The Doll's House

115

Charlie pushed the front door shut behind her and leaned against it. She had been feeling peculiar all day – at sixes and sevens – and now she just felt exhausted. Had she been stupid tackling Lloyd directly? She didn’t know him at all well and who was to say he wouldn’t have reacted angrily, even violently, to her accusations? She was glad she hadn’t thought too deeply about it or she probably wouldn’t have gone through with it. And that would have been wrong – she had played an unwitting part in the ambush on Helen and she had been determined to put that right. She didn’t want cowardice or caution to stop her. Not that Steve would have seen it like that, if anything had happened.

All she wanted to do was collapse on the sofa, but oddly her legs wouldn’t move. Her batteries were dead, as her father would say, and she remained where she was, propping up the front door. Something definitely wasn’t right. She felt more than peculiar now, she felt uncomfortable. The baby had been less active today, which had at first worried her, then intrigued her as she had felt the occasional cramp. Was this Braxton Hicks or something more meaningful? She wasn’t one to jump the gun but today did feel different.

She looked down and was surprised to see her leggings stained dark. Placing her hand on her thighs, she found that her legs were wet. She investigated further and there was no doubt about it. Her waters had broken. The time had come.

The baby that she’d craved for so long was finally on her way.