‘I can feel her.’ Sheridan smiled, her eyes alight as she bent to speak to my bump. ‘Hello darling, this is your mommy.’ Both her hands were on my stomach now. I turned my head to escape the citrus smell of her perfume, which would have been pleasant in any situation but this.
A small gasp escaped her lips as she was rewarded with another kick. ‘What does it feel like?’ she asked in wonderment, her hands warm on my skin.
I looked at her quizzically. ‘The same way it felt when you were expecting Leo?’
‘Of course,’ she said, her smile wavering. ‘I meant, what does it feel like for you?’ Her hands cupped over my belly button as I failed to respond. ‘I wish Daniel was here for this.’
Heat rose to my cheeks as I imagined Daniel’s hands on my stomach. We had grown friendly over the last few weeks, although he seemed more interested in me than the baby I was carrying. I had come to treasure his secret visits, but lately he was working all hours and I hardly saw him at all.
As she left to answer her phone, Sheridan’s comment about the baby kicking burned in my mind. Had she been pregnant with Leo at all? And why was she so possessive of my bump? Her obsession with health checks and schedules was relentless, and I hated the creepy adjoining surgery I had to attend for Dr Blumberg’s weekly blood and urine tests. Sheridan worked hard to keep me apart from Leo, and I caught a glimpse of the little boy only once. He was adorable, and with Daniel as his father it was easy to see where he got his looks from. The question was, did he carry Sheridan’s genes? I lacked the courage to ask her. After all, what did it have to do with me? I understood the risk involved in her keeping me in her home. Every day she was surrounded by people, and it wouldn’t do to have Leo telling tales. I sat quietly eating my muesli as I mulled everything over. My problem was that I had far too much time to think. I masked the aftertaste of my kale juice with some chopped strawberries from a bowl. Everything tasted so much better now I had given up junk food.
‘Don’t forget to take your supplements,’ Sheridan said as she returned, punctuating her words with a sigh. ‘I wish you’d taken folic acid during the first three months of your pregnancy.’
I had apologised a thousand times, yet she kept bringing it up.
‘That’s all right,’ I said, in an effort to please her. ‘I’m Irish. I’ve eaten lots of cabbage to make up for it.’
My words evoked a smile.
I thanked Juanita as she took my bowl, but no response came. Not a word of English had passed between us over the last few weeks – and it wasn’t for a lack of effort on my part. Surely she could understand the basics, like ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’? Each time I spoke, her eyes flicked to Sheridan, and I wondered if Sheridan had issued the order not to speak.
George was here already, his presence filling the room.
‘Good morning, Buttercup,’ he said, bending to give me a side hug.
‘Morning. Nice threads,’ I replied, referring to his mustard-coloured suit.
‘Thanks!’ he said proudly. ‘I bought it in a charity auction. It’s the same suit Ryan Reynolds wore to the screening of Deadpool.’
‘You should have seen it when he got it – the arms and legs were out to there,’ Sheridan laughed, extending her hands.
I could see what she meant. Ryan Reynolds was a heartthrob of mine, and over six foot two.
‘Nothing a good tailor couldn’t fix,’ George sniffed, quickly changing the subject to complain about the weather.
It was good to speak to someone other than Sheridan, and George always seemed to lighten her mood. After talking to her about her schedule, George turned back to me. ‘Looking forward to our little trip out?’
‘What trip?’ Weeks had passed and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been allowed out in the fresh air.
‘Forgotten already? I told you I had a treat in store,’ Sheridan said, flashing me a smile. ‘My baby has hit the twenty-week mark today – it’s something to celebrate.’
My brow furrowed. I had no recollection of such a conversation. Since becoming pregnant, my memory had suffered. I could be fine for days, and then out of the blue I’d wake up with a throbbing headache and