‘So, I have some news…’ Sophie had waited until the children were in bed and it was just the four of them curled up in the cosy sitting room of their rented holiday cottage. They had lit the real fire in the inglenook fireplace – even though it was the middle of summer, there was a distinct chill in the breeze that blew off the sea – and drawn the heavy drapes across the pretty latticed windows.
Melissa, Emily and Amy all sat up and looked at Sophie expectantly.
‘I’m pregnant. Again.’
‘Oh, Soph, that’s fantastic news!’ Melissa threw herself at Sophie and hugged her tightly.
Amy beamed as she tucked her legs underneath her. ‘I’m pleased that having us three there hasn’t stopped you… well, you know.’ She tailed off, as a flush spread up her pale cheeks.
Sophie laughed uproariously. ‘No, of course it hasn’t. Quite the opposite, actually. Gorgeous baby George would make anyone broody.’
There was a murmur of agreement. ‘Congratulations, Sophie,’ Emily said, raising her glass of red wine. ‘How pregnant are you?’
Sophie ran her hand protectively over the nicely rounded bump she had carefully kept covered with an oversized sweater. ‘Five months. Almost twenty weeks.’
‘Well out of the danger zone,’ Emily said. ‘I’m pleased for you, Sophie.’
Sophie couldn’t stop smiling. She really felt as though everything was going to be OK this time. She was convinced that having Amy and the children living with them was the key that had unlocked whatever was causing their problems. She was so distracted by the children in particular, who were both adorable, that she sometimes even forgot to obsess over getting pregnant again.
It was Steve who had suggested she do a pregnancy test as they lay in bed one night. ‘Oh! Do you think so?’ she had replied, startled, her brain immediately whirring back through dates.
‘I do.’ Steve had propped himself up on one elbow in bed beside her. ‘Call it intuition or call it the fact that your boobs are noticeably bigger.…’
Sophie had laughed, wishing she could leap out of bed and run to the chemist right at that moment.
The next morning she bought a test on the way to work and did it as soon as she arrived. Sure enough, the blue line was clear and bold. It felt like a new beginning. A second chance.
‘So how’s Mark Bailey taken the news?’ Melissa said, bringing Sophie back to the present.
‘I still haven’t told him.’
‘And it’s not like he’d notice with everything that’s going on at the moment.…’
‘No,’ Sophie agreed. Mark was starting to make waves in America and had sold a huge format to the networks there. It meant he was spending less and less time in the UK, leaving the day-to-day running of it all to Sophie.
‘What will he do without you?’ Melissa sat up and leaned forward.
Sophie considered for a moment. ‘He’ll have to either find someone to take over while I’m on maternity leave or come back and do it himself.’
‘I could do it?’ Melissa said, with a slightly embarrassed laugh but Sophie could see that she wasn’t joking.
She looked at her curiously. ‘Would you want to work in TV? You’ve never shown any great interest in it before.’
Melissa shrugged. ‘I’m a bit old for the music industry and a bit bored of it. I fancy a change and of course, I know Mark of old…’
The other three all turned towards her simultaneously, their radars suddenly alert. ‘When you say “know him”,’ Sophie began. ‘Are we talking in biblical terms?’
Melissa shrugged again. ‘It’s the music industry, Soph. Everyone dates everyone else.’
Sophie’s mouth dropped open. ‘I can’t believe you’ve never mentioned this before!’
‘Well, it didn’t seem important. It was just a one-night stand… or a one- or two- or three- or four-night stand, to be more precise.’
Sophie felt a brief prickle of something approaching jealousy and mentally swatted it away. She genuinely didn’t fancy Mark in the slightest but she did feel a bit possessive over him. It threw her off balance to discover that Melissa had known him intimately before she had even met him. ‘Would you have liked it to carry on?’
Melissa sighed. ‘Maybe, but you know what Mark’s like. He doesn’t understand the concept of monogamy. I knew I’d end up getting hurt so I put a stop to it.’
Sophie gave Melissa an admiring look. ‘Wow, that’s a very mature thing to have done, especially if you were keen on him.’
Melissa smiled. ‘I suppose it was really, considering I was probably off my face at the time!’
*
The next morning, all four of them, plus the four children, headed over to the beach for breakfast. Amy had prepared a feast of smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, beautiful, exotic fruit salads, plus bread and croissants she had freshly baked herself. Over the months she had spent living with Sophie and Steve, she had begun to cook again, much to all their delight. Once she got back into her stride, it was obvious she hadn’t lost any of her talent. They had never eaten so well.
