Not Cut Out For Motherhood
Womans Weekly Fiction Special|March 2020
The day passed in a haze of mess, tears and tantrums, but Stephanie had to admit — it wasn’t nearly as bad as she had imagined!
Teresa Ashby
Not Cut Out For Motherhood

Stephanie looked at the sleeping baby in the pram and thought she’d never seen anything quite so perfect.

Long, sweeping, dark eyelashes curled against smooth, slightly flushed, downy cheeks and most beautiful of all, a tiny hand curled into a fist just below the baby’s chin.

Even the smell, wafting from the pram caused her to catch her breath and close her eyes. It was the scent of a clean baby in clean clothes covered in the softest of blankets.

She’d never been this close to a baby before, but even so, she recognised it for what it was and it touched something deep inside her, something she had thought wasn’t even there.

‘So will that be all right with you, Stephanie?’ Lola asked. ‘It won’t be for very long.’

‘I…’ Stephanie smiled. She didn’t know what to say, but something prompted her to say, ‘Yes, of course it’s all right.’

‘She shouldn’t need feeding or anything, but everything you need is in the bag, including a bottle of milk just in case.’

‘Just in case?’ Stephanie swallowed. ‘You said you wouldn’t be very long?’

‘Half an hour at the most,’ Lola said. ‘Thank you so much for this. Oh, if she wakes up, just push her round the park. That usually works. I know she’ll be fine with you. I’ve seen how good you are with your nieces.’

And then she was gone.

The warm feeling inside had gone with her and now Stephanie felt her insides turn into a cold, hard knot of dread.

What on earth was Lola thinking, leaving a baby with her? There must have been another neighbour, one with more experience.

Of course, Lola wouldn’t know that Stephanie knew nothing about babies. Why would she?

Her nieces were always coming round and often stayed for the weekend.

この記事は Womans Weekly Fiction Special の March 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Womans Weekly Fiction Special の March 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

WOMANS WEEKLY FICTION SPECIALのその他の記事すべて表示
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

The Perfect Gift

The change to their Christmas plans was a shock, though it could teach them a lesson…

time-read
4 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

Christmas Is Coming

With all the mess, noise and disruption, she was seriously struggling to embrace the festive spirit

time-read
4 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

The Generation G-App

It was a lovely idea, but surely there was no way the project would become a successful reality?

time-read
8 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

The Christmas Tree

The cottage had no festive cheer, but could Jennie create the impression of Yuletide joy before it was too late?

time-read
6 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

We All Stand Together

If the plan failed, Joan wouldn’t be the only one having an unhappy Christmas

time-read
9 分  |
December 2020
The Christmas Robin
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

The Christmas Robin

Presents to buy, food to cook and a tree to decorate – could she create the perfect day?

time-read
8 分  |
December 2020
Maudie's First Christmas
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

Maudie's First Christmas

With all her dreams of a family Christmas dashed, it seemed that Ruth would have to adjust to a very different festive season this year...

time-read
8 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

Friends Like You

Leah was about to find out what sort of people she’d had in her life all these years…

time-read
9 分  |
December 2020
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

Breaking Point

She hoped her children would start to compromise soon, or they were in for a distinctly frosty festive season

time-read
9 分  |
December 2020
A CHAT WITH... Sarah Morgan
Womans Weekly Fiction Special

A CHAT WITH... Sarah Morgan

Well-known for her heart-warming family tales, Sarah Morgan’s latest novel is packed full of love and laughter. Here, she reveals how she comes to craft her characters and she gave her new release that sprinkle of festive magic...

time-read
2 分  |
December 2020