‘Sixteen.’ Angie scrubbed at her face with the back of her hand. ‘And I don’t want to go to hospital. They’d tell my dad.’
‘And would that be such a bad thing?’
‘I dunno.’ Angie sniffed again. ‘I wanted to tell my mum but I was too scared. But now I just want to talk to her. I don’t even care if she shouts at me. Will you ring her for me if I give you the number?’
‘Let’s get you to hospital,’ Miranda said firmly, ‘and once we know that you’re fine, we’ll help you with everything else.’
CHAPTER NINE
THE police were informed and Miranda stayed with Jake while he examined Angie and then waited until her parents arrived.
‘Don’t leave me,’ Angie begged in a terrified voice, gripping Miranda’s hand so tightly that she was given no choice in the matter. Not that she would have left.
Despite Jake’s constant reminders that it was really late, that she was tired and should go home, she sat by Angie and talked to her, soothing and reassuring, unable to leave until she was sure that the young girl had someone with her who would care for her and offer the support she so badly needed.
The young teenager had calmed down and was sitting quietly when the door opened and a midwife came in, accompanied by Angie’s mother.
Her hair was tangled and she’d obviously been woken from sleep and had dragged on the first clothes that came to hand. But there was no missing the worry in her eyes when she saw her daughter.
‘Ange?’
Miranda felt a lump in her throat. What did the future hold for both of them? How would they manage? What would happen to Bonnie, currently lying in her cot, unaware that her whole future lay in the balance?
‘Mum?’ Angie’s voice shook and she sounded like a very young girl. Nothing like the mother of a child. ‘I’m really, really sorry…’
‘I don’t believe this! What have you been doing?’ Her mother covered her mouth with her hand and Angie’s face crumpled.
‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed, ‘I’m so, so sorry. Please, don’t be angry. Please, don’t yell. I didn’t mean it to happen. I didn’t know it would happen.’ Her sobs were so pitiful that Miranda felt her own eyes fill with tears and she held the shaking girl, ready to defend her if necessary.
But it wasn’t necessary.
Her mother crossed the room in a flash, tears pouring down her cheeks as she went to her daughter.
‘There…’ Her voice was choked. ‘Don’t cry, pet. Mummy’s here and everything is going to be all right. We’ll sort everything out. You should have told me. You should have told me, you silly thing.’
Angie sobbed and sobbed, her face blotched and swollen with crying. ‘I didn’t know how. I thought you’d be so mad with me. Dad’s going to kill me.’ She clung to her mother who shook her head slowly.
‘Your dad’s not going to kill anyone. He’s just worried about you, love. We all are. I wish you’d told us. How did I not notice?’ She glanced at Miranda with helpless confusion on her face, still visibly shocked by the circumstances. ‘I thought she was putting on some weight so I’ve been encouraging her to eat a bit less, but it just never occurred to me…’
‘You probably weren’t looking for it,’ Miranda said quietly, and the older woman gave a weary smile.
‘Being a parent is the hardest thing in the world.’ She stroked her daughter’s hair with a gentle hand and instinctively Miranda knew what she was thinking. That her daughter was now a parent, too.
Angie sniffed. ‘I don’t know what to do, Mum.’
‘What do you want to do, love? Whatever you choose, we’ll support you.’
Miranda felt warmth and admiration spread through her. Lucky Angie, she thought to herself. Her mother wasn’t trying to take over or dictate. She was trying to help her daughter make grown-up decisions by herself.
‘I want to keep her.’ Angie looked at her mother uncertainly. ‘That’s stupid, isn’t it? I haven’t even seen her yet but I know I want to keep her. When I thought she was dead I couldn’t stop crying and now I know she’s alive—’
‘Why is it stupid?’ Her mother straightened her shoulders. ‘She’s our flesh and blood. There’ll be enough willing helpers, that’s for sure. Of course we’re going to keep her. She’s family.’
It was two o’clock by the time Jake managed to persuade Miranda to leave, and he was worried by how drained and exhausted she looked.
‘Are you all right? You haven’t said a word since we left the hospital.’ Knowing that she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, Jake made a mug of hot chocolate because he knew she loved it. ‘Drink this and then go to bed. I’ve already agreed with Ruth that you’re having tomorrow off. And just to make sure that you don’t lift a finger, I’m having
tomorrow off, too. After tonight’s events, I think we both deserve it.’