Chapter 36:
Carla
"Right, magazines, remote control, snacks, phone." Nick points to everything on the coffee table in front of me and I sigh exasperatedly. "Do you need anything else? Oh I'll grab some paracetamol from the cupboard in case." He heads in to the kitchen, returning with a box of tablets and putting them down. "Only two, remember? Water bottle is there."
"Nick, baby, please just go to work." I look up at him, grateful but irritated at the same time. I hated feeling like a lost cause. I was desperate to get up and out after three days of being sat inside. I was so fed up, I didn't know how some people could do it.
"I don't know if I should go in." He sits down on the edge of the sofa, observing me.
"Darling, you've camped out here for three days." I point out. "I'm not a china doll, I'll be fine."
"Your phone is there." He points to it, for the fifth time. "You ring me if you have any doubts about anything."
"I will." I promise him and he leans down to kiss me. "Oh but you know what you can do? You could pop back on your dinner and bring me some of that caramel cake that Robert made last week."
"You need to eat healthier." He tells me and I hate this. I was carrying his baby and he was lecturing me on what I could and couldn't eat.
"Well I always stuck to a strict diet before you got me up the stick." I try to hide the bitterness in my tone. "It's not my fault, while you're at it you can bring me a burger and all. I'm not eating salad whilst I'm trying to grow your baby."
"Ok, ok." He holds his hands up, defensively. "I didn't mean to cause offence."
"Well I'm fat now anyway, it doesn't matter what I eat." I snap, before stopping and looking at him. "Go to work."
"Carla." He prompts me, knowing I was doing it again and I hesitate, deciding to go down the less tiring route.
"I promise you, I'm alright." I soften my voice. "Sorry, I'm just so sick of this."
"Do you want me to pop in to Underworld and see if Aidan has got any paperwork or anything you could do?" He offers and I contemplate the idea.
"Yeah that would be great, thank you." I decide, smiling at him appreciatively.
"Ok, take care." He kisses my forehead from behind the sofa, ruffling my hair slightly and I shake him off as he does so. "I love you."
"Love you." I return as the door closes and I sigh, staring around the empty house.
Nick
"Morning." I greet Michelle, who is leant over the bar, tapping her pen on the smooth granite. "Everything ok?"
"Nick, you look shattered love." She sighs, looking up and I can tell something is up with her as well. "Did you not sleep at all during your time off?"
"Sleep? I can't remember what that feels like." I reply, taking my coat off and hanging it up.
"How is Carla?" She asks, watching me as I approach the bar, scanning the almost empty restaurant.
"Bored out of her mind." I respond.
"I can imagine." She nods at the thought, before looking back at me. "Can't be easy for either of you though, make sure you take it easy."
"What's up with you?" I try to divert the subject, eyeing up her expression.
"Nothing." She denies, looking down at the counter.
"Michelle?" I persist, because she looks like she is about to burst in to tears.
"...Had a row with Robert, so he hasn't come in to work." She says, quietly. "And this time last year I was spreading my little boy's ashes. All adds up, doesn't it?"
"I'm sorry." I whisper, the thought hitting me hard. "Was that what the row was over?"
"He said I was being a grumpy cow." She scoffs slightly. "I did tell him last week but clearly he's forgotten. He's got bigger things on his mind than that anyway."
"Yeah well he should be looking out for you." I tell her, because I knew Carla would say the same thing. "There's not really anything much bigger than something like that."
"He doesn't understand." She sighs, shaking her head. "Not like you and Carla... I was thinking of maybe going to see Steve but if he finds out I went, he'll probably be fuming."
"Michelle you should be able to do whatever you want." I point out. "Regardless or what Robert thinks. This is an important day for you and Steve and if he doesn't get that then he's a very selfish man."
"He's just trying..." She trails off, forcing back tears. "To cope with his own stresses at the minute..."
"What stresses?" I narrow my eyes, being gentle with my words and she shakes her head. "Do you want to go over and see Carla? I can manage here."
