Final consequences…

August 19 2019

Molly and Charles

They were laying on the bed in Charles' old room in Bath, for once without Chloe who was being looked after by her doting grandmother. They had moved out of their Salisbury home three weeks ago ready for their move to Yorkshire in just over a week, which Molly was still moaning about, more because she had made a stand and didn't want to back down too quickly than anything else. Staying with Charles' parents hadn't been too horrendous, even though Molly couldn't wait to move out, she had decided that she wasn't very good at staying with other people any more, much preferred to do her own thing but staying there had meant that she and Charles had managed one weekend and one whole week away, both times without Chloe

"So when shall we do it then?"

"Do what?"

"Get married"

"You'll have to ask me first"

"I thought I just did"

"I was expecting something a bit more bleeding romantic than that"

"Oh, you want romantic? I can do romantic, listen up, Molly Dawes, love of my life….."

"Okay, don't go over the bleeding top"

"Shut the fuck up and listen, now, where was I? Oh yeah, Molly Dawes, love of my life, mother of my child…"

"Children"

"No, I know you're his sort of step-mum, but Sam's got a mum"

"I weren't talking about Sam"

There was a stunned silence as Charlie looked at her, lost for words, and Molly felt the first pangs of worry, maybe this hadn't been such a bright idea after all, it hadn't crossed her mind that he might not be as thrilled about this as she was.

"You're pregnant? But I thought you were on the pill"

"I was, but then I wasn't any more"

"And you didn't think to tell me. When exactly were you going to tell me?"

"I just did"

"No, I meant tell me that we were trying for a baby"

"Well we didn't have to try very hard as it happens." His face was still stern "Look, I thought it would take a long time, what with me coming off the pill and that, and I didn't say anything when we was on holiday cos the timing was spot on and anyway I thought you might say no"

"That makes it worse, not better. Christ alive, I've got three kids, okay two and one cooking and none of them were planned"

"I planned this one"

"Yeah, you did! But next time you're planning on us having a baby, do you think you could involve me?"

"You were involved, I couldn't have done it without you"

"Oh, was the postman too busy that week?"

"Dunno, didn't invite him, did I"

Molly was relieved that his sense of humour was re-emerging, of all the scenarios she had had in her head involving telling him she was pregnant again, this particular one hadn't figured at all and she had certainly never intended to hurt him or upset him or make him feel left out, she'd thought he'd be thrilled, but now she was really sorry that she hadn't talked to him about it, just gone and done what she wanted, and the more cross he appeared the more she wanted to giggle, a throw back to her reaction to trouble in year's gone by..

"What the fuck gave you the idea I would say no? Anyway even if I had said no it wouldn't have made any difference, would it? You know I am incredibly weak-willed where you're concerned, Mol. I presume this was when we went away without Chloe? I remember thinking you were extra keen, couldn't get enough of me, I just didn't see baby hunger in your eyes. I thought it was, what did you call it, I know, my incredible charm and magnetism at work. And on the subject of being left out of things, why didn't you tell me when you'd done the peeing on a stick bit, I presume that was a couple of weeks ago now?"

" Haven't peed on a stick, don't need to"

"How do you know you're pregnant then?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe cos my period's gone AWOL, my tits are killing me and the smell of your coffee made me want me want to puke this morning, or maybe all that's just wishful thinking. And I didn't tell you cos it was like with Chloe, even though everything was really shit with her, there was a bit of me that wanted to hug to meself the fact that you had left a little bit of yourself behind and this time was almost the same, although it's not shit this time, or at least I hope it ain't gonna be, it was my secret and I was thrilled. I'm really sorry Charlie, do you think you could stop being mad at me now, you're beginning to worry me that it's all gonna go to shit and I didn't mean to leave you out, I honestly thought you'd be thrilled too!"

"I'm not mad at you"

"You seem like you are"

"I'm sorry, I'm being a dick, aren't I? I'm behaving like a sulky brat! And I am thrilled, of course I am, you know that I never wanted Chloe to be an only like I was, and Sam will be too old to want to play with dolls in a year or so, or at least I hope he will, it'll be good to have another one now. Mum'll be thrilled"

"Yeah, she can tell me exactly what to do and how to do it to bring up a boy"

"Going to be a boy then is it?"

"I dunno, I'd like a boy, wouldn't you?

"Not fussed really, a girl to play with Chloe would be just as good, but if it is a boy, I hope he's taller than his mum and sister"

"Sizeist! I can't help it if I make small babies. Oi, what are you doing?"

"Celebrating"

"Well okay, but don't touch my tits whatever you do, they're killing me!"

A few minutes later.

"You didn't answer my question"

"What question?"

"Are you going to marry me?"

"Course I am"

One year on

"Never thought I would be back staying in this bedroom again"

"It's nice of your mum and dad to put everyone up. I know they are the only ones with the room, but still, they didn't have to let everyone stay here"

"And I saw your Nan and my mum having a conversation"

"Bloody hell, mind you don't hold your breath, there's still plenty of time left for them to fall out before the reception"

Molly finished feeding the baby and handed him to his dad to hold while she got dressed.

"Have you done a bottle so that mum can feed him if he screams the place down during the ceremony?"

"You don't want me to get my tits out in church then?"

"Listen, I have spent enough time and energy being nice to that arsehole vicar so that he would agree to marry us in his bloody church, he isn't going to cop a look at my wife's tits as well okay?"

"He might prefer yours"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing at all!" Molly started giggling and then changed the subject " Will I do? Is me dress okay?"

"You look beautiful, you know you do and you know that I love you don't you?"

"You'd better. I love you too. Come on let's go"

Authors notes In my head, or my parallel universe as my husband calls it, where these people are real, this chapter called for lots of conversations, I hope you agree. This is where I have to let them go for the moment, although I may do a couple of one-shots later on to catch up with them. Thank you so much for all your ongoing support and lovely reviews, I have just started working on a totally new story which is completely different so I will be back!