Alison Roberts - Midwives On-Call

‘That’s good,’ Isla said. ‘It’s really helpful to have someone with you at these appointments because sometimes you can forget to ask a question or later not remember what was said.’

Then it was Alison’s turn. She was about four weeks away from her delivery date and very excited. ‘I didn’t even want to be pregnant,’ Alison admitted, ‘and now I can’t wait.’

Isla smiled. This was one of the reasons that she loved this group so much. It was very helpful for others to realise that the conflicting emotions they might be feeling weren’t reserved for them. Here the girls got to share in each other’s journeys and Isla had seen that Ruby was listening intently, though she was guarded when it was her turn to speak.

‘I’m Ruby,’ she said. ‘I’m fourteen weeks pregnant.’

‘How old are you, Ruby?’ Isla asked, and suspicious eyes looked back at her before she answered the question.

‘Seventeen.’ She was immediately defensive. ‘My mum wanted me to have an abortion but I’m not getting rid of it.’

‘How are things with you and Mum at the moment?’ Isla gently pushed, and Ruby shrugged.

‘I haven’t really seen much of her. I’m staying with friends at the moment.’ Isla made a mental note to look at Ruby’s file and see if there was anything more that she could do to support her during this difficult time. She would talk to her away from the group, Isla decided, but for now she moved on.

Alison had some questions about delivery and pain control and said that she didn’t want to stay in bed.

‘You don’t have to,’ Isla said. ‘We usually encourage mothers to move around during labour—walking around is wonderful.’

There were always a lot of questions. Isla loved the enthusiasm of the teenage mums and more often than not both the questions and answers were interspersed with a lot of laughter.

It was that sound of laughter that alerted Alessi as he walked out of Maternity, having just checked in again on Donna.

He hadn’t stopped all day and seeing a huge trolley laden with food being delivered to the room, he assumed that there was an administration meeting going on.

He was starving and, completely shameless, he followed the trolley into the room, to be greeted by a sight that he wasn’t expecting!

Isla felt awkward around Alessi and possibly she had every reason to now as he put his head around the door just in time to capture her in a deep squat on the floor as she showed the girls how that position opened up the pelvis nicely!

Here, though, was not the place to be awkward and so, instead of hurriedly standing, as was her instinct, she remained in a rather embarrassing position and gave him a very bright smile as the girls turned round to see who had interrupted the group.

‘Did you smell the food, Alessi?’ Isla asked.

‘I did.’ Alessi grinned. ‘Sorry to disturb you. I thought it might be a work meeting and I could steal a few sandwiches. I’ll let you guys get on.’

‘Shall we feed him?’ Isla said to the girls, and they all agreed that they should. Well, of course they did—Alessi was seriously gorgeous. He went over to the trolley and as he selected some sandwiches and fruit Isla introduced him.

‘Alessi is one of our neonatologists. Some of you may have quite a bit to do with him once your baby is here.’

He gave a small wave but instead of taking his food and walking off he turned to the group. ‘For feeding me you can ask any questions that you want.’

Isla was more than pleasantly surprised and, yes, the girls, especially Harriet, did have questions that they wanted to ask, and Isla knew she had lost her audience.

‘Why don’t we all get something to eat?’ Isla suggested, and before she’d even finished the sentence chairs were scraping as the girls headed over for supper and to talk to the gorgeous doctor who had joined them.

She was going to provide food each time, Isla decided, watching as Ruby and another young mum really did fill up their plates. They were hungry, seriously hungry, Isla realised, kicking herself that she hadn’t thought to do this before.

Well, that would change now.

‘We’ll have pizza next time,’ Isla said, and she saw Ruby’s ears prick up. Anything that brought these young mums back to the group was more than worth it. Not only did their questions get answered but through meeting regularly friendships were forged, and it also meant that Isla could keep an extra eye on these vulnerable young girls.

Alessi was really fantastic with them, answering Harriet’s questions easily. ‘Do you want me to come again?’ Alessi asked Isla. ‘I could prepare a talk if you like.’

‘That would be great,’ Isla said. ‘We meet each fortnight.’

Alessi pulled out his phone and checked his calendar. ‘I already have a meeting scheduled for the next one and the fortnight after that is my parents’ wedding anniversary …’ He thought for a moment. ‘What time does it finish?’

‘About eight thirty or nine,’ Isla said.

‘That’s fine, then,’ Alessi said, then turned to the group. ‘Think up some questions for me.’ He smiled at Harriet and then said goodbye to them and left. There were a few wolf whistles as he went and Isla laughed, glad to see the lift to the group that Alessi had given.

And also terribly aware of the lift in her.

After she finished up, instead of heading straight for home Isla went up to the ward.

She guessed he’d be there and she was right.

‘Aren’t you finished?’ Isla asked.

‘I’m staying tonight,’ Alessi said.

‘You’re not on call.’

‘Tell that to the twins.’

‘Thanks for offering to come and speak. It will be good.’

‘No problem,’ Alessi said. ‘They seem a nice group. Truth be told, I admire them.’

‘I do, too,’ Isla said, and turned to go.

‘Isla?’

‘Yes?’

This time he didn’t tell her that whatever he had to say would keep. ‘Are you ready for Saturday?’ Alessi asked.

‘Saturday?’ Isla frowned. ‘Oh, yes, the ball. I’d forgotten.’

‘You attend so many things, I’m not surprised that it slipped your mind.’

It hadn’t slipped her mind. It was just that she had been so focused on Donna that for a little while she had managed to push aside the fact it was the ball on Saturday.

She had seen the seating plans and would be sitting between her father and Alessi. Both were there to represent the maternity and neonatal units. She was excited, nervous and never more so than when she looked into his eyes, and Alessi touched on a necessary topic if things were going to proceed.

‘I promise I’ll behave this time if Rupert is there.’ Even saying his name, even thinking of being there with Isla and him made Alessi’s skin crawl, but he did his best not to show it as he broached the sensitive subject.

‘Rupert’s not going.’

‘Oh,’ Alessi said. ‘Is he back in the States?’

‘I think so.’

‘Think so?’

Jump, Isla told herself, but her legs were shaking and she wanted to turn and run, not that Alessi could tell. As coolly as she would face the guests on Saturday, as easily as she delivered a speech, even if she was shaking inside, Isla somehow met his gaze as she took that dangerous leap.

‘We broke up.’

‘Oh.’ Alessi had to concentrate on not letting out a sigh of relief. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, just as Isla had said to him on the night they had met.

‘I’m not,’ Isla said, just as Alessi had once said to her.

She watched as his lips stretched into a smile, and either every baby on the delivery ward simultaneously stopped crying and every conversation had suddenly halted, or the world simply stopped for a moment. Whichever it was, it was irrelevant to them as silence invaded and realisation dawned on them both—Saturday night was theirs to look forward to.