"No, I just..." She sighs, wiping a tear away quickly. "I just want to keep busy."
I stare at her worriedly. I'd learnt exactly how to cope in these situations because she was very similar to Carla in how she handled them, except often less destructive.
"You know where I'd like to be? On a beach, sunning myself." She forces a bright tone, a fake smile appearing on her face. "Not gonna happen though, is it?" She heads in to the kitchen and I watch her go for a moment, before going over to my laptop and opening Google.
Carla
I am actually excited when the door goes, knowing it will be somebody to entertain me and stop me from going insane. I was not the kind of person to be sat on the sofa watching This Morning and eating cheese sandwiches, and anything to stop that from continuing any longer was a blessing.
"Roy." I open the door, seeing him stood on the doorstep, peering around my shoulder.
"Please forgive me for not asking ahead, I do not wish to intrude." He tells me and I step aside, ushering him in. "I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Just me." I shake my head, closing the door. "However don't tell Nick I moved from that sofa, he'll have your head on a chopping block."
"I do apologise." He stands awkwardly, gripping his bag as I sit back down on the sofa.
"Roy, I was joking." I assure him. "Please, sit down."
"I intended to visit you yesterday, I didn't know whether it was too soon." He tells me, sitting down in the arm chair. "I feel the standard question may be somewhat unnecessary, but how are you doing?"
"Bored." I reply, bluntly, crossing my legs and shuffling up the sofa to look at him. "But it's doing the baby good so that's all that matters."
"I did worry terribly when Nick told me what had happened." He confesses. "He came in to purchase a breakfast muffin."
"I know it was very nice." I reply, stupidly, wondering why I even bothered to say it. "It's a little boy, did you know?"
"A little boy?" He repeats, as a smile almost flickers across his face. "How wonderful."
"Nick's dead chuffed." I smile at the thought. "As am I, obviously."
"You both must be very excited." He nods, curtly.
"Apart from when we thought we'd lost him." I dare to bring up and Roy doesn't remove his gaze from me.
"You deserve every happiness, you both do." He replies. "I believe together you will pull through any struggles you are faced with, and this baby will too."
"Oh Roy." I sigh, gazing at him adoringly. "I don't think you realise what a gem you really are."
"Possibly not." He dips his head slightly. "You really are too kind."
"No, Roy. I mean it." I assure him as the door opens and Nick enters, waving at Roy in greeting.
"Oh hi Roy." He smiles. "Have you been entertaining this one?"
"He has." I nod, as Nick comes over to me, kissing me gently.
"How've you been, beautiful?" He asks, sitting down on the back of the sofa.
"I really should be getting off." Roy stands up, clearly now feeling in the way.
"You don't have to, Roy." I tell him.
"I've left Anna in the lurch, I really ought to get back." He informs us. "Take care of yourselves."
"Thanks Roy." I wave to him as the door closes, before looking up at Nick. "Ah, I missed you."
"Really?" He raises his eyebrows, massaging my scalp gently, before holding out a tin. "Caramel whatever it's called."
"I thought you said I needed to eat healthily?" I take it from him, ripping the lid off excitedly.
"Well your happiness comes first." He says and I pull his head down to kiss me again, before he walks around the sofa, sitting down next to me. "That's not your only treat."
"Ey?" I frown at him. "I can't have sex, remember?"
"Not sex." He laughs slightly and I can't help feeling disappointed at this. "You're fed up of it here, yes?"
"Ooh are we going skiing? Or mountain climbing?" I tease him and he narrows his eyes, shaking his head at my attempts. "Come on I'm scared now, tell me."
"I've booked you and Michelle in to a spa for the afternoon." He announces and I stop eating my cake, throwing it back down in to the tin.
"When?" My eyes widen excitedly.
"Oh in about an hour." He checks his watch. "So you'd better start getting ready."
"You're being serious?" I exclaim, excitedly.
