Another Chance (34 page)

Her father, she noticed was completely oblivious to what was happening around him. Sophie loved that, he was so happy in his life with Cassie and Sophie that other women didn’t even register. They didn’t realise it though.

“Have you made up your mind?” she asked him, annoyed that he was taking so long to decide on the flavour.

“I don’t know. I should have asked Cassie what she wanted. Now I’m not sure.”

“Get what you want, she’ll like it anyway.”

The woman behind the counter leaned over again, and Sophie was sure she’d undone another button.

“DAD,” she said loudly.

“Okay okay I’ll just have three chocolate ice creams then.”

It was worth it for the glare she got. “That’s a great choice, Dad,” she said emphasising the word.

“I think so, I’m sure your mother will like it.”

They drove slowly back to the house, Sophie trying to hold onto three ice creams. “Are you okay there, Sophie?” Patrick asked.

“I’m fine. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Do you even notice when girls like that are trying to flirt with you?”

“Girls like what?”

“The one in the shop back there was flirting with you.”

“I didn’t notice.”

Sophie laughed. “Sophie. I love your mother, there’s no one else I want to flirt with.”

“What about all the boobs you see, do you like that?”

She laughed even harder when he blushed. “It’s not like that. If I have to look at boobs for work, then it’s work. I don’t want to look at anyone else’s apart from your mothers.” It was her turn to blush.

“That’s gross Dad.”

“But it’s true. I’m in love with your mum, Sophie, why would I look at a girl who’s really not much older than my own daughter.”

“Amanda says I’m lucky I have a dad who’s a plastic surgeon because I can get a boob job whenever I like.”

Patrick pulled the car to the side of the road. “What on earth is this obsession with boobs? And who’s Amanda?”

“One of the girls at school.”

“Let me tell you something. There is no way you are getting any kind of cosmetic surgery. It’s unnecessary, Sophie, you are a beautiful young woman.”

“But she says boys like big boobs.”

“Sophie, you can’t change yourself to make someone like you. The only type of boy I ever want to be interested in my girl is one who will love you for who you are. Besides, you’re still growing, and I absolutely forbid any cosmetic surgery until you’re at least forty. I think that’s old enough.”

“Forty?”

“It’s a random number I pulled out, but I think it shows how serious I am about this. If your friend Amanda wants breast implants at some point, it won’t be me doing it. Most of my work is helping people feel better about themselves. Or recovering from accidents and illness. It’s my job as your father to make sure you know how beautiful you are, and that you don’t need to do anything to change yourself Sophie.”

Tears were in Sophie’s eyes as her father spoke and she sniffed, unable to wipe her nose with the ice cream in her hands. “Here,” he said, taking a tissue from the glove compartment and wiping her nose for her. “That should make up for all the times I couldn’t do that when you were little.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, struggling to find any more words after all the things he had said.

“Let’s get home. Sophie, you’re perfect. Just like your mum.”

They pulled up to the house, and he helped her out of the car. “Best get this to Cassie before it melts.” Sophie followed behind him, more proud of her father than ever. She still had a lot to learn about him, but he loved her and Cassie. Patrick walked through the house, his face dropping when he heard Cassie cry out.

“Dad?”

“It’s Mum,” he said as he ran out the door. “Cassie,” he cried out.

“Patrick,” she wailed as he fell to the ground beside her.

“What happened? Are you all right? I should have never left you alone.”

“The baby’s coming.”

“What? Let me help you up, we’ll get you back to the house and call the midwife.”

“It’s too late for that,” she said, panting, “I need to push.”

He reached between her legs, withdrawing his hand in shock.

“The baby’s head is right there, I need to get you inside and deliver her.” He stood, bending to help her up but she shook her head.

“I twisted my ankle on the way off the trampoline, I can’t walk on it.” Without a word, he bent, picking her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her towards the house. Sophie stood in the doorway.

“What’s happening?”

“I need you to call for an ambulance, call Tracey and get some towels in that order. We’re going to deliver the baby, no ambulance would get here in time.”

“It’s okay baby,” he murmured, lowering Cassie to the couch and stripping her pants so he could see what was going on. Sophie appeared in the doorway.

“The ambulance is on its way, and I called Tracey, she’s on her way over.”

Patrick nodded. “Well this baby isn’t going to wait for the ambulance or the midwife so we’ll get ready.”

“It’s my fault,” Sophie said.

“What?”

“If we hadn’t stopped to talk about boob jobs we would have been here with Mum.”

“What?” asked Cassie.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll talk later. Right now we have to concentrate on this and, Sophie, it’s not your fault.” Sophie ran to get some towels, and Patrick positioned himself between Cassie’s legs to check the baby.

“Cassie, when the next contraction comes you need to push. I don’t think our little girl is far away.”

Cassie nodded. “What about the couch?”

“Screw the couch, we can always buy another one if we have to.”

She laughed. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about love, it’s probably good to have a distraction.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I was scared, Patrick. I didn’t know when you would be back.”

“I’m sorry, Cassie. If I’d just been a bit quicker deciding what to buy, but as always I was thinking about what you would want.”

“That’s my husband, thinking about me.”

“Always,” he whispered, kissing her tenderly.

Sophie arrived with towels, and Patrick lifted Cassie slightly to put a couple under her. “There you go, no worrying about the couch.”

“Patrick, it’s coming.”

