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‘You said that you worked in fertility?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Is it hard to do both?’ Steele asked.
‘I set firm boundaries,’ Anton explained. ‘I first did obstetrics then moved into fertility. I missed it, though, and so when I moved to England I changed back to obstetrics. I still keep my hand in when I can. I would love somehow to do both but they are both very consuming.’
‘There are a lot of changes, I guess?’ Steele could not believe he was pushing this conversation.
Anton could. ‘There are constant changes.’
‘What about for men?’ Steele asked. ‘I mean, you hear all the advancements for women...’ He could not believe he was discussing this. He actually wanted to stop because if there wasn’t hope then perhaps it would be better not to know.
‘Things are different for men also. There is a procedure called ICSE now. Basically, if you can get one healthy sperm an egg can be fertilised. Even if the sperm count comes back as negative, you can go into the vas deferens...’
Steele pulled a face at the thought of a needle in his balls.
‘Under local.’ Anton smiled.
He’d do it.
And there was the difference, Steele realised. He’d had a lot of loves in his life but never till now ‘the one’.
One that meant two hours after taking his first sip of a very welcome Scotch and a whole lot of talking with Anton, he was standing in a room, pants around his ankles, filling a specimen jar.
‘That was quick,’ Anton teased as Steele came into his office and he took the jar. ‘You might want to work on that.’ Then he was serious as he prepared the sample. ‘You know that if I find nothing in the specimen I can still go into the vas deferens. I might want to do that sober, though.’
‘Just tell me.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CANDY CRIED OVER GERRY.
And on days two and three Candy cried quite a bit about finding herself twenty-four years old and pregnant with twins.
Day three she had explored the island and on day four the dam broke and Candy sobbed at the unfairness of it all, that the man she knew she loved had arrived in her life at a time when all the odds were stacked against them.
By day five she gave up on crying and took Steele’s money, which she had in a separate purse, and bought a fabulous, seriously fabulous sea-green sarong.
As she handed over the money it felt crinkly and new and she glanced at it and she started laughing.
Liar, liar.
These were far newer notes than Steele had said they were.
He had been to the bank after all!
She loved him.
A lot more relaxed and a little bit sunburnt, in the late afternoon Candy put on her sarong and set off. She sat on a hill, looking out at the ocean, and tried to finally sort her list out.
She dealt with the easiest first.
Job.
She chewed her pen for a full two minutes before deciding that she did love Emergency. No, she didn’t want them all finding out that the twins were Gerry’s but, of course, they would.
And she’d deal with it.
The Gerry’s Wing thing was a bit ouch, but she’d just have to suck it up.
She needed the maternity leave.
Which brought her onto the next thing that was worrying her—money. She didn’t write that down. Candy didn’t even have to think about that. She wrote ‘Ha-ha-ha’ instead and then moved on to the next one.
Gerry’s parents.
Okay, she would telephone them when she returned and tell them the news and, if they wanted to or when they’d calmed down, she would offer to go and speak with them.
Next.
Her parents.
Candy had already decided she was moving, far away so that they couldn’t just drop in. Even if it would be easier to have them nearer.
She took a breath. The harder matters were approaching.
Gerry.
‘I should have gone to the memorial service.’
Candy didn’t know what else to write. She didn’t know how to write that she didn’t love him but she hated that he was dead and that not only would the world move on without him, but he would have children and not know.
They would know about him though, Candy promised.
‘I will tell the twins about you and keep in touch with your family.’
And then she got to the top of the list but she’d left it till last because it was the one that left her so, so confused.
