15:56
Ben and I arrived back at home ready to put up the Christmas tree when there was a knock at the door. "Have you invited anyone around?" I asked as I went to answer the door. "No, I don't recall inviting anyone around, sweetie." Ben replied as he placed the tree into the stand in the window. I walked up to the front door and took a deep breath in and opened the door. "Claud! Surprise!" Leigh shouted, standing in the doorway. "Leigh! What are you doing here? You are meant to be in Africa?!" Leigh smiled and said, "We've been allowed a week off now and another on Christmas! Stupid I know but, oh well hey!" "Are you going to invite Leigh in then?" Ben shouted from the lounge. "Oh yes, sorry, would you like to come in?" I asked Leigh who was standing in the door way fashioning a suitcase and a gift bag. "I thought you'd never ask!" Leigh joked about as I stepped to one side inviting her in and guiding her into the front room.
"Leigh!" Ben smiled, "What a surprise it is to see here!" "I know what a coincidence bumping into you here, in your own house!" Leigh replied winking. "You knew she was coming over didn't you?" I said looking at Ben raising an eyebrow. "Surprise Claud!" Ben said standing up smiling. "I can only stay an hour or so though as I've ordered a taxi to collect me from here and take me back to Manston" Leigh smiled, "I mainly came to make sure you were okay and to drop some presents round, that you mustn't open until Christmas!" Leigh handed me the gift bag and looked at me as if to say don't you dare think about opening it! Ben retrieved the bag from me and placed it under the tree. "So have you got any news to tell me?" Leigh asked as she sat on the sofa waiting for me to tell her a massive life story. "Well, where do I start?" I said sitting along side her. "Maybe about university? How's that going?" Leigh suggested. "Well, that's going okay, I've made a few friends. I've made a few enemies also. The professor is a bit strange but he's amazing! My roommate is half Australian, a quarter German and a quarter something else, I can't remember. But she's lovely!" Leigh smiled and looked at my wrists, "How are they?" "They've been a lot better. Went through a rough patch a few months ago but everything is cleared up now and I'm getting better." "What happened?" "Well, my family and Sam were all involved in a car crash a few months ago and they didn't make it. I didn't take the news very well and ended up cutting and passing out in a beano toilets, so I stayed here all of August instead of staying at Oxford. But everything is better now." I smiled. Leigh looked at my stomach and said, "Any other form of news?" I smiled and nodded, "I'm 2 months gone!" Leigh looked at me and smiled, "That is fantastic! My little baby, all growing up! Well, I shouldn't be too surprised, I always knew you was going to be up the duff before I got home!" I elbowed Leigh and smiled.
16:20
Knock! Knock!
"That's my taxi! I better be off! Have a very merry Christmas guys and hope to see you soon!" Leigh said shooting up off of the sofa, grabbing her belongings and was off. "I love you Leigh!" I shouted at the top of my lungs from the door way as she clambered into the taxi. "I love you too Claud & bump!" Leigh screamed back as the taxi drove away before returning to the lounge where Ben sat surrounded by Christmas decorations getting in a right cafafel."We used to leave the decorations until the next day." I said to Ben as I walked over to him, who was sat on the floor surrounded by boxes, "We could just leave it until tomorrow?" I smiled as I sat on his lap, looking through the bags and admiring the decorations that were ranging from baubles to candy canes. "If that's what you used to do at home then that shall be what we do!" Ben said putting his arms around my waist and placing his hands on my stomach. "Darling?" Ben asked inhaling my aroma as he placed his head on my shoulder. "Yes?" I replied. "I was thinking, baby names. I was thinking Samantha if the baby is a girl and if the baby is a boy Samuel. I think we should name the baby after your uncle. The man who got us both together. The man you looked up to. The man who grew to be one of my close friends. The man who was your best friend." I turned my head and looked into his eyes and smiled, "I love those names. Sam would have loved those names as well, the diva he was! Baby Sam. I love it!" I said, placing a kiss on Ben's cheek. "Wait until Martin & Amanda hear!" Ben gleamed before I said rubbing my tummy, "What time are we due to be over there house?" I said, looking at the clock on the wall that read 16:29. "I think we should leave now and then we will be able to miss the tea time traffic." Ben added as he looked at his invisible watch. I arose off of Ben's lap sped off to the hall, to slide my rucksack on to my back and slipped my white low cut converse onto my feet and I was ready to go. But was Ben? Nope. He had to turn all of the lights out, shut all of the doors, put his shoes on, put his coat on over his white shirt and jacket, put his scarf on and then his gloves and then he had to grab his keys. And yes, it was apparently necessary. I opened the door about to walk out when Ben grabbed hold of my rucksack handle before he said, "Aren't you forgetting something?" I shook my head. "Your coat or you're going to get even worse." Ben said holding my coat, waving it about. I smiled, sarcastically and took my coat off of him. "Ben I would have been fine!" I added as I slid my coat on whilst walking down the stairs towards the car. Ben chuckled, "Claud, sweetie, come on, let's just get in the car and go!"
