his twenties. “Well,
bugger me.”
“I thought you’d like
that.”
“She didn’t happen to ask for
my number?”
“Sorry, Ben, she didn’t quite
go that far.”
“Ah well, can’t win them all.
Are you coming to the Duck later?”
“I’m still in Devon.”
“Oh.” There was a pause as he
digested the information. “Is everything okay? Your family?”
“Yes, my family are great. I…”
How to put it, what to say? “I’ve left Daniel.” She couldn’t get
all the information out, the words stuck in her throat. That was
enough for now.
“You’ve left him? For good?”
There was silence and when he spoke again his voice sounded
brighter. “What about the wedding?”
“The wedding is most definitely
off.” It was the first time she’d said it so bluntly. It sounded
odd, but rather liberating. So much of the last year had been spent
planning the damn thing it actually felt great to admit it was no
longer her concern.
“Bloody Hell. What
happened?”
“Well, at least you didn’t
assume he cheated on me.”
“I haven’t really thought of
anything, it’s a bit of a facer. So why’d you leave? I thought he
was the centre of your universe.” The acid in Ben’s voice could
strip paint.
“I have a new centre of my
universe now.”
“You met someone new?” Ben’s
voice sounded strangled.
“Er, well, I haven’t met them
yet, not for a few months.”
“I’m sorry, you’re not making
sense. You’ve left Daniel for someone you haven’t met? I thought
Sharni had the monopoly on arranged marriages?”
Helen smiled. Fun as it was to
wind Ben up she thought she ought to put an end to it.
“Ben, I’m pregnant. I’m going
to have a baby.”
“Oh.” He went silent for a
moment. “Daniel’s?”
“Of course it’s Daniel’s!”
“So why did you leave? Doesn’t
he want the baby?”
“You could put it like
that.”
“Hmmm.”
Helen nearly laughed out loud
at Ben’s response. She had a feeling he didn’t entirely blame
Daniel. Helen guessed that he was no different to any other young
lad: The thought of parenthood probably terrified him. He was half
a decade younger than Daniel though and single. What excuse did
Daniel have?
“What will you do?”
“Oh, Ben, that’s the million
dollar question isn’t it. I don’t know take it one day at a time I
guess. It’s early days, I might still miscarry.”
She heard Ben give a little
in-take of breath, as if she’d given too many details. He battled
on bravely. “What then? Would you go back to Daniel?”
“No.” There was no hesitation.
“No, there’s no going back, not after what he said. I thought he
loved me, but no one could be so uncompromising with someone they
cared about.”
“Are you coming back to London?
It’s not the same without you.”
“Yes, I’ll be back. I’m waiting
for my tenants’ contract to expire – I’ve given them notice, so the
flat will be empty by August.”
“That’s weeks away, are you
going to stay hidden in the sticks all that time? You’ll die of
boredom.”
“You’re as bad as Sharni. Stuff
does happen in Devon you know!” Helen laughed at his Londoner’s
view of the country. “Sharni is going to ask if maybe Dawn will put
me up for a couple of weeks, otherwise I’ll have to stay: I can’t
afford to put up in a hotel.”
“I’d offer you to come crash at
ours, but I’m not sure it’s the place for a pregnant lady.” Ben
still lived with his student mates, despite graduating several
years before. Helen could only imagine what a house of five lads
would be like.
“That’s sweet, Ben, but I think
I’ll pass. I’m struggling to keep my food down on a good day!”
They chatted for a bit and said
their goodbyes. Helen was conscious of a change in Ben’s demeanour,
a cooling of his unspoken ardour. She wondered if he disapproved of
her being a single mother, or if he no longer fancied her in her
pregnant state. Whatever the cause, she was fine with it.
bugger me.”
“I thought you’d like
that.”
“She didn’t happen to ask for
my number?”
“Sorry, Ben, she didn’t quite
go that far.”
“Ah well, can’t win them all.
Are you coming to the Duck later?”
“I’m still in Devon.”
“Oh.” There was a pause as he
digested the information. “Is everything okay? Your family?”
“Yes, my family are great. I…”
How to put it, what to say? “I’ve left Daniel.” She couldn’t get
all the information out, the words stuck in her throat. That was
enough for now.
“You’ve left him? For good?”
There was silence and when he spoke again his voice sounded
brighter. “What about the wedding?”
“The wedding is most definitely
off.” It was the first time she’d said it so bluntly. It sounded
odd, but rather liberating. So much of the last year had been spent
planning the damn thing it actually felt great to admit it was no
longer her concern.
“Bloody Hell. What
happened?”
“Well, at least you didn’t
assume he cheated on me.”
“I haven’t really thought of
anything, it’s a bit of a facer. So why’d you leave? I thought he
was the centre of your universe.” The acid in Ben’s voice could
strip paint.
“I have a new centre of my
universe now.”
“You met someone new?” Ben’s
voice sounded strangled.
“Er, well, I haven’t met them
yet, not for a few months.”
“I’m sorry, you’re not making
sense. You’ve left Daniel for someone you haven’t met? I thought
Sharni had the monopoly on arranged marriages?”
Helen smiled. Fun as it was to
wind Ben up she thought she ought to put an end to it.
“Ben, I’m pregnant. I’m going
to have a baby.”
“Oh.” He went silent for a
moment. “Daniel’s?”
“Of course it’s Daniel’s!”
“So why did you leave? Doesn’t
he want the baby?”
“You could put it like
that.”
“Hmmm.”
Helen nearly laughed out loud
at Ben’s response. She had a feeling he didn’t entirely blame
Daniel. Helen guessed that he was no different to any other young
lad: The thought of parenthood probably terrified him. He was half
a decade younger than Daniel though and single. What excuse did
Daniel have?
“What will you do?”
“Oh, Ben, that’s the million
dollar question isn’t it. I don’t know take it one day at a time I
guess. It’s early days, I might still miscarry.”
She heard Ben give a little
in-take of breath, as if she’d given too many details. He battled
on bravely. “What then? Would you go back to Daniel?”
“No.” There was no hesitation.
“No, there’s no going back, not after what he said. I thought he
loved me, but no one could be so uncompromising with someone they
cared about.”
“Are you coming back to London?
It’s not the same without you.”
“Yes, I’ll be back. I’m waiting
for my tenants’ contract to expire – I’ve given them notice, so the
flat will be empty by August.”
“That’s weeks away, are you
going to stay hidden in the sticks all that time? You’ll die of
boredom.”
“You’re as bad as Sharni. Stuff
does happen in Devon you know!” Helen laughed at his Londoner’s
view of the country. “Sharni is going to ask if maybe Dawn will put
me up for a couple of weeks, otherwise I’ll have to stay: I can’t
afford to put up in a hotel.”
“I’d offer you to come crash at
ours, but I’m not sure it’s the place for a pregnant lady.” Ben
still lived with his student mates, despite graduating several
years before. Helen could only imagine what a house of five lads
would be like.
“That’s sweet, Ben, but I think
I’ll pass. I’m struggling to keep my food down on a good day!”
They chatted for a bit and said
their goodbyes. Helen was conscious of a change in Ben’s demeanour,
a cooling of his unspoken ardour. She wondered if he disapproved of
her being a single mother, or if he no longer fancied her in her
pregnant state. Whatever the cause, she was fine with it.
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