“I’m coming over.”

Em couldn’t help but smile because she’d known this would be Tally’s response as soon as she shared the “news” from the clinic.

“No, don’t. It’s late, and I’m tired. Plus, I don’t want you driving all this way in the dark.”

Tally sighed. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. There’s no point travelling for over an hour just to sit here looking at my ugly mug. There’s nothing that can be done, other than wait.”

“I can’t believe it,” Tal said. “I mean, after everything you’ve been through.”

“Everything we’ve been through,” Em said. “If, and it’s a bloody big if until those bloods come back, I am pregnant, God, Tal…”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. Have you any idea how bad I’ll feel for putting you and Cash through this, only for me to then go and get pregnant on my own? What a shit friend that makes me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tally scoffed. “You were going on the medical advice given, and let’s remember, I offered – you never asked me to do this, Em – it all came from me, because I love you. Anyway, I know lots of mothers who gave up hope only to fall pregnant the moment they investigated other options. It’s as if your body has played a huge joke on you.”

Em chuckled. “If that test comes back positive, I’ll be the one laughing the loudest, but nothing is certain yet.”

“How’s David?”

Em gave a soft sigh. “Wonderful. Supportive. Excited. It’s me who’s playing things down because if I get too hopeful and then… it’d be too painful, Tal. So, yeah, I can see he’s buzzing, but I’m not. Not yet.”

“That’s totally understandable.”

“I just wish I could speed up the next forty-eight hours.”

“The time will pass. Try to relax. Pamper yourself a bit. Take a bath, go for a back massage, paint your toe nails.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“Get some sleep, Em. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Em hung up and closed her eyes. The noise from the shower stopped, and not long after the hair dryer started up. That gave her about three minutes on her own. David hadn’t left her side since they got home earlier that day. He’d only gone to freshen up because she’d told him she wanted to talk to Tally without him breathing down her neck.

The truth was, she couldn’t bear to look at the elation in his eyes. He’d already made up his mind that the doctor was right. The issue she had was that she didn’t feel pregnant. Okay, she’d been sick, but they’d warned her that could happen with the drugs, although it was one of the lesser side effects. She lifted her shirt and pressed the flat of her hand against her abdomen.

“Are you in there, little one?” she whispered.

The fourth stair from the top creaked, indicating David was on his way downstairs. Em got to her feet. Might as well start prepping dinner. Nothing could be gained from sitting around doing nothing, all that did was give her too much time to think.

“What are you doing?” David asked, appearing at the side of her. He took the vegetable knife out of her hand and set it down on the kitchen counter. “Let’s go out to dinner.”

She shook her head. “I’m too tired.”

“Okay, then we’ll order in.” He opened the drawer that held all the takeout menus and spread a bunch of them over the counter. “What do you fancy?”

“You choose.”

“Pizza?”

Em shrugged. “Sure. Sounds good.”

David dropped the menu and held out his arms. “C’mere.”

He didn’t need to offer twice – Em folded herself into his warm embrace and tucked her head beneath his chin. “I’m so scared.”

He kissed the top of her head and tightened his grip. “Me too.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed Dr Nylan to tell me. If I wasn’t so combative, and had just let her take the damned blood, I’d be happy in my ignorance right now.”

David let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, but then you wouldn’t be you.”

Em washed her hands in the kitchen sink and dried them off on her apron. David had insisted she take a few days off work, at least until they found out whether she was pregnant or not. She hadn’t even argued as her mind was all over the place. She’d probably singe someone’s hair with her curling tongs or poke them in the eye with a mascara wand because she wasn’t paying attention. No one needed that. It hurt. A lot.

Instead, she’d decided to bake a pie, although “bake” was a bit of a stretch. She’d bought ready-made pastry, a beef-in-ale pie mix that only needed mixing with water, and ready-diced onions because chopping the real things would make her cry, and she was on the bloody edge as it was.

Her trusty crock pot would do the rest of the work.

She switched it to low when there was a knock at the door. Marvellous. Probably a cold caller trying to palm her off with some pointless, ridiculously expensive invention she didn’t need. Still, sparring with those buggers would provide some entertainment. Em was an expert in keeping them dangling, making them think they stood a chance of a sale, only to snatch it away at the last minute—such a fun sport.

She drew back the door, and then groaned.

“Tally’s got a big fucking mouth,” she grumbled to Rupe, who didn’t wait for an invite, or wipe his feet on the mat outside the door for that matter. He kissed her cheek and muscled his way inside.

“Something smells good,” he said, sniffing the air.

“Bollocks,” Em said. “Nothing I cook smells or tastes good, so stop blowing smoke up my arse.”

“Enchanting as ever,” Rupe said, grinning. “It’s why I love you so much.”

Em rolled her eyes. “I suppose you want coffee,” she said, heading for the kitchen.

“Well, as it’s too early for whiskey, it’ll have to do.”

“Did Tally call you last night or this morning?”

“Neither. Cash called. He thought you might need someone with charm and overwhelming good looks to take your mind off the tedious job of waiting to see if you’re up the duff.”

Em spooned coffee into two mugs. “Is he mad?”

