Finding Out After Eight Years

Chapter Two

 Scarlet stood in front of her wardrobe staring at her long sleeve t-shirts and dresses, knowing all to well how cold it would be once they landed in Melbourne compared to the sunny Gold Coast.

"Mum do I have to change?" Andrew asked standing in Scarlet bedroom doorway in short sleeve t-shirt and light blue beach shorts, Scarlet took in what he was wearing before responding, 

"Put on a pair of jeans and get your jacket with the wool on the inside, your top is fine" Andrew nodded his head before heading off to his room. 

"It can't be that cold there" Phoebe claimed in her strong Irish accent, laying across Scarlet bed with the suitcase in front of her. Phoebe was two years older then Scarlet was, but was one of her closest friends. The two had meet when Andrew was born; Phoebe had been in the same ward as Scarlet, and had had her daughter, Gracie the day before Scarlet had Andrew. 

"You scared?" Phoebe had asked her back then sitting in her bed hospital, as Scarlet sat there waiting to be moved to the delivery room. Scarlet nodded her head fiercely, while having another contraction. "Its hard, but at the end of it you get something, someone amazing" Phoebe told her looking down at her daughter wrapped in a thin pink blanket, sleeping peacefully in her crib. 

Phoebe hadn't seen Scarlet until fourteen hours later, once she had given birth and was rolled back into the ward sleeping soundly from exhaustion. She wasn't asleep long before she woke in a panic. 

"Where's my baby?" she said with fear in her voice. Phoebe looked up from her hungry daughter who was latched on to her mother happily. 

"It's okay love, he's probably in the nursery" Phoebe told her calmly giving her a smile. "Just take a deep breath and call the nurse on the button and I'm sure they'll bring him in, Okay?"  Scarlet looked over at Phoebe as she feed her daughter, taking a few deep long breaths before pressing the nurse button. 

The nurse that had been in the room when Andrew was born, bought in a small bundle of blue and placed it in his mothers arms. "His so little" Scarlet gasped softly, holding him close, placing  her pinky finger in his small hand. "Its amazing isn't?" Phoebe asked her, Scarlet nodded fiercely shaking her head while tears fell down her face and she whipped. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Scarlet said after a few minutes more to her baby then to anyone else in the room, trying to compose herself, wiping her cheeks with her sleeves. Phoebe slowly sat up from the bed, gently laying Gracie down in her crib, making her way over to Scarlet's bed, sitting on the edge. 

"His gorgeous, love" Phoebe spoke softly. 

"He is isn't he?" Scarlet said looking down at her baby "Your baby is beautiful, What's her name?" Scarlet asked warming up. 

"Gracie Rose Kelly, and I'm Phoebe" she told her. 

"Scarlet, Scarlet Hunter and this here is Andrew, Andrew David" she responded. 

"I think a good strong name, he looks tough like his mum" Phoebe said with her accent showing. "You look pretty young love, do you have any family coming in to see you?" Phoebe inquired. 

"No" Scarlet then went on to tell her about how she'd got pregnant and had left and Phoebe told her how she and her partner had only been in Australia for six months themselves. 

"We moved over here for Red's work, he has a cousin, who got him a high up job, working in construction" Phoebe told Scarlet and just as she did, a man walked into the room, tall with strong build, shortly cut ginger hair, with a scruffy looking face.

"Hi love" the man said walking over to Phoebe, giving her a kiss then checking on a sleeping Gracie. "Hi I'm Red Kelly" He said looking over at Scarlet figuring he couldn't shake her hand with a baby in her arms.