“You’re having a baby at forty-one?!” James shouted at Emily. “Women your age are grandmothers! Em, dont be ridiculous. Fine, I get ityou dont care what we think. But have you even thought about this child? I dont want to be hooked up to an IV at her wedding! And what if something happens to us while shes still little? Sort this out, or Im leaving you!”
Emily and James had been married for twenty years. Shed married him young, straight out of university. All this time, shed believed he was her rock, her closest ally. She never imagined hed turn against her.
Recently, their family had been torn apart by the news of her unexpected pregnancy. James was absolutely against it: “Em, are you mad? Deciding to be a mum now? Weve got three wonderful boysOlivers at uni, and Henry and George are finishing Year 8. Isnt that enough? What will the kids think? That weve lost the plot?”
“James, Ive always dreamed of a daughter,” Emily insisted. “If Gods given us this child, why shouldnt she be born?”
“What if its another boy? Will we just keep going for a fifth?” James snapped.
“I just know its a girl.”
Even their sons werent on her side. When the twins, Henry and George, heard about the baby, they flat-out refused to share their room. Oliver, the eldest, was just as blunt: “Mum, arent you scared at your age? What if something goes wrong?”
“Itll be fine,” Emily assured him. “Im not that old!”
This wasnt the first time James had reacted badly. When she was pregnant with the twins, hed been just as reluctant. Oliver was three, money was tight, and they were living with Jamess parents. Emily and her mother-in-law argued constantly. But when the doctors said it was twins, everything changed. His mum gave them money for a deposit on a flat, and James became more attentive. Surprisingly, Henry and George were calm babies, and Emily even got some sleep. Oliver adored having playmates and helped out, giving her a break.
This time, she hoped things would magically work out again. But by the third week, she was strugglingconstantly nauseous at work. Emily had been a nail technician for over a decade, used to the smells of polish and oils. Now, just the sight of the bottles made her sick. Medication didnt help, and she had to quit. She could barely move, let alone clean or cook.
With her income gone, money was tight. James, an ambulance technician, started pulling double shifts. Oliver switched to evening classes, working days at an electronics shop. Emily saw the judgment in their eyeseven her parents said having a baby at her age was reckless. Neighbours whispered behind her back. She felt utterly alone.
At her next scan, the doctor frowned at the monitor, murmuring numbers to the nurse. Emily lay perfectly still, afraid to breathe. After half an hour, she finally asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“Female. But theres an issuea neural tube defect. At 23 weeks, it should be closed. Your daughters is open. She could be disabled.”
Emily burst into tears. “Cant you help her? Arent there treatments?”
The doctor looked away.
She left in a daze, barely aware of her surroundings. At home, James was microwaving dinner. The boys were out. Perfect timing.
“I had the scan today,” she said. “Its a girl. But theres a problema neural tube defect.”
James tensed. “What did Dr. Bennett say?”
“Nothing helpful. They suggested terminating. I refused. I cant do that, James. Shes still our daughter.”
“Youre insane! Do you know what this means? She could be severely disabledif she even survives. Were going back tomorrow. Ill get the referral myself.”
“Im not going. Dont ask me.”
“Then dont expect my support! I wont watch you sufferor her!” He stormed off, yanking a duffel bag from the wardrobe.
“James, what are you doing?” Emily sobbed. “Youre leaving? Running away? Shes yours too! How can you be so cold?”
“I wont enable this! I agreed when you decided to keep it, thinking itd be fine. But I wont indulge this. What about our boys? Have you ever seen kids with disabilities? My mum had a son after meborn with a heart defect. He lived six months. I still remember the horror. She never wanted more kids. I wont go through that. And Im taking the boys.”
He walked out. Emily couldnt stop him.
Jamess mum, Margaret, was shocked to see him on her doorstep with a bag. “Whats happened? A row with Emily?”
“A row? Im divorcing her! Shes insisting on having a disabled childmy opinion means nothing.”
“Love, a mother and child are one. Its her choice. Calm downlet me make you tea.”
James sat heavily. “Mum would you have had Ian if youd known hed be so ill?”
“Of course! I hoped until the end hed pull through. They didnt do heart surgeries back then. And ultrasounds can be wrong. Has that doctor never made a mistake?”
James suddenly remembered their neighbour, KatieDr. Bennett had said her baby had a heart defect, but the boy was born healthy. Thered been complaints about him before.
The next morning, James went to the clinic. The ultrasound room was closedthe machine had broken again. “Third time this month,” the nurse sighed. “The consultants furiousthey bought a cheap one.”
Doubt crept in. An old colleague worked at a private clinic. He decided to take Emily there.
She wasnt expecting him home. “Get ready,” he said curtly. “Were going private.”
At the clinic, the scan was quick. The doctor smiled. “Everythings normal. Shes developing perfectly. No defects at all. Want to hear her heartbeat?”
James cried. Emily asked about the previous diagnosis.
“They said her neural tube was open.”
“Its closed. Shes healthy.” The doctor printed the report.
The weight lifted. James hugged Emily tightly.
Follow-up scans confirmed it. Their daughter, Charlotte, was born perfectly healthy. At the hospital, even the doubters came.
“She looks just like you,” Margaret told James, cradling her. “Look at those blue eyes. Im so proud of you.”
James adored Charlotte from the start. “Why dont you watch telly with me anymore?” Emily teased.
“Later,” hed say, grinning. “Charlotte and I have things to do. Right, princess?”
Even the boys, whod sworn they didnt want a baby, set up a rota for walks with their sister. Emily trusted them completely.
