Part Seven

There was no room at the apartment for a baby, so Jeff and Lucy had to find a new place to live. Their new home was another apartment in Houston, but it was larger, and had a lovely view.

"Two of the most stressful things in life are being pregnant and moving house," Lucy said to Jeff. "And I get to do both at the same time." Despite this, the move was relatively painless, and they were settled before winter set in. Jeff's 26th birthday had passed quietly. They had gone to a restaurant for a nice meal. It was just as much a treat for Lucy as for Jeff. Even though it had been the holiday season, she had been working a lot. Jeff had scolded her for it.

"You shouldn't be doing so much," he said.

"There's been some big stories recently," Lucy had replied.

"Yes, but you shouldn't be putting yourself under stress."

"Who said I'm stressed? I've never felt better," Lucy said. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to drop everything and stay at home like a good little wife." She looked at him in a way that meant he was to drop the subject else she'd stop sounding good-natured about it. Jeff knew better by now than to defy that look.


The initial tranquillity of the new year had disappeared when Lucy's friend Karen came to stay for a couple of days. She was over in the States for three weeks to see relatives, and she and Lucy thought that it would be silly if they didn't see each other whilst she was in the country, especially now they had room for a guest to stay. Jeff liked Karen, but she was just a little too loud for his taste and was glad that Lucy had plans to keep her occupied. He was also glad that Lucy was having a few days off work. He watched the two of them in the kitchen, fussing around with making a drink. Karen was delighted that Lucy was expecting a baby. When the two girls were younger, they used to joke that if one of them had children, the other would be an honorary aunt. Therefore, Karen was most interested in the wellbeing of her unborn "niece" or "nephew".

"I think it's going to be a girl. Don't you want to know what it is?" she asked.

"Not at all," Lucy said. "That reminds me, I had a scan just before you came. I'll go and fetch the pictures." She went into the living room and searched through a pile of papers. Karen brought the drinks through and sat opposite Jeff. Lucy found what she was looking for and sat down next to Karen.

"That's amazing," Karen gasped, looking at the pictures from the scan. "They're so clear! Oh, look at this one. She's sucking her thumb!"

"He," Jeff corrected.

"It," Lucy further corrected, smiling at Jeff. Karen giggled.

"I take it you want a boy, Jeff?"

"I'm not bothered either way, but I reckon it's a boy," he replied, knowingly.

"Are you sure you're not having this baby, Jeff?" Lucy asked, not for the first time. If they hadn't had company, Jeff would have got up and tickled her to death, but he settled for returning her smile.

"Anxious father then?" Karen said.

"Just a little bit…ooh! That was right in my stomach!" Lucy exclaimed, putting her hand over the spot where the baby had kicked. Karen reached and put her hand on Lucy's bump, feeling the baby move about.

"Wow. Ahh, you're making me feel broody," Karen said, in such a way that Jeff felt a small feeling of alarm. Lucy caught the look in his eyes and wanted to laugh. Karen often said odd little things with such emphasis that people thought that she really meant something by them. She knew that Karen had no intention of having children at the moment. But her friend couldn't help but feel a little wistful later in the evening, watching Jeff playfully putting his hands on Lucy's rounded tummy.


Although Jeff was someone who liked to keep his feelings close to his chest, it was obvious that he was really looking forward to becoming a father. Lucy still felt unsure about being a parent, but was taking things in her stride, as she always did. How else would she cope with being the centre of everyone's attention all of a sudden? Sometimes Lucy felt like she was the first pregnant woman anyone had seen, what with being faced with a barrage of repeated questions and people wanting to touch her stomach to see if they could feel the baby moving. Even though she was an even-tempered person, her patience sometimes wore thin, especially at work. She managed to keep her feelings under control though, until she came home.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait until I'm on maternity leave," she said to Jeff. "I know they all mean well, but I feel like a lab rat."

"Well, you've not got long," Jeff said, typing away at a report on the computer. Whilst he wasn't on missions, he was involved with a lot of testing and experimentation on new technology with NASA. He saw Lucy only nod tiredly in response to him and smiled at her, sympathetically.

"You're having a 'fat day', aren't you?" he said. Lucy grinned at him.

