“I just wanted to stop by and let you laugh at me – and to give you this.” He pulled a red velvet pouch out of his pocket, and that was when I saw the red and white striped tights.
I bit my lip to stop myself laughing, and focused on what he was giving me.
“Hold up your hand,” he said.
I held my hand out, palm up and he tipped a necklace out. It was a simple oval-shaped white gold necklace with tiny diamonds framing the edge.
“Wow,” I whispered, holding it up. “It’s beautiful.”
He took it off me and opened it up. Inside was a picture of me.
“It’s from the baby too. I thought when she’s here we can put her picture in there and have mother and daughter. Or son. I keep forgetting we don’t know, and it could be a boy.”
I suddenly felt choked up.
“You like it?” he asked.
“It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I feel bad now. We agreed no presents.”
With the baby coming, we were saving to buy all the things that she needed!
“I know, but I saw it in the jewellers when me and Oakley were deciding on earrings for Mum and I really wanted to get it for you.”
Gripping the necklace in my hand, I surged up on my tiptoes and kissed him. This was officially the best Christmas yet.
Chapter Thirty-One
Jasper
“Oh for goodness sake, Jasper, none of these pushchairs are going to shoot out knives and stab the baby! They’re all fucking safe, now pick one!” Holly growled.
My mouth dropped. It wasn’t often that she surprised me. Coming on to me and telling me she was pregnant were about the only other times. We’d decided to get the big baby items in the January sales, and I was seriously regretting it because Holly’s hormones were on fire today.
“It’s an important decision.”
“No, it’s not. Naming the baby is an important decision, so why don’t you think more about that and I’ll pick the sodding pushchair.”
So, hormonal Holly wasn’t much fun. I never knew if I was getting normal Holly or the version of her that seemed to hate me above anyone else in the world.
I held my hands up. “Okay. Those four have the best safety features.”
“I figured that since they’re the only ones still in front of us!”
I was scared to suggest names.
“What about Ebony?”
She stared at me as if I were crazy. “Do you hate our baby?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Ebony was my great nan’s dog’s name. I can’t name my baby after poor Eb.”
Well how the fuck was I supposed to know that?
“Okay, not Ebony.”
She shook her head and went back to the pushchairs. I should get her mum to list all the names of her relatives back as far as she could remember, and their pets, just in case.
On the side of the room was a long shelf full of books for pregnancy, birth and babies. I swiped a baby name book and opened it up randomly. “Frankie?”
“No.”
I flicked over pages, landing on another one. “Libby?”
“No.”
“Natalie.”
“Oh for goodness sake, if you’re not going to suggest seriously, don’t bother.”
I did with Ebony.
“Daisy?”
She paused. “That’s pretty.”
Good, no pets named Daisy.
“That can go on the maybe list.”
“Sophia.”
This time I got a smile. Wow. “On the maybe list too.”
I was on a roll now. I flicked back a chunk of the book.
“Maud.”
Her face fell. And we’re back to Jasper’s a bastard.
“Boys now?” I asked, trying to go for that smile she’d called cute before I turned into public enemy number one.
“If it’s a boy I’d like to call him Oliver, after my grandad. Do you like that?”
“Yeah, I like it.” Not that I’d say right now if I didn’t!
Her face warmed, and she put her hand on my favoured pushchair.
“This one for little Oliver or either Alice, Daisy, Sophia, Ella, Annie or Jessa.”
I laughed. But I thought we’d crossed Annie off the list a while ago. I wasn’t going to question her.
“Lunch now? We’ve got an hour before you wanted to leave for uni.”
“Sounds good. Should we get this now?”
“Yeah, I’ll just go pay. Why don’t you take my keys and meet me in the car.”
She arched her eyebrow. “Why? Want to chat up the lady behind the till?”
“No, you said your feet hurt half an hour ago.”
She flushed and muttered, “Oh. Thank you.”
I handed her my keys, biting back a sarcastic comment because she was pretty damn scary of late. I’d learnt quickly when not to tease her.
Once I’d paid for the pushchair and arranged for it to be delivered to my place, I joined Holly in the car.
“I feel bad,” she said.
“Why? Do you have pains? Should I call the midwife?”
She laughed. “It’s not physical. You need to calm down, or you’re going to have a heart attack.”
My shoulders sagged, and I started the car.
“Why do you feel bad?”
“You’re buying all the big things. The pushchair, the cot, the car seat. All I’ve bought is clothes, nappies and toiletries.”
“Holly, it’s my child too.”