I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who wrote reviews on the first chapter, they were all so lovely! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm sorry it's a little shorter!
It was the next morning, and Carla had woken up to the smell of toast coming from her kitchen. "Morning." Michelle beamed, putting a carton of orange juice down on the table. "Michelle, what's all of this?" Carla asked, standing in the doorway, keeping a distance from the food that she was sure that if she ate she would throw up. "This is making sure that you are looking after yourself and my little niece." Michelle told her, going back over to the kitchen and grabbing some glasses from the cupboard. "I feel so sick Chelle, if I eat anything, I'll throw it right back up." Carla explained. "Just try and eat something, at least drink some water." Michelle attempted to reason. "OK, alright, if I'm sick, it's all your fault." Carla told her, giving in and sitting at the table. "That is a risk that I am happy to take, as long as I know that you are looking after that little girl of yours because the last thing we need is a repeat of the other day." Michelle joked raising an eyebrow. "I know that, this baby is the only thing I have left. I don't know what I would do without her." Carla admitted honestly, taking a piece of toast from the middle and daring to take a bite.
Around half an hour later, Carla was sat on the sofa, flicking through the latest issue of Vogue, when the all too familiar sound of the buzzer droned through the flat. Carla got up from her place and answered the intercom. "Hello?" She called into the phone. "It's police Ms Barlow, can we come up?" Carla reluctantly let the officers into the flat, with Michelle appearing behind her. "Who is it?" She asked, knowing that Carla had let whoever it was up, as she heard the familiar sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. "Police." Carla sighed, walking into the middle of the living area. "This is ridiculous!" Michelle exclaimed, as she opened the door for the detectives, who seemed to be nothing more than an added stress in Carla's life. "Morning." Carla greeted the officers sarcastically. "We tried your factory, but we were informed that you were taking a break for a while." The female officer told Carla. "Yes, that's right." Carla told them, folding her arms over her stomach, as if to protect her unborn child, and shield her from stress that she knew that she would endure if she had to go down to the police station yet again. "We need you to come down to the station with us, Mrs Barlow." The male officer informed Carla. Knowing she had no choice, she lead the detectives out, before Michelle stopped them all in their tacks. "Have you any idea of what she's just gone through?" Michelle asked, raising her voice. "Michelle, just don't." Carla sighed, not wanting to make a huge fuss of the situation. She continued to walk out of the flat, with Michelle phoning Rob almost immediately.
"Rob, the police are here." Michelle told him down the phone. Coming out of number one almost immediately after that, Rob let the officers know what he made of their investigation, and how they were treating his sister. "You do know that she was in hospital yesterday after collapsing in the street?" Rob questioned them. The officers looked at each other in disbelief. "She's supposed to be resting and you're carting her off again." Rob shouted, edging further towards the pair. "Rob, please just leave it. Open up the factory for me." Carla said. "She could lose her unborn baby, do you not get it." He shouted, with Michelle going over to where he was, knowing that he would need someone there to hold him back.
Carla got into the police car, just as Simon and Leanne were walking round the corner, obviously making their way to school. "Are they arresting Carla?" Simon asked Leanne, as she tried to shield her Son from the drama, by moving to the other side of the young boy to block his view of the drama and speeding up the pace of which she was walking. "They can't take her away Mum, she's going to have a baby." Simon said, slowing down, almost stopping in front of Maxine's bench. "It's OK Si," Leanne attempted to reassure her son. "Carla will be fine." She added smiling, unconvincingly. "But Rob just said she could lose the baby!" Simon exclaimed. "She'll be fine son, come on, let's get you to school." Leanne said, thinking a change of subject would keep Simon's distress at the situation to a minimum.
...
"Are you kidding me, she's pregnant you know. She was in hospital the other day because she nearly lost her baby." Rob shouted at the desk Sergeant, who seemed to be growing tired of his outburst.
