Keeping us secret (Waterloo Road)

28

Leigh groaned as she gave birth to her daughter. She saw how small she was. She looked up as Tom took her hand. "She's perfect. She really is."

"Is she okay?" Leigh asked as she took a sip of water. She sighed. "Giving birth is exhausting. I'm not doing that again."

Tom smiled. "They're weighing her to see how chunky she is. Do we have a name for her?"

"I only like Polly. That's the only name that comes to mind," Leigh said as she smiled. "Polly Clarkson."

"Perfect. Like her. And like you. Thank you. For giving birth to her. She's perfect," Tom said as he kissed her.

The midwife walked over and smiled. "Baby is weighing in at 5lb exactly. She's a perfect weight considering she's premature."

Leigh took her daughter and held her. She looked to her. "She looks like me. But she's got your eyes," she commented as she looked to her.

Tom smiled. "She's beautiful. We've got the most perfect little girl ever," he said.

***
The door opened and Charlee walked in. She smiled. "I came to meet my cutie niece. Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Hey auntie Charlee. Meet Polly."

Charlee grinned as she sat with her sister. "Oh my god! She's perfect! Lemme hold her."

Leigh handed her daughter to her sister and smiled. "Go see auntie Charlee. She's crazy. But she's going to love you more than anything," she said.

Charlee looked to her and held the tiny baby. "She really is perfect. You've done beautifully."

"It will be you next. You'll have your baby soon enough," Leigh said as she took hold of her sister's hand. "You're going to be okay. You know that right?"

Charlee smiled slightly. She looked at her. "Don't worry about me. Focus on your beautiful little girl. Give her the life we never had. Okay?" She said as she looked to her.

"You know I will."

"Good. She really is perfect."

"Charlee. Are you okay? You're not sounding like yourself. If you're struggling with anything, you know you can talk to me," Leigh told her.

Charlee looked to her. "I'm fine. I promise. Everything is fine."

Leigh frowned. She watched as Charlee walked off. She knew her sister was hiding something from her. And she was going to find out what it was.

***
A couple of days later, Leigh had been discharged from the hospital. Tom smiled as he carried the car seat. Leigh looked to him. "Are we sure we can do this? Taking her home... it's different to being here with her. At home, we're responsible for her. Anything goes wrong and we're to blame," she mumbled.

Tom took her hand and smiled. "It's all going to be okay. I promise you. I love you and I love her. Nothing is going to ruin our happiness. I promise you."

Leigh nodded and grinned. She knew that having a baby was going to be hard. Leigh wanted nothing more than to be a good mum to her baby. To give her a life she never had.

But Leigh had no idea how it was going to go downhill for her. Especially when a face from Tom's past came back to haunt him.