‘I didn’t really know how to tell you…’ Libby looked at her mother and took a deep breath. ‘I’m pregnant.’
Miriam stood still in shock.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘I know. It’s a massive shock. I’m pregnant, ten weeks in fact. The baby is Luca’s.’
Miriam made her way over to a nearby bench and sat down. ‘Oh my!’ she said. Libby joined her on the bench.
‘I’m sorry to tell you like this, out of the blue, but there hasn’t really been an opportunity and I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.’
‘No… I can see that.’ Miriam shook her head. ‘But… you and Luca have only been together such a short time. How do you know he’s the right man to be having a baby with?’
‘I suppose I don’t really. It wasn’t planned, Mum. Luca and I love each other and we are serious about each other, but we wouldn’t have chosen this to happen now.’
‘Certainly not,’ said Miriam.
‘I feel so foolish, so cross with myself that I’ve got myself into this situation. But the fact is, somehow, despite the fact we were very careful to use protection, this has happened. A baby is coming and there’s not much either of us can do to change it.’
‘Does Helen know?’ asked Miriam.
‘No, I haven’t told anyone except Luca, Angus and Jules. I can’t bear the thought of telling Helen. Telling Angus was bad enough… he thinks I’ve really messed up. At least Jules has been supportive. Knowing that Angus thinks I’m making a terrible mistake has been really hard to take.’
‘You’ll have to tell her.’
‘I know. She’s not going to take it well.’
‘All she wants is a baby.’
‘I know. I feel guilty, really I do, but as I said, this was an accident…’ She tried to repress a surge of panic that suddenly swelled within her. This situation was so completely out of her control. She had no choice but to forge a path through it, but it was so hard.
‘Oh my goodness. I’m going to have a grandchild! I just can’t believe it’s going to happen quite like this. Out of wedlock. I mean, your father would turn over in his grave. What will everyone say?’
‘Do you really think Dad would be that shocked? Things are quite different these days; people decide to have children without getting married all the time. There are lots of single-parent families – and at least Luca and I are still together…’ For now, she added quietly to herself, unable to shake the doubt that things might not work out between them.
‘Well, I suppose it’s a blessing he didn’t leave the second he found out.’
‘He’s not like that, Mum.’
‘I wouldn’t know. I’ve never even met him!’
‘You will. He’s coming over in two weeks for the scan. It’s going to be on the Friday afternoon. Why don’t you have lunch with us on the Sunday so you can meet him properly? We will have a picture of the baby by then, all being well, so you can have a look…’
This seemed to cheer Miriam up slightly. Libby knew she needed to keep her mind focused on the positives. Her mother would be desperately worried about what other people would think. She had always played by society’s rules and hated the thought of any kind of scandal. The trouble was that Libby’s pregnancy probably would count as a disgrace amid Miriam’s small-minded circle of friends in Kent, and Libby would probably be the talk of the village when word got out. But Miriam had always said how desperate she was for a grandchild, so Libby was sure the fact that she would be a granny in just over six months’ time would be a major comfort to her.
‘What was your morning sickness like when you had me and Helen?’ asked Libby. She wanted to compare notes.
‘I don’t think I really had much. To be honest, I can’t really remember. One of you was worse than the other but I’m not sure which.’
‘I’m so worried about the scan,’ said Libby. ‘What if there’s nothing in there?’
‘Darling, that is extremely unlikely if you’ve been feeling sick!’
‘What if the baby has Down’s Syndrome?’
‘The chances of that are very slim. But there are plenty of Down’s children who go on to live perfectly happy lives, so it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. They will do further testing if it looks as if it might be a possibility.’
‘Yes, I suppose we would try and find out everything we could.’
