Astrid stared out the window. Waiting.

It was going to be a long wait.

Downstairs, she could hear her aunt walking about, tidying up and baking food. Auntie Jessica had already asked her to come down twice, but that wasn't going to happen. She just couldn't wait for them to come home!

The telephone rang. She could hear Jessica pick it up.

In a heartbeat she was by her side.

'Hello? Is that you, Brian?' Jessica answered. 'Yes, Astrid's right here. Here she is….' Jessica handed the phone to Astrid.

'Daddy!' Astrid squealed. 'Where's Mummy? Where's the baby? Has she been born? Can I come? Are you coming home?'

'Whoa!' Astrid's father laughed. 'Calm down, darling. No, the baby is just about to be born. They wouldn't let me in the room, so your mother told me to ring you. How are you, sweetie?'

'Is it a boy or a girl? Is it born… now? How's Mummy? I'm fine. Auntie Jessica's making brownies. For Mummy and the baby! Is it born… now?' Astrid was still prattling down the phone when her father interrupted her.

'Listen, darling, the doctor wants to talk to me now. I'll call you in the evening; or when the baby is born you can come and see us, hmm?' He hung up.

'Didn't he want to speak to me?' Jessica said.

'No, the baby is going to be born!' Astrid shouted.

'That's very exciting, but what about some lunch?' Jessica took Astrid by the hand and led her into the kitchen.

Astrid's parents did not call back that evening. Astrid wanted to call them, but Jessica said that she was sure that they had not forgotten Astrid, and eventually Astrid went to bed.

When she woke up in the morning, she was impatient to speak to her parents.

'Listen, Astrid, I know that you haven't been away from your parents before, but I'm sure that they will call you when they can. Why don't you go and write a card for your Mummy; and in an hour's time if they still haven't called, we'll call them. OK?'

But in an hour's time, there was still no news.

'I'll call them now, Astrid. Don't cry, I'm sure everything's all right.'

'Hello Brian, this is Jessica. No, we're all right; we were just a bit worried not to have heard from you. Oh. Is everything OK? Right. We'll be there in half an hour.' Jessica put down the phone. 'Come on Astrid, get your coat and shoes, we're going to the hospital. Don't look like that, nothing's wrong. Your father just said that it would be easier for him to explain face to face.'

Astrid ran out after Jessica as fast as her legs would carry her.

When they arrived at the hospital, they found Brian (Astrid's father) waiting for them. They were shocked to see that he looked dishevelled and exhausted. Astrid didn't say anything, just launched herself into his arms for a giant hug.

Brian led them through the corridors to a small waiting room, which was empty.

'Mummy's in there, Astrid,' Brian said. 'Look Jessica, why don't you go and get yourself a coffee with Astrid, I need to have a word with Miriam. I'm sorry to leave you like this….' His voice trailed off as he backed into a smaller room. Astrid tried to peek in but the glass was frosted.

After they had come back from the cafeteria, there was still no-one in the room. They settled down to wait for somebody to come.

Soon raised voices came from the room Astrid's parents were in.

'I don't care!' came Brian's loud voice, 'I don't care about the baby; it's you I care about, Miriam.'

'How can you say that, Brian? He will be your child. Our child….' Miriam's voice was softer and weaker.

'But Miriam, he isn't even born yet. He won't have a good life, with his brain damage. There will be other children….'

'Brian. You heard what the doctor said. There will be no more pregnancies. Another child birth could kill me!'

'No, Miriam. THIS childbirth could kill you. It isn't safe. I'm not risking your life for anybody!'

'Don't let's argue now. Isn't Astrid here yet?'

'She arrived a couple of minutes ago with Jessica. They're getting coffee…'

'Go and look after our daughter, Brian. Bring her in to see me please.'

Then Brian came out.

'Daddy!' Astrid cried, 'Mummy's not going to die, is she! You said she might die! You said!'

'Don't cry, Astrid,' Brian ran to Astrid and picked her up. 'It's all right. Don't worry, darling.'

'You said!' Astrid persisted.

'Mummy isn't very well. Don't worry though; I'm not going to let her hurt herself.'

'But Mummy…' Brian held a finger up to her lips.

'Ssh, sweetie. Let's talk about something else, alright?'

'What were you saying about the baby? That he has brain damage?'

'Some more scans have just come through. The baby appears to have severe autism. This could make the birth even more difficult.' Brian appeared to be in physical pain. 'Now, Astrid, would you like to see Mummy?'

But when Astrid walked into the surgery room and saw her mother lying on a hospital bed, she wasn't reassured at all.

