Chapter 30! Wow, thanks so much for sticking with me guys. Hope you enjoy!
People always speculate, don't let it get in your way. See they say things they don't know. Wait til you see my smile. Wait til they see your smile.
A couple of weeks had passed since Michelle's accident and their friendship was slowly repairing itself. It's difficult, Carla thinks, when things are going so well on the outside but on the inside things keep falling apart. During the day, she is doing better. When she wasn't at work she was laughing, joking, spending endless hours with Peter. Sometimes doing nothing, messing around. Other times talking about the baby and names and clothes and new houses and furniture and god it excited her. It made her feel on top of the world.
Night time was a different story. When she had cuddled up with Peter and he was sleeping soundly beside her, sleep would evade her. She was haunted by thoughts of what she had done and plagued with nightmares when she eventully did sleep. It terrified her, she was so sure she would be punished for causing Michelle to lose her baby. Would she lose her own again? She couldn't handle it. She knew, no matter how much she adored and loved Peter, if this baby didn't live, she wouldn't want to either and didn't think anything could change her mind.
Carla lay flat on hers and Peter's bed in just a bra as she tried to pull on her tight leather jeans, "Peter?" She called from the bedroom, still trying to get her jeans over her ever growing bump. "Baby!"
Peter appeared by the door, carrying two coffees and laughed as he looked down at her.
"Peter I'm fat." Carla mumbled, pouting up at him. Peter laughed more as he placed the two drinks on the beside table and perched beside her. "You're not fat love, you're just.. plump." He chuckled happily as Carla nudged him and gave him puppy dog eyes as she still pouted.
Peter chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I'm joking baby. You're not fat, you're pregnant. With our little bubba." Carla tried to pout but she couldn't help but smile, biting her lip. "Guess everyone's gonna know now aren't they? God I dunno if I'm ready for this Peter.."
Peter shook his head, laying down beside her now, "Eh you. Come on, course you are. Isn't it a nice change for people to have something good to talk about for a change?" He kissed Carla's bump softly as she nodded, "Yeah suppose you're right." She pulled herself up, looking in her wardrobe for some looser trousers, "Did you just admit I was right?!"
Carla threw her head back with a chuckle, "Yeah and if you ever repeat that I'll deny it Barlow."
Peter just smirked up at her as he sipped his drink, watching her dress in leggings and a tight blouse. It was the first time she'd really worn anything that accentuated her bump enough for the world to see. Now, it really was visible and all Peter could think was how amazing she looked. The last few months since being back around Carla had been a whirlwind and a complete mix of emotions but every time he woke up beside her, he thanked his lucky stars. Peter knew he wasn't perfect. He'd messed up before and he'd probably mess up again but deep inside, he knew he'd never do anything to intentionally hurt her again. He couldn't face going back to the world he'd had when she wasn't it it.
A while later, Carla took a deep breath as she stood outside the factory, slightly late, and prepared to go in. She could do this. This was no big deal, what did she care what they thought anyway? It was her life, hers and Peter's. If no one was happy for them then that was their problem and she really didn't care. Did she? Rolling her eyes at herself, she sighed softly and pushed the doors open with force, holding her head high as she walked in and purposely held her bump to draw attention to it.
The factory floor went silent and Carla stopped her stride to turn to face them, "Well, if you lot are gonna be this quiet all day I should have a baby more often." She watched them, and still they remained silent, surprised and shocked. Carla just laughed and shook her head, walking toward the office, "Alright, shows over, back to work, eh? Me and bump 'ave a lot to do." She headed into her office and shut the door behind her before leaning her back against it with a sigh. She didn't want to know what they had to say, she wasn't sure she could face it.
Carla threw herself into her work for the morning and worked through lunch, trying not to think about the current topic of conversation on the factory floor. She assumed it would all be only bad anyway and that was the last thing she needed. When her door knocked just after the staff returned from lunch, the last thing Carla expected was Fiz, Sean and a small crowd of the others standing in a huddle by the door with a large bunch of flowers and a card. "Sorry to interrupt Mrs Barlow, but we wanted to say congratulations to you both.." Fiz ventured in with the flowers and she could have sworn there were tears in Carla's eyes.
Carla swallowed back as she stood up, taking the flowers. "Well I weren't expecting that.. Um.. Thanks? Thank you all." She titled her head and gave them an honest smile, completely taken aback. As the staff made their way back to work and Carla sat at her desk, her flowers in front of her, she suddenly felt propelled into the past. This place, Paul and Liam's factory, it had been her constant in the last nine years. The people that had worked for her, with her, well most of them had stuck by her through thick and thin. Through hell and back. She guess she'd never really thought of it like that.
Standing up, Carla walked back out to the staff and stood by the stairs, clapping her hands, "Right you lot, listen up."
Sean looked up, intrigued and always the confident one, "Everything alright Mrs Barlow?"
Carla nodded, "Everythings fine, Sean I just wanted to say thanks for me flowers and and card and well-" She sighed, leaning against the stair bannister, "Look, we've been through a lot, you lot an' me, in't we, eh? A lot more than most bosses and their staff I assume." The staff listened, so intrigued by Carla's random speech and Carla clearly struggled with finding the right words, "Oh look, I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. You lot have stuck by me and this place in some rough times... Some really rough times and I hope you know your loyalty is, well it's really appreciated." She smiled softly now, "Take half a day on me." She put her hand up to stop questions, half turning back to the office, never one for grand gestures, "Yes you will still be paid and no, this baby isn't making me a soft touch. Now scoot, before I change my mind!"
As she made her way back to her seat, hand on her bump, Carla smiled. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she had always believed.