30th August 2012 – 16:00 Clinique de Marignane, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Chas sat tapping her foot and biting her nails as she waited for her appointment. She was so nervous, expecting the worst, but not sure what the worst could be. Aaron was trying to distract her by getting her to translate French car magazines for him, enjoying the novelty of her being able to speak the language. But it wasn't working, he could see she was a bag of nerves and the quicker she saw the doctor the better.
"Mrs Thomas?" a voice called out, and Chas looked at Aaron in surprise.
"My name's Aaron Thomas over here, couldn't give my real one" he told her, "so I told them you were Sandy Thomas" he smiled.
"Could've warned me" she laughed as she stood up, took a deep breath and went into the room. Aaron waited outside.
Half an hour later, she finally re-emerged, holding a few leaflets and looking much brighter. He stood up to greet her, "everything okay?" he asked.
She nodded, smiling at him, "yeah, it's all fine. She was really nice."
"What did she say?" he asked, linking his arm through hers. They started walking out to the car park.
"It's severe morning sickness" she told him, then looking down to read something off one of her leaflets, "otherwise known as hyperemesis gravidarum"
"Is it serious?"
"Can be, if I don't control it. But she's prescribed me some vitamins and antihistamines that are safe to take, they should help. She also told me to try eating cold food cos it's less smelly and to get one of them seasickness bands. And if it's still bad, go back and see her."
"It took half an hour to prescribe you vitamins and hayfever tablets?" Aaron joked.
Chas shook her head, grinning at him now, "no, she wanted to put my mind at rest that everything was okay with the baby, so she performed a scan" she said, pulling out a grainy photo from underneath the leaflets and presenting it to him. He smiled at her excitement and took the photo from her, looking closely, but he couldn't make anything out.
"What is it?" he said, laughing.
"Loch Ness Monster. What do you think? It's your sister."
"Really? They can tell already it's a girl?" he asked astonished.
She shook her head, "no. But it is".
"How do you know?" he asked, laughing at her certainty.
"I just do. I always knew you were a boy."
"And I'm sure none of the scans ever gave that away" he said sarcastically, not believing her bold statement. They'd arrived at the car and were getting in.
"Never had any" she said, "You were my little secret. Didn't tell anyone about you until I went into labour. That kind of gave the game away".
Aaron knew his mum had been young when she'd had him, that his parents had married after he was born – he'd seen the embarrassing photos of his baby-self dressed up like a sailor to prove it. But he hadn't realised she'd kept her pregnancy hidden.
"What about my dad? Did you not tell him?"
She shook her head, looking at the photo he'd given back to her. She looked sad and he didn't know whether she was thinking about her past, her current situation or what the future was going to hold. He started the car and pulled out of the car park.
"When I carried you, I could barely look after myself, never mind a baby. At times I was really scared about what would happen, but I had that cocky confidence of youth, a stupid arrogance that stopped me ever asking for help. Now, I'm thirty four - older and wiser – and I couldn't be more petrified" she told him, still staring at the photo.
Aaron didn't really know what to say. He wanted to tell her there was nothing to be scared about, but the path she'd chosen for herself was a life in hiding, and he knew more than most how scary that could be at times. And he was only hiding from the law, not Cain and the wrath of the Dingles. He took one hand off the steering wheel briefly and gave her hand a squeeze. It was enough to show Chas that he understood and she took comfort from the fact she still had one person she loved in her life. Maybe her two children were the only people she needed?