'Hello, Astrid,' Miriam smiled. Astrid couldn't answer. Her mother – weak and feeble – it couldn't be true. She ran out of the room and back into the little waiting room. Leaving Jessica speechless, she didn't pause and went straight down to the car park. However she didn't get far before Jessica caught up with her.

'Would you like to go back up to your parents?' Jessica asked. Astrid shook her head. Jessica smiled and carried Astrid back to the car.

They were both silent on the way back, Jessica understanding that Astrid didn't want to talk and Astrid not finding the words to say what she wanted too.

It wasn't until she was back in her bedroom that she found the words.

'Please God,' she prayed, 'don't let Mummy die. I'm so sorry that I don't always say my prayers at night. I always will if you let Mummy live. Please.' It didn't feel like enough.

'And, and, I'll always do whatever she says. I promise. Every single thing Mummy ever tells me to do, I will. Every single thing. Only please, God. Let her and my brother be all right.' Not quite satisfied but not quite sure what to say next, Astrid gave in to the overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

The next morning, Astrid was jumpy all morning. Eventually Jessica came up and read to her. She read Enid Blyton's 'Secret Seven'. They were some of Astrid's favourite books, but she had not heard this one before.

'Eventually Janet grew worried for Peter, and called the Secret Seven,' Jessica read. 'They were all anxious for his life. After many tense hours, he appeared.

''I've captured the gang!' he shouted, 'Don't worry!' And when they told him they had been worried for him, he laughed and told them never to worry about him. He would always come back to them. He would never leave them.'

'That was a good story,' Astrid said with tears in her eyes.

'Don't cry!' Jessica said hastily, 'tell you what, let's go to the hospital now, eh?'

The drive was long. The tension in the air was tangible. Astrid was sitting in the back, playing with her fingers anxiously. Jessica didn't say a word, keeping her eyes on the road the whole time.

When they arrived, Brian wasn't there to meet them as they hadn't told him they were coming. Jessica and Astrid walked to the little room where they had waited to see Miriam last time. When they knocked on the door, however, the person who answered said Miriam had been relocated. They didn't know where.

'Don't worry, Astrid. She could have been taken to a more comfortable room, that's all. Relocated isn't necessarily bad.' Jessica's pace was quicker though as they walked down to reception.

'Excuse me?' Jessica asked hesitantly, 'Could you tell me where Miriam Ellison is?'

'Third floor up, first door on the left,' the receptionist said after looking it up on her computer.

Jessica held Astrid's hand firmly as they walked up. As they approached, they could hear soft voices. Astrid took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

As soon as the door opened she knew her father had got his way. Brian's face was wreathed in smiles. It was almost disconcerting how happy he looked.

'Astrid darling!' Brian exclaimed. 'We've been so worried! Are you OK? Well, don't just stand there, come on in!' Astrid entered the room with Jessica not far behind.

'Mummy!' Astrid sobbed. She didn't need to say anything else. Miriam held out her arms and Astrid hurtled into them without a second thought. Jessica looked at them for a couple of seconds before saying quietly aside to Brian;

'So you terminated the pregnancy?' Brian looked shocked.

'What? Oh, that. No, Miriam had her way in the end,' Brian murmured, 'She, well, didn't exactly win me over, she more….. Ignored my objections.'

It was Jessica's turn to look shocked and distraught.

'The baby died?' she gasped. Then she guiltily looked over to where Astrid sat. But Astrid and her mother were oblivious to the rest of the world. A funny look passed over Brian's face. He suddenly left the room.

He was back in a few minutes with a small bundle of blankets.

'You'll be godmother, of course?' He asked Jessica with the air of one producing a rabbit from a hat. She gazed at him, speechless. But by now Astrid had seen the baby, and her father was taking the bundle to her.

Miriam looked between her two children proudly.

'I thought he was going to have severe brain damage?' Jessica asked.

'He does,' Brian said quietly, 'Autism. Serious autism. But it's manageable. He should be able to move, walk, and perhaps even talk. It's better than we could have hoped for. He was worth every moment of the trouble, eh Miriam?' But Miriam was not looking at her husband. She was looking only at her daughter and her baby.

'What's he called, Astrid?' Miriam asked.

'What?'

'What's he called,' Miriam repeated. 'Your father and I agreed, you get to name him.' Astrid gaped at her mother, spellbound.

'Peter,' she said. 'He's called Peter.'

'Peter,' said Brian, 'Peter. I like that. What do you think, Miriam?'

'Why Peter, Astrid?' Miriam questioned.

'Because everyone worried for his life. But he came back. When they told him they had been anxious about him, he laughed and asked why anyone would worry about them. He would never leave them.'

'Yes,' said Miriam, 'Peter. Our son, Peter.' Then she turned to Astrid.

'Look after Petey, Astrid.'