Too late
Laura Bennett walked out of the gynaecology clinic feeling completely dazed. She glanced at the paper again Pregnancy 78 weeks. How on earth did that happen? How could I have missed it? she muttered to herself as she headed for her car. Did I forget a pill? What now should I have a baby? Im fortythree, and this?
She drove home lost in thought. At a traffic light she didnt even notice the cars creeping forward until the driver behind her blared the horn. Back in her flat she threw herself into the chores, trying to keep her mind off the unsettling news.
After lunch her daughter Poppy popped in for a quick visit and to share her news.
Mum, Ive got a surprise for you! she chirped, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Spill it, love, dont keep me waiting, Laura replied, eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Jack proposed to me, and I said yes! Poppy beamed.
Oh, my darling, congratulations! Laura said, tears welling as she pulled Poppy into a hug.
Jack was exactly the sort of bloke Laura liked smart, driven, steady, a touch ambitious, wellmannered and welleducated. He earned a decent salary for a twentyfiveyearold and had been independent of his parents for years. He and Poppy had been together almost three years, and Laura had seen plenty of proof that he was serious about her daughter.
So, whens the wedding? Laura asked while pouring steaming tea.
We havent set a date yet, Poppy shrugged, maybe next summer.
Will you tell dad? Laura pressed, looking straight at her.
I I dont know, Poppy frowned. Honestly, I dont even want to.
Poppy, you cant do that, Laura chided gently. Hes your father, he loves you. I get that youre hurt, but people do split up that doesnt mean you have to cut him out of your life. I forgave him, and you should too. Dont hold a grudge, and definitely invite him to the wedding.
Mum, how can you say that? Poppy snapped suddenly. He left you for someone else! Hes been having an affair with his secretary for a year! How could you forgive him after that?
Sweetie, Simon and I were together for twentytwo years. We raised you a brilliant, beautiful girl. Those were happy years, and Im grateful to him for that. But he fell in love with another woman.
The heart wont listen to reason, Laura tried to explain. What was I supposed to do? Throw a fit, slam dishes, hold onto anger forever? Hate him until I die? Because his feelings cooled? It sounds foolish, Poppy, dont you see?
No, Mum, I dont get it, Poppy shook her head. If Jack treated me like that, Id Id I dont even know what Id do!
Laura didnt argue further Poppy was fiery and emotional, and she probably wouldnt understand. When youre young, things feel very different.
After seeing Poppy out, Laura returned to the kitchen, washed the dishes and pulled a piece of meat from the freezer for dinner. Her mind kept circling back to the unexpected pregnancy, wondering what to do. Giving birth at her age, and without a husband, seemed terrifying, yet she also longed to be a mother again, to care for a little one, to walk that hard but joyous path once more.
She rummaged through a highup shelf and pulled out a photo album of Poppys childhood. She flipped through the pages, lost in memories. One picture showed a tiny Poppy in a onesie, grinning at her grandmother. Another showed her a few years older in a pretty dress outside the city park gates. Laura remembered the day Poppy fell off a swing, the trip to the doctor, the stitches, and the barelyvisible scar that still lingered. A school photo showed firstgrade Poppy with a gorgeous bouquet, standing beside her dad Simon, who looked solemn. And there was a snapshot of Laura herself, very young, slim, in a light suit and highheeled sandals, her hair in a long fringe a look she now found almost comical.
Later, a picture from a fifthgrade Christmas show caught her eye Poppy playing the Snow Maiden. Laura had, after a fruitless hunt for a costume, sewn a silver dress and a rabbitfur stole herself, spending three sleepless nights at the sewing machine. The result was stunning. A holiday photo from a family trip to the Spanish coast showed Laura, Simon and grownup Poppy together, all sunkissed and smiling.
A wave of sadness hit Laura. She had always believed she had the strongest, happiest family. Simon and she had once been inseparable, sharing plans and dreams. Years passed, Poppy grew, bringing her parents pride after pride. Simons career progressed, the familys finances improved they finally finished building their house, bought a car and travelled a lot. Laura opened a bridaldress boutique, fulfilling a longheld dream. It all felt like it would go on forever.
But there was a dark cloud. After Poppys birth, Laura never managed another pregnancy. The first one ended in a miscarriage early on. The second reached fourteen weeks, then was halted because doctors found severe developmental defects. She had to terminate it. After a night of crying in the hospital under the watchful eyes of nurses, she made the painful decision not to try again.
Thinking back, Laura saw the cruel irony: once she had youth, a loving husband, comfort and a fierce desire for another child. Yet now, with none of that left, fate tossed her an unexpected pregnancy as if to mock her.
When Simon announced he was leaving, Laura wasnt shocked. Shed long suspected he had a woman on the side, but he always brushed it off as her imagination. At first she panicked, launching a fullblown campaign to win him back. He flatly refused a family therapist, calling it a waste of time and saying she was making a mountain out of a molehill. She read every forum for advice, tried hearttoheart talks, even a cheeky striptease at home. Nothing worked. A month earlier Simon packed his things and left. He soon filed for divorce, and Laura finally accepted that it was over. Their final, painful conversation left her reeling. She never understood what he saw in that young secretary, Olivia a woman a touch older than Poppy, with silicone lips, long dolleyelash lashes and a plunging neckline. Laura had repeatedly asked Simon to replace her, but he shrugged it off: Laura, I dont care how she looks. Shes efficient, smart, I cant do without her. Hiring someone new now would be a nightmare with everything else going wrong at work. Laura sensed Olivia wasnt the goldstandard employee Simon pretended, and later discovered her suspicions were right. It hurt to realise Simon swapped his wife for a silicone doll, shattering years of shared life.
