Emergency: Wife Lost And Found Part 14

'Thorough!' May mouthed to Lorna as her eyes darted in alarm.

Thorough's good, Lorna decided, thorough she liked, especially when he said the words she wanted to hear.

'Just one...nice and high up in the uterus.'

'I'm pregnant.'

'Congratulations.' It was the best word in the world and he said it again, and May said it too.

'I'm on the Pill,' Lorna said, because she couldn't be pregnant, because even with the photo he was peeling off, she wouldn't let herself believe it.

'Well, Doctor Doctor.' Henry smiled. 'The Pill can be affected by antibiotics and you had a course...'

'Sweet Lord above us.' May smiled. 'So you did-I dispensed them myself!'

'You're still fertile, Lorna,' Henry said. 'Yes, with only one Fallopian tube it halves the odds, and the adhesions and endometrioses, yes, it could be difficult, but clearly that ovary is working just fine and your left tube must be clear. You said you'd been feeling better recently?'

It was starting to sink in.

'She's eating like a horse.' May grinned as Henry went back to his desk. 'I knew that you were pregnant, I've known for days.'

'You did not,' Lorna scoffed.

'I did so!' May insisted. 'I didn't know all about your troubles. You've been glowing these past days.'

'That was the s.e.x!' Lorna whispered, and the two women almost fell to the floor laughing. There was a wonderful euphoria, a sort of lightness, a looseness that Lorna had longed for, and now she wanted to share it with James.

'Go home,' May said, when Lorna had thanked and thanked and thanked Henry Lowther and booked her first antenatal appointment.

Antenatal appointment!

She wanted to kiss the bored receptionist's face as she handed her her card.

'I'm on till five.'

'Go home!' May said again, and Lorna nodded, b.u.t.terflies dancing in her stomach, but duty still called. 'I'll just have a quick word with Rita and then I'll go...'

To tell James.

Chapter Twenty-Four

PUT champagne in fridge!!!!!! champagne in fridge!!!!!!

Pauline frowned at May's text.

Am working! she replied. she replied.

I know just do it x So she did as she was told and hovered in the living room, watching her self-help show as James worked in the garden. Spring would soon be springing and he was sorting out the tiny courtyard, which meant she could just sit down and watch the end of her favourite show.

She didn't mean to fall asleep. She jumped up when Lorna walked in and apologised profusely.

'It's fine.' For once Lorna's face was smiling. 'Why don't you just finish up for today, Pauline.' As Pauline opened her mouth to argue, Lorna was still smiling. 'We'll cover the hours. I know you do loads extra. Where is is James?' James?'

'Out in the garden,' Pauline said, pulling on her coat and opening the front door as Lorna said goodbye and headed to the back.

And Pauline would have gone, but she'd left her gla.s.ses by the living-room table so she walked back and stood, watched as Lorna walked over to James. Pauline saw him smile and frown at the same time at Lorna's unexpected early arrival and stop what he was doing. Pauline was tempted so tempted to stand and watch for a little while longer-but it wasn't her business, so instead she left them to it and quietly headed out onto the street.

Then she pulled out her phone and rang May.

'Hey?' Lorna could hear the question in his voice as she walked over. 'What are you doing home?'

'I couldn't stand the place a moment longer.' She would have played along for a little while more, except she couldn't keep the smile from her face. 'Henry Lowther asked me to come and see him.'

'And you're smiling?' He was too now. 'Does he think you might not need the operation after all?'

'I probably will need it,' Lorna said, 'just not for a while. For a few months, in fact.'

'And you're okay with that?' James checked. 'You said the pain...'

'I haven't been in much pain for a few weeks now,' Lorna said. 'Even when I came off the medication after the accident.' She thought he'd get it, thought he'd work it out before she even told him, but it had seemed such an impossible dream, something just so out of reach, she understood why his mind hadn't gone there.

It meant she had to tell him and the words just rushed out of her, spilled out of her mouth because she had to share the news and share it this very instant, because he deserved every second of this wonderful joy that was as much his news too.

'I'm pregnant.' She never thought she'd say it again and especially to him. 'I've had an ultrasound and the position is good.'

And James had so completely accepted they were words he'd never hear, especially from Lorna, that it took a while for them to sink in. James had quietly dealt with the grief of never having children because, though he'd never, ever tell Lorna, there had had been a sense of loss when he'd found out about her operation. And though the grief was merited, it was also completely worth it if it meant he had Lorna. Still, there had been a loss to deal with privately just the same. been a sense of loss when he'd found out about her operation. And though the grief was merited, it was also completely worth it if it meant he had Lorna. Still, there had been a loss to deal with privately just the same.

'It's going to be fine,' Lorna said, not smiling now, not even crying as he took her in his arms. 'I'm not even scared, James. I just know it's going to be alright.'

'It will be.' He kissed her then, a kiss she didn't have a name for, a kiss she had never tasted till now. It tasted of endings and beginnings, of past and of future, and it tasted of love and pa.s.sion, but there was another ingredient too and as they walked into the house Lorna worked out what it was.

