Page 50 of Christmas for the Village Midwife (The Village Midwife #2)

Zoe woke at the sound of Georgia’s baby crying. With a yawn, she clambered from the nest of bedding she and Alex had been sleeping in and padded over to see if she was needed. Georgia was fumbling beneath the top she’d been wearing since the carol service, now crumpled and sweat stained.

‘Does he want more milk?’ she asked Zoe. ‘He’s had loads.’

‘Little and often the first twenty-four hours,’ she said. ‘You’re all right latching on now?’

‘I think so…’

The little boy wriggled around, trying to get purchase, and eventually his lips found their target, and he began to suck.

Georgia smiled. ‘It’s amazing, when you think about it. I can’t believe my body is feeding his.’

‘It’s been doing that for the past nine months.’

‘I know, but I didn’t see it. I’m just making milk, right here. Like I’m a cow. I never thought I’d be able to do it.’

Zoe laughed softly. ‘Something like that.’ She glanced around. ‘Where’s Brett?’

‘Gone to find the kettle to make me a drink.’

‘He’s all right then? Not too shell-shocked by all this?’

‘It’s early days, but I think he wants to change. Or maybe not change; maybe just go back to the way he was before.’

‘Is that what you want? I mean, is that good?’

‘Yes. It’d be good. We were happy. We’d be even happier now because we’d have this little one too.’

‘ This little one …I think that might end up being his name at this rate.’

‘I think it might. How long do I have to decide?’

‘I think, if memory serves me, you have forty-two days before you have to register his birth.’

‘I’d better get my skates on then.’

‘I think you’ll manage…unless you’re really struggling for a name. Hopefully it won’t take you six weeks to come up with one, or it might have to be This Little One. Or Sod Off, which seemed to be in the running a few hours ago.’

Zoe noticed someone else was up. Billie was walking up and down, hands to the small of her back. She came over.

‘Couldn’t sleep?’ Zoe asked.

‘Got pins and needles and my back is aching.’ She looked at Georgia’s baby, content at her breast. ‘Is it hard?’ she asked.

‘Feeding? Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It pinches a bit at first, but then we get the hang of it’ – she stroked a finger over his cheek – ‘don’t we, sonny Jim?’ She looked up. ‘Hmm… Sonny . What do you think?’

‘For a name?’ Billie asked, her expression telling them what she was too polite to say.

‘Maybe not then,’ Zoe said with a laugh.

‘I don’t know,’ Georgia said. ‘I think it could be a grower.’

‘Can I hold him?’ Billie asked. ‘When you’ve finished, I mean? Just to see…’

‘Course you can,’ Georgia replied. ‘Getting in some training, eh? For your own?’

‘I just want to have a go.’

Zoe tried not to read too much into Billie’s interest. She tried to contain the hope that was building in her, that Billie might yet decide to keep her baby. Nothing would make Alex happier, and if Zoe was being honest, she’d be thrilled too.

Baby’s eyes closed, and he was calm.

‘Has he finished?’ Billie asked.

‘I think so,’ Georgia said, looking to Zoe for reassurance.

‘You don’t need me to tell you,’ Zoe said. ‘You’re doing brilliantly on your own.’

‘Can I hold him now?’ Billie asked.

Georgia took a closer look and then seemed to decide he had finished his feed. After rearranging her shirt, she beckoned Billie closer before lifting him gently.

‘Don’t forget to support his head,’ Zoe reminded her.

‘I know,’ Billie said. ‘I’ve got it.’

Her face lit into a smile as she gazed at the little boy.

Something had sparked in her – Zoe could see it a mile away.

She’d seen it before, that maternal instinct kick in.

She’d met mums who would never be maternal, ones who did their best even though it didn’t come naturally, and she’d met some who were full of it from the start.

And she met some who were like Billie – for whatever reason, whether it was fear or doubt or simply that the reality of motherhood hadn’t yet sunk in – who had no maternal feelings for the baby they were carrying, but then there would be a catalyst, something would switch and then it would be on, full beam and all-encompassing.

They’d transform from passive vehicles to fierce mother tigers willing to do anything for their child.

Zoe glanced at Georgia. There had never been any doubt that she was a mother tiger, but there was so much love in her eyes now, Zoe almost struggled to believe that so much depth of feeling was possible in one woman.

She may not yet have had her own baby, but she knew, from this one moment of looking into Georgia’s soul, how it would feel if she ever did.

After a minute where all three women were silent, Billie looked up. ‘Do you want him back?’

‘Do you mind?’ Georgia held out her arms. ‘I am quite missing him.’

‘Yeah, sure… sorry.’

‘No need to be sorry. It’ll be your turn soon, after all.’ Georgia made the baby comfortable. ‘I suppose you have a name for yours already.’

‘No.’

‘Oh, not even ideas? It’s reassuring to know it’s not just me and Brett who can’t make up our minds.’

