BREAKING POINT

Two days later Penny took a taxi to Harley Street and walked into the waiting room of the woman gynecologist who had attended her aunt Ann when it was thought that she might have cancer.

Penny had found Dr Rachel Greene’s phone number and decided to take her courage in both hands and make an appointment.

Penny felt horribly nervous and was unable to read any of the magazines lying around the waiting room. Instead, she watched the other patients sitting with her, wondering what was wrong with them, who they were, whether any of them had come like herself to find out if they were going to have a baby.

“Mrs Hampson”

She jumped to her feet, hurriedly dropping the magazine she was holding, and followed the nurse into the passage outside. She was led down a corridor and into a large comfortable consulting room.

“Good morning, Mrs Hampson” said Doctor Greene, coming forward to meet her. “I hope you haven’t been kept waiting for too long”

“That’s quite alright” Penny said nervously. “I don’t know if you remember me doctor. You once came to see my aunt, Mrs Gellar, when it was thought that she might have cancer”

“Yes. Of course I remember now. Please sit down, Mrs Hampson. Nurse, you may go”

Penny heard the door shut behind her and she took a seat. She like the look of this woman. She was grey eyed, grey haired, kindly.

“I hope your aunt is not ill again” the doctor said, sitting down at her desk opposite Penny.

“Oh no. She’s perfectly alright. I have come about myself. I think I might be going to have a baby and I want to make sure, Dr Greene” Penny replied.

“Oh okay” the doctor said. “Did you take a urine test at home.. You know, with the test stick?”

Penny shook her head. “No I didn’t.” she replied. “I haven’t been having any serious symptoms. Just a little fatigue once in a while and I just wanted to be sure. I don’t know anything about this kinda thing and I don’t even know if it’s too early to tell”

She didn’t tell the doctor that one of the reasons why she didn’t want to take the test at home was because she was scared she would freak out if it was positive…. And even worse, she was scared of how Jeremy’s would react, knowing fully well how he felt about having a baby now.

The doctor nodded, and after a brief examination and some careful questioning and tests, she left the room and returned a minute later.

She took her seat and smiled at Penny.

“Congratulations dear” she said, handing Penny the test results. “It’s positive. You’re going to have a baby. I’m sure you must be very happy”

Penny took the result with shaky hands, not bothering to look at it. She was pregnant. What the heck was she going to do? She wasn’t ready to have a baby. How was Jeremy going to react. She could hear the doctor calling her, and she came back to earth and tried to focus on what the doctor was saying.

“It’s good news isn’t it?….” the doctor was saying smiling at her.

“It is… It is if you want a baby” Penny thought silently.

“….. I expect you and your husband are looking forward to this. It will be your first, won’t it?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Yes, yes, the first” Penny answered almost inaudibly.

“Well, congratulations again. Please come see me for check ups and if you need anything” Dr Greene advised. She rose and Penny realized the interview was over.

Later, she left Dr Rachel Greene’s consulting room and went down Harley street in a daze.

She was pregnant.

‘Should I tell Jeremy yet?’ she was thinking. ‘I must. It’s his baby. I can bear all of this alone. He must help me. I will tell him’

But she knew she would not… Could not. Especially as she knew Jeremy’s stand on the whole thing. He had made it clear to her that he didn’t want a baby.

Penny had worked herself into such a state of nervous apprehension by the time Jeremy came home that she had firmly resolved to tell him everything. When she heard his key in the front door she rushed downstairs to meet him, pulling herself up as she caught sight of his face.

“Why darling, what on earth is the matter?” she asked. “tell me, Jeremy. What’s wrong?”

He followed her upstairs to the sitting room in silence, flinging his coat on to the sofa with an angry exclamation.

“It’s the limit,” he said, sinking into the armchair. “I’m just sick of being sent around the country like a traveling salesman or something. The sooner I get this job the better for me”

Penny looked at him aghast.

“Jeremy, you haven’t been transferred? Have you?” she asked breathlessly.

He shook his head. “No, not quite as bad as that” he replied.

Penny gave a sigh of relief. She couldn’t have stood it if Jeremy had to leave her.

.. Especially at this stage. Anything but that

“Tell me darling” she is begged him. “Don’t keep me in suspense”

“Cornwall” Jeremy said bitterly. “I gotta go to Cornwall.. For three wretched weeks”

“Cornwall” Penny echoed. “Three weeks. Oh Jeremy”

He stood up, putting his arms around her, and said gently.

“I know darling. It’s damnable… So fucking annoying. But I can’t get out of it. Anyways, it might have been worse, I suppose. Three weeks isn’t so very long”

“It is. It is.” Penny said, almost in tears. “Oh Jeremy. What am I going to do without you. Three days when you went away was an eternity. And you’ve only just come back. When do you leave?”

“Day after tomorrow.” he replied.

“Can’t I come with you?” Penny begged, clinging to him as desperately as though she were about to lose him this very minute.

Jeremy smiled.

“I’m afraid not, honey” he said. “I wish you could, but I will be very busy that we won’t even have time to be together. So there’s really no point”

Penny sat down on the sofa, feeling that the end of the world had come. Jeremy was going away now… Just when she needed him most. Oh… If only she could go with him.

“Jeremy!” she cried, an idea striking her. “Which part of Cornwall? Is it anywhere near Portreath?” she asked.

“Yes. Only a few miles away” Jeremy said, looking at her in surprise. “Why do you ask?”