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‘I can do that sitting on the sofa, if I have to’

He folded his arms ‘There’s no “if” about it, Maddie You knoell as I do that after an invasive procedure you need to take it easy Do I have to spell it out for you?’

She knehat hetheir baby ‘No’

‘You’re going on bed rest for two days, and that’s that’

‘That’s outrageous’

His mouth set in a thin line ‘Has it occurred to you, Maddie, that I ht be worried sick about you and about the baby, and I’ as hard as I can to be calh your worries instead of focusing on my own? So do me a favour and be sensible about this’

She had a feeling that there was more to it than that ‘This is about your mum, isn’t it?’

‘Hardly’

He was being evasive, she was sure ‘Then why don’t you tell me? Talk to me, Theo Don’t shut me out Not now’

He was silent for a long, long tihed ‘Co’

She allowed him to shepherd her upstairs and sat on the bed ‘Talk to me,’ she said

‘Given that you’ve just had an amniocentesis, this isn’t exactly a tactful subject,’ he warned ‘You know ed in a breath ‘She had an amniotic fluid embolism’

She blinked ‘Theo, that really wasn’t your fault And AFEs are incredibly rare’

‘My head knows that But nant—because I went straight into panicour baby’

‘And the rhesus negative business is a cos worse’

‘Yes,’ he admitted

She stroked his face ‘First of all, I’ to worry about as far as the baby’s concerned Secondly, it’s so unlikely that I’ll have an AFE—you’ve gotto the moon, Theo Medicine’s advanced an awful lot since you were a baby’

‘I knoant our baby, Maddie, I really do—but I’ to lose you because of the baby, the way my dad lost my mum I’m an obstetrician I know all the possible complications’

‘You also kno rare they are’ She reached up to kiss hihtforward births are there where the midwives don’t need us at all?’