Build-A-Boyfriend

Epilogue

"Harry! What the hell are you playing at? Where are you?" I hiss, gripping the phone in my sweaty hand. "You've been gone half an hour!"

"Oh! I couldn't decide between the gingerbread latte or the caramel cappuccino..."

"Are you kid-" I break off as a pain tears through me, sucking all the oxygen from my lungs. "Just get back here!" I pant, almost delirious with the ferocity of the pain.

"Righty-o!" Harry says cheerfully. I scowl at the phone and fling it on the bed.

"Bloody men, they're useless at a time like this." The grey haired midwife chuckles with a little wink.

"I've actually changed my mind about the no-drugs thing." I pant. "I'll take one of everything you've got-"

"Oh come on now, deary. It's barely even started yet! I think it's going to be at least tomorrow morning before we get any sort of movement. The contractions are very far apart, we'll wait until they're closer together before moving you off the ward." Her eyes slip to the gaudy Hufflepuff bag by my bed. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I've got a friend visiting soon with some stuff for me." I gingerly settle back against the pillow, tense for any more of the ripping pains.

"Ok. You keep those contractions timed, but I think we'll be fine for quite a while yet." She smiles, turning her attention to where Harry's beaming face has just appeared in the little round window on the door. He holds up two takeaway coffee cups and mimes drinking from one of them.

"Looks like Dad's here!" The midwife smiles, opening the door to allow him in. I spot Grace and Liam just behind him. Grace has left Liam to carry what looks like an entire flowerbeds worth of roses, while she clutches a small, neatly wrapped gift.

"Oh my god!" She squeals when she spots me, propped up on the bed like a beached whale. "I can't believe this is actually happening!"

"Me either!"

Grace leans over for a half hug over my gigantic bump as Liam arranges the flowers carefully.

"We didn't think we'd be allowed in, not until after-"

"We came here far too early. I'm only in the very early stages, but someone-" I roll my eyes, "wouldn't take no for an answer and insisted we come straight here."

"By someone she means me." Harry says helpfully.

"Yeah, I got that." Grace snorts. "Hey, you might see Marcia in here-"

"She's not having another one?" I gape.

"Yep, baby number 2." Grace nods.

"Number 4," Liam interjects, "the first was triplets."

"Wonder how Juan is getting on with night feeds and dirty nappies?" I giggle.

"At least Dr P will be happy." Grace sighs. "One happy family from his factory that he can try and flaunt in the media."

"Like that'll help." Liam snorts. "The protests outside the factory were so huge the other day that the whole road was closed off."

"He phoned us, you know. Dr P." Grace grins devilishly. "Wanted to ask if we'd go on record in the media to say how wonderful the factory was and how protesting that it's unethical is incorrect."

"He's got some cheek." I snort, adjusting myself slightly on the bed. At the sign of movement, Harry leaps up and begins to hover around me. "I'm fine, Harry. Just trying to get comfortable... You know, something occured to me the other day that I'd never thought to ask you... Remember that last day in the Dream Factory? How did you and Dad know which room we were in?"