They spread a huge blanket on the pebbles and unloaded all the goodies from the picnic hamper they had found in the cottage.
‘Amy, this food is incredible,’ Melissa groaned, tucking into her third croissant. ‘We’re all going to be enormous by the time this weekend’s over.’
Amy smiled shyly, as she broke a roll in half and gave it to George, who was sitting between her legs, beaming contentedly as he stuffed the bread into his mouth and chewed it with great concentration. Sophie watched him, entranced. Having him in the house had helped heal her heart, which used to break every time she looked at him. Now, she could just delight in him without feeling that ache of longing for her own little boy.
She ran her hand over her rounded stomach and smiled to herself, imagining the little life that was busy growing inside her. A brother or sister for Emma. She didn’t really care what sex it was, as long as it was healthy. She’d heard others say it in the past and never really believed them but she really meant it.
It had been good for Emma having the younger children living with them. She was a good-natured, generous little girl and had taken on the big-sister role with great enthusiasm. She watched her now, walking hand in hand with Megan across the pebbles, stopping now and again to pick up any that caught her eye and showing them to an ever-obedient Megan.
Sophie worried a little about Megan. At three years old, she still carried a prematurely careworn expression and seemed anxious and jumpy. It wasn’t surprising, given what she’d been through in her short life but Sophie wondered when, or if, she would ever grow out of it.
‘Fancy a little stroll, Soph?’ Melissa said, jolting Sophie out of her reverie. Melissa stood up and held out her hand expectantly.
‘Sure.’ Sophie took Melissa’s hand and clambered to her feet, not caring for once that she felt huge and ungainly beside her. She had the best excuse possible.
‘So, how’s it been, really? Having them all living with you?’ Melissa’s braids blew across her face and she pushed them back impatiently.
‘Surprisingly good. I know it sounds weird but I feel like they’ve brought me back to life after… well, you know.’
Melissa nodded. ‘Amy’s still very fragile, though, isn’t she?’
‘He did such a good job of taking her apart, bit by bit, that it’s going to take a very long time to get her back. I’m not sure if we ever will.’
‘Any more unwanted visits?’
‘Yes, unfortunately. And he’s demanding access to the children, which is difficult as she can’t really stop him seeing them.’
‘Of course she can! He was violent towards her!’ Melissa interjected furiously.
‘I know. But she doesn’t want that becoming public knowledge. And if he takes her to court, it would have to. Steve and I are helping her as much as we can but I sometimes worry that…’ She stopped, as she tried to find the words. She hadn’t been able to voice it to anyone before.
‘What?’ Melissa turned towards Sophie so that the sun framed her face, giving her an ethereal glow.
‘Well, he’s changed his tack and is on a charm offensive. I worry that she’s falling for it. And worse, I worry that she blames us for breaking them up.’
‘But that’s ridiculous. He was violent. If we hadn’t done something, he might have killed her.’
‘I know that and you know that. But Amy is so down on herself. She has so little confidence that she can’t see it. And boy, is he charming, when he turns it on.’
‘Yes, well, I certainly found that out…’ Melissa gave Sophie a rueful shrug. ‘You don’t think…?’
‘I don’t know. I wish I could say for sure that she’d never go back to him but I really don’t know.’
‘What does Steve think?’
Sophie grimaced. ‘He doesn’t know her the way I do, so I don’t think it would occur to him that she might consider going back after what Nick’s done. Steve doesn’t see Nick’s charm. Especially after he cracked one of his ribs.’
‘No,’ Melissa said, giving a half-laugh. ‘Well, that’s understandable. Is there anything we can do?’
Sophie thought for a minute. ‘I’m not sure. I think we’ve just got to keep supporting her and build up her confidence so that she has the courage to divorce him and put some clear water between them. I do know one thing for sure, though. If she does summon up the courage to file for divorce, there will be fireworks. He doesn’t like losing. Or not being in control.’ She turned to look at Amy sitting on the blanket with George, while Megan and Emma skipped happily around them. They suddenly looked so very vulnerable.
‘God, that’s a frightening thought. Aren’t you scared?’
‘A bit. But we’ve got Steve on our side and Nick’s probably more scared of him. Anyway, every time I get a bit panicky, I imagine how it must have been for Amy, living under that kind of threat day in, day out. She’s never really told me the whole story – and I’m not sure I want to hear it either – but it must have been a living hell.’
Melissa nodded and followed Sophie’s gaze towards Amy and the children. ‘Then we’ve got to do everything in our power to convince her never to go back.’