"So, everything is looking good. Baby's heartbeat is strong and healthy. You have absolutely nothing to worry about." The sonographer reassured the couple as she concluded the scan. Nick and Carla had seen their baby and were over the moon that everything had been normal, and that there was nothing to be concerned about. Carla sat up and Nick gently planted a kiss in her hair.
"Thank you." Carla smiled, as the doctor passed her some tissue to wipe away the remainder of the gel on her small bump.
"No problem." She smiled in return, as Carla got up off of the bench. "If you have any other concerns or worries, please don't hesitate to give us a call or come and see us." She told the couple, as she passed Carla the folder that contained all the documents that they had accumulated during the pregnancy. Nick and Carla left the room, and walked down the corridor to a waiting area, where Bethany was sat.
"So, what was all that about?" Bethany asked, cheekily sticking her nose in. The couple had seen more of their niece's old self, which was reassuring. It looked as if the time away from the Platt household was doing her the world of good.
"Never you mind." Nick told her.
"It was just a check-up." Carla added, a warmer response than her husband had given.
"So why did it take so long?" Bethany asked.
"It didn't." Nick replied, placing his hand around Carla's waist.
"They gave me a quick check up, and did a scan to check up on the baby." Carla explained to her.
"Is everything OK?" Bethany asked her Aunt.
"Yes, baby is happy and healthy." Carla replied.
"Does that mean you're going to tell everyone when you take me back home?" She asked, smiling, as Nick and Carla exchanged soft smiles.
"Family, not everyone." Nick confirmed. "We'll go home and get your stuff, and then drive up to Manchester." He added, as he noticed Bethany's face fall slightly.
It had reached half five by the time the three of them had reached Weatherfield. Bethany had been quiet almost the whole journey, which had worried Nick and Carla. Nick had been watching in the rear view mirror and he was concerned at how reserved she was being. Carla had fallen asleep about half an hour into the drive, after texting family and telling them of a table they had booked for a meal that night.
With just a few miles left to go, Carla woke up from her nap. She too noticed how quiet Bethany still was, and recognised the anxiety that she was displaying.
"You know, Bethany. If things don't go well at home, we'll always be here. You know where we are." Carla assured her, gaining a small smile from her niece.
"As long as you call us before making any trips on your own." Nick added. He didn't like the thought of her travelling such a long way by herself without any warning. Anything could happen to her.
"I will, promise." She replied, before becoming quiet once more.
"Just be honest with your mum." Nick added. "She'll be mad for a while, but just go with it." He shrugged off. Once Sarah was done having a go at her teenager, Nick hoped that everything would be business as usual.
"How can she be mad?" Beth retorted, scoffing slightly. "I should be the one with a grudge. She hadn't even realised I'd gone." She added, as Carla sighed.
"Maybe she just had a lot on that day. We all have busy days from time to time." Her Aunt sympathised. She knew more than most that when you have a lot on, you can end up neglecting your family. "It doesn't mean she loves you any less." She added.
"Yeah, maybe." Bethany replied, hoping Carla was right. As they got closer, a sinking feeling overtook her and she felt more and more anxious and overwhelmed.
Nick parked just outside of his Mum's house, with Sarah coming out of the front door almost immediately. Bethany got out of the car with her Aunt and Uncle.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Sarah lectured, as Bethany instantly came to stand closer to Carla, who protectively wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
"You hadn't even realised she had gone!" Nick snapped back, raising an eyebrow at his sister.
"That is not the point." Sarah told him, in an enraged tone.
"Why don't we take this inside?" Carla suggested, just as Gail appeared behind Sarah.
"Nick! Carla!" She exclaimed, coming to hug both her son and his wife.
"Do I not get a hug?" Bethany asked her, as her grandmother sighed before embracing the teen. Gail was just glad to have Beth home, and grateful that it gave Nick and Carla the opportunity to come and visit.
"Mum?!" Sarah questioned her mother in a high pitched tone, as Bethany almost folded into Carla, as her aunt took her in her arms. Nick put his arm round Carla's waist, as Carla looked worriedly towards Nick. Carla noticed that Bethany had slowly, and silently, started to cry.
