Page 65 of Lilly
“Don’t be mad at him. I told him not to tell you. I beggedhim.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve already been through so much with Hannah, I couldn’t do it toyou.”
“Oh, Lilly, angel. Please don’t ever think that. Please don’t hide something this serious from us because of that. You’re my baby, I want to be there to help you.” I can see her getting more upset so I apologise and continue with mystory.
“We told you that I had the flu while I recovered. I had to have surgery because of the blood loss but the stab wound was so low that the surgery caused adhesions that they said would make my chances of having kids even lower than before. Basicallyimpossible.
“I got a promotion at work.” I can see Mum’s confusion at my sudden change of direction but I don’t give her time to question me because now I’m this far in I need to keep going. “I got given the King’s suite to clean.” I don’t need to explain farther than that because I’ve told Mum about it in the past. “I started the day Connie had Noah, and Lucas, the King, found me a bit of an emotional wreck on his sofa. Well, one thing led to another, and we sort of starteddating—”
“You started dating your boss? The one that no onelikes?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. He’s actually not that bad outsidework.”
“Well, I should hopenot.”
“Anyway, he took me to a charity action last weekend, but we didn’t even make it to dinner because I passedout—”
“Oh my God, you’repregnant!”
My chin drops. “How do you knowthat?”
“Because that’s exactly how I found out I was expecting you and Declan. I was in a supermarket buying bread and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with shop assistants staring down atme.”
I smile at her, a little relieved I wasn’t in a supermarket when it happened. “Yeah, I’mpregnant.”
“With twins, by anychance?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my goodness, what a day. How far along? When can we meet…Lucas, was it?” she fires all these questions at me to the extent that I don’t know what to answerfirst.
“I’m pretty much the same as Emma. Thirteen weeks and due beginning of November. And as for Lucas, well, there’s my next problem. He’s done a runner. Basically, he found out about me being pregnant and I haven’t seen or heard from him since, other than a deposit of money into myaccount.”
“What a…” Mum pauses for the appropriate name, “idiot.” I almost laugh. Yes, idiot is one way to describehim.
“I’ve quit my job because I can’t work there anymore. I can’t just run into him. I don’t really know what I’m going to do though. Taylor has landed himself a job in London and I’m never going to get one now. Oh, and the reason I was late is because Lucas’ mum was at my front door when I went to leave. She hasn’t heard from him either and isworried.”
“Wow, Lilly. That is a lot of information to take on all of a sudden. I don’t know where tostart.”
