Eddie shot out of bed as quietly as he could at 8AM the next morning, leaving Rachel to sleep. If he was honest, he was surprised he had woken up before her. Usually, she was up way before him at stupid o'clock in the morning! He was a little relieved, mainly because it meant she was resting, but also because it meant he could put the first part of his plan into action without her becoming suspicious.

Once he was dressed, he headed downstairs, making himself some toast and a cup of coffee as he started up his laptop to make a start on the first part of his plan. He was relieved that Philip was ok with him proposing to Rachel and that he had been able to use him as a sound board for his ideas. Between them, they had come up with an even better idea than the one Eddie had, had originally. He just needed to arrange it all now.

After forty five minutes of scrolling and researching, the first part of his plan was booked and arranged. He sighed in relief as he leaned back against the kitchen chair. His entire plan surrounded around this element of the plan, as well as the ring. Everything else could be sorted at a later date.

As he started to search the web for engagement ring ideas, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He quickly shut down his laptop when he saw Rachel stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She smiled at him softly.

"Alright, love?" he asked, standing up and placing a kiss on her lips

She nodded.

"I didn't realise how late it was" she laughed, looking at the clock

"It is late for you. You're usually up at 5AM!" he teased

"I know, I'm just so tired" she sighed

"Well, you are nine weeks pregnant, your body is working hard" he pointed out

"Ten now, actually" she corrected

Eddie frowned at her.

"The Sonographer said on Friday that I was nine weeks and five days. So I'm ten weeks today" she explained

"Only thirty weeks to go" he replied, kissing her forehead gently

Rachel smiled.

"Do you want some breakfast?" he asked

"I'll have some cereal" she replied, heading over to the fridge

"Are you still ok to take me to my counselling session today?" she added, as she poured her cereal and milk into a bowl

"Of course, love. You don't even have to ask" he nodded

"I know. Sorry, I'm just..."

She trailed off with a sigh, dropping her gaze to the worktop.

"I know, darling, I know. It's scary. But I'll stay as long as you need me to" he reassured, rubbing her arm gently

"You don't need to... I don't want you in there with me for the whole session, just until I feel comfortable" she told him

"Sure. I need to run a few errands in town, but they can wait. I'll stay with you as long as you need me to" he promised

Rachel frowned.

"What 'errands'?" she asked curiously

"Just... errands... nothing to worry about" he shrugged innocently

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him sceptically. She hadn't missed the way he had frantically shut down his laptop when he'd seen her in the doorway. And now he needed to run some errands in town?

"You're up to something, aren't you?"

"No" Eddie stated calmly

"Yes, you are! I know you!" she giggled, poking his chest with her finger

"You have no evidence to prove that I am up to something!" he argued with a chuckle

"What about that mischievous sparkle in your eye?" she pointed out

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he huffed, smirking

"Yes, you do!" she shot back with another giggle

Eddie rolled his eyes playfully. He was going to have to give her some kind of information to get her off his back.

"What is it?" she asked

"I'm not telling you, it's a secret!" he teased, tapping his nose with his finger

Rachel groaned, rolling her eyes. He wasn't going to crack, she knew that. If he was planning something, he wasn't going to share it with her. She would just have to drop it and wait until he wanted to tell her.

Eddie sighed in relief as she sat down at the table to eat her cereal, not asking him anymore questions. He knew if she questioned him enough he would eventually and involuntarily crack. So he was safe for now.

"So, how are you feeling about today?" he asked her

Rachel chewed on her cereal thoughtfully as she struggled to come up with a reply to Eddie's question. It wasn't because she didn't want to tell him. It was because she didn't know how she was actually feeling. The last few days had gone by in such a blur that she hadn't realised it was the day of her first counselling session until she'd woken up this morning.

"Nervous, but I think I'm ready" she replied eventually

"Yeah?" Eddie checked

She nodded.

