One Day With You, page 8
NOON – 2 P.M.
9
TRESS
‘Overtake him in the penis extension, Val,’ Nancy ordered, pointing at the Porsche in the outside lane. ‘OVERTAKE HIM!’
Val shushed her. ‘Jesus wept, Nancy, you just about took out my eardrum there. I’ve got this, don’t worry. How you doing back there, Tress? Not long now. The bloke in the sat nav thingy says fifteen minutes.’
‘I’m fine, honestly. I’m starting to feel like a bit of a fraud. I really thought I was in trouble with that last contraction back at the house, but that’s nearly twenty minutes now and there hasn’t been another one.’
‘That can happen, love. When I was having my Mark, the contractions stopped and started all day, and then all of a sudden, they came thick and fast and then he shot out like a can of Coke from a vending machine.’
The mental image made Tress laugh, and then wince, as there was a tiny spasm in her side. If she had to predict all the ways that she thought she might build up to the birth of her child, careering along a Glasgow motorway, in a Jeep Renegade with two sexagenarian women, one of them literally spitting feathers, wasn’t one of them. But, weirdly, she was glad of it. The two of them were keeping her entertained as well as reassured that, no matter what, they were going to take care of her. Somewhere up there, she knew her mother was looking down and feeling grateful to them for taking care of her family.
Her family. It still felt weird to think of them that way. All her life, it had been just Tress and her mum, and then for that awful year, just Tress. When she’d met Max, it was as if her mum had sent him. The perfect guy. Within a week, she had known that she wanted to be with him, within a month they were engaged, and six months later they got married on a beach in Bali, just the two of them. Since they’d got together, she’d only been spending weekends in Scotland, so they’d gone back to Newcastle after the wedding, had a party there to celebrate with her friends and say goodbye to her workmates, and then she’d travelled north for the final time and made Weirbridge her permanent home.
It was perfect. Her. Max. And now the baby. Their own little trio. It was all she needed. In a weird way, the fact that she and Max were both only children, both alone, had made them some kind of kindred spirits. Even if, right now, he was missing in bloody action.
‘Nancy, I don’t want to be rude, but do you normally wear that kind of outfit around the house in the morning? Because, if so, I really need to upgrade my loungewear action.’
‘Sure do, pet. Yellow on a Thursday, same outfit in different colours every other day of the week.’
Val ran right along with it. ‘It helps her with the housework. If she walks within two feet of her blinds, they get a good clean with those feathers.’
Tress instinctively put her hands around the bottom of her belly as she laughed, fearing that it would set off another contraction. This was helping her to stay calm. In fact, strangely, she felt totally at ease, completely sure that this was going to work out. Besides, her son didn’t need a stressed-out mum adding anxiety to the list of things that were floating about in there. He needed her to be relaxed, to be strong, and to get to the hospital before he decided to enter the world.
‘I can’t thank you ladies enough for doing this for me. I really can’t.’
‘Are you kidding? This is the most excitement we’ve had since Nancy got one of those gadgets that opens tins from the catalogue.’
‘Remember that?’ Nancy chuckled. ‘We were eating crushed pineapple for a week, just so we could use it. Okay, love, we’re getting closer. Any word from Max?’
Tress checked her phone again. Nothing. But that was to be expected because he’d only just have landed in London and he probably didn’t have a signal yet. Or maybe he was trying to organise a flight back and was waiting to call her when he knew for sure what time he’d be arriving. She had another thought.
‘I’m going to try Noah,’ she informed the others. ‘If he’s at work, he should be out of clinic by now and he’ll want to know too. And he might have some other way to track Max down. I think Anya is probably at this conference too.’
‘Och, she’s lovely, that lass,’ Nancy said, approvingly. ‘She’s a good match for Noah. That boy has been a wee gem since the day he was born. And him and Max – it was a blue moon if you ever saw one of them without the other. I was their dinner lady all through primary school and I don’t think they ever missed a lunch together.’