17:05
"Right, I won't say anything about it, until you are ready!" Ben said as we walked up the path to the cottage styled building. I agreed as I walked up the cobble path way to the Abbington-Freeman household. I rang the bell and when Ben put his arm around both me and my little bump. "Mummy, mummy, its Uncle Ben!" A familiar voice said from the other side of the door. "Let him in then" Amanda's voice echoed through the house. The locks on the door became undone and the door flew open. It was Georgia standing before us. "Uncle Ben!" Georgia gleamed as she jumped up at Ben, into his arms. "Hello, Princess Georgia! Can we come in please?" Ben said holding Georgia in his arms. "Of course, please come in." Georgia said trying to get down from Ben's arms guiding him in by clutching hold of his hands. "James! James! It's Uncle Ben!" Georgia shouted up the stairs to her brother. There was silence for a few seconds and then very heavy foot steps running down the hallway upstairs and down the stairs. "Claud!" James shouted throwing himself at me for me to lift him up. "How are you, big man?" I said holding on to him as we stood in the hall way. "I'm good thank you, make sure Daddy doesn't find me please!" He said in hysterics. "Why, where is Daddy?" I asked smiling. "He's upstairs. I'm meant to be having a bath! I haven't had one since Sunday!" I looked at the 8 year old right in the eye and smiled, before shouting "Daddy! I've found a stinky boy!" "Claud! No!" James said laughing, trying to get down. I slowly placed him on the ground and whispered the word "hide!" as James ran into the lounge.
"Ben! Claud! Hey!" Amanda said, walking into the hall way from the kitchen with marigolds on her hands and her apron on. "Is it a bad time? We could come back later?" Ben asked looking Amanda up and down. "No, it's fine! The kids have just had dinner so I'm just washing up. Don't just stand in the hall come into the kitchen, you pair of numpties!" Amanda smiled, leading the way into the kitchen for Ben and I to follow. "So what brings you both here then?" Amanda asked taking off her marigolds and throwing them into the sink. "We thought we'd pop around. To have a catch up as I got back from university today." I said sitting down at the wooden kitchen table. Amanda smiled and put the kettle on before adding, "How are you coping with university?" "I'm fine thank you. I've made a few friends. Well 2 and half to be exact!" I laughed awkwardly. "Half?" Amanda questioned. "Well, I'm friends with an Australian English student, best friends with a duke and then I'm sort of friends with a guy called Dean, who Martin & I met in Selfridges. He was a bit of an odd character." Amanda looked at me and raised an eyebrow before repeating, "Martin and yourself met in Selfridges? The man who was measuring you and Martin and Simon accused him of many a thing?" I looked at Amanda and said slowly, "Well not exactly, he was in the room whilst being measured but he wasn't measuring me. But anyway, he said to Martin that nothing was meant by it because he was gay, but you see, he's not gay as he's going out with Adelaide, my roommate." Amanda looked at me confused, "Martin?" Amanda shouted from the kitchen to the upstairs bathroom. "What?!" "Benedict and Claud are here!" Silence. Silence for a few moments when there was thumps coming down the stairs, similar to James when he came bolting down the stairs. I turned to Ben and whispered "I hope he doesn't throw himself at me like James did!" Ben laughed and whispered, "I hope not as well!" As he said this he looked down at my stomach and added "We hope not as well!"
