What happens in Cheltenham, stays in Cheltenham...

Chapter 12

Seb

"What happened?" she asked.

"You fainted, I told you you're overdoing it." A colleague of ours, Dr Tim Hodgson appeared.

"Charlotte, any reason you might have fainted?" She shook her head.

"I have to ask, but could you be pregnant?" That hadn't even crossed my mind, she was on the pill, but that would explain her symptoms.

"I don't think so," she replied, just off colour and tired.

"Let's do a test just to check," he said. I waited with Charlotte, my heart in my mouth. We both wanted kids, although we were planning on waiting until after the wedding, but could she be pregnant? The signs were all there, but neither of us had even considered it. Jane, one of the nurses returned a few minutes later.

"Congratulations, you're going to be parents," she said, a big smile on her face. Charlotte was overwhelmed, tears running down her face, whilst my heart leapt. I was going to be a dad. Jane looked concerned, not quite being able to gauge Charlotte's reaction. Not as we planned, but who cared, we were having a baby. We worked out that Charlotte was only about 6 weeks along, and she admitted she'd missed a couple of pills around the time she went to London, and we'd made love in the house for the first time after she'd got back. It was the best news ever.

At the end of the shift, we left and made our way home, still blown away with the news. Charlotte flopped down onto the settee.

"I'm going to be a mum," she said slowly. I sat next to her, putting my arm around her, kissing her forehead.

"And you'll be great," I added. I was truly overjoyed. We had a gorgeous house, we were getting married in a couple of months and Charlotte was carrying my child. Life didn't get much better.

Charlotte

I was pregnant, and it had now sunk in, I was so excited. We were having a baby. I had watched Saffie with Emily, Gabriella with Jacob and April and Tori with Willow and number 2 on the way, and I think Seb had been the same and now, finally, it was our turn. He was right though, I did need to slow down a bit, everything did not need to be done by a week last Thursday. I lay in bed that night with Seb's arm round me, his hand on my belly, although there was clearly nothing to feel, but just knowing that he was protecting me, and our baby meant so much.

"I want to tell Mum and Dad," I said, "they'll be over the moon at the prospect of being grandparents. I know Mum has looked on enviously at Clara and Matt with Willow and bump."

"My siblings will all be excited, and it will have 4 cousins straight away." Seb kissed my shoulder. "I love you so much, princess, you've no idea how happy you've made me, but you've got to slow down." I was excited, but nervous. I knew very little about looking after babies and both Tori and Gabriella made it look so easy. What happened if I didn't bond with my child, and wasn't a good mum? Seb was so happy, I couldn't share my worries, it would burst his bubble. Hopefully the shock would wear off and I would enjoy it and feel what Seb did. I woke early the next day feeling slightly nauseous. I was on an early shift, although Seb had wanted me to take the day off. I dressed, leaving him in bed as I knew he was in later. On the way to work I rang mum. It was early, but I knew she wouldn't mind with news like this.

"Morning Charlotte," mum answered, sounding sleepy, "everything ok, it's quite early?"

"Mum, I had to tell you, I'm pregnant." I was so excited to share this with her.

"Oh, darling, that's wonderful, let me tell dad?" She was so pleased. She put the phone onto speaker.

"Congratulations, darling. How's Seb taken the news?" Dad sounded delighted too.