Ricky felt his heart sink; it was like his wedding night all over again, a sudden revelation that was about to break his happy idyll. Was his Verity ill? Or had she found someone else? He said nothing, and just looked at Verity, waiting dumbly for her to pronounce the sentence that would dash all his dreams. Verity took a deep breath, trying to control the quiver in her voice.

‘I’m pregnant. I know you thought that you couldn’t have children, and I thought it was too late for me. But there it is, I’m pregnant.’ Looking at Ricky, whose mouth was wide open in shock, Verity lost the battle to stay calm and firm, and quickly pleaded, ‘Ricky, please say something. Please tell me you’re pleased.’

Ricky closed and opened his mouth, struggling to master himself, before managing to say, ‘Verity, are you sure, are you absolutely sure?’ Verity nodded dumbly, waiting for him to pronounce the sentence that would dash all her dreams. What if he didn’t want the baby, what if he thought they were too old for children, what if he just wasn’t ready to make this sort of commitment so early in their relationship? Five years ago, Pete had made her abort their child, saying he wasn’t ready for children. She couldn’t lose this one, she just couldn’t. This was her last chance to have a child with someone she loved, maybe her last chance to have a child at all.

Ricky stood up, walked heavily over to the armchair where Verity was sitting and, kneeling down, put his arms around her waist and buried his head in her lap. Realizing he was crying, Verity started crying too, for herself, for him, for the baby. Imagine letting herself get knocked up at her age, like some stupid teenager. Everything had been going so well, and somehow she had managed to ruin things for them all. ‘Oh, Ricky,’ she said helplessly. Ricky looked up at her, his face wet with his tears.

‘How can you ask me if I’m pleased? Verity, my darling Verity, we’re going to have a baby, we’re going to be a family.’

Having started to cry when she had feared the worst, now the worst was over, Verity found she simply couldn’t stop. Ricky lifted himself onto one knee before her and, taking her hand, surprised them both by saying, ‘Verity Felicity Trueman, I think you’d better marry me as soon as possible, and make me the happiest man on earth.’

Fighting to smile through her tears, Verity just sobbed and nodded, holding tightly on to Ricky’s hand.