Laura steps out of the gynaecology clinic utterly baffled. She spreads the maternity note on the car seat and reads it again: Pregnancy 78 weeks. How could this happen? Why didnt I notice anything? she wonders as she walks to her car. Did I forget a pill? What now? Give birth? Im fortythree, and this?
She drives home lost in thought. At a traffic light she barely registers that the cars have started moving, only snapping back to reality when the driver behind her horns aggressively.
Back in her flat, Laura throws herself into chores to keep her mind off the unsettling news. After lunch her daughter Harriet pops in, eager to share the latest gossip.
Mum, I have a surprise for you! she announces cheerfully, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Come on, spill it, Laura says, eyes bright with curiosity.
Harriet, Sam proposed to me! her daughter beams, and I said yes!
Congratulations, love! Laura exclaims, tears welling as she embraces Harriet. She likes Harriets fiancé a smart, ambitious yet balanced twentyfiveyearold whos independent and wellearned. Theyve been together for almost three years, and Laura has repeatedly seen his genuine intentions toward her daughter.
Harriet, whens the wedding? Laura asks, pouring hot tea into mugs.
We havent set a date yet, Harriet shrugs, were thinking next summer.
Will you tell your father? Laura presses, staring intently.
I dont know, Harriet frowns, to be honest, I dont even want to
Harriet, you cant do that, Laura scolds gently, your dad loves you. I know youre hurt, but people part ways; that doesnt mean you must cut him out. I forgave him, and you should too. Invite him to the wedding, please.
Mom, how can you be so forgiving? Harriet snaps, he left you for another woman, cheated with his secretary for a whole year, and you just let it go?
Laura sighs. Simon and I were together for twentytwo years. We raised you into a bright, beautiful girl. Those were happy years, and Im grateful to him for that. But then he fell in love with someone else. You cant command a heart She tries to explain, What would you expect me to do? Throw a tantrum, hide my hurt, hate him forever? Because his feelings cooled? Thats silly, Harriet, dont you see?
I dont get it, Mum, Harriet shakes her head, if Sam acted like that, Id I wouldnt even know what to do!
Laura stops arguing; Harriets fiery nature wont let her see reason. In youth, things feel different.
After seeing Harriet out, Laura returns to the kitchen, washes dishes, and pulls a piece of meat from the freezer for dinner. She cant stop thinking about her unexpected pregnancy, weighing her options. Giving birth at her age, and alone, terrifies her, yet the longing to be a mother again, to nurture someone, pulls at her heart.
She pulls an old photo album from the shelf, scrolling through pictures of Harriet as a baby in a onesie, smiling in her grandmothers arms. Later, a shot of a slightly older Harriet in a pretty dress at the city park, the day she fell from a swing and got a thin scar on her knee. Another picture of Harriet in first grade, clutching a bouquet, with Simon looking proud. A teenage Harriet in a school play costume, the silver dress Laura stitched herself after hours at a sewing machine. And a family photo on a sunny beach in Thailand, everyone tanned and laughing.
Laura feels a pang of sadness, remembering how she once thought her family was the strongest in the world. Simon, she recalls, once shared dreams and plans with her. Time passed, Harriet grew, Simons career flourished, they bought a house, a car, traveled. Laura even opened a bridaldress boutique, a lifelong dream. Yet she never managed another pregnancy. The first ended in a miscarriage, the second reached fourteen weeks before a severe fetal abnormality forced an early termination. After a night of tears in the hospital, she decided she would not try again.
She sees the irony of her present situation: once she had youth, a loving husband, stability, and a craving for another child. Now, after all that has crumbled, fate hands her this surprise pregnancy.
When Simon announced he was leaving, Laura was not shocked. Shed suspected an affair; he always dismissed her concerns as imagination. She launched a desperate campaign to win him back, even hiring a family therapisthe flatout refused, calling it a waste of time. She tried everything, from hearttoheart talks to dancing in the living room, but a month ago he packed his things and filed for divorce. Their final, painful conversation left her reeling. She never understood what drew him to his new secretary, Oliviaa young woman with glossy lips, long lashes, and a plunging neckline. Laura repeatedly asked Simon to replace her, but he brushed it off: Laura, I dont care what she looks like. Shes efficient, I cant run the firm without her. Laura sensed Olivia was more than an employee, and later discovered her suspicions were right.
Simon left Laura the city flat she still occupies, moving with Olivia to a country house. The thought of a stranger living in the place that held so many family memories infuriates her, though she agreed to the arrangement because it kept her close to work and Harriets apartment. The uneasy feeling lingers.
The next day, a weekend, Laura visits her old friend Nina, who shes known since their children were in the same nursery. Nina greets her with a bottle of whisky.