Martin ran into the kitchen, and instead of jumping at me (thank god) he threw his entire body mass at Ben. Ben placed his arms around him awkwardly whilst patting Martin's back. "Martin?" Amanda coughed to get Martin's attention. "Yes, oh, sorry. Hi Claud." Martin said, releasing Ben before putting his arms around me. "Hello Martin!" I said standing floppy armed. "Martin that isn't what I meant." Amanda exclaimed hoping Martin would release me. "Oh, umm, sorry." Martin apologised putting me down. Amanda pulled him over next to her before asking Martin, "Dean Selfridges. Do you recall?" Martin bolted me a look as if to say What has he done? Leading me to bolt a look to say Nothing. Just answer her question. Martin nodded. "Yes, yes I do. Why? What has he done?" "Well, you know he told you and Claud that he was gay?" Amanda said. "Yes. He's not gay. I know." Martin said rolling his eyes going to pour himself a glass of milk. "There is no time for milk! This is serious. You knew he wasn't gay yet you allowed Claud to believe he was gay?" Ben questioned. "Yes." Martin said simply. "Oh. Well, okay then." "Well then, why don't you and Ben go and sit in the lounge and I'll bring in the beverages." Amanda smiled whilst looking at Martin in disgust.
Ben led the way. The lounge was colour co-ordinated, with 3 white walls and one red wall, which hung an old map of the world, which covered the chimney breast. The floor was covered in cream carpet that drowned your feet. The curtains were red and furniture ranged from blacks and browns. It was beautiful. "Sam would have loved this style of room. He loved showroom styled rooms." I said, taking my shoes off before entering the living area, as I didn't want to ruin the carpet. Ben smiled at me and guided me into the front room allowing me to sit down on the sofa, opposite Georgia who was playing with Amanda's Barbie's Dreams house. "Claud?" Georgia asked. "Would you like to play?" I sat thinking, I haven't played with Barbie's since I was 5, that was 13 years ago, of course I wanted to play. Instead of saying this though, I said smiling "Yes please, Georgia" I got down on the floor, sitting on my feet, so my skirt flared out around me. "Who shall I be?" I asked watching Georgia arrange Barbie, Ken and the children neatly in the Barbie-mobile. "You could be, Ken!" Georgia smiled handing me the muscly heartthrob.
"One tea and a glass of orange" Amanda said smiling placing the cups on the coffee table in the middle of the room, next to where Georgia and I were playing with the Barbie dolls. "Maybe we could have something a bit stronger later?" Martin chuckled as he walked in to the living room, picking Georgia up to get her ready for her bath. "I wish!" I laughed, getting up off of the floor and walking over to the sofa were Ben was sitting. "What do you mean?" Amanda smiled, sipping her tea. I looked at Ben and smiled before saying, "I'm two months pregnant! I, I mean, we are going to have a baby!" Amanda looked at me, and then at Ben and then at Martin and then back at me and then at my little bump. "Wait, are you serious? Two months gone?" I nodded. "So, what about Doctor Who? Aren't you meant to be staring in it?" Amanda asked in shock. "Yes, I've got to phone Steven and Mark in the morning to explain." I said sipping my orange juice. "But," Ben said smiling, "I'm sure Mark will be fine with it."
You see where I was, well still am, a worrier. Such a bad worrier. So when I found out I was carrying even though I was due to be in the new series of Doctor Who, my worries grew- anxiety levels shot up through the roof. I wanted to get today over with so I could phone Steven and Mark in the morning, without feeling rude and phoning during their dinner or whilst they were spending time with their family.
Hours flew by and no one spoke about the baby news. You could feel the disappointment in the atmosphere. But I did not see why. Yes I was 18. Yes I was a university student. Yes I was an actor (in a sense). Yes I was pregnant. And yes I wasn't married. I know this wasn't how I planned this, but things change for a reason and this reason was not made clear to me until around 10:30 on the 4th December 2015- scan day.