Page 55 of One Night with the Doctor

A chance to give life. To love unconditionally. To prove that the legacy of his own childhood ended with him. And to share it with Callie, a woman who had burst into his life in a blaze of glory and turned it completely upside down in a way he’d never thought possible.

A mobile of fuzzy, candyfloss sheep attached to the headboard hung over the cot and he spun them idly as the enormity of what was ahead loomed large. But he wasn’t scared – he was excited. He truly believed they could become a family.

He just had to make Callie believe it, too.

‘Sebastian?’

He turned to find Callie in the doorway. She looked lost and he wanted to go to her and pull her into his arms, tell her he loved her and it’d be alright. But there was also something else he felt when he looked at her, something very primal.

She was his woman and that was his baby and he’d fight tooth and nail for both of them.

‘Let’s do this, Callie.’

‘Just do it?’ Her voice was a little high as she stared at him disbelievingly. ‘Just like that?’

‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘Just like that.’

‘God… Sebastian…’ She shook her head, her brow furrowed obviously not wanting to entertain such a snap decision. ‘Come on. It’s time to go.’

Ginny had wrapped up some lamingtons in plastic film when they arrived back in the kitchen and handed them over. ‘For morning tea tomorrow at Jambalyn.’

‘What makes you think they’re going to make it that far?’ Sebastian joked as he accepted them.

‘I’ll tell Geraldine to expect them,’ Ginny said with a laugh as she led them to the front door but, as she reached for the handle, she stopped abruptly and clutched her abdomen, her eyes suddenly widening.

Sebastian frowned as Callie said, ‘Ginny?’ and placed her hand in the small of her client’s back. ‘What’s wrong?’

Ginny looked at the liquid at her feet. ‘I think my waters just broke.’

Callie also looked at the rapidly growing puddle on the polished floorboards. Holy crap. ‘I think you may be right,’ she agreed careful to sound unworried.

Ginny looked at Callie with a wild expression that quickly turned anxious. The excited, glowy woman disappearing before Callie’s eyes. ‘But… it’s too early. Too early,’ she repeated clutching at her belly with one hand and tugging at Callie’s sleeve with another.

‘Nonsense,’ Sebastian dismissed. ‘You’re nearly thirty-nine weeks. That’s not early. That’s bang in the pocket for a full-term birth. Your little girl just can’t wait to see her pink room.’

‘What are we going to do?’ Ginny wailed, fear rendering her helpless as tears spilled down her cheeks.

‘We’re going to take you to the hospital,’ Callie stated matter-of-factly. The last thing they needed was for Ginny to become hysterical. ‘Are you having contractions?’

Ginny thought about it for a second. ‘No,’ she sniffled, wiping at the tears. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Good. So we’ve got plenty of time. What did those books tell you about first labours?’

‘That they can go on for ages.’

Callie smiled. ‘Right, okay, then. No need to panic. Let’s get you organised. Have you got some things packed?’

Pointing to a small overnight bag standing near the door Ginny said, ‘Right there.’

‘Good. Perfect.’

Perversely, Callie felt on a much more even keel now there was a crisis not involving her to get sorted. A crisis she could deal with. She was a methodical thinker who excelled at problem solving. Most importantly, Callie knew that what was required most here was calm. If she stayed calm so would Ginny.

And, for everyone else, she had calm in spades.

‘Sebastian is going to stow it in our car. Then he’s going to ring Brad and ask him to meet us at the hospital.’

‘Check,’ Sebastian said, smiling at Ginny and Callie could have kissed him for so quickly putting aside their stuff and prioritising their very anxious client’s needs.