“I painted Freddie’s first room yellow,” says Emma.

“And you knew it was a mistake and changed it to green,” Lily says.

“True. But only because it was the wrong shade of yellow. It was too bright. Like standing inside a tub of margarine.”

I lean back against my pillow and rest my hands on my belly. The baby gives me a gentle wave.

“Could I get some sleep and maybe talk about the list tomorrow?” I ask.

My friends look at one another, considering my request.

“Seems reasonable,” says Lily. She puts the pen and pad on my bedside table.

“Do you want me to stay the night?” asks Mags.

“No, really, I’m going to be fine.”

Emma squeezes my hand. “I’ll come with you to the scan tomorrow. Just let me know when it is and I’ll pick you up.”

Yawning, I curl up on my side. “Goodnight, guys. Pull the door closed on your way out.”

They tiptoe exaggeratingly out of the room.

“Night,” Mags says. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

“And I’ll keep my phone beside me and tell Darryl to keep his filthy hands off me,” Lily calls as she opens the front door.

I close my eyes and absorb the silence once they leave. It’s a nice quiet. A calm quiet. My baby shifts about getting comfortable and we both drift off to sleep.

19

Leanne rings as Emma is driving me home from the doctor. I didn’t think anyone in the medical profession made personal calls like this. I actually thought there might be a rule against it.

“How did it go?” she asks.

“Just as you predicted. My doctor said the scan shows nothing out of the ordinary and that I should start on some iron tablets, which I now have in my hands.”

“Excellent. Are you going to rest for the remainder of the day?”

“Yes, boss. Emma’s dropping me home now.”

“Any more bleeding?”

“Just a couple of spots. Nothing, really.”

I glance at Emma, who scowls at the road ahead. There may have been a slight withholding of information from my end. As in, I told Emma I hadn’t bled at all.

“Well, take care, Trish. I’ll pop round and see you in the morning.”

“But, I… I mean, I’ll be at work tomorrow.”

There’s a long pause and I know I’ve said the wrong thing.

“My advice would be to take another day off, Trish, and maybe look to reduce your hours.”

“But I’m only six months.”

“And your body is telling you to slow down.”