Page 27 of One Day at a Time

Even though that base was pointless, Sheena nodded. Okay, just get this bit out of the way and then she’d be on to the next bit, where they’d work out a treatment plan that would get a grip of whatever messed-up force had overtaken her body and mind.

The doctor made a quick call, and two minutes later a smiling nurse came into the room, brandishing a tray and a sample cup. None of the white sticks here, clearly. They were going old-school.

‘If you’d just like to follow me, Mrs Carswell.’

Weirdly, it felt strange to hear that. Mrs Carswell. She wasn’t anymore, not really. As she followed the nurse, her mind was taken off this futile exercise by a question that had just popped up in her head. Mrs Carswell. If and when they divorced… She stopped herself there.Let’s not kid about this.In her heart, she knew that there wasn’t really an ‘if’.Whenthey divorced, would she keep her married name or revert to her maiden name? She’d been Sheena Carswell for so much longer than she’d ever been Sheena McInally. It would mean changing her business card and the signage on the door. And then there was her passport, her driving licence and her Zara account. Uch, who could be bothered with all that? It could stay as Carswell. It was easier to spell anyway.

‘Just in here, Mrs Carswell,’ Smiley nurse said as she opened the door of a one-cubicle bathroom. ‘Just give me a shout at the desk when the sample is ready and I’ll come back for it.’

‘Thank you.’ Sheena went in, took a seat, and thought about how hilarious Chanel and Martha would find this. It definitely hadn’t been on her list of tasks she’d imagined performing when she woke up this morning.

A few minutes later, test completed, she washed her hands and let the nurse know that she was done. ‘Lovely. I’ll just ask you to wait at the chairs at the end of corridor, and Dr Diallo will collect you as soon as she’s ready.’

Along at the chairs, she pulled out her phone, texted the Forty-Two Long group chat.

Just had to do a pregnancy test. My ovaries are giggling at the very thought of it. Anyone free for drinks later?

The replies came through almost instantly.

From Martha – a laughing face and then…

More chance of you shagging Brad Pitt than being cheggers. On second point, you’re confusing me with someone who is allowed out midweek. I’m on mum taxi duty. See you for a coffee at the weekend. Love ya! xx

From Chanel…

Now have mental image of you peeing that I could do without. Also yes. St Kentigern at 6? xx

Sheena had just answered with thumbs up and kissing emojis to both, when Dr Diallo popped her head out of her door. ‘Sheena, would you like to come back through?’

Sheena did as she was asked, perfectly carefree as she headed back to the doctor’s office, already running through her plans for the rest of the day. Hopefully Dr Diallo would start her off on a low-dose HRT, and she could take her prescription to the chemist in the supermarket across the road to be filled. Then she’d have some time to kill so she could stop by Carlo’s Café for a coffee afterwards. It was a bistro she loved and it was only afive-minute walk from here. After that, she could head back into the city centre and?—

‘Right, Sheena, we’ve got the results of your test here…’

Her mind was already three steps ahead. Okay, negative, of course. Let’s move on. Prescription, chemist, coffee…

‘And I know that this will probably come as a bit of a shock to you…’

And then maybe stop by her flat to get changed before heading out to meet Chanel. You never knew who you might meet in the St Kentigern bar. Not that she was desperate to date quite yet, but someone completely unexpected could come into your life at any time and change your whole future.

‘Sheena, the test you just did has confirmed that you are indeed pregnant.’

14

MADDIE

‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Maaaa-die, happy birthday to you!’

Maddie blew out the twenty-nine candles on her cake and then took a bow, as everyone in the café and the salon cheered. Jessie and Alyssa had, of course, organised the party and, as with any social occasion with free sausage rolls, half the village was here. Half the village plus one.

Her pregnancy was no longer a well-kept secret, because not only did she work in the gossip hub for all interesting news and salacious scandal within a ten-mile radius, but she was, more importantly, most definitely ‘showing’. However, she had a firm story, and she was sticking to it. It had been decided a few days after she’d seen the word PREGNANT on the test and, like all serious discussions, it had taken place in the village equivalent of a government Situation Room. In Weirbridge, they just called it Val’s kitchen.

‘What am I going to tell people?’ she’d said, as she’d added another packet of caramel wafers to the extra-large biscuit tin.

Val, Jessie and Alyssa were assembled, and several items hadalready been ticked off the agenda. The first had been Maddie’s decision on the possibility of relocating to London. She hadn’t wanted to let Alyssa down, so they’d still gone on the trip south and stayed in Georgie’s empty house, partied (without alcohol for Maddie), went to the theatre, shopped and coffee’d until their feet ached. They’d spent time in Grant’s salon and loved every second of it, but even if she weren’t still reeling in a state of shock about incubating a small human, she’d have known as soon as she got there that it wasn’t for her. It was fabulous, it was glam and it was packed with champagne-sipping customers, but maybe Maddie had been in Weirbridge for too long, because she just thought how competitive and superficial it all seemed. No one was chatting. No one was shouting down the salon to let the rest of the customers know that a parking warden was ticketing their Bentleys outside. No one was laughing and there wasn’t even the threat of anyone randomly bursting into song. She’d flown back north at the end of the trip and she’d known that she’d be staying in Scotland. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was a start.

Next on the agenda had been the allocation of the support squad for the antenatal appointments. Val had volunteered for them all, because, as she put it, she’d just started a couch to 5K regime and she preferred the couch, so any excuse not to exercise was good with her.

Alyssa had nominated herself as diet and nutrition consultant, insisting that she draw up an optimal eating plan for pregnancy and informing the newly formed, adhoc pregnancy committee that she would prepare and provide Maddie’s daily meals at the café.