‘They’re still the same,’ Tress chirped. ‘I just hope this wee one finds a pal like that too. If nothing else, I know Noah won’t mind coming over after he’s finished his shift. Or if he’s off today, maybe he would just come now. He’s been my go-to medical person for every ache and pain since I got pregnant. And that would let you away to finish getting ready for the big date night. That dress is too good to waste.’
‘Sweetheart, all that matters is taking care of you, so don’t you worry about a thing. If I don’t make it tonight, you’ll be doing me a favour. Last time I went dancing, I tore a ligament.’
‘Thanks, Nancy. I love you both and can’t thank you enough, but I’ll try to rally the troops just in case.’ Feeling teary-eyed with gratitude, Tress dialled Noah’s number from her favourites list. Straight to voicemail. ‘Does no one answer their phone any more?’ she wondered aloud, as she listened to Noah’s recorded greeting.
‘Hey, Noah, it’s Tress. No panic, but I just want to let you know that’s me on the way to hospital because I think the next basketball champion of the world is about to make an appearance.’
Noah had already said he was going to train the little one to be an NBA star. Tress had a vision of lots of broken kitchen windows.
‘But I can’t get a hold of Max, so can you see if you can track him down for me, please? I’ll keep trying too, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use my phone in hospital. I’ll be at Glasgow Central Maternity, but tell Max not to worry because Nancy and Val are with me and we’re doing great. Talk to you soon. Oh, and your nephew can’t wait to meet you.’ She was unashamedly going to do that thing where their close friends became his uncles and aunts even though they weren’t related by blood. They didn’t have a large biological family, but they wanted to have as many people to love their boy as possible, so they were just going to pick a family for themselves.
Aunty Nancy and Aunty Val had already secured themselves invitations to his birthday parties until the end of time for their emergency services work today. They careered into the hospital grounds and screeched to a halt in front of the doors of the maternity wing, like something out of a Fast and Furious movie.
Nancy was out of the car and round opening Tress’s door like a flash. ‘Just put your arms around my shoulder, pet, and I’ll support you. Don’t let the feathers fool you – I’m stronger than I look. My Peter used to say I could toss cabers.’
‘You’ll get a job on the dodgy channels with a talent like that,’ Val said, deadpan, coming round the other side of the vehicle.
Tress put her hand out and clutched the door as she slid out. ‘I’m okay, honestly. I can walk fine. It’s only bad when… when… Oh God.’ Even though she’d experienced the pain a few times already, it still took her by surprise. She was on her feet, but bent forward at the waist, one hand holding Nancy’s, the other still gripping the door. Val was off and running through the sliding doors into the hospital building.
Nancy assumed coaching duties. ‘Just breathe, pet. That’s it. Keep breathing. You’re doing great. Oh Tress, you’re a natural. That’s it. Just keep breathing. Val is away to get help. We’ll get you in there and organised in no time. And no pressure, love, but try not to let this pregnancy escalate in the next thirty seconds because I’ve never done this before and I’m not sure I’ll be quick enough to catch him.’
‘It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay,’ Tress panted, as the pain began to ease again, coming down from somewhere near ‘removal of internal organs’ to ‘still excruciating’.
Just at that, Val came thundering back out of the doors pushing a wheelchair and accompanied by a bloke in scrubs. ‘Okay, ma love, sit yourself down here. I know this nice man looks about twenty-one, but he assures me he’s a real doctor and that he’s done this before.’
Tress felt sorry for the poor guy being under the scrutiny of Nancy and Val, but, to his credit, he took charge of the situation and whisked them inside. He pushed her straight up to the admitting ward, where a nurse was the epitome of calm at the reception desk.
‘Thanks, Declan, I’ll take this,’ she offered.
Tress glanced around her. There were rooms on both sides of the corridor, with its pale green walls and forest murals painted along one side. She could hear a baby crying in one of the rooms, immediately followed by a woman’s voice gently shushing it. Despite the havoc of their entrance, there was an atmosphere of calm competence. This was where her son was going to be born.
