Page 19 of A Merry Little Christmas

‘Yuk. Does that hurt?’ he said, recoiling.

She laughed at the look on his face. ‘Not really.’

Freya had a feel too. ‘It’s moving, like it’s dancing about. A girl! Maybe we’re going to have a sister, Harley!’

‘Oh goodie, another one,’ he replied flatly, making Merry smile.

‘Boys can dance,’ said Merry. ‘And at the Christmas lights switch-on, you thought I was having a boy, remember?’

Freya flung her arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry about knocking into you. I cried when I got home because I thought it was my fault that you had to go to hospital.’

‘Oh, sweetpea.’ Merry kissed her head, shifting a little so Freya wasn’t pressing quite so hard on her stomach. ‘It wasn’t your fault, I promise.’

She blew out a breath. ‘Phew.’

‘But Mum did say you had to be gentle with her,’ Harley pointed out and hopped into the front seat before his sister could get there.

‘Harley!’ Freya tugged his arm. ‘It’s my turn.’

‘Oi, you two, stop fighting, and, Merry, why aren’t you in the car!’ said Cole.

‘We’ve been feeling the baby,’ Freya told him. ‘It’s moving.’

His eyes widened. ‘Really? Is everything OK?’

‘Yes, Cole, please stop fussing,’ Merry said, wishing he’d just relax.

She clambered into the back seat where she could stretch out beside Freya.

‘Has the water definitely stopped leaking out now?’ Freya eyed her dubiously, squashing herself up beside the opposite door just in case.

‘I hope so.’

‘But from now on, Merry has to be super careful to make sure the baby stays safe,’ Cole told his daughter. ‘We don’t want her or the baby getting ill.’

It wasn’t the actual words, but more the tone, which made her hackles rise, as if somehow it was her fault that her waters had broken in the first place.

‘I’ve been super careful ever since I found out I was expecting our baby,’ she said in a clipped voice. ‘And I have no intention of doing anything to jeopardise that now.’

Cole laughed softly as he started the car and drove up to the car park barrier. ‘Apart from organising four Christmas candle-making workshops to run while you’re eight months pregnant and packing the house up ready to move and—’

Merry let out a noise which could only be described as a deep growl. ‘It’s my livelihood, and I’m packing because you promised we’d be in before the baby came, remember? And I don’t see you slowing down, Mr Fly Off to Germany at the Drop of a Hat.’

Harley whistled under his breath. ‘She’s got a point, Dad.’

‘Ha,’ Merry folded her arms, realising as she did so that she was being very immature.

‘But I’m not the one carrying the baby, am I?’ Cole caught her eye in the rear-view mirror and gave her a knowing look.

‘And don’t I know it!’ she retorted, turning away.

‘Let’s talk about this when we get home,’ he said nervously.

They never argued, ever, but if they did need to talk about something sensitive, they’d avoid doing it in front of the children, all too aware that anything they said might get repeated to Lydia, Cole’s ex-wife.

‘Uh-oh,’ said Freya. ‘She’s turning into Momzilla. That’s like Bridezilla, but for mums.’

Harley spluttered with laughter and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cole was trying to smother a smile too.