"It's not like she went and stayed with some mates now, is it?" Gail reasoned. "We knew that she was safe." She added, giving Sarah a soft look to try and pacify her.
"She shouldn't have just gone off in the first place!" Sarah exclaimed.
"I don't think this is helping." Nick interrupted, as he placed his hand on Carla's lower back.
"Why don't we take you inside?" Carla asked the family as Bethany pulled away, with Carla leading her into number eight. They were followed by Nick, Sarah and Gail.
Bethany sat down on the sofa with Carla, as Nick leant on the arm of the chair. Bethany rested her head on Carla's shoulder. The teen was shattered, and Carla sighed.
"What is the matter with you?" Sarah asked Bethany. The anger in her voice still very much there.
"I just needed a break." Her daughter tried to explain.
"A break from what?" She asked, her voice raised even further. She couldn't possibly fathom why her daughter would need to travel so far away like she did.
"From you!" Bethany snapped back, jumping up from where she was previously.
"This time, you have gone too far young lady!" Sarah snapped back.
"I think we should all just calm down." Carla told them, glancing at Bethany, and wanting to diffuse the situation for everyone's sake.
"Stay out of it, love." Nick told her, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. The last thing he wanted was for his wife to get stressed by being involved in his family's latest drama.
"You go half way across the country, and you blame me?" Sarah asked, not believing what she was hearing.
"All you do is have a go at me, I needed a break, and I knew that Uncle Nick and Carla would actually understand." Bethany reasoned.
"Understand what exactly?" Sarah asked, placing her hand on her hip.
"I just can't cope, with college, with being here." Bethany told her, her voice cracking, as she fiddled with her hands. The room fell silent. At last, a breakthrough.
"How about we leave you to it?" Nick suggested, as he stood up with Carla. "We've booked a table at the Italian in town, for about an hours time for a meal and a catch-up, you're all more than welcome to come." He added, as he took Carla's hand as they made their way out of the house.
"That'll be nice. We'll be there." Gail replied, smiling at his son as the couple reached the door. Carla shot a soft and reassuring smile at Bethany before the pair walked out of the house.
"How are you feeling?" Nick asked her, noticing that she looked a little worse for wear.
"Honestly? Shattered." She replied, sighing as she gave her answer.
"Really?" He asked her in return. "You slept in the car." He reminded her gently.
"I know, but I'm telling you, this past month the baby has just wiped all my energy. This whole pregnancy has been a nightmare." She reflected, as Nick engulfed her in a hug as they reached the car.
"Don't say that." He told her softly, wanting to reassure her.
"Well, It's hardly been a walk in the park now, has it?" She retorted, as she pulled away slowly from her husband.
"No, I know." He sympathised, before smiling softly. "You know how much I love you, don't you?" He asked her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Yeah. I love you too." She replied, mirroring his gentle smile, with added exhaustion.
"Why don't we go and check into the hotel now, and you can have a nap before we go out?" He suggested as Carla went round to the passenger side.
"No, it's fine. I'd rather just power through it. If I go to sleep now, I'll doubt whether I'd be able to wake up." She chuckled.
The pair decided to go to the hotel anyway, to drop their bags and allow Carla some time to get ready. Once in the room, Carla laid on the bed, sighing in relief as her head hit the pillow. She pulled her top up, smiling down at her perfectly formed bump. Although she didn't look twenty six weeks, she definitely felt like her stomach was growing daily. Nick joined Carla, sitting on the large bed, and placed one of his hands on his wife's stomach. "Have they been kicking much?" He asked. "Just enough to put my mind at rest." She replied, smiling up at her husband. "You're doing so well." He smiled, "and so are you, little one." Nick spoke softly, talking to his unborn child.
"I know!" Carla beamed with pride, shifting her hand to gently rub her bump. Which is definitely a relief after the last couple of weeks we've had." she mused. "Tell me about it." Nick replied, as Carla cuddled into her husband.
