After making sure that Kate was going to be ok for the night, Jayne gave her some privacy and headed to her bedroom. Kate headed to her room as well. Before getting ready for bed she would phone Steve to inform him of what had happened that evening.
Scrolling through her contacts, she found Steve's number and pressed dial. Kate listened to it ring out before his answer phone message clicked on.
Frustrated, Kate hung up. She threw the phone on the bed as she started her night routine. She had literally just started when her phone buzzed. Stopping what she was doing, Kate picked her phone up. It was a message from Steve.
On a night shift. Sorry I couldn't take your call. What's up?
Kate stared at the message and wondered how to reply. Should she tell him of her miscarriage by text?
Just wanted to let you know your services aren't required next week she typed before hitting send.
Kate saw that Steve had seen her message and soon three dots appeared as the words Steve is typing showed at the top of her screen. Have I done something wrong? he asked when the message came through.
No, she typed. I've had a miscarriage this evening. I'm sorry she texted before hitting send.
Again Kate saw that Steve had seen her message. Steve is offline her phone informed her. Shit! Kate thought. Should have told him tomorrow morning.
She waited a few minutes but no further messages appeared so Kate continued getting ready for bed. She worried that she had scared him off. She was just climbing in to bed when her phone rang. It was Steve.
"Sorry," Steve apologised as soon as Kate answered. "Told the Sarge I had a bit of emergency so I could call you back,".
"That's ok," Kate replied, pleased he had made contact. "Sorry I had to tell you by text,".
"Are you ok?" Steve asked concerned.
"Yeah," replied Kate. "The cramps and bleeding are settling," she continued truthfully. "Should have stopped in a couple of days,". Steve was silent, not knowing what to say to that comment. "Too much information?" Kate asked aware how funny men got when 'women's problems' were talked about.
"It's fine," Steve said. "What happened?".
"I don't really know," Kate said. "I'm not sure we ever will know. There was an incident at work, I got caught up in a crowd which may have had something to do with it. The next thing I'm getting cramps and, well, you know," she continued, refusing to mention bleeding again.
"I'm sorry," Steve said.
"Me too," Kate said, "although maybe as Jayne said, it is for the best,".
"Maybe," Steve agreed, not knowing what else to say.
"So I guess this is goodbye then," Kate said reluctantly after some silence.
"What?".
"Well we were just staying in contact because of the baby," Kate explained. "and now there isn't one. You're a free man again,".
"I guess," replied Steve sadly. It wasn't what he wanted at all, but if it was what Kate wanted then he didn't really have a choice.
"Bye then," Kate said awkwardly, not really knowing how to end this conversation. "Maybe see you around sometime," she addd sadly.
"Yeah," said Steve. "Bye," he said before hanging up.
"You gonna be ok?" Jayne asked the next morning. She was just about to leave for the day. Her and Rich were having a day off from the wedding prep and just going to enjoy spending time together. "I don't have to go," she told her friend.
"Nonsense. I'll be fine," Kate said from the sofa where she was sat huddled under her duvet. "I've got everything I need near by," she pointed out the TV remote, the hot mug of fresh tea Jayne had just bought her, and a new unopened packet of Tim Tams.
Kate was going to have a day on the sofa watching trashy TV and not feel guilty about it in the slightest. The cramps and bleeding had improved overnight and she felt a bit better.
"You sure?" Jayne checked.
"Yes," Kate reiterated. "You go and enjoy your day with Rich," she insisted.
"Ok," Jayne agreed. "We'll be back later," she informed Kate as she gave her a departing hug.
"Enjoy," Kate said. "You haven't told Rich what happened have you?" she asked.
"No," replied Jayne. "It doesn't concern him,".
"Thanks Jayne. See you later,".
Kate was a couple of hours in to her TV marathon when the doorbell went.
Great! thought Kate as she pressed pause and got up to answer it. The postman was going to see her in her pyjamas at midday but she couldn't really give a rat's arse if she was honest.
But it wasn't the postman. It was Steve. With a bouquet of flowers.
"What are you doing here?" Kate asked surprised at her visitor.
"I just thought I should come," he replied. "And to give you these," he said as he presented the bouquet of white lily's to Kate.
"Thank you," Kate said as she accepted them. "They're lovely," she said as she smelt them. "Come in," she ushered, closing the door behind Steve. "I'll put them in some water," she said as she headed to the kitchen, Steve in tow.
Kate found a vase and filled it with water. "You've caught me having a lazy day," she thought she should explain why she was still in her sleep wear in the middle of the day.
"Netflix and chill,".
"Exactly," Kate agreed as she arranged the flowers in the vase before putting them on the kitchen table. As she did so, Kate caught sight of the time on her wrist watch. "Did you drive here straight after your shift?" she asked in astonishment.
"Maybe," Steve said as he shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.
"Steve!" Kate scolded. "You've just done a night shift,".
"Couple of large cups of coffee and I was fine," Steve defended himself.
"You should know better than driving when you're tired!".
"I just felt like I had to be here," he confessed. "Like it was the right thing to do. I know we weren't keeping the baby but it's still sad," he continued.
"Yeah," Kate said. "I get a bit teary sometimes," she admitted before Steve engulfed her in a big bear hug.
"You ok?" he asked tenderly.
"Yeah," replied Kate. "You?".
"Yeah," Steve echoed.
"You gonna stay for a bit?" Kate asked.
"I suppose I could manage a bit of Netflix," Steve replied.
"Need a drink or anything? I've got Tim Tams by the sofa,".
"Might have a cup of tea then," Steve replied. "Try that dunking thing you showed me and see what all the fuss is about,".
With two fresh cups of tea, Steve and Kate headed back to the sofa. They sat side by side, under Kate's duvet, with their feet on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
There was a slightly protracted discussion on what they would be watching on the TV but eventually settled on something they both thought would be ok and Kate pressed 'play,".
The titles for the show had just finished when Kate felt a weight on her right shoulder. It was Steve's head. She smiled to herself as she realised he'd fallen asleep. Obviously he was a lot more tired than he had let on.
Kate leant over and checked that he was completely covered by the duvet although in doing so, she disturbed him a little and Steve moved to get more comfortable, putting his arms around Kate's waist. Kate adjusted herself so that her right arm was along the back of the sofa so Steve could get closer. Once he had settled, she moved the arm again so that her fingers were able to gently thread through Steve's hair as she settled down to watch the TV.