The paramedics, both men, shut the ambulance door and made one last scan of the horizon. Shoulders flexing, jaws locked, they appeared to be half hoping Tony would come zooming up in his testosterone-powered, midlife-crisis machine, so they could show him what they thought of men who beat up pregnant women.
I did not half hope it. I wholly hoped it.
‘I can’t believe it,’ Marilyn hiccupped, as we sat in her car, about to drive off. ‘There was a whole new person. There wasn’t a person, and then there was. A. Whole. New. Person. Bam!’
I laughed through my tears. ‘And when you did it, there were two new people!’
‘Yeah, but watching someone else do it is totally different. A new person. Out of nowhere. A teensy-tiny, sweet-smelling, yawning person.’
‘You forgot pooping.’
‘I didn’t forget. My skirt is ruined. I just didn’t want to lower the tone. Why would you lower the tone, Faith? That was a hooten tooten, bona fide miracle.’
‘I’m sorry. I don’t want to lower the tone.’ My voice hitched. ‘But I’m so, so scared for them. She’s so small, and helpless and beautiful. The thought of that precious baby living with that terrible man. It can’t happen. I won’t let it happen.’
‘Shall we burn the house to the ground?’ Marilyn started the car.
‘He’d take them somewhere we can’t find them.’
‘What are you going to do?’ she asked as she pulled away.
‘I don’t know.’ I glanced in the wing mirror, making one last check for Tony.
‘Surely she won’t go back? She’s a mother now. That changes everything.’
I thought of my mother, the faint scent of lavender, the tickle of her soft, auburn hair on my cheek as she bent to kiss me. Her gentle voice singing me to sleep.
I shook my head, watched the tears plopping onto my lap. ‘I just don’t know.’
I called Hester. The choir were at the concert hall, about to go onstage.
‘I’m so sorry. All that work, and now you’re two short,’ I commiserated.
‘Not important! A baby has been born! Why are you talking to me instead of taking care of Polly?’
‘We’re on our way to the hospital now.’
‘Good. Make sure you tell that girl what’s what. After telling her how much we love her. And that we are all going to stand with her, and do whatever it takes. Take some pictures on your phone. Send them over.’
Someone interrupted. It sounded like April. ‘Hester! We need to go.’
‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ she huffed. ‘Go and be spectacular.’
I called out my best wishes but they’d gone.
‘Are you gutted to be missing it?’ Marilyn asked as she snuck through a light just as it turned red.
‘Remember the whole new person? How could anyone be gutted about that? Besides, we have a job to do. I’ve got a feeling things might get ugly before all this is over.’
Things got ugly about seven that night. Ugly, as in a curled-up lip, bulging veins and hairy, flaring nostrils.
We were choosing a drink from the vending machine in the hospital reception when Tony strode in. The woman on reception, no doubt used to stressed-out men swinging their weight around, patted her silver bob and repeated the question.
‘Who are you here to see?’
‘My wife. She’s been here all day and no one even bothered to call me. Don’t you have rules about informing next of kin?’
‘I presume your wife has a name?’
