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noting his hesitancy.
    ‘I… I think Mum’s right. I think you shouldn’t drink while you’re pregnant.’ He avoided her gaze.
    ‘Yes, I know. We’ve already agreed that. But it was only a little sip of champagne and it did us all the world of good!’
    ‘Are you sure that was all you had?’ he asked sheepishly.
    Romilly sat up. Her tears hovered near the surface as her cheeks flamed in humiliation. ‘God, David, you make me sound like some old lush! I’m not stupid, I’m a scientist!’ She hated the echo of her mum’s affirmations. ‘This is Romilly and she’s clever…’
    ‘I know! Darling, I know you’re not stupid.’ He ran his thumb up the outside of her arm. ‘But I don’t think it’s a good idea to drink. It might be bad for the baby.’
    Romilly stared at him. ‘You think I would do anything, anything at all that might be bad for this baby?’ Her voice was distorted, her vocal chords pulled taut with shame and anxiety.
    ‘Not intentionally, of course not!’ He sat up.
    ‘Christ, David! I checked it out and the guidelines say no more than two units twice a week. And so the odd glass of champagne is absolutely fine!’
    Leaning across the bed, David lifted her thick hair from her shoulder and kissed the pale bare skin of her décolletage, where her nightie fell away. ‘I love you, Rom, and you are going to be the best mum in the whole wide world, I know it.’
    She felt her shoulders relax and she gave him a small smile as she watched his lips moving once more. He wasn’t done.
    ‘But…’
    ‘But what?’ she whispered, feeling like the girl in the stairwell who couldn’t believe that he was talking to her.
    ‘I know you drank most of that bottle of Chablis that was in the fridge.’
    ‘What? Are you checking up on me now? Did you put a marker on the bottle?’ she snapped, feeling the throb of embarrassment at his confrontation, mortified that he had unmasked her dishonesty, her greed.
    ‘I’m not checking up on you, no. Of course not. I just know it was nearly full and then it wasn’t. I only mention it because I want what’s best for our baby and what’s best for you.’ He kissed her again.
    ‘Oh, David!’ Her tears sprang from her as her breath stuttered. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I just got so flustered about your mum coming over and I was nervous and I just thought I’d have a sip and then I swigged it, without really thinking. It’s more out of habit than anything else. A bottle is just a couple of our big glasses each and I’m so used to that. I haven’t had any for days, so I figured a couple in one day was the same difference.’
    ‘It’s okay, Rom. It’s okay. Please don’t cry!’ He held her against his chest.
    ‘I love you, David, and you love me, don’t you?’ She sniffed.
    ‘I do. Proper love, Bug Girl. You know that.’
    ‘Yes.’ She nodded against his skin. ‘Proper love. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Don’t be sorry, it’s all fine. We just need to make sure you don’t get stressed and that I support you as much as I can. It’s going to be great.’
    ‘I love you, please don’t leave me.’ She gripped his arms and pushed against him as he stroked her hair.
    ‘I’ll never leave you.’ He kissed her gently on the head. ‘You silly thing.’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she repeated. ‘I am, David. I’m sorry. I love our baby and I’m sorry.’ Romilly lay against him until her tears abated and sleep overcame her.
    *
    ‘You warm enough, darling?’ Pat shut the window in the conservatory, where the family sat together on the creaking three-piece wicker suite.
    ‘Yes, I’m fine, Mum!’ Romilly nodded and smiled. It felt lovely to be so looked after by everyone.
    ‘I cannot believe you are up the duff.’ Carrie shook her head. ‘I’m going to be an aunty! That’s just awesome. And way better than being a mum.’
    ‘How do you figure that?’ Romilly asked.
    ‘Trust me, since I’ve started nursing I’ve see plenty of saggy boobs and