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‘I had a lovely maternity leave send-off. We had a fancy lunch out and I got such gorgeous presents from everyone. Beautiful baby grows and a cute sleeping bag with giraffes and elephants on it. Everyone was so kind and generous…’ Valentina’s voiced wavered and she pulled a rather soggy tissue from her pocket and wiped her nose with it. ‘I’ve been like this all week. Pregnancy hormones totally suck.’

‘Today was bound to be emotional.’

‘And terrifying! The other women who had children were talking about their birth experiences.’ Valentina looked at Frankie, eyes wide. ‘Some of the stories sounded like they belonged in a horror film, not a maternity ward! You know I’m not good with pain.’

‘You can choose to have drugs. Every single one they’ve got on offer.’

‘But what if the baby grows up hating me? Some of the others in the office were saying they have such awful screaming matches with their children.’

‘But that’s not always the way. We all got on with Mum and Dad. Yes, we had the occasional stroppy moment, but nothing terrible.’

Valentina nodded. ‘Todd said the teenage years could be bumpy but not always stereotypically horrendous. And he said he’s always there if I need to talk.’

‘Todd seems very considerate.’

Valentina nodded. ‘He is. He gave me one of those fancy baby monitors with the sensor pads, along with a digital thermometer and a bag of essentials like nappy-rash cream and wipes and those teeny-weeny clippers for little baby fingernails. He’s so generous.’

Frankie agreed; she knew just how expensive those baby monitors were. She glanced over at the massive bunch of flowers, sitting on the kitchen counter. Or could it be that he was feeling guilty? In for a penny…

‘Valentina, is Todd the father?’

Valentina paused, her tissue halfway to her nose again.

‘My boss, Todd?’

Frankie nodded.

Valentina looked at Frankie for a long moment before she let out a snort of amusement, which turned to chortle and then morphed into great big guffaws.

‘Oh God, I can’t breathe!’ Valentina gasped a few moments later as she wiped away tears of mirth from her eyes. ‘Don’t make me laugh; my bladder can’t cope.’ Eventually she calmed down. ‘Why on earth would you think it’s Todd?’

‘You didn’t want the flowers he gave you. Are you angry at him or will it be too painful to see them every day?’ Saying it out loud made it seem more than a little soap opera-ish.

Valentina managed to stop giggling to say, ‘I brought these flowers because of the lilies. The smell makes me totally nauseous since being pregnant. Is that all?’

‘No,’ Frankie shifted slightly awkwardly in her seat, ‘those gifts are quite substantial. And he’s been letting you take lots of time off and looking out for you in a way not many bosses would.’

Valentina nodded. ‘Because Todd is an understanding, thoughtful and kind boss. He’s also very happily married. And sixty-one.’ Valentina gave Frankie a look. ‘One of the reasons he’s so mindful of me and my pregnancy is because he and his wife went through years of IVF and a heartbreaking number of miscarriages.’

‘Oh. I had no idea.’

‘Then, they had the twins. Boy and a girl. They were premature and needed to stay in hospital for the first wee while. The twins are now eighteen and in their first year of college and strong and healthy. Todd is very open about everything he and his wife went through. He always gets the baby sensor pad as a maternity or paternity leave gift.’ Valentina patted Frankie’s hand. ‘And don’t start trying to work out if it’s anyone else at work. I’ve never had a romantic notion toward any of my colleagues. Or clients.’

Damn. That was Frankie’s other theory about the work’s leaving do.

‘I know you all think there’s a big drama about the father, but it’s really no big deal. It’s my decision to go it alone.’

Frankie waited a beat before continuing. ‘Does he⁠—’

‘He doesn’t know.’

Frankie sat back in her chair. Well, that finally answered that question.

Valentina cradled her bump and nodded calmly. ‘I didn’t come to this decision lightly. Me and the father weren’t in a relationship, it was very much a one-off thing. Being together is not an option.’ She shrugged. ‘Him knowing would change nothing and complicate everything.’

Frankie wondered if the father was already in a relationship. Although tempted to ask more, she didn’t. And it wasn’t her place to judge.

‘Okay, so with all this free time on your hands, will you be able to help with the Canine Cupids Christmas Club spreadsheet?’