"Well it'd be a bit of a cruel joke if I wasn't." He points out and I practically jump on him, more than ready to get out of these four walls. "Ok careful, this is why you're going for a nice relaxing afternoon. A few ground rules please."
"Oh Nick." I roll my eyes, sitting back and listening all the same. "Michelle drives, you don't do anything too strenuous, you ring me if-"
"There's a problem." I finish his sentence. "Yes that is firmly lodged in my brain Nicholas. Which spa is it?"
"Royal Park." He states and I try to conceal the look of surprise in my expression.
"Flipping heck, you do like to push the boat out don't you?" I nudge him. "Do you spend everything you earn on me?"
"Well... Pretty much yeah." He frowns at the thought before returning his gaze to me. "I've yet to tell Michelle though. She's having a bad day, so just bear that in mind."
"Why?" I ask, concerned.
"It's been a year since she scattered Ruari's ashes so she's just been a bit emotional this morning." He explains. "And she's had a row with Robert so, I thought this would cheer you both up, take your minds off things and it means you can get out of here and chill out for a bit."
"Oh I love you." I pull him in, kissing him before getting up. I walk slowly up the stairs for his benefit, knowing he was watching me as I did so. I don't think I had ever felt so excited to get changed in my life, put on some clothes that actually made me look half human. I felt a whole new sense of energy and that was something that hadn't happened in days.
Nick
"That was a quick lunch break." Michelle looks up as I enter the Bistro, putting her phone down.
"Any reply from Robert?" I ask and she shakes her head.
"Nope." She responds, tapping her phone as if it was going to make any difference.
"Oh ok well I'll let him know if he does come in." I shrug, playing it down and she narrows her eyes at me.
"Let him know?" She repeats, studying me. "Let him know what?"
"Oh that you and Carla have gone to a spa for the afternoon." I casually drop in and she looks completely confused.
"A spa?" She questions. "What are you going on about?"
"You're taking the afternoon off work and going to the Royal Park spa with Carla." I inform her and her mouth drops open. "It's all booked and paid for, so Carla's coming here as soon as she's dressed."
"Nick... What?" She stammers, trying to work out if I was being serious.
"Well you said you wanted to be on a beach, but I thought that might be a bit of a struggle." I shrug. "And Carla's climbing the walls at home, it all made sense really. So you've got two treatments each and you're both going to relax and enjoy yourselves."
"...She really did win the lottery with you, didn't she?" She stares at me in disbelief. "Do you realise how happy you make her?"
"Sometimes I doubt being good enough." I admit and she pauses, examining my expression in preparation for her response. "I mean she's Carla Connor. I didn't think anybody was good enough for her, didn't think she'd look twice at me."
"You have completely turned her life around, Nick." Her voice goes serious. "She loves you like crazy, and I've seen her grow up, from being kids until now. I am telling you, nobody has ever made her this happy. Nobody."
"Well then that's what I will try and continue to do then." I smile as the door swings open and I feel a pair of hands fly over my eyes. "I really hope that's who I think it is."
"Ooh why, you got another secret lover stored away?" I hear Carla's voice, as her hands release and she walks around to stand next to me. "Hey, she's not pregnant too is she?"
"Hello you." Michelle greets her. "I hope you're grateful for him."
"Oh I am." She smiles up at me, kissing me briefly before leaning against the bar. "You ready?"
"Well hardly, I only got told five minutes ago." Michelle points out. "I haven't even got anything."
"What do you need?" I frown at the pair of them. "You literally sit there being pampered, you hardly need a suitcase."
"Oh sweetheart, this is women for you." Carla wraps her arm around my neck, the other one holding the handle of her bag and I take it off her, weighing how heavy it was in my hand. "Approved?"
"Only just." I pass it back to her and her eyes sparkle with excitement. "Go on you'd better get a shift on."
"Nick, are you sure about this?" Michelle checks, walking around the bar to stand next to Carla.