The nurse, a soft-spoken redhead in her twenties, lifted a clipboard and was obviously preparing to take her details.
Nancy got in first, and began shooting out information like she was an intern on Grey’s Anatomy. ‘This is Tress Walker. She’s forty-two years old. Eight and a half months pregnant. First child, which, let’s face it, is bloody marvellous. She’s been having contractions since… what time, Tress?’
‘About ten o’clock. They’re only every forty minutes or so, actually maybe thirty minutes for that last one, but I called and they said I should come in.’
‘Ah yes, I think it was me you spoke to. Okay, let’s get you to a bed, and I’ll call Dr Greyson. She’s on duty today, so she shouldn’t be long. She can give you a check-over and see how things are coming along. Ladies, you’re very welcome to stay with Mrs Walker…’
‘Call me Tress,’ she interjected with a smile.
‘Tress,’ the nurse repeated. ‘But I need to ask you to have a seat in the corridor here until I get her settled.’
To her credit, Tress mused, she didn’t even bat an eyelid at Nancy’s frock. They must see all sorts in here. For what Tress thought was maybe the first time in their lives, the two older women quietly did as they were requested.
The nurse introduced herself as Marie as she pulled the curtains around the bed. It was a ward of four beds, but the one across from Tress was empty and the other two had curtains around them, so she wasn’t sure who else was here.
While she changed into one of the pyjama sets she’d brought in her bag, Marie continued to ask questions and jot the answers down on the form. She checked Tress’s pulse and blood pressure, then held her arm out to support Tress while she climbed onto the bed. Tress pulled her handbag onto the bed, so that her phone would be handy.
This was it. It was really happening. But where was Max? Where was he?
‘That’s you all sorted,’ Marie chirped. ‘I’ll just go check on Dr Greyson, and I’ll say to your friends to come in now. I’ll be back in two minutes to hook you up to the monitors.’
Tress thanked her, then tried Max’s phone again. Still not going through. Buggering damn it. Where the hell was he? She felt the first twinges of anger and she immediately chided herself. This wasn’t his fault. He would be here if he could. And when she finally got hold of him, he’d do everything short of hiring a private jet to get back. Actually, she wouldn’t put the private jet past him. It was the kind of spontaneous, over-the-top gesture that would be totally in character for her husband. His wild side was just one of the reasons she loved him. She’d woken up on their first anniversary to find out that he was whisking them away, first-class, for dinner and an overnight stay at the Plaza Hotel in Paris, and she’d been blown away that this man could be so loving and romantic. As the call went to voicemail yet again, that thought calmed her right back down again.
‘Darling, it’s me. I’m at the hospital now and all checked in, so just come straight here. I’m not sure how long it will be. I’ve had a few contractions now, but they’re not very close together. Nancy and Val are with me, though, so I’m not alone. Could be ages yet, so don’t panic, but just get to me when you can. I love you.’
She slipped her phone back into her bag. She had no idea how he was going to do it, but she had never felt surer that, no matter what it took, Max would find a way to get to her.
‘He’s coming, little one,’ she whispered. ‘Just hang on in there a little longer.’
10
NOAH
The clock on the dashboard told Noah it was just after noon when he jumped into his car. Going from memory, he was pretty sure it would take about an hour and a bit to get there. Maybe less, if he ignored the speed limit, but the last thing he needed was to get pulled over by the police today.
‘Where are you travelling to, sir?’
‘Well, the thing is, I’m pretty sure my wife’s shacked up with another bloke in a remote hotel near Loch Lomond, so I’m just going to go check that situation out.’
He plugged his phone into the car’s audio system, punched in the destination, and tried to regulate his breathing as he made several turns to get out of Weirbridge and onto the route to the motorway. He automatically turned his head left as he passed the end of Max’s street and saw Tress’s car in the driveway. No sign of Max’s Mercedes – the flashiest company car he’d ever seen, and way more impressive than Noah’s trusty ten-year-old Volvo. Not that he cared about that kind of crap. He wasn’t spending his hard-earned NHS salary on a £60K car. The third-hand Volvo would do him just fine.
