Chapter Twelve
Lisa looked at her phone balanced on the edge of Doc McFluffins’ hutch. She listened to Felicity laughing at her predicament through the speaker while she manoeuvred carefully round the rabbit to fill up his food bowls and hay rack.
‘Seriously, Flick, it’s not funny. One minute I was watching Nathan steadily breathing in his sleep, trying to settle my thoughts by remindingmyself how lucky I was, and the next I woke up sweating, eyes wide, having dreamt I’d pickled my baby.’
‘Lisa, don’t worry. Lots of women drink wine, or worse, before they know they’re pregnant.’
‘But what if that’s harmed the baby? I never would have drunk it if I’d known. I Googled it and—’
‘Stay away from Google. Please. You’ll worry yourself silly.’
Lisa thought back to herdream. ‘The baby won’t look all bloated, like one of those creatures we had in jars at the back of the science lab, will it, Flick?’
‘No. Of course it won’t. I think your mind is just on overdrive.’
Lisa heard the giggle in Flick’s voice despite her attempting to mask it with a cough.
‘I think you need to focus on telling Nathan.’
‘I am going to, but I wanted to wait until now.I think telling him on Valentine’s Day will make it really special. I probably should have done the test with him. Finding out together would have been better, but I think he’ll like what I’ve got planned too.’
‘Good, and then you can call the doctor’s and find out about booking in with a midwife. There’s no hurry, as it’s probably early days, but all of these things will put your mind atrest.’
‘Yes. You’re right. I know you’re right. I’ll stay focused.’ Lisa jumped as Doc McFluffins went to nip her hand. ‘Oh my god, Flick, not only have I drunk wine, I’ve cleaned up cat poo and I’ve climbed a tree – a tree, for goodness’ sake. What if I’d slipped or fallen? What if—’
‘Honestly, you just need to relax. Start by telling Nathan, and, Lisa, I’m sure it will all be fine.’
As Lisa agreed, they said their goodbyes.It will all be fine, she reminded herself. But she wished she knew that for sure. Doc McFluffins twitched his nose at her, and his whiskers vibrated inquisitively. ‘What do you think, Doc?’
The rabbit thumped his back legs and ran into the covered part of his hutch with a piece of cabbage leaf.
‘Hmm, Flick’s right. I need to speak to a realdoctor, and let’s hope he’ll be more reassuring.’
Back at her parents’ home, ready to put her Valentine’s Day plan into action, Lisa looked at the picture of the pregnancy test on her phone and smiled at the word on the screen,pregnant. She took the picture because with Pip, she hadn’t made it as far as the first scan; she had no evidence other than the memory of the too-brief time Pip hadlived inside her to show for her baby’s being. This time around she wanted a keepsake and had insisted on taking the picture before Felicity disposed of the test. While Flick had mentioned leaving it around to give Sue something to think about, Lisa had managed to convince her that keeping Sue on side so she would continue to have the children occasionally, enabling Flick to have a little free timeand to go for a run, was probably smarter.
With it being her first Valentine’s Day with Nathan since they had got back together, Lisa had spent a long time considering what to do, and what to get him. As they were both working from early in the morning, they had decided not to see each other until the evening; Nathan suggested that they go to Cin Cin. Lisa would have preferred somewhere moreprivate for what she had planned but didn’t want to spoil the surprise by saying so. Instead, she used Pete’s connections with the owners to secure them a round table. That way, they would have a degree of privacy and wouldn’t be sat at one of the long, copper-topped communal tables. She had also called in earlier in the day to speak to the owner to check everything was ready and there would beno hiccups to her plan.A special meal take three!Tonight there would be no potatoes-in-the-sink disaster or issues with the smell of the food –she had checked the menu and carefully considered what to eat. She was ready. Well, technically she still needed to shower, do her hair and make-up, and get dressed, but mentally she was ready.
Finally, Lisa looked in the mirror and smiled. It madea change to get dressed up as opposed to being in her work clothes or jeans and casual T-shirt. The glacial blue material of her dress matched her eyes, while the delicate floral detail added a splash of colour. She liked the no-sleeves, halter-neck style. The dress accentuated her fuller-than-usual bust, before falling to mid-thigh. She had scooped her hair into a loose chignon bun, and slippedon her linen-blend cardigan and shoes. Now, she was truly ready.
When the doorbell rang, Lisa took a steadying breath before answering it. Taking in the sight of Nathan on her parents’ doorstep made her pleased she had made an effort and sorry they had planned to go out. His charcoal grey fitted suit revealed broad shoulders and honed muscles, his classic white shirt was open at the neck,and she tried to focus enough not to think about pulling him closer and unbuttoning the rest of it.
Nathan paused, looking at her – a glint in his deep blue eyes and the hint of a wicked smile. ‘Wow! You look amazing.’
Lisa smiled, and her cheeks flushed. It was good to know she was having a similar effect on him.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day, shall we go?’
‘Yes … happy Valentine’s Day.’Nathan leaned in and kissed her.
He smelt every bit as good as he looked.
Slipping on her coat and closing the door behind her, Lisa welcomed the cool evening air to calm her nerves and her desire.
Cin Cin was as busy as Lisa thought it would be on Valentine’s night, but with nearly all of those there being couples out for an evening meal, the general noise level meant the two of themcould speak easily. Lisa ordered water with the offer to drive home, while Nathan ordered a Peroni. The table was intimate and lit by a tea light in a glass lantern. The flame flickered as they took their seats.
Lisa placed her hand on Nathan’s thigh, feeling his muscle flex at her touch through the smooth fabric of his trousers. She thought about the surprise waiting for him out the backof the restaurant, and reminded herself to breathe – slowly, steadily. If ever she needed to channel Dom’s superpower for staying calm, it was now. She knew telling Nathan, sharing the news that she was expecting his baby, would be oh so very different to when she had told Ben she was pregnant. That was why she wanted to do it differently. Despite her own fears about being pregnant again, she wantedto experience sharing the news in a happy, romantic way. The baby growing inside her deserved that; no matter what lay ahead, she wanted that moment for the baby, for her and for Nathan. Unlike Ben, who never wanted to share her with a baby, she knew Nathan wanted a family. They had spoken about it. Of course, that was before he knew about Pip, and they had been talking about the future, but shewas sure, at least she hoped, the timing wouldn’t matter.Everything will be fine.
Looking at Lisa with the hint of a nervous smile, Nathan placed a white gift bag she hadn’t seen him bring in to the restaurant, on the table in front of her. Touched by the lovely surprise, before realising she hadn’t got a gift to give him at the start of the meal, she bit her lip. She had thought so muchabout everything else she hadn’t thought of that.
