Chapter 26 – Gossip

Louisa was sitting at the kitchen table, typing on her laptop. Funny to see her here most days. The Doc had gone out on a call – Mrs. Wiggins was laid up once more – and there were no patients hanging about for me to keep an eye on. So, I had gone to the kitchen for tea. I had time to kill until the Doc got back; if he got back by 5.

"We felt the baby move the other day," I told her.

She looked up and smiled. "That is a very… very… special moment," she said softly. "Up 'til then it doesn't seem real does it? Having a baby?"

"Morning sickness and sore baps are real enough, though."

She winced. "Oh yeah. And the rest."

I dropped a decaf teabag into a mug, and poured hot water over it, watching the water turn reddish-brown. The tea was horrid stuff, but avoiding caffeine was a good idea at this stage.

Louisa sighed, pressed some keys on the PC, then stood up and hugged me around the shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, achy, and fat." I pressed my hand against my dress, feeling my bump. "Getting bulgy." I saw Louisa peer down at my small belly, just visible.

"May I?" she asked.

"Go ahead." Why did people want to touch my belly? Especially women? Do they remember having their own children when they do it?

She put her hand on my waist, or at least where it used to be. Her hazel eyes smiled at me. "My goodness. A baby."

"Yeah," I muttered. "Goodness. Gee. Golly. Blimey. Fat."

She lowered her hand. "You will get bigger."

I pulled the tea bag out of the mug and laid it on a saucer. "Not looking forward to that, and then there is the rest of it."

"Rest of it?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Louisa, I know that this," I pointed at my belly, "is biology, all natural, and so on, but… even so. I'm scared."

"You'll be fine," she said. "And you've got Al to help. I… well, you know, that… Martin and me… didn't exactly… get off to a good start."

I watched as she wiped her eyes. "But you're together now."

She took a deep breath. "It's hard though."

"Oh?"

"Hard to change." She looked around, even though we were the only ones in the house, with James at play school. "Martin can be moody, and I… can as well," she whispered.

Moody? Well that's one word for it. "I know."

She looked at me shyly. "But lately we've been, uhm, closer."

"What's that mean? Louisa?" What is she saying?

"Martin and I have had our ups and downs, lately more up… and takin' these classes I'm understanding more about how children develop their minds; the way we learn to deal with the world and those around us." She bit her lip. "My parents were crap, and his were a lot worse. So, how did each of us learn to trust other people?" Next, she looked me straight in the eye. "That's been hard for me, and him. But you know what? When I see you and Al together; just the opposite. You are a team; a lovely couple, and the whole village must know that."

"Thanks for that," I answered. "But you and the Doc? Louisa, I think you're selling yourself short. I see the way he looks at you, with his eyes. And oh my gosh the way he cares for James? You'd need a team of horses to tear those two apart, and him from you, Louisa." I smiled at her, and she thanked me with her eyes.

"Maybe I'm just being hormonal," she muttered.

Time of the month. I didn't miss that, but it was replaced with the whole pregnancy thing. "Yeah."

She grinned. "About that closer stuff, don't you assume that Al won't be, uhm, wanting you while you're carrying your baby. But you might know that."

I chuckled. "Tell me about it. Al can be moody, but lately he's been very touchy-feely, right?" Very romantic.

"Men," she and I said at the same time and then we laughed together.

"Well, there are some compensations," she added. "To being around men." She hugged herself and rubbed her arms. "But they can be tetchy, sometimes."

"And women can't? I gave Al what for the other night when he closed the pub late and then came bumbling into the house in the dark bumping into things. Woke me up, the git! And then I practically bit his head off."

Louisa nodded, her eyes dancing. "You have no idea the noise that Martin makes when he comes home late at night after a dreadful house call. He's not the most graceful of men, uhm, usually. I swear he can knock his head into almost anything… oh."

She stopped for she saw me grinning, as I imagined the Doc, bumping his head… on things, ahem.

We both got the giggles. I don't know what she was laughing about but I could imagine any sort of funny scenes.

"Gosh, I shouldn't tell tales out of school," she exclaimed, covering her mouth. "But, you know," she went on, "I ought to have been… kinder to Martin – before."

"Well," I sighed, "none of us are saints, are we?"

Louisa shook her head. "But look at us, gossiping along like the old women do."

"Small village, right? What else have we to talk about?"

She sighed. "But all the same, Al treats you very well, and Martin and me," she smiled, "we're getting on."

I put my arm around her. "Louisa, when you came back from Spain, I could see bloody hard it was for you. And the Doc was in pain too."

She nodded. "Right."

"He was a right grumpy Gus all the while you were away."

"The usual," she muttered.

"No, he was worse; a lot. But at the same time, I could tell he was hurtin'."

She clutched me against her. "You're the lucky ones, you know. Starting out fresh. Martin and me, well, we had to start, and then stop, and then try again, so, so many times."

I swear she was crying a little, so I patted her back, telling her, "You're doing fine."

She chuckled. "Now you sound like Dr. Timoney."

"I been reading about relationships; couples, like."

"If it was only that easy; read a book and know exactly what to do."

I tipped my head towards her laptop. "Like your studies?"

"Well, there also is practical experience to build up."

"Just like in a marriage?"

She leaned back to look at me. "Morwenna, you are wise beyond your years."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Louisa glanced at her watch. "I'd better go pick up James; told Martin I would."

I looked at my tea, now gone cold. "And I'd better be getting home. Fix dinner before Al has to help at the pub."

She smiled. "So domestic." She patted my shoulder. "I do envy you."

"You said that already."

She closed her laptop, took a cardi off the peg and put it on. "Can you lock up?"

I mock saluted. "Will do."

Louisa went out the door, and I wondered just what she meant by her envy comment.