But it was the words on the card that mattered the most to Jamie and he read them again.
Dear Lorna and Jamie,
Congratulations on the birth of William.
I am thrilled to be an uncle and looking forward to watching him grow up. I know you’ll be amazing parents.
Love, Dominic
And Jamie knew that his brother always meant every word.
‘Do you want a hold of him?’ Jamie asked, and his voice was a bit choked. ‘Or maybe...’ He hesitated, worried that it might be too much for his brother, but Dominic had meant every word.
He was ready now to be in his nephew’s life.
‘I’d love to hold him.’
Dominic held many babies in a day’s work but he hadn’t held a baby outside of that parameter, ever.
And it was very different.
William really was a gorgeous baby and had the MacBride chin and long, long hands and feet. The change of arms woke him and he opened up his eyes and gave his uncle a smile.
‘You don’t remember me from last week, do you?’ Dominic said to him. ‘Because I was sticking needles in you then.’
‘He’s looking better though?’ Lorna anxiously asked.
‘He is. And I know you must be terrified but we’re a tough lot and I’m sure that he’s going to be fine.’ Dominic held him for a couple of moments and, as he did, it occurred to him that in the not too distant future he would be holding a baby of his own.
How could you ever walk away from your own child?
Dominic wasn’t one to let his emotions run away with him, but as he looked at the little baby, he felt a choke of emotion on behalf of Victoria.
He made a choice then to be patient, a choice that he would wait for however long it took for her to trust in him.
Not just as a father.
He had far greater plans for them than that.
Dominic handed the baby back to his mother and then he shook his brother’s hand.
‘Congratulations,’ Dominic said, and he could finally look him in the eye and smile.
‘Oh!’
He turned at the sound of his mother’s voice and saw the concern in his father’s expression.
‘I was just dropping in to see how William was doing,’ Dominic explained.
‘Is everything okay?’ William Senior asked as he came in.
‘All’s good,’ Dominic said. ‘I’ll see you back at home. And, Lorna,’ he added. ‘If you want a proper dinner or to stay at my home, then you’re very welcome.’ He turned to his mother. ‘But I’ve been working all night, remember, so can you please keep it down.’
And they were back to being a family.
Dominic made his way back to Accident and Emergency. He had a coffee and killed time, watching as a nurse rolled her eyes as she did her best to hold on to her temper as she spoke with someone on the phone.
‘I am sorry about that but I wasn’t working last night. I’ll try and find out for you.’ She pressed Mute and let out a hiss. ‘That man!’
‘Who?’
‘Professor Christie over at Riverside.’
‘What does he want?’
‘A transfer last night...’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t worry, I know you’re not on.’
‘It’s fine.’
He picked up the phone and on the other end of the line he heard the great Professor Christie berate a member of staff.
‘Hello,’ Dominic said. ‘Dominic MacBride speaking.’
‘Oh!’ Professor Christie said, and he switched to charming. ‘Sorry about that, I’m working with clumsy imbeciles this morning.’
He had thought about it for a long time and examined it from many angles and, in this instance, Dominic did know what to say.
‘Well—’ Dominic’s voice was curt ‘—that might have something to do with the fact that they’re working alongside an arrogant git. So,’ he asked, and adopted a more professional tone, ‘how can I help you?’
He saw the nurse turn with eyes wide as he heard the professor splutter into the phone.
‘What did you just say?’ Professor Christie demanded.
‘Do you want me to repeat it?’ Dominic calmly replied. ‘Or would you like me to come over now and say it to your face?’
‘Now, listen here—’
‘I do listen,’ Dominic said. ‘I listen very carefully and I also think before I speak.’
His voice held a warning and there was silence on the other end of the line.
‘Now,’ Dominic said, ‘what did you want to know about the patient?’
VICTORIA SAT IN the waiting room of the Imaging Department.
There was a television up high on the wall but Victoria was too busy replying to some emails about the next Save Paddington’s meeting to watch it.
Then her phone rang and Victoria grimaced when she saw that it was her father who was calling her.
He rarely called. In fact, it was always Victoria who called him.
Perhaps there had been a change of heart, Victoria thought.
‘Hi, Dad,’ she said.
‘Who’s the father of the baby?’
‘Why?’ Victoria asked.
‘Just tell me.’
Victoria sat there.
Her father had shown absolutely no interest in this baby and from his very brusque tone she didn’t think he sounded particularly interested now.
In fact, he sounded furious as he spoke on. ‘You said that he was in Scotland...’
‘Why do you want to know?’
‘Well, I’ve just had some upstart insult me. Dominic MacBride...’
Her heart was bumping against the wall of her chest.
‘What did he say?’
She closed her eyes as her father repeated it.
What the hell was Dominic thinking to speak to her father like that? Dominic, who insisted his responses were measured, clearly hadn’t thought this one through.
For it made a future impossible.
Any get-togethers would be fraught and tense.
And in that moment she felt as if she were about to cry, for she was mentally waving goodbye to Christmases and Easters and family celebrations and she had been trying so hard not to think of them.
‘Well?’ Professor Christie demanded. ‘Is he the father?’
‘Yes,’ Victoria answered. She was cross with Dominic, even if she privately agreed with what had been said, but she did not tell her father that. Instead she told him a truth. ‘And I’m very glad that he is.’
Dominic would be a wonderful father, she absolutely knew.
She was glimpsing Christmases and birthdays again, and even