Chapter 25
Sunday 6th June 1999...
Five weeks later Harry, Ruth and the children are sat around her mother's dining room table, having finally accepted her invitation to visit. Jane has been inconsistent in her visits and Harry had decided that he wasn't going to live their lives around her anymore, so they went down to Cheltenham for the weekend. The purpose of their visit was so that they could tell Ruth's mother and step-father that she was pregnant.
She'd had her first scan the previous Wednesday and miraculously, there had been no pressing threats to national security so Harry had been able to attend without issue. Ruth had cried when she'd seen her baby on the screen for the first time. She wasn't normally an over-emotional person but Harry assured her it was perfectly acceptable to shed tears over the new life they'd created. Just so long as they were happy tears, which they had been.
They had decided to wait until the Sunday afternoon before they made their announcement, as they hadn't told Catherine and Graham yet, so they wanted to minimise the opportunities for the cat to be let out of the bag.
So, once the children have been excused from the table and have gone to play in the living room, Ruth raises her eyebrow at Harry in question, and he nods almost imperceptibly. Ruth looks across the table at her mother who has begun to clear away the dishes. She really isn't sure how her mother is going to take her news...as much as she likes Harry, Ruth suspects that she will think it too soon to be making such a big commitment.
"Mum," she begins, taking a breath. "Can you leave that for a moment please?" She reaches across the table and stills her with a hand on her arm.
Elizabeth takes one look at her daughter. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing wrong exactly. I just need to talk to you."
"Do you want me to leave?" asks David.
"No, not at all. You need to hear this too." She glances at Harry who gives her a reassuring smile. "Harry and I have news."
"You're not getting married?" she says, clearly not impressed by the idea.
"No. We're having a baby." There's a deafening silence around the table and Ruth suddenly feels very nervous. "Mum? Say something."
"I'm not quite sure what you want me to say?"
"Well congratulations is usually customary," Ruth replies.
"Yes of course. Congratulations. Sorry, it's just...well, I wasn't expecting this."
"Neither were we," Harry admits.
"Oh, so it wasn't planned then?"
"No," Ruth confirms. "But that doesn't mean we aren't happy about it."
"Well no, of course not. I didn't mean to imply that. It's just that you two haven't been together -"
"... For very long," Harry cuts in. "You're right, we haven't been in a relationship for very long but we plan to be. This isn't a decision we've taken lightly."
"Yes but-"
It's David who cuts in this time. "Come now, Elizabeth. Enough with the third degree; it's a happy occasion." He rises from his seat and approaches Ruth. "Congratulations sweetheart," he whispers as he gives her a hug before shaking Harry's hand. "I bet Catherine and Graham are excited aren't' they?"
"We haven't told them yet. We've been waiting until we knew everything was okay. We'll tell them tonight."
"I'm sure they'll be delighted, just like we are. Right, Lizzie?"
"Yes. Yes of course."
"Ruth's an amazing young woman," David says to Harry as the two enjoy a whisky in the conservatory.
"That she is," Harry replies, sensing where this conversation is headed. "I won't hurt her if that's what you're worried about?"
"I don't mean to interrogate you; Lizzie can do that well enough for both of us, but I wouldn't be doing my duty as Ruth's step-father if we didn't discuss the situation."
Harry takes it all in his stride. "Of course. Fire away."
"Do you love her?"
"More than I thought I could ever love anyone," Harry admits, a slight blush rising in his cheeks.
"That's good to know. So are you two planning on getting married?"
"We've talked about it in an abstract, sometime in the future kind of way, but I haven't asked her officially. And I'm not planning to at the moment." David is surprised by Harry's frankness and it shows on his face. Harry explains. "If I propose now, there's more than a good chance Ruth will think I'm doing it because of the baby and she won't want to base a marriage on that. She'll say no."
David considers this for a moment, and nods in agreement. "You're probably right. But things can't continue as they are once the baby is born; I mean you live on opposite sides of the City."
"Don't worry; I'm sure we'll work something out." Harry replies, more confident than he actually is. If he's honest, he hasn't given much thought to the practical side of things once the baby is born. It's only now that David has mentioned it that he realises things need to change.
Whilst Harry is being grilled by David, Ruth is getting her own lecture from her mother, while helping to load the dishwasher.
"I'm not saying it's a bad idea but you've been together what…seven months?"
"Just over, but by the time he or she arrives it'll have been more than a year."
"Oh, I forgot to ask before, when are you due?"
"Early December."
"So only just over a year then?"
"Mum, I love Harry and I'm happy with him; happier than I've ever been with anyone before. I plan on spending the rest of my life with him."
"I thought you said you weren't getting married."
"We're not…yet. Look that's not the point. The point is I want…no I need you to be happy for me. I'm having a baby; your first grandchild. Come on Mum."
"Oh Ruth, I am happy for you. Honestly I am. I just worry about you; it's all happening so quickly. You're not even thirty yet and you're going to be tied down with three children. You had such grand plans for yourself when you left university."
"I know, and I still do. They've just changed a little bit now; that's all. I know I don't really go all ga-ga over other people's children like some women, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be a mother. Meeting Harry and getting to know his children showed me how fulfilling life in that role could be. I'm not settling or selling myself short, Mum. I promise."
Elizabeth hugs her daughter. "Congratulations," she tells her a second time, but this time Ruth can tell she genuinely means it.
"I had my scan on Wednesday…would you like to see?"
Elizabeth nods enthusiastically as Ruth retrieves the ultrasound picture from her handbag. As her mother coos over the scan of her first grandchild Ruth breathes an internal sigh of relief that she seems to have come round. That's everyone told now, apart from Catey and Graham (and their work colleagues). Harry had told his father and brother over the phone the morning before they left for Cheltenham and while Ruth hadn't spoken to either of them personally, Harry assured her they were pleased. She had had a quick discussion with Lyn who had congratulated her and had seemed glad to have someone to swap pregnancy stories with. She'd spoken to Peter too and sworn him to secrecy.
The only worry left for Ruth is how Catey and Graham will take it. How they will handle another big change in their lives. It won't be long before she finds out though; she and Harry have agreed they will tell the children when they get home this evening.