"I suppose I'd better get ready." She told him, as he planted a soft kiss into her hair.
"You know, we could always just stay here. Say I wasn't feeling up to driving all the way to the restaurant?" He suggested, noting how tired his wife looked.
"I'm fine." Carla reassured him. "Besides, we do actually need to tell people at some point. We can't just surprise your mother with a baby in a couple of months, even if the look on her face would be worth it!" She joked, as Nick chuckled.
"Could you imagine?" He asked, still with a slight chuckle in his voice.
"Yeah, I could!" She exclaimed, knowing what Gail's reaction would be. "It's not going to happen! We have everyone together tonight, it's the perfect time to tell them all." She confirmed, as Nick smiled. She was right, and as long as Carla was happy with telling everyone, he was too.
"So, we didn't just bring you all here to have a meal, as nice as it is..." Nick revealed, nodding to his wife to tell the table why they were all gathered together.
"We wanted to let you all know that we're expecting!" She beamed, matching Nick's smile, as their families reacted to the good news.
"Oh my gosh!" Gail screeched, getting up from her seat and embracing Carla in the biggest hug imaginable.
"How far along are you?" Jenny asked.
"Just over six months." Carla replied, with Gail finally releasing her from her grip.
"Six months!" Kate exclaimed, unable to believe that the secret was kept that long.
"I know." Carla sighed, although a soft smile was firmly planted on her face, still more than happy with her family's reaction to the good news.
"We wanted to give it some time, and tell you when you were altogether." Nick told them, keeping the couples worries to themselves.
"Did you know?" Sarah asked her daughter in a hushed tone.
"No." She replied, matching her mother's volume. "This is so exciting!" Bethany exclaimed aloud.
"Congratulations, to the both of you." Johnny announced ecstatically - thrilled he was set to be a grandfather.
"Thank you." Nick replied, taking Carla's hand underneath the table.
"Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl?" Gail asked, smiling from ear to ear.
"We want it to be a surprise." Nick chuckled.
"You haven't found out?" Kate asked, gobsmacked. She would have thought her sister would want to be prepared.
"No." Nick chuckled once more, happy that everyone finally knew their secret, but slightly uncomfortable with the questioning he and Carla were now subjected to.
"Well, I think that's lovely." Bethany smiled, playing along, and acting as if she didn't already know a thing.
"It is." Michelle agreed. "Congratulations, love." She told Carla, giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you, babe." She smiled in response. Although she could tell that her best friend smelt a rat.
The rest of the evening went by without any major dramas. The impending arrival seemed to be the main topic of conversation, but that didn't matter too much.
"I'm going to go outside for some air." Carla told Nick, before pushing her chair back and heading to the entrance of the restaurant. Before leaving, she caught Michelle's eye and followed suit, bringing Kate along too.
"You ok?" Michelle asked, placing her hand on Carla's shoulder.
"Yeah, I just needed a break for a minute." She replied, nodding towards where the family were situated inside.
"I don't blame you, Gail is getting a little overbearing." Michelle remarked, raising an eyebrow and shooting Carla a funny look.
"Isn't she!" Kate agreed, laughing a little.
"She's fine. It's understandable - she's excited." Carla responded, absentmindedly placing her hand on her stomach.
"I still can't believe you didn't say anything!" Michelle exclaimed, rolling her eyes back in exaggeration.
"I know." Carla smirked, both proud and surprised that she managed to keep the baby a secret for this long.
"Is everything... ok?" Michelle dared to ask. She knew that Carla had a more than good enough reason to keep it from everyone after the way her last pregnancy ended, but it just seemed off that Carla would keep it from everyone for such a length of time.
"Yeah, all good." She smiled, unconvincingly.
"I don't believe you." Michelle questioned, with Carla knowing that she would have to reveal what had really happened. She knew that Michelle would guess there was more too it, she was just thankful that she didn't raise the issue in front of the rest of the family. "Of course, I'd understand why you'd want to wait, but six months is a long time." She added, as Carla took a step closer to the other women.