‘I haven’t thought about it,’ Billie said, which was a tiny lie, Zoe reflected, recalling that only a few hours before, she’d told Brett she’d want to use her dad’s name.

But perhaps that had only been an idle comment made in passing.

Because Billie, after all, wasn’t planning to keep her baby – or so she’d told Alex – so why would she bother to think of a name?

It was one more grain of hope to add to the avalanche building in Zoe that she’d started to change her mind about that.

By the time her alarm went off, the church was filled with muted daylight. Zoe was groggy. Her sleep had been broken, getting up to check on Georgia almost every time she woke with her baby, but even when she’d managed to get her head down, her rest had been fitful and uncomfortable.

‘Well,’ Alex said, stirring beside her, ‘now I know what it’s like to camp in a church. Can’t say I’ll be recommending it to my holidaymakers in the summer.’

‘I agree; it’s crap. I suppose, in a weird way, it was sort of fun, though.’

‘You have a strange idea of fun.’

‘It’s why you like me.’

‘It’s why I love you.’

‘Ugh…’ Billie sat up on her bed a few feet away. ‘Get a room already.’

‘We tried,’ Alex said, ‘and look where we ended up.’

Zoe let out a tired giggle. Then she sniffed the air. ‘Can you smell bacon?’

‘I can…’ Alex looked around. ‘I’ll go and see what’s going on. Do you want a cup of tea?’

‘I’d kill for a cup of tea!’

‘Me too,’ Billie said. ‘If you can manage one for your daughter as well.’

‘He’s good, isn’t he?’ Zoe said, watching him head towards the church’s kitchen.

‘He’s all right, yeah,’ Billie said, reaching for her phone. ‘All the bars.’ She held it up for Zoe to see. ‘Do you think the snow has stopped?’

‘I hope so; I don’t think it could snow much more.’

‘We’ve been saying that for two weeks.’

‘Three, I think. Anyway, it looks bright enough through the windows, so we might be in luck.’

Alex came back with three mugs and a plate of sandwiches on a tray.

‘Vicar’s come up trumps!’ he said with a grin. ‘Bacon sandwiches! He came in early to make them!’

‘That’s so sweet of him!’ Zoe took the mug he offered and a sandwich from the pile. ‘I’m starving!’

‘Me too,’ Billie said as she did the same.

Alex sat down with his own and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with a look of great contentment. ‘Nothing quite hits like a bacon sandwich when you’ve had a long night. I feel sorry for vegans.’

‘I’m pretty sure they’re at peace with their choices,’ Zoe said, ‘but I know what you mean. This is just what I needed.’

A thin wail went up from where Georgia had been sleeping with the baby.

Zoe grinned. ‘Looks like someone else is hungry.’ She got to her feet, and Alex grabbed her hand.

‘Where are you going?’

‘To see if Georgia needs me to help.’

‘If it was me,’ Billie said as she munched, ‘I’d want you to stop interfering.’

Zoe frowned. ‘I’m not?—’

‘What she means is you’re fussing,’ Alex said. ‘In the nicest possible way, of course.’

‘She’s got to do everything for the baby when you’re not there,’ Billie continued. ‘She needs to get used to it. If she wants you to help now, she’ll shout. But she’s probably already working it out.’

‘It’s hard with a newborn,’ Zoe insisted. ‘You need support.’

‘Yeah,’ Billie said, ‘and she’s got Brett.’

‘He’s got to figure out how to look after a baby too,’ Alex agreed. ‘I’d give them some room, like Billie says. If they need you, they’ll shout.’

Zoe realised that as they’d been talking the baby had stopped crying.

Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘See?’

Sheepishly, she sat down again. ‘Don’t mind me – I’m still on high alert after last night’s drama.’

‘You didn’t get much sleep either, so that’s not going to help.’

The doors to the church creaked open, and Emilia slipped in.

Her footsteps echoed on the stone floor as she went straight to Georgia and Brett.

Zoe watched her. She was bundled up in a thick coat and hat, and looked tired and pale.

Zoe guessed she probably hadn’t slept well either, despite going home.

As Zoe finished the last of her sandwich, Emilia came over.

‘How are you?’ she asked.

‘All right,’ Zoe said. ‘A bit stiff but not too bad.’

‘What about your ankle?’

‘Oh, that’s a bit stiff too, but it’ll be fine. How about you?’

‘Fine. Georgia wants to bring the little one back to the house. I think it should be all right if you’re in agreement. It’s stopped snowing. In fact, it’s quite bright out there. I don’t think we’ll have any more today.’

‘Of course we won’t,’ Alex said wryly. ‘Why would we now the emergency is over?’

‘I’ve got a pram and blankets etcetera back at the house; I could pop over for it.’

‘What about Georgia?’ Zoe asked. ‘I’m not sure it would do her much good to walk that far right now.’

‘No, of course not. I’ll bring the car; if I drive slowly, it should be all right now. I think they’d all be better at home.’