June looked up from the book, pulling off her glasses, her bossy, no-nonsense exterior seeming to vanish for a moment. 'Then I'd say Jeremy's a lucky man. Their first smile is always something special, he was lucky to witness it. However, we'll write five weeks in the book, shall we?' Pulling on her glasses again, she picked up her pen.
It was a short, almost inconsequential conversation, but to Alice it was a revelation. Jeremy had sworn he'd seen Maisy's first smile, and there would be other firsts too that he would witness if only she would let him. Maisy and Jeremy had already shared so much. So he wasn't her biological father—he was the one who had been there when it had mattered, who had held her when she was born, showed her the moon and the stars.'
'Right, then, I'd better do this letter.'
Alice stood up, grabbing Maisy's nappy bag. 'June, there's somewhere I have to be. Look, could you hold off on the letter for now? I'll give you a call later in the week.' She paused. 'If I still need it.'
June gave her a wide smile. 'Or to make a further appointment. Good luck, Alice.'
Mavis had been right. Melbourne was known for its four seasons in one day. The blue sky had darkened and huge raindrops were starting to pelt from the dark grey sky, gaining in momentum. They would get drenched. About to turn back into the centre to ring for a taxi, she caught sight of a silver car. For a second her heart seemed to stop for there was Jeremy, waiting for her, ready to help her just as he always had been. Catching her eye, he ran out of the car. Throwing his coat over Maisy's carrycot, he ran with her the short distance to his car.
'Get in. I'll take care of Maisy.'
As she sat there in the warmth, watching as he diligently strapped her baby in, Alice realised that she wasn't really surprised to see him. After all, hadn't he always been there for them both when he was needed?
Slipping into the car beside her, he gave her a tired, cautious smile. 'Mum said you'd gone out without an umbrella, so I thought I'd better come when it started raining. He looked over at Maisy. 'How did she go?'
'She's put on another 300 grams.'
'That's good.' He looked utterly spent. He should have been in a bath, soaking away the pain and horrors of the last twenty-four hours, but instead he managed to turn and give Maisy a tender smile. 'You're catching up fast, aren't you, little lady?' As he reached forward to turn on the heater Alice's hand caught his.
'Thank you, Jeremy, for being there.'
'No problem. I didn't want her getting wet.'
'I mean for always being there, not just today.' She stared at her hand coiled tightly around his and she could feel his searching eyes questioning her movement, sense his uncertainty as to her sudden change. 'What would you say if I told you that saying goodbye to you was the biggest mistake of my life?'
For what seemed like an eternity he didn't answer, his eyes never for a second leaving her face. 'I'd be inclined to agree with you.'
'And what would you say if I told you I don't want to go to the country. I want to be here with you.' A sob escaped her lips as she finally admitted the truth.
'Hey, Alice.' He turned to face her. Gently disengaging is hand, he cupped her face with his palms. 'You don't have to stay here to have me. If you think things will be better for Maisy in the country then that's where we'll go.'
In stunned wonder she gazed at him through her tears. 'You'd do that for us? You'd give up your job?'
'In an instant. Alice, forget what I said about never living in a tent. If that's what it will take to keep you two, I'd pack up my backpack here and now. Admittedly I'd have to buy one first.'
She managed the tiniest laugh, then the tears came again. 'You don't have to leave your job. I only wanted to go to the country to give Maisy some security. I can't believe you'd do all this for me when I've been so awful, so doubting. How can you still love me?'
'Because I do, and that's all you need to know. Alice, you've had the most terrible time, you've been through so much. You were right to be doubtful—even I shudder at my past, and at the end of the day you had Maisy to think of. I know you had to be sure, and though I'm not going to deny it hurt I can understand it. You're a mother now, you had to put your child first—if anything I love you all the more for it.'
His lips met hers, his chin rough and unshaven scratching against her tears-soaked cheeks, his lips warm and full, quieting the sobs from her trembling mouth. And as Maisy drifted off to dream milky dreams he kissed Alice slowly and swore he'd never let her go again.
Finally, when the rain had stopped and the windows had long since misted over, he started the engine. Turning, he smiled, all traces of tiredness gone now. 'Where to, ladies?'
She glanced into the back, where Maisy slept on peacefully, and then her gaze drifted to Jeremy, the other love of her life, and Alice knew without a shadow of doubt that she was the luckiest woman alive. 'Take us home, Jeremy,' she said softly. 'Take us home.'
EPILOGUE
Alice knew she should have been resting, but with the apartment to herself for once she had taken the opportunity of filling yet another photo album and making entries in Maisy's milestone book. Hearing the key in the lock, she let her eyes linger for a second longer on Maisy's adoption certificate, which certified Jeremy as her father. No matter how many times she gazed at the simple piece of paper, taking pride of place in Maisy's 'first year' book, it never failed to move her.
'Feeling better?' Jeremy asked as he staggered through the door, clutching a sleeping Maisy and the never-ending paraphernalia that seemed to accompany her.
'Much. I just needed a couple of hours. A and E was really busy last night.'
'Well, forget about work for now. Neither of us have to be back until Monday.'
He was right. The whole weekend lay before them and Alice stretched luxuriously on the bed. 'Was it a good party?'
Jeremy grinned. 'Well, not as wild as some I've been to, but it was certainly as noisy. Maisy had a ball. I'd better put her down, she's out of it.'
'How were the twins?' Alice asked as he returned. 'It's hard to believe that they're one already.'
'You'd better believe it. They're as cheeky and corrupt as their father. I caught Eamon stuffing ice-cream cake into poor little Maisy.'
Alice didn't believe him for a moment, knowing Jeremy was more than likely to have been the culprit there.
'Here, I got you a present.' He thrust a brown paper bag onto the bed. 'I'm becoming quite a celebrity at the local chemist. I think they officially class me as a "sensitive guy" now. How much more caring can you get—buying a pregnancy test kit with Maisy in a carry sling? I shall have to grow a beard and start eating lentils.' He was rambling now, unsure of her reaction.
So he'd noticed she'd missed her period! Opening the bag in silence, Alice finally found her voice. 'Actually, Jeremy, I beat you to it.' Padding through to the en suite bathroom, she handed him the indicator. 'I was going to tell you this evening.'
He didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at the tiny faint line which meant they were going to have another baby. 'We'll have two babies under two,' she said with a slight tremble in her voice. 'I'm going to get huge again.'
'Alice!' The rapture in Jeremy's voice said it all. 'Two babies will be wonderful, and Mum will always help out. And as for your size...as if that's going to worry me. You were huge when I met you!' Picking her up in his arms, he carried her the short distance to the bed. 'Now, young lady, it's back to bed with you. You should take the opportunity while Maisy's asleep.'
'But I'm not tired...' Alice protested.
Placing her gently down, he climbed on the bed beside her and kissed her slowly, deeply, leaving her in no doubt he was as delighted with the news as she was. 'That's good,' he said, coming up for air. 'Who said anything about sleeping?'
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The Pregnant Intern Page 17