Laura sat on the bathroom floor, crying as quietly as she could…

 

‘Are you alright in there, sweetheart?’ Val called out.

 

‘Yeah,’ she sniffed, ‘I’ll be done soon!’

 

Well, one thing was certain now...the tester kit was wrong, she wasn’t pregnant after all.

 

 

***

 

 

Phil was making some breakfast in the kitchen, when Nathan walked in, after a night on the sofa with a bottle of whisky.

 

‘Looking good bro!’ Phil laughed.

 

‘Yeah, thanks mate,’ Nathan clasped his head and groaned.

 

‘Did Kris tell you everything?’ Nathan asked.

 

‘Yep, I had to pretend I knew nothing of course,’ Phil was short with his brother, not hiding the fact he was very annoyed with him.

 

‘What else did she say about it?’ Nathan asked, reaching for some water.

 

‘She seems heartbroken to me...she pretends to be hard, but you’ve really hurt her badly, bruv,’ Phil tried to break through Nathan’s selfish attitude but-

 

‘Yeah, yeah, what else?’

 

She wants me to kick you out..and right now I can’t think of a good reason not to,’ Phil fumed.

 

 

***

 

 

Ros had just locked up Number Four and saw Gary Jacobs polishing his new sports car outside, so she couldn’t resist going over for a look.

 

‘Wow, nice car!’

 

‘It sure is, Ros, not bad as a present, eh? My parents got it for me, bet your precious Nick never got you anything like this?!’

 

Ros felt really hurt by that comment, Gary was never normally this rude to anyone. Had she offended him in some way.

 

‘Erm, no.’

 

‘What are you doing in the newlyweds house then?’ Gary wasn’t normally this direct either, and he had an accusatory tone.

 

‘Both sets of parents have treated them to a honeymoon in Venice, so they’ve gone away for a few days,’ not that it’s any of your business, thought Ros.

 

 

***

 

 

‘So what are you going to do then? Ask me to leave?!’ Nathan and Phil’s conversation had developed into a row now.

 

Maybe I will! You didn’t cause this much trouble at Mum and Dad’s! Independence has been too much for you, obviously!’

Phil was furious that his brother was being such an embarrassment, for Phil was a pretty respected member of Alborford.

 

‘Look, Phil, could you reconsider this please?’ Nathan was desperate at the thought of having to return to his parents.

 

‘We’ll see…’

 

 

***

 

 

Val and Ray were sitting outside in the blazing sunshine.

 

‘Phew, it’s so hot isn’t it?’ Val wiped her brow and sighed.

 

‘Not like you to complain about that, you’ve always been a complete sun worshipper!’ Ray cried.

 

‘I’m going to get us another drink,’ she got up to go inside, but suddenly fainted in the garden.

 

‘Val!’ Ray rushed over to help her.

 

‘Oh, I don’t feel so good, I think the sun is getting to me today.’

 

‘You’ve probably got sunstroke’,

Ray added.

 

‘Yeah,’ but she knew it was more than that.

 

 

***

 

Nathan walked out of Rex Road and saw Laura walking down Mill Road in his direction.

 

 

Oi!’ He shouted, startling her.

 

‘Do you know what you and your big mouth have caused?!’ She’d never seen him angry like this before.

 

‘I might be sent back to my parents now!

All because you couldn’t speak to Kris without blurting it all out, you silly little tart!’ 

 

Laura started to cry.

 

‘It takes two, you know Nathan!’

 

‘Maybe, but it only took one to blow the whole thing, didn’t it?! One thing’s certain, me and you are finished!’ He started to walk away, but Laura’s anger suddenly appeared, wanting to have the last word.

 

‘Don’t worry about me! There isn’t anyone else to worry about now either! I lost the baby you never cared about this morning!’

 

Nathan felt hurt ‘How do you know I never cared?’

 

‘Because all you’re EVER bothered about is how anything affects you! Maybe this baby and me have lost you your home, but the stress has made your baby lose it’s life! Happy now?’

 

 

***

 

Ray had made Val lie down on the sofa for a while.

 

‘Now, are you sure you’re OK?’

 

‘Yes, love, now stop fussing!’

 

 

The thing was, Val knew that she could be pregnant, all of the symptoms and warning signs were there. Ironically, just as her daughter had secretly lost a baby, Val may be carrying one…

 

 

***

 

 

Max and Fiona returned to Number Two, after a day spent viewing flats.

 

‘Seen anything nice?’ Josie asked, serving up cold drinks for everyone.

 

‘Yeah, very. I think I’m going to go for one in Holland Road, above one of the shops.’ Max was excited at the thought of getting his own place at last.

 

‘That one on Mill Road was good...and the one on Harvey Lane!’ Fiona was equally excited, and Josie frowned at her, thinking she was a bit too O.T.T. sometimes!

 

‘Anyway, we’ll see, I’ll have another look before I make my mind up,’ Max added.

 

 

***

 

 

Gary had offered to take Phil and Jo out for a spin in his new sports car that afternoon. They’d returned from Deadham and Gary was speeding around the streets of Alborford.

 

Gary, be careful, for goodness sake!’

Jo wasn’t particularly comfortable with fast drivers anyway, but Gary’s recent personality change was making her a bit scared by now.

 

‘Don’t be so soft, hold on kiddies!’ He put his foot down even harder and swerved into Thunder Lane, just as Jo spotted some kids messing around on the pavement.

 

‘Gary, I’m serious, slow down!’

 

Just as she said that, one of the kids ran into the road.

 

‘STOP!’

© 2010 Danny Alborough / DJA Publications
All characters, names and situations are fictitious.
Any similarities to places or people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.