“Breathe baby,” he said, “just breathe through it and push.”

She closed her eyes as the pain gripped her, and bore down as hard as she could.

“That’s it, Cassie, good girl, keep going. You’re just that one bit closer.” Cassie relaxed again as it passed and Sophie moved to hold her mother’s hand.

“You okay, Mum?”

“I will be soon love.”

When it came again, she gripped Sophie’s hand as she pushed, looking into her daughter’s eyes. “Love you,” she said.

“Love you too, Mum,” said Sophie.

“We’re so close, Cassie, one last push should do it,” Patrick said.

There was a knock on the door and Sophie ran to get it.

“How are we going?” said the paramedic from the doorway.

“Nearly there,” said Patrick.

“We can take it from here sir,” the man said.

“No way, we’re too close. I’m delivering this baby,” said Patrick, not looking up. He was in full-on doctor mode now.

“My dad is a doctor,” said Sophie, explaining.

Patrick was right. At the next push, Patrick held his daughter in his arms, checking her over. “She’s perfect, Cassie,” he whispered. The doctor had just turned into the father in front of her eyes. Tracey, her midwife arrived and took care of everything else while the ambulance drivers offered their congratulations and left. Patrick cut the cord and freed his little girl, holding her close and kissing her forehead before passing her to Cassie for her first cuddles and feed.

“That was amazing,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Maybe you’ll make the change from cosmetic surgery to obstetrics,” Tracey said with a laugh.

“I think this was a one time only deal,” he said, stroking his daughter’s head and holding Cassie’s hand.

Cassie watched him, trying not to mist up. “Thank you,” she whispered. “What for?”

“For being here for me, taking care of me.”

“That’s what husbands do, you should be used to it by now.”

She laughed through the tears as he leaned in to kiss her. “Come on, Sophie,” he said, “come and say hello to your sister.”

Sophie moved closer, looking down at the baby. “She’s all wrinkly.”

Cassie laughed. “She looks just like you did.”

“I wish I’d seen that, I can’t picture it now you’re all grown up,” said Patrick softly. Cassie squeezed his hand.

“Then it’s lucky she looks like I did,” Sophie said brightly, “you can just pretend that’s me.”

Patrick laughed. “There’s only one you, Sophie.”

When she was ready, he scooped up her and the baby in his arms, carrying her up the stairs. “I can walk.”

“I just want you to rest and get there in one piece. After what happened earlier, I’m not taking my eyes off you.”

The baby had fallen asleep after her first feed, and first look at the world around her, and Cassie placed her gently in the bassinet so she could have a shower.

“I’ll stay here with her,” said Patrick.

“I can’t believe she’s here,” said Cassie, “and in such a dramatic way.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

She kissed him, taking away his ability to complete his sentence. “You were there when it mattered. I love you more than ever right now,” she murmured.

After her shower, she climbed into bed to get some sleep. It was late evening now, and Patrick was waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom. “Better?” he asked.

“Much better.”

“I love you, Cassandra Cross,” he whispered.

“I love you too my darling husband. Deliverer of our child.”

“Is that a real word?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds good.” She laughed. “You were in doctor mode tonight.”

“If I’d let what was going on get to me I would have struggled. I just had to concentrate on what I was doing to make sure our little girl was safe.”

“You did an amazing job,” Cassie said, “I’m so proud of you.”

“What are we going to call her?” Patrick asked.

“I always liked Charlotte,” Cassie replied.

“That’s a lovely name, for a lovely little girl,” Patrick replied. “What am I going to do with all my girls?”

Cassie laughed. “You are a bit outnumbered.”

It’ll have to be a boy next.”

“Oh will it, Doctor Cross?”

“I hope so. We have all the time in the world, Cassie.”

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Cassie smiled at Charlotte, fast asleep in her arms. The baby was so pretty in her dress that Cassie had dressed her in for the occasion.

Patrick had helped her bring cuttings of the plants from the house, and they had taken off in the garden of their home. Cassie decided to bury the ashes among the plants he had chosen for her. There was one more thing to be done before they buried Mark's ashes.

She placed the baby in the bassinet before going to the bedside cabinet to retrieve the journal she started when Mark became ill. His death followed so fast, but she had recorded every detail, every emotion. There was one more entry to be made.

She had poured her heart into the journal, and she picked up her pen to finish what she had started Now she was saying her final goodbye.

“My dearest, Mark,”
she wrote.

Today I will say goodbye to you in the only way I know how. You’ll be among what you planted for me those years ago in my back yard so that I would remember you. As if I could forget. I brought some of them with me into my new life as I needed you nearby. I’ll never stop needing that.

You came into my life when I needed you When I thought love was just a pipe dream, and you gave me everything I ever needed. Sophie and I adored you, and we were both so lost when you left us. You were such a good father to her as you were a partner to me. Every part of me ached with the loss of you for a long time.

Patrick is good to me, Mark, and he is doing an amazing job with Sophie. He knows the truth now and has taken to fatherhood with as much vigour as you did. We have a baby now too, just like we always wanted, but it wasn’t to be with you my love. I named her Charlotte.

I loved you so much, Mark, I wanted a lifetime with you and we packed so much joy into the short time we had. I’m so glad I met you and so proud to have loved you.

Today I am saying goodbye as I bury your ashes and this journal. I couldn’t bury the journal without one last farewell..