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And pricked his heart Don’t go there He wasn’t available Conor opened up to the chill rah him, let it into his voice box ‘Sure is When did you do the tests?’

‘Friday Then Saturday’

Conor felt his face tighten, worked at softening his facial othis cheeks, deflecting the chill

‘I could have, yes’ Taain ‘But I didn’t want to believe it Telling you makes it irrefutably real’

‘You were in denial’ That he could understand About where he was right now

‘Totally I have—’ Gasp Her hands clenched tight on her elbows ‘I had plans, and being pregnant is upending everything Again I’ve worked so hard to be in charge of my future’

What did she e of herself? Wasn’t everybody? ‘You don’t want the baby?’ he snapped How did that make him feel? Relieved? Not at all Really? Who the hell knew? Not hied for the door, reached for the handle to haul it open Stopped Spun around to face her, rose up and down on his toes as he waited for her reply to his telling question

‘I never said that,’ she said sharply ‘Or implied it’

‘Just checking’ Sounding like a heel, boyo Now, there was a surprise His head was full to the brier—every blasted emotion under the sun Nah to read your mind’

Talare ‘Then take this on board I won’t be going to university next year after all, and I so wanted to beco to be aabout’ She stared at hi him to understand ‘I don’t want to be like my o to charity olf’

The bitterness colouring those words was alible and Conor wanted to wipe it away,that and who kneould happen next They had a lot to get through over the co weeks and any out-of-the-ordinarymurky He had to be aloof, separate ‘I’d have said she did a great job with you’ There, honest but uninvolved

Ta about’

Ouch He’d hit a painful point, for sure ‘Fair enough’ He strode back to his chair, dropped into it and banged his feet on the desktop His hands gripped together under his chin as he studied Ta for what? He wasn’t sure

‘There’s nothing fair about any of this,’ she retorted

He couldn’t agree more But what he said was, ‘You have no idea’

‘About what?’ she asked in a rare belligerent tone

‘I can’t have children’

‘Wrong You are having one next year In April, I reckon It’s no one else’s’

‘I a to me, Tamara’

She lurched, as though stabbed by pain Her hands clenched even tighter But she kept her head high and those cocoa-coloured eyes fixed on him ‘Then I don’t understand’

‘I can’t have children It’s as simple as that’

So his feet off the table quick fast ‘Go away I’m busy,’ he yelled in frustration

They both held their breaths until it became apparent whoever was out there had taken his advice

Tamara asked quietly, ‘You can’t? Or won’t?’

Back to the elephant She knew next to nothing about hi in the gaps Though there was one detail he’d have to reveal His feet hit the floor in an instant, and his head spun as he caht Not now Not today