it would still be there when she went back to her car.
This time was precious, too, because it was Evie’s favourite thing in the world to do and she knew that others appreciated her efforts.
She was good at it, as well.
Janine gave her a smile of welcome that made her feel special as she buzzed herself through the main doors of the ICU.
‘It’s our baby whisperer. No way... I was just saying that it was a shame you were busy at the gala tonight.’
‘I decided I’d rather do some cuddling. Is that okay?’
‘Are you kidding? You must have known you were needed. Baby Alfie’s mum had to go home to the rest of the kids and he just won’t settle. Come right this way...’
Beside each oval crib or incubator here was a comfortable chair with a padded seat and back but designed to look like an old-fashioned rocking chair, complete with rockers. It was a distinctive touch that added to the unique atmosphere of this high-tech unit, rather like the sun rays set into the flooring, and it was much loved by the stressed parents who spent time with their babies here. Staff rarely had the time to sit for long to comfort the tiny patients whose parents couldn’t be here and Alfie was a prime example. Born early enough to need his breathing carefully monitored but not in need of any major interventions, his distressed whimpering had not been silenced by ventilation tubes or sedation and all he really needed at the moment was a cuddle.
Evie settled herself in the chair and Janine took the tiny bundle, swaddled in a blanket with a woolly hat on his head, and put him into Evie’s arms.
‘He’s been fed and changed recently so he just needs to sleep,’ Janine whispered. ‘Work your magic, Evie.’
The magic needed to work both ways tonight, Evie thought, stroking the tiny screwed-up face with a gentle finger.
‘Shh...shh...shh...it’s okay, Alfie... Everything’s okay...’
She cradled the baby, rocking slowly in the chair and making soft, soothing and often nonsensical conversation with this tiny person.
Around her, staff members worked quietly with the more serious cases under their care. A doctor came for one of them and Evie noticed an incubator being wheeled away, probably to the procedures room. She sent silent good wishes along with the entourage.
The beeping of the equipment was muted, voices were kept low and the lighting was as dim as it could be to still allow staff to work. Alfie’s whimpering was already becoming just the occasional snuffle and squeak and Evie closed her eyes, aware of nothing more than the weight and warmth of this precious bundle.
It was a kind of meditation and she could actually feel her own heart rate and breathing slowing. The stress of an overly busy day, the never-ending pressure from her family, even the fright of that fall in the car park and that disconcertingly intense scrutiny that stranger had given her were receding as noticeably as an outgoing tide.
This was Evie’s time.
But, like all good things, it had to end. Whatever crisis had occurred in the unit had been dealt with and Janine finally returned. Alfie had been sound asleep for a long time but Evie would have stayed there much longer if she could have.
‘You need to go home.’ Janine smiled. ‘You’ve got work in the morning, remember? And Alfie needs to sleep on his apnoea mattress. Just in case.’
‘Of course.’ Evie’s arms felt empty as Janine lifted the baby. ‘Anyone else need a cuddle?’
Janine shook her head. ‘Next time.’
Evie watched as Alfie was settled into the incubator and the monitors checked and then she followed Janine back to the central station.
‘Would it be okay if I brought the scrubs back in the morning? I had a bit of an accident with my skirt and it’s not really wearable.’
‘Sure. No problem. And thanks, Evie. You were a real help tonight. I hope you don’t regret not going to the gala.’
Evie shook her head. ‘Things like that aren’t really my thing, you know? I’m too much of a homebody.’
‘You’re a treasure,’ Janine told her. ‘Go home and sleep well.’
* * *
The delicious grounding that baby cuddling had provided took a hit as Evie went out into the cold night air. Her coat on over the borrowed scrubs, her work clothes stuffed into her shoulder bag, she walked into the car park with her head down, searching for a metallic glint against the asphalt.
How was she going to confess to her dad that she’d lost the treasured keepsake? Oh...and had she put that pack of blood glucose testing strips in her bag? Evie had to pause for a moment and fish under the wadded clothing to feel for the outline of the box in her bag. Her brain was jumping back into reality fast now. Was Stella home from her school disco yet? Had Bobby done his homework? Had anybody washed the dishes?
The box was there. With a sigh, Evie carried on but she knew the search was pointless. She was past the spot where she had fallen now. Almost at her car, in fact. Finally raising her gaze from ground level, she became instantly aware of two things.
The first was that the flashy red car was still parked alongside hers.
The second, and far more alarming thing, was that the man who presumably owned the car was leaning against it. Watching her.
Waiting for her?
And then Evie gasped as she noticed a third thing. Below the white cuffs at the bottom of the black sleeves of this man’s tuxedo, something was dangling from his hand. A gold chain. A gold chain that had a heart-shaped topaz.
‘I’m thinking this might be yours?’
He was smiling at her, but the generous curl of his lips didn’t match that intense stare and Evie couldn’t smile back.
Who was this man?
A complete stranger but she recognised something about him.
No. It was something she was recognising about herself. Heavens...had it been that long since she’d experienced a real physical attraction to anybody? So long, it took a moment to interpret that odd sensation that started deep in her belly and then spread like wildfire through her veins.
Any smile she might have dredged up was nowhere to be found now.
She’d felt like this once before, hadn’t she? And look how well that had ended up. She’d kept herself safe ever since and that wasn’t about to change now.
‘It is, indeed,’ she said, her tone clipped. ‘I realised it must have broken when I...um...fell over.’
‘When you were pushed over, you mean. I must apologise again. My...ah...companion was a bit over the limit.’
‘Mmm...’ Evie wasn’t about to excuse the woman’s behaviour. Where was she, anyway? A quick sideways glance told her that nobody was sitting in the car waiting for him.
‘The least I can do is have it