Lets have a quick nip, Laura. Ive cooked some meat, perfect with a dram! Nina winks, pulling out glasses.
Thanks, Nina, but I cant, Laura says, Im pregnant.
Nina raises an eyebrow. Why not? Are you on medication?
No, just you know, Im expecting. Nina leans in, teasing, So you and Simon are split, or have you already found a lover?
Never! The baby is Simons. We had a night together a couple of months agocandles, wine, lacey nightwearnothing more. And now Laura gestures to her belly.
Youre a proper lady, Laura! What will you do? Nina asks.
I dont know, Laura sighs, I only found out yesterday. Im at a loss.
Nina grimly replies, Its late for you to have a baby now. Raising a child alone at fiftyplus isnt easy. Youd need child support but who knows, maybe Harriet will soon have kids of her own. Id think twice if I were you.
Laura nods, the words echoing her own doubts.
She leaves Nina and drives to Harriets flat.
Hey, Mum! Harriet greets, Come in. Want coffee?
No, thanks, Harriet. I need to talk. Is Sam home? Laura asks, hoping for a private moment.
Hes at his parents, helping with a renovation, Harriet replies.
Laura, nervous, tells her about the pregnancy.
Mum, do you actually want this baby? Harriet asks.
Yes, I do, Laura whispers, but Im scared.
What does the doctor say? Harriet probes.
He says everything looks fine, the baby is developing well. I lost two children before, and the cause was never clear. Im terrified of going through that again, especially at my age. Ive read horror stories online. What if something goes wrong? They say its risky after forty.
Harriet comforts her, You should get thorough checkups, focus on your health. The doctors now can handle pregnancies over forty. If youre fit, why not?
Laura nods, Maybe youre right. Ill think about it.
She decides to keep the baby, though she wonders whether to tell Simon. Should I say something to him? He doesnt need to know, she muses. Shes only met him a couple of times since the divorce, when he collected a few things from the flat. Then, one afternoon, he shows up at her boutique.
Laura, Im here because I cant find the house papers. They must be with you. I called, you didnt answer. I went to the city flat but couldnt get in. Did you change the locks? Simon asks, eyes flicking to her rounded belly.
I did, Laura replies calmly, what did you expect, that Id let you wander in whenever you feel like it? Weve settled that.
Simon smirks, So youve moved on? Got married?
No, Simon, I havent, and I never will. My life is my own, Laura snaps, I have work, I have no time for you.
He mutters something as he leaves, his mind racing about the babys gestation and his own feelings.
Later, his secretary Olivia breezes in, Hun, Im starving. Lets grab a bite! Simon brushes her off, Later, love, Im busy.
The next day, Lauras baby is born in a London maternity ward, attended by Harriet, Sam, Nina, and a few of Lauras boutique assistants. Sam first lifts the tiny bundle, wrapped in a soft blue blanket.
Oh my, hes so tiny! he whispers, cradling the infant.
Hes beautiful, just like you, Mum, Harriet coos, smiling at her little brother.
Yes, just like you, Laura laughs, her heart swelling.
Back home, Laura discovers that Harriet and Sam have turned one of the rooms into a nursery, hanging colourful garlands and balloons, and painting a big sign above the cot that reads Happy Birthday, Danny! (the name Laura has chosen for her son).
Danny is born healthy, and Laura feels wonderful. Days fly by caring for the baby. Harriet often pops in, looks after Danny, or takes him to the nearby park, giving Laura a breather.
Look at you, little mothertobe, Laura jokes, watching Harriet juggle the infant, one day youll have your own kids, and you already know the ropes!
I love it! Harriet replies, winking at Sam.
A few months later, theres a knock on Lauras door. Simon stands there with a bouquet.
Hello, Laura, he says, offering the flowers, which she declines.
What brings you here? Laura asks coldly, arms crossed.
I know Danny is my son. Nina told me, Simon says.
And what does that matter now? Laura retorts.
Im sorry, I was a fool. I realise what Ive lost. I want to be part of Dannys life. Will you let me? he pleads, guilt in his eyes.
Laura remembers an old proverb: A thief never learns his lesson. She shakes her head. No, Simon. Its too late. Dont come back.
You have a right to see your son! Simon shouts, trying to force the door.
He tries again over the following weeks, waiting outside while Laura pushes a stroller, begging for forgiveness and a chance to live together again. Laura remains unmoved. At Harriet and Sams wedding, Simon makes a brief appearance, hands them a generous envelope of cash, and leaves. Later, Laura learns from mutual friends that Simon married Olivia, but that marriage lasted only a few months before she left him for someone else.
Laura continues her life, raising Danny and running her boutique, content with the choices she has made.