"Yes, go and have fun doing whatever 'women' do." I dig at Carla and she laughs, kissing me again before dragging Michelle towards the door of the Bistro.
Carla
"Do you think I should offer Nick the money back?" Michelle frets as she slams the car door.
"Uh no." I scoff slightly. "Besides he wouldn't take it."
"It's very kind of him." She continues, heading towards the automatic doors and staring in shock when she sees the reception. "It's too kind of him."
"Yeah well that's Nick Tilsley for you, isn't it?" I point out and she studies me for a moment. "I hope you aren't beginning to take him for granted."
"Michelle! Of course I'm not." I object, now worrying about it. "Why, do I seem to be?"
"No but he has already spent thousands on you this year and it's only February." She reminds me and I hesitate, adding up everything he had bought or done for me.
"I do tell him not to spoil me as much." I respond, before noticing her expression. "I do! It's because of the baby thing, he seems to just be rewarding me, as if I'm doing something heroic."
"Well, he has wanted a baby forever and you're giving him one." She points out. "To him, that probably is heroic."
"I don't want to seem ungrateful." I stress.
"Carla you don't." She insists. "I was winding you up, come on let's check in."
"So come on then; what's Robert done?" I dare to finally ask, laying back on the spa bed and closing my eyes. "Nick told me."
"Oh we just had one of those stupid rows this morning." She sighs. "And now he's gone awhile, again."
"Well last time he went awhile he proposed to you, so." I point out. "Maybe it's not all bad."
"Oh what, so this time he's gonna be pregnant?" She replies, sarcastically and I try to think of another reason that was more realistic but wasn't going to freak her out. There wasn't one. Time to divert the topic.
"I like this... Thingy." I point to the drink on the side next to me and take a sip of it. "Honestly, no alcohol, no fizzy drinks. That poor bar tender probably hated me."
"What if he's in trouble?" She continues to stress and I sigh, looking out across the candlelit room ahead of us.
"Michelle he won't be." I assure her. "We're supposed to be here to relax."
"I can't relax." She responds, looking like she wants to tell me something and I look at her, expectantly. "I..."
"Chelle?" I frown, waiting for some kind of explanation to leave her mouth. "Hey, whatever it is you can tell me, you know that."
"I promised I wouldn't say anything..." She pauses and I narrow my eyes.
"Chelle if he has upset you or hurt you in any way-" I begin.
"He hasn't." She shakes her head, beginning to get upset and I sit up, pulling my feet out of the foot spa they were in and turning to face her, taking her hand in mine. "...He might have cancer."
"What?" I try to stop myself from spluttering in response.
"Please you can't tell Nick, please." She begs me and I close my eyes momentarily. This was going to leave me stuck in a massive hole; I either help Michelle and pretend I have no idea to Nick, or betray my best friend. The second one wasn't an option, she had always been there for me every single time I had needed her. "Please Carla."
"I won't." I promise her and she relaxes slightly. "So... Why does he think this?"
"He's got a lump... Down there." She swallows. "And I'd been pestering him to go and get it checked out for weeks. He went to go and get his blood test done yesterday, so I went with him... And I stupidly went behind his back and told the doctor about the lump, trying to persuade Robert to have it checked out, which eventually he did. Anyway... They gave him an emergency scan..." She trails off, forcing back tears and I squeeze her hand gently. "...Carla I don't know what to do... He's so in denial about the whole thing."
"But he doesn't know for sure?" I clarify, trying to see the positive side of the situation but failing miserably.
"He reckons he knows." She practically whispers. "They've told him that they need to operate to remove the tissue so they can check to make sure... But it's persuading him to go. We had a massive row about it this morning. I was upset because I remembered about scattering Ruari's ashes last year and he was in an awful mood because of the conversation last night... I just didn't know what to do, neither of us did."
"Oh, here's me banging on about fizzy drinks... Chelle, you should have told me to shut up." I sigh and she manages a small laugh.
