I knew it. “Have you told Harry it’s getting a bit much?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied, deadly serious.
I couldn’t help but smile. After her little outburst, I wasn’t sure who to sympathise with more – Jules or her husband?
“He says it’s my hormones.”
“Hormones?” I looked at her confused. “What have they got to do with a broken leg?”
Jules wrinkled her nose as she looked at me.
“No,” I said. As the penny began to drop, I covered my mouth with my hand, hiding my grin just in case I was wrong.
Jules’s smile beamed. She nodded. “Yes. I’m pregnant.”
I screamed and bounced up and down in my seat with joy, causing Frank to lift his head and let out a short sharp bark, before settling back down again. “Since when? Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“Oh you, know. That wholekeep things to yourself until a certain point just in casething. Although to be fair, we only found out a couple of weeks ago, so it hasn’t been a secret for long.”
“Even so,” I said. I didn’t know how she’d managed to keep quiet at all.
“You don’t mind us not telling you, do you?” Jules asked.
“Of course, I don’t.”
“Because as well as wanting to make sure nothing, well, you know… I think we just wanted the baby to ourselves for a short while.”
“Aw, that’s so lovely.” Tears welled in my own eyes, but with no hanky to hand, I’d no choice but to make use of my sweater sleeves. “I’m so pleased for you both. Harry must be delighted.”
Jules smiled. “He is.”
“I wish I could give you both a hug,” I said, telling myself January would be round before I knew it.
“Look, I should let you go,” Jules said. “You’ve got a table to lay, and a Santa visit to get ready for.”
“Okay,” I said. I smiled at my friend, unable to believe that she was starting her own family. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, yeah. To wish you both – or should I say all three of you, a happy Christmas.”
As we ended our call, I couldn’t stop grinning.
Frank let out a long, pitiful whine.
I chuckled. Having been the centre of attention himself since he was a puppy, no wonder he wasn’t happy.
