Alex looked up as the clock started beeping. It read 7:15. 'Was it really
that time already?' he thought. It had only felt like five minutes since he
last saw to Grace. He got up and got ready for work, kissing Diane and
Grace lovingly on the head before he left. Ten minutes later and Grace was
crying again. Diane rolled over and put her head under the soft pillow to
try and drown out the sound. 'Does she never sleep?' Diane thought. It
didn't work. She could still hear Grace screaming. She never knew that such
a loud noise could come from such a small person. Diane defeatedly and
reluctantly got up and walked over to the cot and nervously picked Grace
up.
*LATER AT HOLBY*
Alex walked passed the nurses station where Kath was standing tidying up some papers before finishing her shift.
KATH: Oh Alex.
He stopped and turned around to face her
KATH: How's Diane and the baby?
ALEX: Fine thanks. We've decided on the name Grace
KATH: Aww that's lovely. I'm just finishing my shift.I was wondering.do you think I could go and see them both?
ALEX: Yeah, I'm sure Diane would love to see you
Kath arrived at Diane and Alex's apartment and rang the bell. It was a while before a very tired looking Diane answered the door. Her greasy hair was scraped back into a messy ponytail, she was not wearing any make-up and had an old pair of joggers and a T-shirt on, which had a white stain on the shoulder!
KATH: Hello. Thought you might like some adult company and I've been dying to see the baby. Alex said it would be ok
Diane politely smiled
DIANE: Come in.
Diane looked around the apartment and noticed the state it was in. She hadn't noticed before. But suddenly felt very ashamed.
DIANE: .er.sorry about the mess.
KATH: Oh that's ok
DIANE: God I must look awful
KATH: Don't worry
Grace started crying
KATH: Shouldn't you go and see to her?
Diane sighed and turned to walk across to Grace
KATH: I'll put the kettle on
Diane finally managed to get Grace back to sleep and sat down on the sofa. Kath handed her a cup of tea
KATH: So how are you?
DIANE: Oh I'm fine
Kath could see that she obviously wasn't
KATH: Really? You must be coping better than I did when Danny was born then!
Diane suddenly burst into tears and Kath put down her cup and pulled Diane close into her.
KATH: hey, hey.come on
Diane sniffed
DIANE: I'm.I'm sorry.
KATH: Hey it's ok
DIANE: I.I.can't.cope.
KATH: It's ok.I know what it's like having a new born baby.I've been there remember.It's not easy.
DIANE: I.just.
KATH: .never thought it would be so hard?
Diane nodded, still crying uncontrollably on Kath's shoulder.
DIANE: I.thought.
KATH: I know.come on, dry those tears.it's ok.it will get easier.
DIANE: But.I.don't think.that she likes me.and.I.don't.oh Kath.
KATH: Shhhh.I know.I know.but she does like you and you will grow to like her too.
Diane looked up
KATH: It takes time.you don't fall in love straight away.no-one does no matter what they say.it takes time.the body's been through a lot. Your hormones are a mess.and you're just tired.but in a few days things will look better.you'll start to love her.it's a gradual process.and then you wouldn't be without her.just give it time
DIANE: I.thought.I thought it was just me.I thought.I must be a horrible person.
KATH: No don't be silly.come on.dry those tears
Diane smiled
KATH: They don't tell what it's really like do they? No matter how many baby books you've read you're never quite prepared.you think you'll be different.
Diane nodded
DIANE: Thanks Kath
KATH: Hey, that's ok. What are friends for?
Diane smiled
KATH: That's better.feeling better now you've got it off your chest?
DIANE: Yeah
Diane wiped away her tears
KATH: How about you go and have a nice long bath or get some sleep? I'll look after Grace and do a bit of tidying up. Yeah?
DIANE: No.I couldn't ask you to do that
KATH: You didn't. I offered. Go on
DIANE: Are you sure?
KATH: Yes.now go!
As Kath turned Diane around and gently pushed her towards the bathroom they both smiled, something that Diane hadn't done in a while.
*LATER AT HOLBY*
Alex walked passed the nurses station where Kath was standing tidying up some papers before finishing her shift.
KATH: Oh Alex.
He stopped and turned around to face her
KATH: How's Diane and the baby?
ALEX: Fine thanks. We've decided on the name Grace
KATH: Aww that's lovely. I'm just finishing my shift.I was wondering.do you think I could go and see them both?
ALEX: Yeah, I'm sure Diane would love to see you
Kath arrived at Diane and Alex's apartment and rang the bell. It was a while before a very tired looking Diane answered the door. Her greasy hair was scraped back into a messy ponytail, she was not wearing any make-up and had an old pair of joggers and a T-shirt on, which had a white stain on the shoulder!
KATH: Hello. Thought you might like some adult company and I've been dying to see the baby. Alex said it would be ok
Diane politely smiled
DIANE: Come in.
Diane looked around the apartment and noticed the state it was in. She hadn't noticed before. But suddenly felt very ashamed.
DIANE: .er.sorry about the mess.
KATH: Oh that's ok
DIANE: God I must look awful
KATH: Don't worry
Grace started crying
KATH: Shouldn't you go and see to her?
Diane sighed and turned to walk across to Grace
KATH: I'll put the kettle on
Diane finally managed to get Grace back to sleep and sat down on the sofa. Kath handed her a cup of tea
KATH: So how are you?
DIANE: Oh I'm fine
Kath could see that she obviously wasn't
KATH: Really? You must be coping better than I did when Danny was born then!
Diane suddenly burst into tears and Kath put down her cup and pulled Diane close into her.
KATH: hey, hey.come on
Diane sniffed
DIANE: I'm.I'm sorry.
KATH: Hey it's ok
DIANE: I.I.can't.cope.
KATH: It's ok.I know what it's like having a new born baby.I've been there remember.It's not easy.
DIANE: I.just.
KATH: .never thought it would be so hard?
Diane nodded, still crying uncontrollably on Kath's shoulder.
DIANE: I.thought.
KATH: I know.come on, dry those tears.it's ok.it will get easier.
DIANE: But.I.don't think.that she likes me.and.I.don't.oh Kath.
KATH: Shhhh.I know.I know.but she does like you and you will grow to like her too.
Diane looked up
KATH: It takes time.you don't fall in love straight away.no-one does no matter what they say.it takes time.the body's been through a lot. Your hormones are a mess.and you're just tired.but in a few days things will look better.you'll start to love her.it's a gradual process.and then you wouldn't be without her.just give it time
DIANE: I.thought.I thought it was just me.I thought.I must be a horrible person.
KATH: No don't be silly.come on.dry those tears
Diane smiled
KATH: They don't tell what it's really like do they? No matter how many baby books you've read you're never quite prepared.you think you'll be different.
Diane nodded
DIANE: Thanks Kath
KATH: Hey, that's ok. What are friends for?
Diane smiled
KATH: That's better.feeling better now you've got it off your chest?
DIANE: Yeah
Diane wiped away her tears
KATH: How about you go and have a nice long bath or get some sleep? I'll look after Grace and do a bit of tidying up. Yeah?
DIANE: No.I couldn't ask you to do that
KATH: You didn't. I offered. Go on
DIANE: Are you sure?
KATH: Yes.now go!
As Kath turned Diane around and gently pushed her towards the bathroom they both smiled, something that Diane hadn't done in a while.