Page 63 of Seven Days

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She woke and was immediately alert. She looked at Seb. He was very still and she felt the beginnings of panic. Was he even alive? She watched for signs of movement, his chest going up and down.

There it was. The tiniest, tenderest lift of his narrow puppy-skin breast. He was alive.

Seb’s peaceful expression changed to a pained one, and there was a gurgling sound. Maggie looked at him in alarm; seconds later his peaceful expression was back, but there was a faint smell coming from him.

His first poo, she thought. First feeding, first sleep. Motherhood is a series of firsts.

There was a pile of nappies by the basket. She leaned over and picked one up. She moved slowly; when she had the nappy, she sat up and stripped Seb naked, taking care not to pinch him or twist him or do anything which might cause him pain.

God, she loved him already. It was amazing.

The stuff that had come from him was green and sticky and it took her ages to wipe it from his scrawny legs and buttocks – scrawny legs and buttocks that were the cutest things she had ever seen – and then to fold him into his nappy. She threw the old one into the corner of the room and held him to her chest, rocking him in her arms. She smelled his head. She’d held a few babies before and he had the same new-born baby smell. How was it possible they all smelled the same? Seb was in a room in the man’s basement, yet he smelled like every other baby in the world.

It was a miracle. Seb was a miracle. The whole damn thing was a miracle.

She heard the scraping sound, and froze.

She didn’t want him here, not now. It would ruin the perfection.

But the door handle turned, and the door swung open.

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The man stood and looked at her. He was holding a box of nappies. Pampers.

‘Better to keep these down here. Don’t want people in the house asking why I have them.’

So he had people in the house. She had assumed he never had guests. She wondered, Who would want to visit him? Who were his friends? Did he have an active social life? Host the local bridge club? But if people were there, maybe they would hear Seb crying and investigate.

It was a stupid idea. He would have thought of it. The basement would be soundproofed, she could be sure of that.

He pointed at Seb.

‘How is it?’

‘It’s a he, and he’s fine.’

‘Good.’ The man looked at her. ‘And you?’

‘Like you care.’

‘Of course I care. You know I do. That’s why you’re here. Because I care. Because you need to be safe.’

Maggie looked away. They’d had this conversation before. She didn’t need to have it again.

‘Are you hungry?’

She nodded.

‘I’ll bring food. What do you want?’

‘Anything. Something simple. And water. A lot. I’m thirsty.’

‘Anything else. Are you … are you in pain?’

‘Yes.’