"Rob, just stop." Michelle said, getting up from the chair she was sat on and going over to Rob, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. "She wouldn't thank you for making a fuss like this."
"I don't care. She should be resting, avoiding stress, and she's in there being questioned again when we all know that she's innocent." He said, just as Carla appeared from the blue double doors.
"You OK hun?" Michelle asked her, as she walked towards her brother and best friend. "I can go." Carla smiled. "Lets get you home then." Michelle said, taking Carla supportively by the crook of the arm. Rob just stood there, unsure of what to say. "Rob, come on." Michelle called as the two women left the police station. Rob followed them, giving the officers a warning glare.
...
"What did they ask you about?" Rob asked Carla, as they sat down on the sofa of Carla and Peter's flat. "Oh Rob, what does I matter now. The main thing is that we've got her back home – where she should be resting." Michelle said, looking at Carla as if to say go for a lie down. "I'm fine Michelle honestly, stop fussing. They told me that they might need to speak to me again, but other than that, it was better than previous interviews I guess." Carla told them both. "Well, I still think you should be resting..." Michelle added. "I am!" Carla remarked back. "This is the least amount of work I've done in like ten years, I'm going to die of boredom before I even get the chance to meet my baby." She smiled, with Michelle taking Carla's hand in support. She was right, she was so used to early mornings and late nights that they had become a part of her. Sitting around and doing nothing was not something she was used to or wanting to get used to for that matter! "Hey, why don't you pop round and see Simon today?" Michelle suggested, knowing that seeing her step-son might make Carla a little happier and would give her something to do. "That isn't a bad idea, I'll do that." Carla confirmed. "Do you want us to go with you?" Rob asked, as Carla got up off the sofa, and started to walk to her bedroom to get changed. "No, it's alright go back home the pair of you! You have both spent far too much time fussing over me. I tell you what, this little girl of mine is going to have the best Auntie and Uncle." Carla smiled, going to say goodbye to her brother and best friend, as they left the flat.
…
As Carla knocked at Leanne's flat she took a deep breath. She practised how she would tell Simon that he was going to have a little sister but was nervous at the thought of a bad reaction from a step-son, who hated her a few months ago.
"Oh Carla, I wasn't expecting you here, how are you?" She asked smiling softly, knowing how tough it must be to be in her situation. "I'm alright thank you." Carla answered. "Is Simon in?" She asked. "Yeah he is. Come on in." Leanne invited, opening the door wider so she could come in. "Thanks." Carla smiled as she entered the living room. "Si, someone's here to see you!" Leanne shouted towards the boy's room. Simon came out of his bedroom slowly, until he saw Carla standing there. "Carla!" He exclaimed running towards his step mum, greeting her with a hug. "Hey mate!" Carla said, ruffling his hair lightly as he pulled away from the hug. "He's been really worried." Leanne added, chuckling slightly at her son's reaction to seeing Carla. "There's really no need to be, I'm fine." Carla reassured him, as they both went over to the sofa. "Is the baby OK?" Simon asked, Rob's words from earlier still in his mind. "The baby's doing great, in fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Carla explained. "The baby?" Simon asked. "Yeah, well, you're it's half-brother and if your mum says yes, I think it would be nice if you were involved." Carla explained smiling. "Can I Mum?" Simon asked Leanne almost immediately after Carla had finished speaking. "Well of course, it's not like I could ever stop you!" She chucked, noticing how happy seeing Carla had made Simon. "Well, a few days ago, I found out whether you're having a little brother or sister. Would you like to know?" Carla asked the already excited ten-year-old. "Of course!" Simon said, with a beaming smile. "You're going to have a baby sister." Carla announced. "No way!" Simon said, giving Carla a massive hug. "Is that a good thing?" She asked. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet her." He smiled. "Well I think you've got a while to wait, yet." Leanne interjected, wanting to try and get the excited boy to calm down a little. But she had to admit, after all the pain that he'd been through over the last week or so, it was good to see him smiling.