"Am I complaining that much?" she asked. Jeff saved his work then came and sat next to her, giving her a cuddle.

"You complain as much as you want to," he told her.

"I'll remember that when you get in one of your moods," Lucy replied, snuggling up to him the best she could.

"I don't have moods," Jeff said, pretending to be offended. Lucy just smiled knowingly at him. Despite her moans about her colleagues, she was touched when they gave her a nice send off a few weeks later. They presented her with a huge bouquet of flowers.

"Just a little something to say goodbye and good luck with," Wes said.

"Little? They're almost as big as me!" Lucy said, wondering how on earth she was going to manage to get them home. "Thank you very much."

"You've got to call us when it's born," Anna said.

"I will do," promised Lucy. She turned to Tom.

"Don't stay away for too long," he told her.

"You won't notice," Lucy replied. Tom gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't be so sure," he said, quietly. Lucy just smiled at him, then looked at all of them.

"Goodbye then," she said.

"Good luck!" they all yelled, as she left the office. She laughed to herself. They were a mad bunch. She'd miss the buzz of working in the newsroom, both because she loved her job, and because she loved the people. Still, at least she was going to be kept busy with the new arrival. It was a step closer now.


March passed into April, and Lucy was on tenterhooks. Every twinge, every kick made her wonder if it was time. It was four o'clock in the morning, and she was wide-awake, much to her annoyance. Jeff, on the other hand, was very much asleep, and snoring into his pillow. She sighed, and got out of bed, deciding to make herself a hot drink. Maybe that would help her relax. She set out a mug, boiled the kettle and went to the fridge to get the milk. A sudden pain and a strange sensation inside her made her freeze on the spot, not daring to move. A second contraction brought her back into this world, and she waddled as fast as she could back to the bedroom.

"Jeff," she said, gently shaking him by the shoulder. "Jeff!" He stirred and looked at her with bleary eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The baby's coming," she said.

"Are you sure?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"Yes, definitely," Lucy replied. Jeff rubbed his eyes and got out of bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just get a move on," Lucy chided him. Jeff took heed of her suggestion, dressing so fast that he put on odd socks. Neither of them noticed, their main concern being the imminent arrival of the baby. Soon they were at the hospital.

"I knew I wasn't going to like this bit," Lucy said, trying to remain upbeat as she was examined by doctors to make sure everything was okay. She soon gave up on that notion when a few hours later, she entered the final stage of labour, which despite the care she received, admittedly wasn't the most pleasant experience she'd ever had. Jeff stayed by her side throughout. He'd heard horror stories from friends and workmates who had already been through this. So much of his training in the air force and then the space agency had been about preparation – including preparing to be unprepared – but truth be told, the imminent birth of his first child gave him greater anxiety than the potential for something to go wrong flying a jet at 2000 miles per hour when 50,000 feet in altitude.. The hardest part for him was seeing Lucy literally labouring away and he found himself trying his best to balance being supportive without being overbearing to either his wife or the staff. Fortunately, things progressed without too much drama.

"It's a little boy. Congratulations." Any reservations that Lucy had about being a mother disappeared the instant she set eyes upon her new-born son.

"Jeff, he's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, almost as if she had been expecting something else. She had always scorned people who turned into blubbering wrecks, but even so, she wiped away a couple of tears.

"Then he takes after you already," Jeff said, putting an arm round her, and peering at the tiny baby boy. His son.

I'm a father, a dad.

The surge of emotion was almost overwhelming, and he distracted himself by kissing Lucy affectionately on the cheek. She smiled at him.

"I didn't say I hated you once, did I?" she said.

"No, but you did tell me to piss off." Jeff raised an amused eyebrow.

"Did I? I don't remember that."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Jeff said, touching the baby's hand. Already, the whole process seemed like a fading dream. Lucy looked at him and shifted her hold on the boy, enabling Jeff to gingerly take him into his arms for the first time. He felt his throat tighten and once more reached for something as a diversion.

"So… Remember what we agreed if it was a boy?"

"Yes, I know." It had been a protracted argument. Jeff had his sights set on naming a son after one of the Mercury Seven astronauts, his heroes, and would not budge. Lucy had eventually agreed on condition that she got to decide which of the names their child would inherit.

