Hello again - I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. My inner fangirl went slightly wild...
At the beginning of the 14th week they told Timothy. They knew from his sideways glances and questions at the dinner table that he'd twigged something was up, but neither of them knew how he would take the news and Shelagh was secretly terrified that he'd react negatively. He was 11 years old after all (they'd celebrated his birthday two months before with a homemade cake and a party involving lots of mud and camping in the tiny garden), and a new sibling would be a drastic wasn't until Patrick woke up one morning to see Shelagh pacing up and down the room with her face creased in a frown that he realised exactly how worried she was.
"You're his mum. This is his sibling." he comforted her, rubbing her shoulders as she sat on the edge of the bed. "He will be thrilled."
And so, when Shelagh reached three months, they sat down with Timothy at the table one weekend to tell him.
"Timothy," Patrick began, "we've got some news for you."
At this promising sentence, Timothy's eyebrows raised. He ran through the best possibilities in his mind - a new bike, more books, maybe a microscope of his own - while Shelagh looked at Patrick and took a deep breath.
"Timothy - you're going to have a new baby brother or sister."
He was stunned. Somehow, the possibility of having a new younger sibling had never occurred to him. His mouth hanging open, he said the first thing that came into his head.
"But you don't look pregnant."
Shelagh could see his shock and desperately prayed that he wouldn't be too upset as she kept her voice deliberately calm. "Well, I'm not very far along, only three months. I expect that in a month or two it will be much more obvious."
Timothy blinked a few times and closed his mouth. He looked at the two of them and saw the panic both were trying to hide. His father looked terrified, and Shelagh as though she might throw up. This explained the noises he'd been hearing in he morning from the bathroom, he realised. Then he considered the possibility of having a younger sibling. Someone to play with, someone to look up to him. Someone who was obviously going to be very loved. And, without realising it had happened, his face split into a huge grin.
"That's amazing news Mum!" he cried, leaping up to hug Shelagh. "I can't believe it! How long will it be?"
Shelagh held tight to his arms around her and tried to hold in tears. Seeing her struggle, Patrick intervened.
"In about six months or so Timothy. A summer baby!"
"This is great." Timothy said again, going to hug his dad as well. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Well," began Shelagh, "we wanted to be sure everything was alright with the baby."
"And you're sure it is?" said Timothy, a look of panic flashing across his eyes that Shelagh recognised from his father.
"Everything is perfect." Patrick confirmed.
Timothy beamed at them again.
Telling the Nuns was almost as daunting. It was during lunch a week later that Shelagh plucked up the courage. Having made sure that Sisters Evangelina and Monica Joan were sated with cake, she put her fork down and looked around to get everyone's attention.
"I, um - I have some news."
She saw Jane, down the other side of the table, hide a smile and felt thankful again for her choice of midwife. The rest of the Nurses were looking questioningly at her, and Sister Julienne across the table was frowning slightly. Taking in a deep breath, she took the plunge.
"I am - well, I'm um - expecting a baby."
There was shock for a second and she looked around quickly to gauge the immediate reaction - Trixie's mouth was comically open with a single salad leaf dangling from her fork, Jenny's eyebrows were raised higher than she'd though possible and Cynthia was already smiling. She couldn't bring herself to look at Sister Julienne. Then came the predictable wave of riotous excitement.
"Why didn't you tell us!" squealed Trixie as Chummy blustered "Oh, how spiffing!". Cynthia asked the practical question of "How far along are you?", but lost in the storm of congratulations she couldn't answer. Looking across the table she was overawed by Sister Julienne's reaction. She was crying - not profusely, and not obviously. But nevertheless, there they were - tears. She reached over and held Shelagh's hand.
"I am so happy for you, my good good friend. You will be so happy."
Shelagh was immediately forbidden from going out to deliveries on her own (or, as Sister Julienne put it, "ideally at all"). Shelagh resisted at first, but when Sister Julienne fixed her in her steely gaze, she went silent.
"My dear, a first pregnancy when you have only recently recovered from Tuberculosis means that you must take every precaution with your health. You do not want to lose this baby and we cannot lose you." It was clear that Sister Julienne referred to herself with the "we", and seeing this (as well as remembering Patrick's worries over returning to work at all), she capitulated.
For a while, everything seemed to go on as normal - although as the gossip spread she caught more than a few sideways glances at her abdomen. But she herself could see nothing there until one sunny and bright Thursday morning at the beginning of March. She awoke at the normal time and was tidying the bedroom while Patrick got breakfast ready. She reached up to take her Nurse's uniform down from the door it was hanging on, and out of the corner of her eye saw herself in the mirror. And there it was. The bump. Still fairly small, but unmistakable. All thought of uniforms forgotten, she turned to the mirror and looked sideways on. Wondering how she hadn't seen it before, she rested a hand on her abdomen wonderingly. At that moment Patrick came in, wondering himself where she'd got to. At the sight of her gazing in the mirror he understood completely what had happened and gazed adoringly at the sight.
"Can you see it too Patrick?" she asked, still dazed.
"As clear as day." he replied.
As ever - thank you and please review if you have time! (I should get that on a t-shirt)