The day was grey but dry outside and the farm kitchen cold when Kate struggled in to make herself a late-morning cup of tea. Neither of her sisters were there. Laura had brought her tea and toast in bed first thing before she’d headed off into town, evidently to have breakfast with Paul even though she’d only seen him last night, and Kate had no idea where Bree was. The house was so quiet it compounded her gloomy mood.

She sat hunched over the table, her hands gripped around the hot mug for warmth, and stared at the dark glass of the slow combustion. The fire had gone out and she didn’t have the energy to get it started again. Her night had been restless – nowhere in the bed could she get comfortable for long. If she was like that now how would it be later in the pregnancy when she got bigger?

She sipped the hot tea and wondered again for the hundredth time since the doctor had told her she was pregnant how she was going to manage. She had another week before Sean would be back. Their nightly phone calls were a struggle. She’d taken to making a list of things that happened each day so that she could fill their calls with chat.

She wondered at Sarah and her wild enthusiasm at the prospect of being a mother, when Kate had no such feelings. She was filled with a heavy dread when she thought of the future with a baby. She didn’t mind kids but they needed to be three or more. Babies were not her thing. It wasn’t from lack of experience. Sean had several nieces and nephews and they’d even looked after a couple of them from time to time but never when they were babies.

A lock of hair fell forward. She took it in her fingers, inspected it and was appalled to realise she hadn’t washed her hair in several days. She sat back and groaned just as the kitchen door opened. Bree strode in carrying some bags.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Kate said. “I just know what a wreck I look.”

“I’m going to fix that.” Laura followed Bree into the kitchen and she also carried bags. “We’re having a girls’ pamper day. I’ve bought every type of treat.” She lifted a shopping bag in the air. “There has to be something in here to tempt you.”

“Do you have chips?” Kate asked.

Laura’s eyes sparkled. “Three different flavours.” She emptied one shopping bag onto the table.

Kate sifted through bags of chips, biscuits, chocolates and lollies, then opened a bag of chicken chips and put one in her mouth. “Yum,” she said between crunches. “That’s just what I felt like.”

“I have healthy stuff too.” Laura carried her other bag to the bench. “Strawberries, bananas, crunchy rolls and ice cream.”