"Takes my mind off it all." She shrugs, wiping a tear away. "I just don't know whether to keep persisting with it which will just wind him up or whether to leave it, which means doing nothing about the whole thing."
"Well that's not an option." I tell her. "Because he might not thank you now but he definitely will in the long run, and if that means him disliking you initially then if you love him that's a chance you need to take."
"I know." She pauses, tears silently rolling down her cheeks before she meets my gaze. "I'm just scared."
"Come here." I whisper, pulling her in and kissing her head. "Oh sweetheart, whatever happens you've always got me. If you need to run away and hide or rage at the world."
"I've always had you." She murmurs in to my robe. "That's why you know everything, because if you haven't run already, hopefully you won't do now."
"Sounds like me talking." I let her go, laughing nervously and she smiles slightly as I brush her tears away. "You know, he's healthy, strong, clever deep down. If anyone's going to beat it, it's him. Plus he's got you, which makes him the luckiest man in the world so, he's already winning."
"Thank you." She whispers. "For everything."
"Don't mention it." I smile. "Always."
Nick
"Hey, she's home." I enter the living room, watching Carla lean up against the back of the sofa, dropping her bag down on to it. "How was it?"
"It was amazing, I don't deserve you." She grins, wrapping her arms around my neck affectionately. "And I'm so grateful to have you. I really am. I hope you don't think I take you for granted because I appreciate every single day at the moment and I love you so much."
"What's brought this on?" I laugh, holding her at arms length and realising how refreshed she looked. "You haven't been drinking?"
"Hey! I can be nice without having a drink thank you." She nudges me and I place a hand on her tummy.
"And how is he doing?" I kiss her neck, breathing in a heavenly smell she had obviously brought back from the spa.
"He is absolutely fine, as far as I'm aware." She reassures me, a low hum emitting her lips as she feels my kisses on her skin. "Uh, careful."
"You smell amazing." I pull back, running my fingers through her glossy hair.
"Yeah that would be the shower gel and oils they gave me at the spa." She picks her bag up, handing me two bottles in cellophane. "For you."
"Ah, are you going to give me a massage?" I tease her and her eyes light up slightly at the thought. "Thank you, although I can imagine you'll be using these more than me."
"Well yes but what's mine is yours baby, don't forget that." She pokes me in the arm. "And vice-versa."
"And don't I know it?" I raise my eyebrows, before taking her hand in mine. "Close your eyes."
"No." She responds, sounding worried but excited. "Why?"
"Just close your eyes." I insist and she sighs, giving in and squeezing them shut. I lead her in to the kitchen and towards the back door, turning to see her looking confused, still with her eyes firmly closed.
"Nick I'm scared where are you taking me?" She laughs slightly and I place my hands on her shoulders, pushing the back door open and guiding her outside.
"Open." She immediately follows my instructions and stares at the garden in shock for a moment.
"Oh wow!" She exclaims, stepping outside and admiring the work I had been doing all afternoon. "Nick, how did you manage to do all of this in the space of six hours?"
"With great difficulty." I respond, it was true; I had challenged myself to mow the lawn, put in the patio furniture, fit a garden swing and plant a border of flowers along the back of it. She goes over to the wooden swing, running her finger along it gently. "For when he grows up a bit."
"Nick..." Her expression softens when she looks at me. "This is beautiful."
"It needed doing." I shrug. "It's getting dark now, it might be alright when you can actually see everything."
"Alright?" She repeats. "I didn't have you down as a gardener and decorator but you never fail to amaze me."
"So you like it then?" I guess and she comes over to me.
"It is perfect." She kisses me. "You really didn't need to."
"Well you weren't going to get your hands dirty were you?" I point out, before feeling her shiver in my arms. "Come on, you're cold." I tap her back, as she heads inside, closing the door before she pins me up against the wall, kissing me passionately. "Carla." I muffle in-between kisses, but giving in all the same. "Carla, we can't..."
