rubbed Sophie’s back whilst listening to updates from the ambulance service and oohing and ahhing at the fireworks with Petal. It was multitasking at its most extreme.
She wished Hudson hadn’t left her. Every time Sophie winced she felt frightened and helpless. The fireworks display came to an impressive crescendo and the crowd in the park erupted into applause, including the children. With the fireworks over it was dark again and a wind whipped around them. Anna feared for the baby’s safety if it arrived now.
After a few minutes she heard Hudson’s voice over the crowd. The people started to disperse and Hudson emerged pushing a very old wheelbarrow. Sophie looked up. ‘Bloody hell. You have to be joking.’
‘You need to get to hospital,’ said Hudson and he pointed at the wheelbarrow. ‘Cinders, your carriage awaits.’
‘I am not going all the way in that thing.’
‘No, but we might be able to get you closer to the ambulance.’
Sophie’s face registered alarm. ‘I don’t think there’s time. It’s coming.’
Hudson rushed to her with the wheelbarrow, which was full of potato sacks. ‘Come on,’ he said, like it was the most normal thing to hop in a wheelbarrow. Sophie gave him a murderous glare but with a lot of help from him and Anna she clambered on board.
‘If this bollarding thing breaks.’
‘All stops to Birmingham hospital,’ said Hudson, and he set off across the park at an impressive pace.
‘My go next,’ shouted Arlo, clapping his hands.
Anna relayed the plan to the operator and they confirmed the ambulance was making progress and should be at the main gates in a few minutes. ‘Perfect timing,’ said Anna, herding the children after Hudson.
‘Arghhhhhhhhh!’ screamed Sophie.
‘Arghhhhhhhhh!’ hollered Hudson hitting a pothole and almost wrenching the barrow from his fingers. ‘Don’t you dare give birth in the wheelbarrow. I can’t push two of you.’
‘You’re about as funny as haemorrhoids,’ said Sophie, clamping her teeth together and making a strangled screech.
They could hear the approaching siren and it spurred them all on. The gates came into sight and blue lights flooded the entrance.
The paramedics quickly took over and within minutes Sophie was safely in the back of the ambulance. Anna went to get in with Petal in her arms and the paramedic stopped her. ‘Sorry, love, no children allowed in the ambulance.’
‘But they’re her children,’ protested Anna.
‘Doesn’t matter. Sorry.’
Anna watched Hudson who had Arlo by the hand and was showing him round the ambulance. ‘Hudson, you’ll have to go with her.’
‘Me?’ His eyebrows shot up in alarm. ‘I’ll take the kids and you go.’ He held up Arlo’s hand.
Anna was torn. She tried to pass Petal to Hudson but she started to cry and clung to Anna. Anna’s expression conveyed exactly what needed to happen.
‘Okay,’ said Hudson, and he climbed in the back while the paramedics did final checks and started to close the doors.
Anna heard heavy breathing behind her. ‘Wait! I’m here, I’m … here …’ wheezed Dave, dashing towards the ambulance.
‘Plugging hell, Dave, talk about last minute,’ said Sophie, pulling the oxygen mask off her face but the look of relief was evident.
Dave motioned for Hudson to get out but he was already undoing his seatbelt. ‘Good luck, buddy,’ said Hudson, vacating the spot next to Sophie. She gave a weak wave as the doors shut. The siren whooped into life and the ambulance pulled away. Arlo was shouting and clapping excitedly and Petal was copying.
The siren ebbed away and they were left standing together in the dark. Hudson rubbed sweat from his forehead. ‘I had better return this,’ he said, motioning towards the wheelbarrow.
Anna frowned. ‘How the hell did you get a wheelbarrow over the wall?’
Hudson gave a mysterious smile. ‘Buy me a beer and I’ll tell you.’
‘I have coffee or hot chocolate.’
‘Hot chocolate!’ shouted Arlo. ‘Can I have marshmallows in mine, Anna?’
‘What do we say?’ asked Anna.
‘Now!’ shouted Arlo. Anna gave him a hard stare. ‘Please,’ said Arlo reluctantly.
She took him by the hand. ‘Come on, let’s get you both in the warm.’ And they followed Hudson and the wheelbarrow across the park.
Back in the warmth of Sophie’s kitchen, Anna made hot chocolate and sat Petal in her high chair with a sippy cup of warm milk. She sat down at the table near to Petal ready to retrieve her cup when she dropped it. Hudson took off his jacket and joined her.
‘You were a bit of a hero back there,’ she said, glancing at him over her steaming mug.
‘All part of the service, ma’am.’ He sounded more American than ever.
‘I’ve got to ask. Why were you even here tonight?’ Anna couldn’t phrase it any better.
Hudson coughed. ‘I feel bad about the whole New York thing. I thought I’d try and straighten things out between us. You said you’d be at the fireworks. It wasn’t hard to find you.’
‘Must have been fairly hard to get in though. It was strictly ticket only and it was sold out.’ The committee members had been on every entrance turning people away. Anna peered at him closely.
‘Ah. You got me. I jumped the railings.’
‘Jumped!’ Anna was startled.
‘No, no. I mean I climbed up and kinda fell down the other side.’ He broke eye contact and sipped his hot chocolate.
They were quiet for a bit – the only noise the vigorous sucking from Petal and her sippy cup.
‘How’s Maurice?’ asked Hudson.
‘He’s loving having his own door. He’s not happy about his balls going through the washing machine though.’
Hudson’s eyebrows raised quickly. ‘I wouldn’t be happy either.’
Anna gave him a sideways look. ‘They’re toy sponge balls. He chases them and they got caught up with a pile of washing.’
Hudson took a deep breath and Anna watched him. ‘There was something I wa—’
Anna’s phone sprang into life and she grabbed it up, surprised to see it was Liam calling. What did he want? She held a finger up to Hudson.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi,
