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‘Most dads are the sarapher said with a smile ‘I take it you’d both like pictures?’

‘Lots and lots and lots,’ Theo said ‘Because I know so to insist on having their own copies’

He called his parents that evening to tell them the news and emailed them the scan pictures while he was on the phone In response, they flew over at the weekend to ht’ve had that they wouldn’t like her vanished within the first ten seconds of ht her the ave her a huge, tight hug ‘I’m so pleased my boy has finally found someone Even if he has kept you incredibly quiet’

‘Well, I had to do so heiresses at me,’ Theo declared

She cuffed his ar of the kind We just wanted you to settle down and have a family and be as happy as we are’ She beamed ‘And noe’ve met you, Maddie, I know for sure he will’

It didn’t get any better than this, Madison thought Especially when Theo started to relax and plan a nursery with her He was the one who booked their antenatal classes and found out all the inforentle antenatal water exercise classes for her He even surprised her by co that he’d spent an hour with Iris, their senior nant woman and which oils were safe to use

Life was perfect

Until the end of Septe ‘Maddie? I just wondered if I could pop round and see you, love’

She froze Community midwives were incredibly busy They didn’t just offer to pop round and see you for a cup of tea—not unless there was so?’

‘Just so I want to discuss with you’

Just as she’d feared And she knew exactly what it was likely to be, too ‘Oh, hell It’s the triple test results, isn’t it?’ The test that showed the possibility of the baby having a condition such as spina bifida or Down’s syndrome

Thea maternity specialist as a client—you know as much as I do Yes, love, I’m afraid it is Your results are borderline’

‘How borderline?’

‘One in ninety’

That wasn’t borderline Especially for her age A one in ninety chance of a medical condition…

Madison knew that the only way she was going to get through this was to pretend it was happening to someone else To one of her mums-to-be instead of to herself So she switched into professional mode ‘I’ll talk to my partner and call you back to let you knoant an amniocentesis’ A further test, which would tell them for certain whether their baby had either condition But it was an invasive test, one with a risk of nancy to start with, this was going to make him worry even more