And, as she fell asleep, Amy felt happier than she’d been in a long, long while.
Tuesday
ON TUESDAY MORNING, Josh woke to find his arms wrapped round Amy and hers wrapped round him. And suddenly the whole world felt full of promise. He couldn’t resist kissing her awake. To his relief, she didn’t back away from him the way she had the previous morning; this time, she smiled and kissed him back.
‘Well, happy Tuesday,’ he said.
She stroked his face. ‘Absolutely.’
‘My turn to bring you a cup of tea in bed,’ he said, kissed her lingeringly and climbed out of bed.
‘Wonderful,’ she said, smiling back at him.
Funny, being in her kitchen was so much better than being in his own. Even though they had similar decor, all in neutral tones, her place felt like home. Josh even found himself humming a happy song as he made tea.
He could hear Hope crying, and called through, ‘I’ll heat up some milk for Munchkin.’
‘Thanks,’ Amy called back.
He took the two mugs of tea and bottle of milk through to Amy’s bedroom, where he found Amy cuddling the baby and crooning to her. He set the tea on her bedside table and climbed back in next to them. ‘Want me to feed her?’
‘Sure.’ Amy transferred the baby into his arms.
Feeding the baby, cuddled up next to Amy in bed... It made Josh realise exactly what he wanted out of life—what he wanted to happen in the New Year.
To be part of a family, just like this, with Amy. Domestic bliss.
Given her fertility issues, it wasn’t going to be easy. But he thought it was going to be worth the effort. The only thing was: after they gave Hope back at New Year, would Amy change her mind about him?
* * *
Amy sipped her tea and watched Josh feeding the baby. This was exactly what she wanted. To be a family, with Josh. Although part of her was still worried that her infertility was going to be an issue, he’d been very clear about being happy to look at the options of IVF treatment, adoption or fostering. So maybe it wouldn’t be an issue after all.
‘She’s drunk a bit more than usual, this morning,’ Josh said. ‘That’s a good sign. Maybe we can take her out this morning.’
Amy went over to the window and peeked through the curtain. ‘The sun’s shining.’
‘How about we go for lunch in the park?’ he suggested.
‘And we can try out Alison’s sister’s pram. Great idea.’ She paused. ‘How often are you supposed to weigh babies?’
‘I don’t know.’ He smiled. ‘Time for the baking tray again?’
‘Hey. It was being inventive,’ she protested, laughing. ‘And it worked, didn’t it?’
Once they’d showered and dressed, Amy changed Hope’s nappy and they weighed her. ‘Five pounds, twelve ounces.’
‘We need to write that in her book,’ Josh said, and did so while Amy got the baby dressed. Between them, they got her into the snowsuit.
‘It dwarfs her,’ he said ruefully.
‘Better too big than too small,’ Amy said.
‘I guess.’ Josh tucked the baby into the pram underneath a blanket, and then put the apron on the pram. ‘Just in case it’s a bit breezy out there,’ he said.
‘Good idea,’ Amy agreed.
Once they’d got their own coats on, they negotiated the pram out of the flat.
‘This is where I’m really glad we’re on the ground floor,’ Amy said.
‘Me, too,’ Josh said. ‘Even though this pram’s really light, it wouldn’t be much fun carrying it up or down a flight of stairs—especially if you’re doing it on your own.’
They exchanged a glance, and Amy knew that he too was thinking of Hope’s mum. If she was given a flat in a high-rise block, it could be tough for her to cope.
‘Let’s go to the park,’ she said firmly. ‘This is your first official trip out, Hope.’
‘We ought to commemorate that for Hope’s book,’ Josh said. ‘Time for a selfie.’
‘In the lobby?’
‘With the pram. You bet.’ He looked at her. ‘Ready?’
They crouched either side of the pram, and Josh angled his phone so he could take the snap of the three of them together.
Hope slept all the way to the park. Meanwhile Josh slid his arm round Amy’s shoulders, and they both had one hand on the handle of the pram, pushing it together.
This felt like being part of the family Amy had always wanted. She knew it was just a fantasy, and if the police couldn’t find Hope’s mother then the baby would go formally into care, but for now she was going to enjoy feeling this way.
* * *
The sun seemed to have brought out all the other new parents, Josh thought. People happily strolling along the paths, pushing prams, sometimes with a toddler in tow as well. Slightly older children were playing on the swings, slides and climbing frames in the park, while their parents chatted and kept an eye on them from benches placed around the perimeter of the play area.
Just for a moment he could imagine the three of them here in three years’ time: himself pushing Hope on the swings as she laughed and begged to be pushed higher, while Amy stood watching them, her face radiant and her belly swollen with their new baby.
Except there were no guarantees that the IVF treatment would work, and the chances of them actually being able to keep Hope were minimal.
He knew he was being ridiculous. Right from the start, this had been a temporary arrangement; the baby was theirs only for a week, and that was simply because they were the neighbours who’d found her abandoned on their doorstep on a day where none of the official services were able to help. They couldn’t be a family with Hope.
But maybe they could help another child, through fostering or adoption.
And he knew without doubt that Amy was the one he wanted to share that family with. Thanks to Hope, he’d found that he was finally ready to move on from the wreckage of his marriage to Kelly; and because he’d been cooped up with Amy for several days he’d had the chance to get to know her properly. He could actually be himself with Amy, and it was a long time since he’d felt that.
When they stopped for a coffee and a toasted sandwich in the café in the park, the pictures were still in his head, and he found himself sketching the scene on the back of a napkin.
If only this wasn’t temporary.
But for now he was going to enjoy the Christmas break he’d expected to hate.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Amy was in the middle of feeding Hope when her intercom buzzed.
‘Would you mind getting that?’ she asked Josh.
‘Sure.’ He picked up the handset. ‘Hello?’
‘Is that Josh? It’s Jane Richards.’
‘Come in,’ he said, and buzzed her in. ‘It’s Jane,’ he said to Amy as he replaced the handset. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’
Had Jane talked to Freya? And was their theory right? Or was Jane just checking up on them in their role as temporary foster parents?
Josh answered the