He glanced over again just to make sure Max wasn’t there. Nope, definitely no car. Although, he often put it in the garage, so that didn’t mean anything. For a split second, he thought about stopping to check, but decided against it. He could really do with speaking to his mate right now, but he didn’t want to disturb Tress. She was due soon, and the last thing she needed was Noah’s dramas on her doorstep.
Besides, he didn’t want to put any negative speculation about Anya out there in the universe, because he still couldn’t believe that she would do anything to hurt him. It just wasn’t her. This was much more like the kind of shit Max used to pull before he married Tress. He’d been the biggest player in the West of Scotland back then. Anything for a good time. But from the day he’d met Tress, he’d been a one-woman man. He’d settled down and was finally acting like the decent guy Noah had known he really was all along.
He pulled onto the access road to the motorway, and the traffic ground to a halt. Roadworks. Shit. Why today? Drumming his fingers on the wheel for the next ten minutes just made his anxiety levels rise further, so he pressed shuffle on his playlist and let the car fill with music. Okay, deep breath. There was going to be a simple explanation. It was going to be fine. Optimism was the way to go here. He forced himself to go with faith and positivity, until the song changed from Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’ to Diana Ross’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. That was one of Anya’s contributions to his music catalogue and immediately sparked a different set of emotions and a barrage of memories.
Twelve years ago. They’d moved from the halls of residence to a two-bedroom flat in the Merchant City area of Glasgow. He and Anya had one bedroom and Max had the other, although his mate was dating a wannabe model with a shared flat in Park Circus, so he was staying there most of the time. Noah had been pretty sure it wouldn’t last. It never did with Max. Clichéd as it was with him, it was all about the chase. As soon as he got what he wanted, he was bored and on to the next thing. Noah loved him like a brother, but he wasn’t blind to the fact Max had been spoiled his whole life, by parents who were rich in cash, but not so much in affection. Noah’s mum and dad had been the opposite. His dad, Leo, worked for the council, and his mum, Gilda, was a legal secretary, but to them, Noah, his brother and his three sisters were everything.
Argh, why wasn’t this traffic moving? Hang on, green light at the roadworks. He was moving again. On to the motorway and heading west.
Where had his mind been going? Yep, Anya. ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. Their flat in the Merchant City. It was a Saturday night and they’d been out for dinner. They didn’t have much money, but there was a little Italian place down at the Trongate that did a Saturday night special of two pizzas and a bottle of cheap plonk for £20. They’d come back from there, happy, a little tipsy, and definitely drunk on lust for some Saturday night passion. They’d fallen in the door and the first thing Anya had done, as always, was to press play on the CD player. Diana Ross. ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. She’d pushed him down on the sofa and then begun to dance, singing at the top of her voice as she performed an impromptu strip tease. Man, she was glorious. Spectacular. Only when she was naked did she come to him, easing herself down on his lap, kissing him, pulling his T-shirt over his head, their breathing frantic, desperate, rushed and…
‘Aw, for fuck’s sake, you two. I’ll never be able to sit on that couch again.’ Max, at the door, howling with laughter, his girlfriend behind him, eyes wide with surprise. ‘We thought we’d come hang out with you tonight. So. Up to anything?’
Anya had her back to him, so she wasn’t totally exposed and that’s probably why she could see the funny side of it. ‘Shut your eyes right now, or I’ll remove them while you’re sleeping, Max Walker.’
He’d done as he was ordered, and she’d used the moment to pull her clothes back on, then flip around and sit on the couch next to Noah. When she was sorted, she acted as if nothing had happened.
‘Max. Molly. Nice to see you. We were just about to watch Mission Impossible if you fancy joining us.’
That was one of a hundred unforgettable moments they’d all had when they’d lived together back then. Anya was always a class act. Funny. Smart. Decent. Just a really good human being. Someone who loved him fiercely, every bit as much as he loved her. When had that changed? When had they let this distance creep up between them? Stopped being on the same page?