Rupe frowned. “Why would he be mad?”

“Because if I am ‘up the duff’ as you so eloquently put it, I’ve put him and Tally on an uneven keel for nothing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rupe scoffed. “He would never have agreed if he wasn’t one hundred percent behind the idea.”

“Wouldn’t he?” Em sighed. “Cash blusters and moans and groans, but he’s never been able to say no to Tally. Not really. Doesn’t mean he’s completely on board.”

Rupe shook his head. “I disagree. Sure, when it comes to where they go on holiday, or which school to send the kids to, or what colour to paint their bedroom, he’ll bow to her preference every time, but not about something as serious as his wife carrying someone else’s baby for nine months. He agreed because he loves her and adores you.”

Em poured boiling water over the coffee, stirred, then handed a mug to Rupe. They both sat down at the kitchen table. “Well, either way, I’m still going to feel like an idiot. We were this close,” she held her thumb and forefinger millimetres apart, “to having my eggs harvested and implanted in Tally’s womb. Imagine if the doctor hadn’t noticed something was awry, and both Tally and I ended up pregnant.”

Rupe laughed. “Now that would have been hilarious.”

Em clipped him on the arm. “No, it wouldn’t. It would have been a nightmare.”

“Well, it didn’t happen, so stop worrying. When do you get your results?”

“Tomorrow.”

“How’s David holding up?”

“Breezing through. Typical David. He’s never been a worrier, not really. Mister Positive, that’s my husband.”

Rupe’s face grew serious, very unlike his usual jokey demeanour. “I hope it’s the outcome you’re hoping for.”

Em twisted her lips to one side. “I’m terrified, Rupe. If I’m not pregnant—after having my hopes raised—I’m not sure how I’ll handle it.”

Rupe got up from his chair and moved to her right side. His arms came around her shoulders, and he pressed the side of her head to his chest. She sank into him, for once showing she wasn’t as tough as old boots.

“You’ll handle it like you do everything else, with strength, with determination, with a fierce stubborn streak that says nothing will ever beat Emmalee Fallon.”

God, I hope he’s right…

Em sat outside her doctor’s office, waiting to hear what could be the best news of her life. Her leg would not stop bouncing, as if the bloody thing had a mind of its own. She picked up a copy of Vogue, flicked through it in five seconds flat, then tossed it back on the table. Why anyone bought that magazine was beyond her, it was full of adverts and very little else. Give her a copy of Hello any day of the week—at least the celebrity gossip fed her inner voyeur.

Dr Nylan’s office door opened, and Em’s head snapped up so fast that she cricked her neck. The doctor beckoned to them both.

“Oh God, this is it,” Em muttered as a storm of feeling exploded inside her. On wobbly legs, only being kept upright by David’s solid frame, she somehow made it into the office. Her legs gave way as soon as the backs of her knees touched the chair.

“Whatever you do, don’t beat around the bush,” Em said. “Just give it to me straight, doc.”

“You’re pregnant,” Dr Nylan replied, smiling.

The room began to spin, and tears pricked at her eyelids. She blinked several times in quick succession.

“Are you sure?” she whispered, as if saying the words any louder could change the outcome.

“Positive—four weeks. It’s very early days, and we need to watch you carefully, but there’s no doubt.”

Em burst into tears. All the years of worry, of disappointment, of heartache and agony—when yet another white stick came back with a negative result—were all worth it because she wasn’t barren. She could get pregnant. Dammit, she was pregnant.

“I’m going to have a baby.” She turned to David, barely able to see him through her tears. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“I love you,” he said, his arms coming around her. “God, how I love you.”

After letting her sob into his arms for a few minutes, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped away her tears, then his own.

“Cash is going to kill me,” Em said, laughing.

David turned his attention back to the doctor. “How did this happen?”

Dr Nylan laughed. “That’s a whole different conversation, David.”

He chuckled, as did Em. “No, really, how did this happen? The other doctor was so certain that we had very little chance of ever falling pregnant. He even ruled out IVF as a potential option, which is why we chose the surrogacy route.”

Dr Nylan leaned back in her chair. “I wish I had all the answers but, as much as we doctors like to present a confident front and pretend we know everything, the truth is that the human body still holds an awful lot of secrets. Maybe it was because you stopped trying, which reduced your stress levels, or maybe it was something in the drugs we gave you to increase the number of eggs Emmalee’s ovaries produced. Or maybe you just got very lucky. We’ll never know for sure.”

“What if I can’t hold on to it?” Em whispered. “What if I miscarry?”

“There are no guarantees, Emmalee. Every woman has exactly the same concern and until you’re through the first trimester, we’ll all be holding our breath. But you’re fit and strong – there’s no reason to think you won’t have a perfectly normal pregnancy and go on to deliver a healthy baby. We’ll get you booked in for an early scan and take it from there.”

They left the doctor’s office in a bit of a daze. Em stayed silent on the way home, her emotions so close to the surface that she didn’t know whether to scream, or cry, or shout about her happiness from the rooftops.

An eight-month slog lay ahead… all she could do was hope for a miracle.