family of course. As Suzie pulled a few strings to be in charge of our maternity care, she’s known from the start.’
Lottie ruffled Brad’s hair.
‘And we didn’t think it was fair that she’d have to lie to her own parents about what was going on, so we told them too, a couple of weeks ago.’
‘No, of course.’
So, Grace wasn’t quite first, but she wouldn’t let it matter.
‘So, do you have a plan?’
A plan was always a plus for Grace.
‘As long as everything progresses as it’s supposed to…’
Both Lottie and Brad crossed their fingers at the camera and met for a kiss.
‘I’ll keep working at the dive centre for as long as I’m able. I can take over a lot more of the admin as I get bigger, and we’ll look for temporary staff to cover me on the diving side.’
