Second Chance With The Single Mum. Annie Claydon

‘Alistair and I have had our differences... obviously. But I’ve always respected him, and this means far too much to me to allow any personal issues to get in the way. I’d consider it a privilege to work with him.’

      That would have to do. Raina held her breath, wondering if it was enough, and heard Gabriel’s deep chuckle at the other end of the line.

      ‘Since that’s pretty much what Alistair said, I think I can safely tick that question off my list. We’ve already interviewed a number of families for the project, and I’m wondering whether you’d be able to bring Anya in to see us tomorrow?’

      ‘Yes, any time that suits you...’ Raina felt her heart jolt up a notch. She and Anya had obviously made it through to the second stage of the process.

      ‘Eleven o’clock? You’ll be meeting with me and Maya Powell. Maya’s a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, and she’s collaborated with us before over the years. It’s not her intention to have any ongoing involvement with families selected for the project, but she’s donated some of her time to help with the screening and assessment process.’

      In other words, Alistair wouldn’t be there. That was one hurdle that Raina didn’t have to negotiate just yet. ‘Eleven would be fine, thank you.’

      ‘Great, I’ll see you then. Would you choose a favourite toy for Anya and bring that along too. We’d like to get to know her...’

      Raina sat, staring at the phone after Gabriel had ended the call. This was all good. It seemed that Alistair had kept his promise and wasn’t going to stand in their way.

      ‘We did it, Anya. I think it must have been that cute smile of yours.’

      Anya was unimpressed. ‘Mummy, can we put the plants in the pots?’

      Raina bent to kiss the little girl’s cheek. ‘Yes, we’re going to do it right now. And tomorrow we’re going on the train to see someone. Nice Gabriel.’

      * * *

      Gabriel was waiting for them in the reception area, a tall, dark-haired man whose natural expression seemed to be a smile. He ushered them through a bright, open-plan space to two glass-walled offices at the far end, making for the one that was shaded from view by blinds. As they entered, a woman rose from the informal seating area at one end.

      ‘Raina, this is Maya Powell.’

      Both Gabriel and Maya were relaxed and smiling, and drinks and pastries were laid out on the coffee table, around which a sofa and two leather easy chairs were arranged. But Raina wasn’t fooled. This was serious business, and the child-friendly atmosphere was for Anya’s benefit.

      Maya shook Raina’s hand and then bent down towards the little girl. ‘You must be Anya. I’m Maya. We have a drink for you here, if you’d like one.’

      Anya whispered a hello, clinging to Raina’s hand and leaning against her legs. Raina resisted the impulse to push her forward, hoping she’d get over her shyness.

      ‘Would you like to play with your bricks, sweetie?’ She pulled the box of bricks from her bag, putting it on the coffee table, and Anya stared at it uncertainly.

      ‘Bricks...?’ When Raina turned, Gabriel’s eyes were shining. Sitting down on the sofa, he ran his finger across the top of the box. ‘Bricks are my favourite. Would you show me, Anya?’

      His enthusiasm was so infectious Anya let go of Raina’s hand, running across to the box of bricks and opening it. Gabriel grinned, craning over to see inside, and Raina breathed a sigh of relief as Anya began to empty the box, showing Gabriel the bricks.

      ‘These are fantastic.’ He addressed his comment to no one in particular and then smiled at Raina. ‘I’ll be a father soon.’

      Maya chuckled, rolling her eyes. ‘Is there anyone in London you haven’t managed to tell yet, Gabriel?’

      ‘No. Probably not.’ Gabriel was busy sorting out the bricks. ‘Where do you get these?’

      ‘You go to the shop and buy them.’ Anya’s tone implied that this was the kind of information that anyone should know.

      ‘Do you? Which shop?’

      Anya shrugged and Raina supplied the answer. ‘You’ll find these in any toy shop. You won’t be needing them for a while, though. Congratulations.’ It was nice to see a man so happy at the prospect of becoming a father.

      ‘Thank you. We went for the three-month scan yesterday, and my wife’s given me the all-clear to share the news. It was a complete surprise.’

      A lump settled in Raina’s throat. Her pregnancy had been a complete surprise too, but it would have been difficult to imagine Alistair making enquiries about building bricks, and unable to stop himself from telling everyone he met.

      She’d never forgotten her lost child, but right now she had to think about Anya. Maya waved her to a seat, pouring the coffee. ‘We’ll go through the questions, shall we? While Anya’s keeping Gabriel amused.’

      Maya’s questions were searching, but her gentle tone and her smile made them feel less challenging. Before long, they were simply talking, and Raina felt herself relax.

      ‘She manages very well...’ Gabriel’s occasional murmured interjections were all very much to the point. He was obviously listening, even if it seemed that his attention was solely focussed on Anya.

      ‘Yes, she does. But as a doctor, I know that many people with limb differences suffer from overuse issues in the long term. And I want to give her as many choices as I can.’

      ‘What choices?’ Maya asked.

      ‘I don’t know. She’ll tell me what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. I just want to be able to respond to that. If it takes time and money to make custom prosthetics, then that doesn’t allow her to try things out, the way that most children can.’

      ‘Good point.’ Gabriel flashed Raina a smile, and then went back to the structure that he and Anya had built.

      * * *

      Alistair had been at a loss all morning. He’d decided that he should make himself scarce during Raina and Anya’s interview, and had gone upstairs to spend some time with the development team for the prosthetics project. But he’d struggled to hear everything that was said and keep up with the exchange of ideas. He’d ended up sitting in the corner, drinking coffee and thinking about Raina.

      If Gabriel and Maya decided that another child was a better fit for the project, then this would be his last chance to see her. She’d disappear again, a face in the crowd that he’d looked for time and time again, and never found. He’d often thought of her, the mental picture including the child that she’d always wanted, and this might be his only opportunity to see that reality.

      It would take a little planning if he was to bump into her on her way out. Hanging around in Reception bore no fruit, so he decided that he might return to his office, where he was sure to at least catch a glimpse of Raina and Anya when they left. As he walked towards it, he saw the door of Gabriel’s office open, and the beat of his heart started suddenly to thunder in his ears.

      Then he saw Raina, joining Maya in the doorway. She was dressed in a pair of dark slacks with a cream blouse, the perfect choice for an informal interview. She looked stunning. A little girl in a blue and white summer dress ran to her side and Gabriel appeared, shaking Raina’s hand and then looking down as the child tugged at his sleeve.

      Alistair held his breath, unable to move. Gabriel bent towards the child, and she planted a kiss on his cheek. Maya laughed, obviously making a joke of it, and Gabriel stood up again, grinning helplessly. Fierce jealousy wound its fingers around Alistair’s heart and squeezed hard. It should have been him...

      No. It shouldn’t have been him. He’d already decided that he’d make just as bad a father as his own father had been, and that Raina would be happier with someone else.

      Suddenly