"Any thoughts?" Jeff tilted the baby so his mother could see him better. She studied the little scrunched up face, feeling instinct kick in and went with that rather than procrastinate the matter further.

"Scott," she said.

"Scott… Yeah, that suits him," Jeff agreed. Lucy reached out towards her son.

"Hi Scott." She looked at Jeff. The love in her brown eyes at that moment would be something he'd never forget. The magic was broken however, as Lucy happened to glance downwards and then laughed.

"You're wearing odd socks!" she said. Jeff looked at his feet and blushed slightly.

"I thought that I was getting some funny looks," he replied, then shrugged it off. "Well, I suppose I'd better go and make some calls, give out the good news."

"If you're gone for hours, I'll know that you got my mother on the phone."

"Or my mother. You have a good rest," Jeff told her, carefully placing Scott back in her arms.

"I will," Lucy smiled. Jeff kissed her again, and smiled at Scott, who remained quite oblivious of his parents. Lucy watched Jeff leave the room, noticing that he seemed to be strutting slightly. She shook her head. He'd probably want to show Scott off to the whole world when they got home. She looked at the little boy again and decided that she felt like doing exactly the same thing.


"He's not been too bad, I suppose. Jeff's been really good with helping out." Jeff's ears pricked up as he entered his home and heard Lucy's voice talking about him. He saw her chatting on the phone. She smiled and gave him a little wave when she saw him, at the same time continuing her conversation.

"Yes, he adores him. You'll have to come over again, Karen. He's growing so fast. I can't stop taking photos because he seems to change even within a few days." Jeff hung up his jacket and went into Scott's room. He was a month old now, and a healthy baby with a strong pair of lungs, as he and Lucy had found out to their cost. Jeff peered into the cot, and saw that Scott was awake, the baby's piercing blue eyes locking onto his father.

"Hi, Sport," Jeff said, and reached in to pick his little son up. He walked around the room with him, looking for a toy and earwigging on Lucy's conversation.

"It sounds really stupid," she was saying, "but I keep looking at Scott and wondering how I managed to produce such a gorgeous baby!" She laughed. Jeff smiled at Scott. There wasn't any great mystery about that to him. They had both turned into doting parents since Scott's birth. Jeff's own parents adored their grandson – Lucy had been amazed at the change in Grant when he first held Scott. She'd never seen him smile so much, even at her and Jeff's wedding. Lucy's parents were supposed to be coming to stay with them soon. It would be the first time Lucy would have seen them since she got married, and she had missed them. They were anxious to see Scott, and Lucy couldn't wait to show him to them. So far, she was enjoying motherhood, despite all the downsides like sleepless nights and dirty nappies…or should that be diapers? She and Jeff had always fought good-naturedly over the differences in the English language that their respective birthplaces had. But she had become accustomed to her life now and felt as if she were finally settling down after a whirlwind eighteen months or so. She finished her call and smiled at Jeff and Scott who had come into the living room.

"How's your day been?" she asked Jeff.

"Hard work," Jeff replied. "We were testing that new equipment again, and it still doesn't work properly."

"Really? Well, I hope it's fixed soon. It's not long until you're going to have to use it," Lucy said. Jeff was due to go into space again soon, again on a short mission. She had the feeling that he was more apprehensive about it than his first one, perhaps because he now had Scott to think about. There also seemed to have been mishap after mishap in the preparation for this mission, and Jeff was hovering somewhere between frustration and despair at the moment with regards to his work. She reached up and ruffled his dark hair.

"It'll be alright in the end, Muffin," she told him, soothingly. He smiled at her.

"I know, I know. I'll just be happier when this one is over," he replied. He suddenly looked down at Scott with a grimace.

"Do you want to do it or shall I?" He held Scott in front of him. She took hold of the baby with a reproachful look.

"You're definitely doing the next one," she told him, before disappearing with Scott. Jeff grimaced again. If he could change one thing about babies… Still, despite that, he'd be quite happy to have more. Neither he nor Lucy wanted Scott to be an only child. But one was quite sufficient for now.