birthday, dear Mouse…Happy birthday to you.’
Ellie was laughing. ‘She’s only a week old!’
Max was holding a bunch of rainbow-hued balloons. He tied them to the doorhandle and then ducked outside the room again. Ellie’s jaw dropped when he returned moments later with his arms overflowing with parcels. He put them on the end of her bed where there was plenty of room because Ellie was sitting crosslegged, her back against her pillows and her baby in her arms, seemingly engrossed in being fed.
‘Max…what have you done?’
The intent look she received from those dark eyes was out of kilter with the satisfied smile that was fading a little.
‘You didn’t have a whole lot of baby stuff ready, did you?’
‘No.’ Ellie bit her lip. ‘I thought I had plenty of time and…and I had other things on my mind.’
The smile brightened again. ‘I thought as much. And they’re talking about letting you guys escape so I thought you’d need a few things to start you off.’
‘Oh…Max…’ It was embarrassing how easily tears came to her eyes these days. Ellie had never been one to cry much. ‘As if you haven’t done enough for us already.’
Max shrugged. He stepped closer and peered down at the baby. ‘Is she done? Looks like she’s asleep.’
‘She is.’ Ellie slipped her little finger into the corner of the tiny mouth to break any remaining suction. It also exposed her nipple to Max but any embarrassment over something like this had long since vanished. It had probably evaporated that very first time, in fact, when they had shared that amazing experience of Mouse finding Ellie’s breast by herself.
‘Maybe I could hold her for a bit, while you open her presents.’
‘OK.’ Max was the one person in the world that Ellie could hand her baby to without a qualm. He took Mouse and positioned her upright against his shoulder and he began rubbing her back gently.
Ellie opened a parcel to find a selection of tiny stretch suits in pink and yellow and the palest green. Another had tiny singlets and hats and one was full of bootees, including a soft yellow pair that looked like ducks. There were toys. Rattles and small, stuffed animals and a brightly coloured play rug. Sleep suits that buttoned up like tiny sleeping bags at the bottom and even a dress that was a smocked white affair with a scattering of exquisite, embroidered flowers and a matching bonnet.
Ellie had to blink back tears yet again as she held it up. ‘It’s gorgeous.’
‘I know it’s probably a bit big but, hey…she’s growing pretty fast.’
‘Max…I don’t know what to say.’
Mouse did. She gave an impressively large burp that made both Ellie and Max laugh and broke the potentially awkward moment.
Except that she had caught his gaze as they laughed and the eye contact held and became something else. Something huge that squeezed Ellie’s heart so hard it was painful. It was Max who looked away first and she hurriedly dropped her own gaze and bit her bottom lip as the silence took on a heavier feel.
Max cleared his throat. ‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said.
‘About?’
‘You.’
Ellie’s heart gave another squeeze and it was a noticeable effort to draw a breath.
‘And Mouse, here.’ Max had tilted his head so that his chin was touching the top of the baby’s head.
‘I know. I really have to decide on a proper name.’ For some reason Ellie was feeling nervous now. What was Max about to say? Give her some last advice before disappearing from their lives? ‘I’m thinking maybe Amelia? Or…or Charlotte?’
He frowned. ‘Definitely not Amelia though I’m sure Jet would approve.’
‘Why?’
‘You know, Amelia Earhart? The famous female pilot?’
‘Oh…’ Jet had been up to visit once in the last few days and Ellie had had the impression he didn’t approve of her at all.
‘I wouldn’t be in a hurry,’ Max said. ‘The longer it takes the better, really.’
‘Why?’
‘Because if you can’t think of the right name, you won’t be able to register the birth and the longer you leave that the better.’
‘Mmm. I’ve been thinking about that myself. I’ll have to use her real surname for that and if Marcus found me because I bought a plane ticket, he might well be able to trace that.’
‘Especially seeing as he had an idea of when the baby’s due.’ Max smiled at Ellie. ‘Good thinking, having her a few weeks early. Gives you a bit of time to play with.’
‘Except that I’ll be registering her birth at about the time she was really due.’
Max nodded but he wasn’t meeting Ellie’s gaze. ‘What if you could legally register her as McAdam?’
‘You mean, change my name by deed poll or something?’
‘No.’ Max turned his head and his gaze locked with hers. ‘I mean I could marry you.’
The world stopped turning for a heartbeat. Ellie had to close her eyes and then open them very slowly just to make sure she hadn’t fallen into some parallel universe.
‘Did…um…did you just say you could marry me?’
‘Yep.’
‘So that Mouse could have your name?’
‘And you. You need a new name, too. It’s not as if I’d be giving away anything I couldn’t still keep myself as well. The perfect gift, if you put it like that.’
‘Apart from ruining your single status.’ Ellie’s breath came out in a huff of laughter. ‘I ‘ve seen the way the nurses around here look at you, Max. There’s more than a few disappointed by your pretend marriage. A real one might take a lot more explaining.’
‘Hey, am I complaining?’ Max flashed her a grin. ‘To tell the truth, I’m quite glad of an opportunity to be unavailable. Could be the making of me, being celibate for a while.’
‘A while? That’s like a piece of string, isn’t it? How long were you thinking?’
Max looked serious again. ‘As long as it takes, just like the string. How long do you think it will take you to settle into motherhood? Find a place you want to be and get your life on track?’
Ellie was silent. The future was huge and blank. The only goal she could focus on was to look after her daughter and keep her safe.
‘Six months?’ Max prompted. ‘A year, maybe?’
Still