"Yeah, I need to do this. And I feel ready to"

Eddie smiled, admiring her strength. This was a big thing for her, and she was tackling it head on. He wrapped his arms around her as he placed a kiss in her hair. He couldn't be more proud of her.

"I'm proud of you, darling" he whispered to her

Rachel blushed, resting her head back against his shoulder as she sighed contentedly.

"Stop being soppy, Lawson. I need to finish my breakfast"

Eddie chuckled, reluctantly letting her go.

...

Rachel was trying to focus on her breathing, not the fact that she sat in the waiting room of a rather posh office building, waiting for a counsellor to come and fetch her. She hadn't been too nervous this morning, or on the drive here. But now, she wanted to run out of the building and never look back. She was petrified. She wanted to do this, she really did, but she was terrified.

Even having Eddie by her side wasn't a comfort, if anything, she felt like a burden to him. He shouldn't have to be in the room with her because she was so scared. He had better things to do than to have to hold her hand.

Her mind was reeling, thinking of all the things she wanted to say to this counsellor. But how much was too much? What was appropriate, and what wasn't? If she talked about everything that had happened over the last few months, they'd be sat there for a lifetime. Could she trust this counsellor to not use her problems as a source of gossip?

Louise had seemed nice on the phone, but Rachel just wasn't sure. She didn't understand how talking to a stranger about her problems or traumas would help or fix anything. She wasn't even sure she could talk about her problems, fears and traumas if she wanted to. Talking about what Stuart had done to her, and Earl shooting Maxine just felt impossible. Talking about the miscarriage was even harder.

Eddie could feel Rachel's nerves radiating onto him. He could tell by the way she was subtly shaking. She had an iron-tight grip on his hand. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she tried to keep her breathing under control. He wished he could reassure her, but he knew his words would fall on deaf ears.

So, instead of talking, he squeezed her hand gently to remind her that he was there if she needed him. Rachel appreciated the gesture. His presence wasn't helping her nerves, but it was keeping her somewhat grounded. If he wasn't there, she'd be out the door and driving away by now.

"Rachel Mason?"

Her head shot up, eyes falling on a woman with dark brown hair, olive skin and deep green eyes. She was wearing a pink, floral blouse and black trousers. Rachel thought she was around her age. She looked confident, professional and had a warm and welcoming smile.

"Yes, that's me" she answered

The other woman smiled at her politely.

"I'm Louise. We spoke on the phone last week?"

Rachel nodded. She stood up slowly, willing her legs to stop shaking so violently. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest as she offered the other woman a soft smile.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. This is my partner, Eddie"

Eddie smiled at Louise as he shook her hand.

"If you'd both like to follow me, we can go to my office where it's quiet" Louise explained

Rachel was relieved she had said 'both'. She had been worried that Eddie wouldn't be allowed to go in with her, even just for the first fifteen minutes or so. The fact that she was allowing them both into her office without even batting an eyelid put her at ease just a little.

Once her hand was resting securely in Eddie's again, they followed Louise down the carpeted hallway.

When they reached the final door at the end of the corridor, they turned right, entering a spacious room with soft, cream coloured walls. A few framed certificates and degrees hung on the wall, alongside an abstract painting. The room itself was tidy and clean, including the desk. The wooden bookshelf in the corner was filled to the brim with psychology books, all arranged neatly and alphabetically by author. The scent of lavender lingered in the air, a calming scent that wasn't too overpowering to the senses. There was a sofa in the middle of the room, with an armchair opposite. A glass coffee table was sandwiched in-between. Rachel couldn't lie, it was cosy and did put her at ease just a little.

"Take a seat" Louise instructed kindly, gesturing to the sofa as she sat in the armchair

Rachel sat down tentatively, Eddie following. She immediately reached for his hand again, gripping it tightly.

Once everyone was settled, an awkward and uncomfortable silence fell. Louise smiled reassuringly at Rachel when she made eye contact with her.

"Alright, Rachel, let's get started" Louise decided

Rachel took a deep breath, hoping this wouldn't all end in disaster.