Simon left Laura the city twobed flat she still lived in, moving to a country house with Olivia. Laura was furious that a stranger now occupied the place where she and Simon had built a life, where Poppys childhood memories lived. Shed agreed to keep the flat because it was convenient for work and nearby to Poppy and Jacks flat, but the feeling lingered like a bad aftertaste.
The next day was a Saturday, so Laura visited her longtime friend Helen, someone shed known since their kids were in the same nursery. Helen was thrilled to see her, putting out a bottle of whisky.
Lets have a cheeky halfpint, love. Ive got a roast ready, perfect with a nip of whisky! Helen winked, pulling out glasses from the cupboard.
Thanks, Helen, but I cant. Im on medication.
Whats that about? Pills? Helen asked puzzled.
Just kidding, Im pregnant, dear.
Helen dropped onto a chair, eyes wide.
So you and Simon split? Or have you already found a lover? she giggled.
No, no lover! This baby is Simons. We had one night together a couple of months ago candles, wine, fancy lacey nightwear. He just couldnt resist. And now Laura gestured around her belly.
Good grief, love! What are you going to do? Helen asked.
I honestly have no idea. I just found out yesterday. Im stunned.
Helen sighed. Its pretty late to be having a baby, love. Raising a child alone at your age is tough. You could go for maintenance payments, but youd need a stable income. Maybe youll end up with grandkids soon if Poppy ties the knot. I wouldnt risk it, honestly. But the choice is yours.
Laura nodded, feeling the weight of her friends words echo her own doubts.
She said goodbye to Helen and drove to Poppys flat.
Hey, Mum! Poppy called, Come in. Want a coffee?
No thanks, love, I just need to talk. Is Jack home? Laura asked, hoping for a quiet chat.
Hes at his parents, helping with some repairs, Poppy replied.
Laura took a deep breath and told her about the pregnancy.
Mum, do you actually want this baby? Poppy asked.
I do, very much, Laura whispered, but Im scared.
Whats the doctor say?
He says everything looks fine, the babys developing normally. I lost two kids before, and we never got a clear answer why. Maybe the doctors werent the best Its frightening to go through that again. Im over forty, and people say its risky, that the baby could have issues. Ive read horror stories online. I dont know if Im ready.
Poppy reached out. Listen to me, you need proper checkups, not internet forums. Modern medicine has come a long way. Lots of women have babies after forty now. If youre healthy, why not give it a go?
Laura nodded. Maybe youre right. Ill think about it.
Poppy added, Whatever you decide, well support you. Tell Simon?
No, I dont want to. It wont matter.
The medical checks came back clear, and Laura decided to keep the baby. She mulled over whether to tell Simon, but hed only been popping round the boutique to collect a few things. One day he turned up, looking a bit dishevelled.
Laura, I need the house papers. I think you might still have them. I called, you didnt answer. I went to the flat but couldnt get in. Did you change the locks? he asked, eyes flicking to her rounded belly.
Yes, I did. What did you expect, that Id let you waltz back in whenever you felt like it? Weve been over this.
He tried to laugh it off. So youve moved on? Married anyone?
No, Simon, and Im not planning to. My life isnt your business. Ive got work to do.
He left, muttering something about the babys paternity. He kept wondering what her due date was, dreaming that the child might be his after all.
A few weeks later, the maternity ward was buzzing with visitors Poppy, Jack, Helen and a few of Lauras seamstress friends. Jack was the first to cradle the newborn in a blue swaddling cloth.
Blimey, hes tiny! I can barely hold him, he whispered, gently rocking.
Hes adorable, just a little bundle of joy, Poppy cooed, eyeing her baby brother. He looks just like you, Mum, right?
Exactly like you! Laura laughed.
Back home, Laura gasped when she walked in to find Poppy and Jack had turned one of the rooms into a nursery: colourful garlands, balloons, and a big banner over the crib reading Happy birthday, Oliver! the name Laura had chosen for her son. The little boy was healthy and Laura felt fantastic. Days flew by caring for him. Poppy often stopped by, either to look after Oliver or to take him for a walk in the nearby park, giving Laura a breather.
See, love? Youre already a pro at mumhood, Laura teased. When its your turn, youll be ready.
I love it! Poppy replied with a mischievous grin at Jack.
A couple of months later, there was a knock at the door. Simon stood there with a bouquet.
Hello, Laura, he said, offering the flowers. Laura didnt take them.
Simon, what are you doing here? she asked, arms crossed.
I know everything now. Oliver is my son. Nina, your friend, told me.
And what does that matter now? Laura replied.
Im sorry, I was a fool. Ive realized what Ive lost. I want to be part of our sons life. Will you let me? Simon pleaded, eyes soft.
Laura thought of the man whod once meant everything to her. She remembered an old saying: He who betrays once will betray again.
No, Simon. Its too late. Dont come back. She stepped back and shut the door, locking it.
You have a right to see your son! he shouted, pounding.
Simon turned up a few more times, trying to catch Laura when she pushed the pram, begging to be forgiven and to live together again. Laura stayed firm. At Poppy and Jacks wedding, Simon showed up just long enough to hand them a generous cheque and then left. Later she learned hed married Olivia, but that marriage lasted only a few months before she left him for someone else.
