Page 58 of One Day at a Time

Her mind reverted to her previous thoughts and she added another concern – there was too much time to talk to her baby and she was getting worried that the wee thing would come out wearing a frown and an expression of disapproval. It had plenty of reasons to be miffed, given the current status of its parents’ relationship.

When she’d first been admitted, she’d decided she couldn’t take the pain of waiting for Dylan to tell her he was reconciling with Rachel. She’d also dreaded the thought of explaining why she was in hospital. It was one thing hiding a pregnant body on a FaceTime call, but another camouflaging the fact that she was in a room surrounded by monitors and machines that beeped.

That’s why, early on Christmas morning, she’d sent him a text.

Hey, Happy Christmas! I know we planned to FaceTime today but Val and Jessie have surprised me with a week in Tenerife as a Christmas pressie. We leave today!

She knew that he’d believe that, because Jessie had a house in Tenerife that she visited often, and she’d told Maddie she could go there any time.

Jessie says there’s no signal there, so will be out of touch for a while. Will call you when I get back. Hope Santa is good to you…

Her thumbs had hovered at that point and then she’d deleted that last line, deciding it was too corny, and gone with…

Hope you have a fab Christmas, Mxx

He’d immediately rung her, but she hadn’t answered, so he’dfired a text back straight away, and he must have had a beer or two – not a surprise given that it would have been 1a.m. there – because he was a little bit mushy.

Gutted I won’t get to chat to you. Have I told you I miss you lately? Because I do. Happy Christmas x

Maddie had wanted to reply, pointing out that he wouldn’t be missing her when his ex-wife shuffled into town in her Daisy Dukes and cowboy boots. Yes, she might be slightly jealous that Rachel had legs that seemed to go on forever, while Maddie was currently the circumference of a garden hut. Or maybe it just felt that way.

For the countless time, she asked herself why he hadn’t told her about Rachel? He had no real reason to keep it hidden. They weren’t a couple. They’d both agreed that there were no strings or expectations. It didn’t make any sense, but maybe he was just waiting for the right moment. That seemed to be the story of their relationship.

Before she could slip any further into her gloom, the door opened, and Sharon came in, wearing a Santa hat and tinsel around the neck of her midwife uniform scrubs, with a small troop behind her. ‘I found this lot loitering in the hallway and shifted them before they caused any trouble.’

‘That’s my very favourite thing to do,’ Val said as she came in next, laden down with bags, Jessie and Alyssa following her.

Maddie’s favourite midwife came over, lifted the hospital iPad from the table next to her bed, popped a blood oxygen monitor on her finger, an automatic blood pressure cuff on her arm and began recording readings from the various other machines that she was hooked up to.

Over at the window, Jessie and Val were already taking thingsout of bags. Bottles of juice. A cake. Some cartons of Chinese food. A bag of prawn crackers.

‘Are you lot moving in here?’ Maddie joked, but every word oozed gratitude. She could be lonely again later, but right now she was going to make the most of her friends being here.

‘Something like that,’ Alyssa confessed, taking a seat next to the bed and reaching for Maddie’s free hand. She gave it a squeeze. ‘After much persuasion and bribery with multi-packs of Wotsits, Sharon has agreed to “forget” we’re here after visiting ends, so that we can see in the new year with you.’

‘Oh Jesus, am I crying again?’ Maddie asked, sniffing. She’d cried so often over the last week that sometimes her body just thought it was her normal state and forgot to alert her.

‘You are, and you can stop that immediately,’ Sharon joked, reading some kind of paper tracing as she spoke.

Maddie had developed such a fondness for this midwife, ever since she’d admitted that she hadn’t told the father of her baby that she was pregnant either. Maddie had told her about the premise of the Messed-Up Mothers Club and invited her to join.

Alyssa was still sharing their plans for the night. ‘The best thing is that you can’t move, so you’re stuck with us. You’ll be a captive audience if these two start their Abba medley.’

‘There will be no cryingandno singing,’ Sharon said, still feigning the stern ward sister act.

‘I bet you’re a great time at parties,’ Jessie teased her.

Both of her older pals were sitting on plastic chairs by the window, but Maddie knew that as soon as Sharon left, they’d pull up those chairs and she’d be surrounded. Right now, she couldn’t think of anywhere she’d rather be. Her baby was safe. Her friends were here. And the long night that had stretched out in front of her had suddenly got so much better.

At least, that’s what she thought until the phone on her bedsprang into life. Everyone that would call her was here, so… Nope, it must be Orla. Or perhaps Sheena, phoning to tell her what had happened when she broke the news to her husband that she was moving back out.

Maddie picked it up slightly hesitantly.

Not Sheena. Not Orla.

Dylan.

She dropped it like it was on fire.