Hope.

She sat at the kitchen table and stared at her antenatal card, at her due date and LMP and her next scheduled appointment. The thin wintry sun was streaming through the window and she let hope hope sink in as James headed to the fridge to make her lunch because even if it was the most wonderful moment, she'd just remembered she was starving and dying for a cup of tea. sink in as James headed to the fridge to make her lunch because even if it was the most wonderful moment, she'd just remembered she was starving and dying for a cup of tea.

Oh, there was chance and there were risks and a lot of negatives if you chose to look for them, but then there was faith and that was a much kinder path to follow. There was faith that all was right with the world, that someone, somewhere was was looking out for you. looking out for you.

'I can't believe this!' James's voice roused her from her introspection.

'Neither can I.'

'Not that.' James grinned. 'This!' He pulled a bottle of champagne out of the fridge. 'How on earth did that get there?'

'It just did,' Lorna said, talking about the champagne and the baby and cars that collided and lives that kept living even against the most terrible odds. 'It just is!'

Epilogue

JAMES didn't need to be married to her to love her. didn't need to be married to her to love her.

A nice guy perhaps, but he was still human and there was a small part of him that would take certain pleasure in living in sin with Minister McClelland's daughter. But he loved Lorna more than he hated her father, so he suggested a registry office wedding-a nice quick service to make things official, with just a couple of witnesses from the street, and then they would tell everybody afterwards.

Only Lorna wanted a church.

And the more he thought about it, the more James wanted one too, because not only would the two different photos of their weddings look great on the mantelpiece and be a talking point for ever, he had a lot to be thankful for.

An awful lot.

And even though they'd intended to make it the smallest of ceremonies, there were a lot of people that wanted to share their joy, so the numbers swelled along with Lorna's stomach, but she had this strange logic that she didn't want people to think they were marrying just because she was having a baby, so the service was duly delayed, to her father's horror.

But Lorna didn't care.

This was her life, her marriage and, as she told her father on the phone one night as James pretended to be watching television, it was her G.o.d too.

And it was casual but it was formal, a lovely mix of faces that greeted them as they entered the church.

Together.

James would walk her down the aisle this time and there was no need for her to be given away, she'd been given to him years ago and, despite the time gap, in reality she'd never left.

No, three of them walked down the aisle.

James in a suit, but not a new one, and Lorna in a soft lilac dress that was new, but she'd bought it on an auction web site and had saved a fortune. It was money they needed to save, because they were fast outgrowing his little town house and had their sights set on this vast sprawling home in St John's Wood, or that was the intention. They were trying to squeeze in just one more baby before Lorna had her operation, but whatever the outcome they knew they were already blessed.

So they faced the future as a family, James holding little James, or JJ as he was starting to be known now. The baby's blue eyes were already turning green and his blond hair, or so Lorna insisted, looked decidedly ginger. Lorna held a single lily, which meant nothing to everyone else but everything to them.

And it was the best wedding in the world. Even Minister McClelland managed to crack a smile as he welcomed James back into the fold, while holding his grandson, because at three months old with a smile that would light up London, JJ could soften even the hardest heart. Betty let her hair down for once and drank champagne and danced and then danced some more!

'Won't it be confusing?' Pauline asked as Lorna and James sat at their table and caught up with all of their guests. 'Two Dr Morrells working in the same department?'

'James is Mister,' Abby said, topping up her gla.s.s.

'Anyway, female doctors usually keep their maiden names,' May explained. 'So there will be no confusion.'

'Not this one.' Lorna drained her gla.s.s. 'I'm going to be Morrell on everything; I'm changing my name this time. Sorry, guys...' she smiled at the momentarily crestfallen faces because it would would be confusing, but guess what? She didn't care! She was James's wife and wanted everyone to know it. be confusing, but guess what? She didn't care! She was James's wife and wanted everyone to know it.

'Come on, May.' Pauline stood up as a rather energetic number came on. 'I love this song.'

'They're getting on really well.' James grinned as the two of them caused quite a storm on the dance floor. 'It's good we sat them together-you'd think they'd known each other all their lives.' He pulled his new wife onto the dance floor.

'Er, James...' The music was slowing, and it felt as if they were the only two dancing. It was bliss to be in his arms at the end of their perfect day. And it was time to tell him what she'd worked out some time ago, that they were being looked out for and looked after, but that fate needed a helping hand sometimes. Bottles of champagne didn't appear in the fridge for no reason.

'What?'

She was about to tell him but she halted herself. Why spoil it? Lorna thought, staring up into his logical green eyes that, if she told him, would then discount the miracle that actually had had occurred. occurred.

So she told him she loved him instead.

'I know that.' He buried his head in her hair and smelt the lavender of her shampoo and felt the bony angles of her body that fitted perfectly with his, and couldn't believe he'd got so lucky. 'But tell me again.'

So she did.

And she would.

For ever and ever.