"I can't." She points out, her eyes glimmering slightly. "Doesn't mean I can't reward you for your efforts." She flashes me a dirty smile before kissing me again, my hands moving to her hair before she tugs me upstairs and towards the bedroom.
"Yes, I am starving." Carla sits down at the dining table, and I turn to realise she is wearing my shirt that had been discarded earlier on.
"That's not a maternity shirt." I wind her up and she flashes me a sarcastic smile.
"What's for dinner?" She asks, not even bothering to get up to check.
"Chilli." I reply, hearing an excited mumble from behind me. "But don't worry I haven't made it very spicy at all."
"I like spicy food." She reminds me.
"Yes but the baby might not." I prompt her. "It says to be careful with spice on the internet."
"I'd love to see your internet history." She says as I put a bowl down in front of her, watching as she picks my phone up subtly. I raise my eyebrows at her, trying to take it from her grasp and she pulls it back playfully. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll find something out?"
"Like what?" I object, gently, leaving her to it as I tuck in to my food and she shrugs, scrolling through my phone. "Do you not trust me?"
"Don't be stupid." She shakes her head, grinning at my phone. "Boys baby names, how to fit a garden swing, drinks women crave during pregnancy, ooh."
"Ok give it back." I try to grab it from her. "Carla this isn't funny!"
"What size is my baby at twenty one weeks? Relaxation techniques for pregnancy. Can I drink fizzy drinks whilst carrying a baby?" She laughs and I get up, snatching it from her and trying to hide the embarrassment in my expression. "Ah, I was enjoying that."
"Shut up." I kiss her before returning to my seat and she laughs victoriously, staring at me over the table. "I thought you said you were starving."
"You are so cute." She pulls the bowl towards her. "Most husbands are googling dirty websites, mine is searching how to keep himself healthy whilst pregnant."
"Oh haha, it's just easier searching it from a first person perspective." I narrow my eyes at her, slightly embarrassed. "You should be pleased that I'm the latter."
"Oh I am." She smiles, eating her food gracefully. "I bet you've got an account on one of those mumsy chat websites and all, haven't you?"
"Carla, stop it." I roll my eyes, sitting back in my chair, weirdly glad that winding me up was at least making her happy. "How's your food?"
"Don't change the subject." She teases me and I study her for a second, soaking up her happiness. "What?"
"You're perfect." I reply and she looks surprised at my response, still sat with a content smile on her face.
"I think you live in a parallel universe Nick Tilsley." She shakes her head at me, touched all the same. "You know where like, it still looks like me, but the sane version."
"What have they been giving you at that spa?" I raise an eyebrow. "Did Michelle enjoy it?"
"Mm." She nods, looking away and down at her food.
"You don't sound too convinced." I tell her, as she continues to stir her fork around her plate. "Hey?" I reach over to place a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to face me. "Excuse me, I'm talking to you."
"Uh, needy." She finally smiles again and I lean back, watching her. "You know that's exactly what I needed today."
"I can tell." I nod, pushing my bowl away. "You've barely stopped smiling since you got back."
"I feel bad." She lowers her tone slightly, leaning on her elbow. "Because I've got everything, very few people can say that."
"Well you deserve a bit of happiness." I point out.
"Finally; I got lucky in the end, landing you, landing him." She places a hand on her tummy. "All of this. I'm actually one of the stable ones for a change... Wow, isn't that weird?"
"Domestic bliss." I quote her and she takes a sip of her drink, peering at me impressively over the glass. "So what's it like, to be one of 'the stable ones'?"
"Content." She tells me, patting her tummy lightly. "Just as long as this one stays tucked up and safe, you're healthy, that's all that matters to me."
Thought I'd incorporate some of the Robert/Michelle storyline, won't be touched on much but allows room for more drama. Also, a returning character appears in the next chapter so have a guess at who that could be! Thanks for reading as always x