Page 40 of The 3am Shattered Mums' Club

‘Yes. Very tasty.’

Sophy sucked in a long breath and looked down at her phone and felt her cheeks flush red hot. ‘I just have to… erm, send this text.’

‘Fill your boots,’ Niall said. ‘So how long have you and Jeffery lived here?’

Sophy coughed out a laugh. ‘It’s Jeff.’

‘But it’s short for Jeffery, surely?’

‘Yes, but no one calls him that. Ever. Three years, if you must know.’

‘Right. I bet his mother calls him Jeffery.’

‘Well, she named him. After Jeffery Archer. Her favourite author, apparently, although I’ve only ever seen one of his books in her house.’

Niall laughed. Sophy suddenly felt uncomfortable talking about Jeff with Niall. Talking about herself and Max felt more natural. It’s not that she was trying to deny to herself that Jeff existed as Max’s father or her boyfriend, it was just felt a bit unnecessary to bring him up in conversation when he wasn’t here and Sophy was. Sophy realised that she had referred to her boyfriend as unnecessary in her mind and let out a small laugh.

‘What?’ Niall asked.

‘Nothing. Sometimes things just pop into my head. You know, like random things.’

‘All the time. I have this thing where I suddenly remember something that happened to me years ago, like proper embarrassing stuff, and it will just pop into me head and I’ll be like, “Jeez, where did that come from?” It’s usually just as I’m about to fall asleep, and then I just lie there, living through the whole mortifying moment again.’

Sophy laughed long and loud. She felt a twinge in her lower abdomen as she did and ignored it.

‘No, seriously, it’s horrible, and I can’t even get away from it. I’m like trapped like a prisoner in me bed, forced to watch me own misdemeanours in me mind’s eye over and over.’

Sophy leant on the island for support and crossed her legs as her chest heaved, and she felt the need to pee. The muscles had not fully reformed themselves down there, and Sophy would often find she just couldn’t hold it in, especially when she was really laughing. Which, she realised had only happened recently on a few occasions: with Mel and Aisha, and now, with Niall.

Niall carried on his monologue, obviously revelling in the attention and the joy that it was bringing to Sophy. But then Sophy stopped laughing very suddenly as pain so acute hit her abdomen that she had to double over.

Niall clocked the change in Sophy’s expression.

‘Everything okay? Is it that pain again?’ He was up and at the other side of the counter, trying to help Sophy to standing.

‘It… really… hurts.’ Sophy gasped, the pain akin to labour all over again. Was there another one in there? She had read horror stories of mothers giving birth and then a second baby was discovered, or maybe she’d had an ectopic pregnancy. It was too soon, she hadn’t let Jeff near her since Max was born.

‘Oh god,’ Sophy groaned and before she had a chance to realise what was happening, she had thrown up on the kitchen floor.

‘Right. That’s it, I’m taking you to A&E – this doesn’t look good,’ Niall said. ‘Where’s Max?’

‘Upstairs next… to… my bed.’ Sophy clung on to the kitchen counter. She heard Niall run upstairs. Before she had a moment to think about what Jeff might say if he could see his builder running up and down the stairs in cement-stained boots, Niall was back at her side with a rosy-cheeked Max in his arms. He was still half asleep, but Sophy knew he would start to cry any minute and she didn’t think she had the strength to even hold him, let alone feed him.

‘Can you manage the car seat?’ Sophy asked.

‘I think so. I’ve done me niece and nephew’s a few times. Let’s have a look.’

Niall gave a loud whistle using only one finger, and one of his minions popped their head around the corner in the kitchen.

‘Gotta take our Sophy here to the hospital – lads, hold the fort.’

The minion nodded, with a slightly startled look in his eye.

Sophy pointed to the car seat on the floor in the kitchen. and Niall lifted it up onto the island counter. After a few moments of placing Max down in it and fiddling and yanking, he was secured in the seat. Sophy let out a breath that she had been holding the entire time. Then Niall took hold of Sophy’s arm with one hand, carrying Max in the car seat with the other hand, and they headed out to the car.

* * *

Sophy opened her eyes. She took in the stark lights around her, the muffled voices, the squeaking of rubber on floors and the smell of disinfectant.

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