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Prologue
Julia sneezed.
"Julia--"
She nodded, put up her hand to stop him and sneezed again. This time, for some reason, it gave her a short
pain at her lower belly. She quickly put her hand there. Unfortunately, she couldn't help wincing.
Mason noticed. Of course he did: he always had. He frowned.
"Julia," he said. "Are you all right?"
"Quite," she assured him.
"Are you?"
"Yes, I am."
"Does it hurt?"
"No it does not."
"I saw your grimace."
"Mason. It's okay, really. It's normal."
"How do you know?"
Julia smiled. He did not smile back. He was concerned, and she enjoyed it more than she'd thought she could.
"It's perfectly normal," she said.
Mason knew how much the baby meant to this woman. This courageous, proud woman who had decided to
learn to live with her loneliness, but still refused to live an empty life.
The fact that he was the one to give her this baby gave him a thrill. Not quite unfamiliar, for he already had a
son; but still very new and - very genuine. To Mason the baby meant almost as much.
Julia was independent and self-sufficient; too self-sufficient for her own good. Well, he was here to take care of
that.
The ward door opened. "Julia," the man greeted her.
"Bill!"
Bill, must be that Bill Merrick, her doctor.
"You're all right," he said.
"And the baby?" she asked hurriedly.
"It's all right. Your blood pressure dropped, it happens with pregnant women. The organism is adapting to the
hormone changes, - and there must have been a stress recently--"
'Oh yes,' Mason and Julia thought in unison.
"Probably you've just been overexhausting yourself at work," Bill went on. "You know you shouldn't."
"I'll see to it," Mason spoke up.
Bill looked surprised: he hadn't noticed him before. Mason stepped forward.
"I'm Mason Capwell," he shook Bill's hand. "The father of Julia's baby."
Julia's lower jaw dropped.
"Dr Merrick," Bill said.
He must have known that other friend of Julia's, Mason thought; but Bill did not voice any surprise or
puzzlement. Probably the good doctor decided Julia had found another sperm donor. Mason was determined
to prove he was more than that.
So much more.
Julia sneezed.
"Julia--"
She nodded, put up her hand to stop him and sneezed again. This time, for some reason, it gave her a short
pain at her lower belly. She quickly put her hand there. Unfortunately, she couldn't help wincing.
Mason noticed. Of course he did: he always had. He frowned.
"Julia," he said. "Are you all right?"
"Quite," she assured him.
"Are you?"
"Yes, I am."
"Does it hurt?"
"No it does not."
"I saw your grimace."
"Mason. It's okay, really. It's normal."
"How do you know?"
Julia smiled. He did not smile back. He was concerned, and she enjoyed it more than she'd thought she could.
"It's perfectly normal," she said.
Mason knew how much the baby meant to this woman. This courageous, proud woman who had decided to
learn to live with her loneliness, but still refused to live an empty life.
The fact that he was the one to give her this baby gave him a thrill. Not quite unfamiliar, for he already had a
son; but still very new and - very genuine. To Mason the baby meant almost as much.
Julia was independent and self-sufficient; too self-sufficient for her own good. Well, he was here to take care of
that.
The ward door opened. "Julia," the man greeted her.
"Bill!"
Bill, must be that Bill Merrick, her doctor.
"You're all right," he said.
"And the baby?" she asked hurriedly.
"It's all right. Your blood pressure dropped, it happens with pregnant women. The organism is adapting to the
hormone changes, - and there must have been a stress recently--"
'Oh yes,' Mason and Julia thought in unison.
"Probably you've just been overexhausting yourself at work," Bill went on. "You know you shouldn't."
"I'll see to it," Mason spoke up.
Bill looked surprised: he hadn't noticed him before. Mason stepped forward.
"I'm Mason Capwell," he shook Bill's hand. "The father of Julia's baby."
Julia's lower jaw dropped.
"Dr Merrick," Bill said.
He must have known that other friend of Julia's, Mason thought; but Bill did not voice any surprise or
puzzlement. Probably the good doctor decided Julia had found another sperm donor. Mason was determined
to prove he was more than that.
So much more.