Скачать книгу

or so Freya had been told, and yet she was exhausted.

      The high of Baby Hudson’s birth lasted right through the Tube journey, but faded as she began the walk for home.

      Freya had never been surrounded by more people, and yet she had never felt more alone.

      There was a social club at the hospital, but she was hardly going to walk in on her own, and making friends was proving a lot more difficult than she had anticipated.

      However, later, rather than sit alone with her noodles, Freya reminded herself that she did indeed have friends and called Alison.

      ‘How are things?’ Alison asked.

      ‘Busy,’ Freya said. ‘Well, work is—the social life, not so much.’

      ‘But you’re in London!’ Alison said.

      ‘I know...’ Freya sighed, because Alison’s observation just made it worse. ‘I am trying,’ she admitted. ‘I sort of hinted to a couple of girls at work that there was a film I’d like to see, but I felt like a bent coin in a vending machine.’

      ‘Rejected?’ Alison laughed.

      ‘Exactly.’

      ‘Keep at it. Just say yes to anything you’re invited to.’

      ‘I’ll have to be invited somewhere first.’

      ‘You will be.’

      ‘How are you?’ Freya asked. She felt her throat clamp tight, but she swallowed and pushed through, trying to keep her voice casual and light. ‘How’s the baby.’

      ‘All good. I’m fifteen weeks now, and I swear I’ve got a bump, although Callum says it’s too early.’

      Freya hesitated, because women sometimes showed more quickly with a second pregnancy, but she couldn’t gauge whether or not that was the right thing to say to Alison now.

      Freya dealt with pregnant woman every working day, and she dealt with loss too. And, what was more, she prided herself on dealing with it well. Yet when it came to her friend she felt like an absolute novice, and simply didn’t know how to be around the subject of Alison’s pregnancy.

      Freya was terrified she might break down, and Alison didn’t need that. Of course they had both cried together in the days following Andrew’s birth, and then his death, but right now Freya was sure it was time to be strong.

      ‘When’s your ultrasound?’ Freya asked.

      ‘In two weeks’ time. I’ll believe it’s really happening once I’ve heard its little heart.’

      Alison’s voice broke then, and Freya closed her eyes when she heard it. ‘It will be okay,’ she offered.

      ‘You don’t know that, Freya,’ Alison snapped.

      ‘I know, but...’ Her voice trailed off.

      ‘Sorry,’ Alison said.

      ‘Don’t be.’

      And then Freya turned on her midwife voice and said all the right things, just as she would to a patient.

      But Alison was her best friend. It was awkward and it was difficult and things were different between them.

      There was no escaping that.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QPWaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcFJpZ2h0cz0iaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3JpZ2h0cy8iIHhtbG5z OnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0iaHR0 cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1wPSJo dHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBSaWdodHM6TWFya2VkPSJGYWxzZSIgeG1w TU06T3JpZ2luYWxEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOmI3NDlmNDNkLTk3MGYtYjU0MS04MDY5LWRj MDYwZDI2NzRiMiIgeG1wTU06RG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDpDRUM4QTJBMTNGQzQxMUU4OTFB M0M0NUVDQjRCMTY5MyIgeG1wTU06SW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDpDRUM4QTJBMDNGQzQxMUU4 OTFBM0M0NUVDQjRCMTY5MyIgeG1wOkNyZWF0b3JUb29sPSJBZG9iZSBQaG90b3Nob3AgQ1M1LjEg TWFjaW50b3NoIj4gPHhtcE1NOkRlcml2ZWRGcm9tIHN0UmVmOmluc3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6 MjZBMzBCMjMyODIzNjgxMTkxMDk5RTAzM0M2MTc4ODQiIHN0UmVmOmRvY3VtZW50SUQ9ImFkb2Jl OmRvY2lkOnBob3Rvc2hvcDozNTk5MmI4Zi00NzllLTExZTgtOTE2My1jODI2ZmJkZmFjYTIiLz4g PC9yZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24+IDwvcmRmOlJERj4gPC94OnhtcG1ldGE+IDw/eHBhY2tldCBlbmQ9 InIiPz7/4gxYSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAxITGlubwIQAABtbnRyUkdCIFhZWiAHzgACAAkABgAx AABhY3NwTVNGVAAAAABJRUMgc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA9tYAAQAAAADTLUhQICAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABFjcHJ0AAABUAAAADNkZXNj AAABhAAAAGx3dHB0AAAB8AAAABRia3B0AAACBAAAABRyWFlaAAACGAAAABRnWFlaAAACLAAAABRi WFlaAAACQAAAABRkbW5kAAACVAAAAHBkbWRkAAACxAAAAIh2dWVkAAADTAAAAIZ2aWV3AAAD1AAA ACRsdW1pAAAD+AAAABRtZWFzAAAEDAAAACR0ZWNoAAAEMAAAAAxyVFJDAAAEPAAACAxnVFJDAAAE PAAACAxiVFJDAAAEPAAACAx0ZXh0AAAAAENvcHlyaWdodCAoYykgMTk5OCBIZXdsZXR0LVBhY2th cmQgQ29tcGFueQAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAASc1JHQiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAABJzUkdC IElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Скачать книгу