Wasn’t that why he had sought her out in London a month after Draco and Allegra’s wedding? He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. But it wasn’t just his mind that was captivated by her.
It was his heart.
Loukas had a couple of hours until he met with her at the hospital for the scan. Should he wait till then or go and see her now? How could he wait two minutes, let alone two hours?
He could and he would, because there were things he had to do before then so that she would be absolutely convinced he loved her.
* * *
Emily had a full bladder and an empty heart when she arrived at the hospital for the scan. Her mother had offered to come with her but Emily had decided against it. She didn’t trust her mother not to give Loukas an earful about his ‘love’ issues. Emily had texted him the time and place and he’d responded with a curt ‘Thanks’. It seemed so impersonal and clinical; nothing like she expected it would be when having a child with someone she loved. She placed a hand over her abdomen. She had ballooned over the last week. Not a party balloon, either. A hot-air balloon. Surely it wasn’t normal to show this much so soon? She could barely do up the top button on her cotton trousers. Or maybe it was nerves. Maybe it wasn’t butterflies in her stomach but bats—big spiky-winged ones, beating around in there in panic at the thought of seeing Loukas again.
Oh, God, why had she said he could come to the scan? Maybe she should’ve just sent him the photo. No. That wouldn’t be fair. He was the baby’s father. He had a right to be here if he wanted to be.
A nurse directed her to the cubicle to wait for the sonographer. ‘Is anyone going to be with you?’
‘My...erm...the baby’s father said he’d be here.’ Emily glanced out at the reception and waiting room area but there was no sign yet of Loukas. Surely he would turn up? Or had he changed his mind? He hated hospitals, but surely he wouldn’t let that get in the way of seeing his child for the first time?
‘No problem,’ the nurse said. ‘We’ll get you set up and then when he arrives I’ll send him in.’
Emily lay on the table and waited with her hands over her rounded belly. She hoped Loukas wouldn’t be too long otherwise her bladder was going to have something to say about it. Where was he? She’d told him the right time. Surely he wouldn’t let her down on this day of all days?
The plastic clock on the wall mechanically clicked its seconds. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Laughter came from the reception area and the sound of someone squealing with delight. ‘Oh, how cute are you two little darlings?’
Emily assumed a mother had come in with a toddler or two. She wondered if the mum had a partner, someone who loved her as much as she loved him. She tried not to cry, but her emotions were on shaky ground as it was. This wasn’t the way she’d thought it would be. She’d pictured this day when she was younger, imagining how exciting it would be to be holding hands with her partner as they met their tiny baby in utero. Now she was a frazzled mess of nerves because the only partner she wanted didn’t love her. He liked her. He desired her. But he didn’t love her. Why wasn’t he here? Had he got more important things to do than meet his baby for the first time?
The curtain was suddenly swished back and Loukas came in. The cubicle had seemed spacious until he entered it.
Or maybe that was because, this close to him, she ached to reach out and touch him. She curled her fingers into her palms to stop herself. She could smell the fresh citrus scent of him and longed for him to lean down and press a kiss to her mouth. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said. ‘I got held up with...something.’
‘Work?’ She couldn’t quite remove the barb in her tone in time.
His expression registered her comment with a tiny flinch near the edge of his mouth. She noted he had cut himself shaving for he had a little scratch on his cheek. But then she noticed he had two or three scratches on his hands as well.
‘How are you?’ He swallowed and glanced at her bulging tummy. ‘Growing by the minute, by the look of things.’
‘Yes, well, some of that may well be my bladder,’ Emily said. ‘If you make me laugh then things could get pretty awkward around here.’ Not that he was likely to make her laugh any time soon. All she wanted to do was cry.
‘How’s the nausea?’
‘A little better.’
‘That’s good.’
God, how stiff and formal they sounded! Like two people who had only just met and were making idle chit-chat to fill in the time. ‘So, how are your mum and sister?’ Emily asked. ‘Have you seen them lately?’
‘I haven’t seen them but I spoke to them an hour ago. I thought you might like to visit them with me after this.’
She frowned. ‘Why would I do that?’
The sonographer came in just then and began setting up the ultrasound equipment. A generous layer of gel was smeared over Emily’s belly and the sonographer angled the screen so both Emily and Loukas could see. ‘So, here we have the placental sac... Hang on a minute.’ She fiddled with the dials on the machine for a few moments, a frown of concentration pulling at her forehead.
Emily’s heart pounded as though she had just bolted up ten flights of stairs. What was wrong? Why was the sonographer peering at the screen so intently? She glanced at Loukas. He too was frowning and his hand suddenly reached for hers and squeezed it. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
The sonographer turned on her stool and smiled at them both. ‘Have a look.’ She pointed to the screen with the cursor. ‘Here is your baby’s heartbeat. See that? And here is another one.’
Another heartbeat?