She had been dying to meet him; the man who had made her daughter pregnant. In the past, Helen had always dreaded meeting Anthea’s boyfriends for the first time. The early boys she went out with nearly always had that unkempt and ‘what day is it?’ look about them, time-wasters with a single goal – getting her daughter into bed. She dreaded Anthea getting pregnant and having to settle down so early in life with a child and...

They saw Ben again on the following Friday. The project that he was working on in Manchester had overrun by three days and so Anthea was very excited to see him. Jack watched them warmly kissing and embracing after the door had closed behind him. He also saw Ben give her bump a long and gentle rub as he enquired about his daughter. Anthea looked at Jack as she explained that she had a forthcoming scan next week. They went...

After our session with Adriana, Pam seemed to be riding a high. Her whole demeanour changed; the stress and worry she had exhibited seemed to fade away. I think that her realization that she was bisexual and the fact that I did not take umbrage was part of it. We were scheduled to meet with Adriana and her friend Reinaldo the coming Saturday night. Pam seemed excited about experiencing her first experience with another co...

I woke alone in bed with the smell of coffee wafting into the room. I started to rise when Pam walked into the room, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee and croissants. “Back in bed, you gorgeous hunk of man,” she said, smiling at me. “We’re having breakfast in bed this morning, and you are part of the meal.” “Now what did I do to deserve this? All that beauty and to gild the cherry, domesticity?” “How do you take you...

They drove home a short while later. Anthea listened in silence to Jack’s account of his conversation with her mum as she drove. She was quite shocked as well as stunned by the way things were unravelling in her parents' lives. “Maybe we should never have told them about Ben and the baby,” she mused at the end. Jack shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it?” he responded. “Anyway, from what your mum...

Jack was already home following his visit to his parents when Anthea got in. He was holding a half-empty glass of Merlot in his hand. “That bad was it?” she asked. He nodded. They hugged and kissed. “I’m so sorry,” she commiserated. “I should have come with you or even gone on my own to tell them.” He shook his head. “No, she would only have upset you and we couldn’t have that in your condition,” he responded. “Dave and H...

Anthea had arrived at her parents’ home that lunchtime with trepidation and she left a couple of hours later still filled with trepidation. But everything had changed. The issues surrounding her pregnancy were settled now. They had accepted it and they were supportive; she knew that they would be there for them all. Her problem now though was how to deal with their situation. Ten months ago she would have been totally per...

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Anthea looked up at her mum as she sat down at the dining table. “Nothing is wrong,” Anthea responded watching as her mum hurriedly dried her hands with a tea towel. “Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Is Jack okay?” she asked as her husband came into the room and pulled up a seat at the table. “We’re all fine Mum,” she responded exasperated with her mum’s anxiety. “I have something to tell you....