"This stays between us." She warned them, with both of the others nodding, and listening intently.
"Goes without saying." Kate replied, wanting to know why her sister had kept it from her all this time.
"The doctors were a little worried about my blood pressure." She revealed.
"Oh my gosh!" Kate exclaimed in a hushed tone, expressing concern in her voice.
"But, is everything..." Michelle dared to ask.
"I had to stay in hospital for a few days, but everything seems to have settled down a bit more. The baby's fine, that's the most important thing." Carla revealed, placing her hand on her stomach.
"Why didn't you say anything, we could have come down, helped you out?" Michelle asked, as Kate placed her hand on Carla's shoulder. The older sister, pulled her in for a hug.
"A fuss was the last thing we wanted. Besides, there wasn't much that anyone could have done. It was just one of those things." She answered, shrugging off the large majority of her worry. Now the worst was over, there was nothing that could be done, even if she was still terrified.
"Even so." Michelle told her. "If anything else happens..." She added.
"I know." Carla interjected.
"But it won't." Kate smiled reassuringly.
Later in the evening, most of their relatives had gone home. The only people left at the table were Nick, Carla, Gail, Johnny, Jenny and Bethany - who Gail had promised to take home.
"I don't know why you didn't tell me. I would have kept it a secret."
"Same here." Johnny seconded, nodding in agreement.
"I think it's nice that they kept it quiet." Bethany chimed, smiling brightly. It hadn't escaped both Carla and Nick's notice that the teen had perked up almost as soon as her mother left the restaurant.
"I'm sure you wouldn't be saying that if it was your first grandchild." Jenny remarked, taking a large gulp of wine.
"We didn't do it because we didn't want to, we did it so that we knew everything was, well... alright." Carla explained to her father and mother in law.
"Would you like to see a picture?" Nick smiled, signalling for Carla to reach into her pocket and retrieve the most recent picture they had of their unborn baby.
Carla handed the envelope to Gail, who welled up; cooing over the photograph.
"Well, come on then. Let's have a look!"
"Ahh, isn't that wonderful." He smiled, with Jenny peering at the contents of the envelope from where she was sat.
"How far gone did you say you were, Carla?
"Twenty four weeks." She smiled, as Nick wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.
"At least you've past the worst of it." Jenny remarked, as the husband and wife gave each other a quick knowing look without their families noticing - they were far to engrossed in the small picture they had been handed.
"Anyway, we best get off." Nick announced, as both he and Carla got up from where they were sat; pushing their chairs back and reaching for their coats. "I've covered the bill." He informed them, as the others also began to get up from the table.
"You didn't have to do that!" Johnny told him.
"I know!" He chuckled. "But I wanted to." Nick added, as Gail made her way back over to her daughter-in-law.
"Congratulations!" She beamed once more, engulfing Carla in yet a massive hug, before moving over and giving Nick an embrace to match.
"Congratulations, sweetheart." Johnny told his daughter, his face still beaming with pride. "You'll both make excellent parents." He added. He gave Carla a departing hug.
Bethany was last to say goodbye to the couple, not wanting her time spent with them to end.
"Bye, love." Carla smiled, giving her niece a hug to rival Gail's. "You know where we are if you need us." She whispered into her ear, before pulling away.
"Thank you." She replied, nodding towards her uncle.
"Bye bye, Uncle Nicky!" She chimed, smiling, knowing it would wind him up.
"Call me that again, and you won't be welcome next time!" He joked, as Bethany hugged him tightly.
Carla and Nick made their way out of the restaurant, and into the cold dark of night.
"Do you think Bethany will be ok?" Carla fretted, turning to her husband as he took her hand.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." He reassured her. He sighed as Carla yawned. It had been a long day.
"Bed?" He suggested, raising an eyebrow as Carla closed her eyes briefly.
"Bed." She confirmed tiredly, as the couple made their way back to their hotel.
Nick released Carla's hand from his soft grip and placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to lean into him as they continued to walk towards their car.
Everything seemed fine for now, but was it fine for Bethany?