Mallaig had no shortage of women experienced in all matters of childbirth, and they were very efficient. In moments, Sally had been whisked away, while Oliver was taken to another house close by. Dad tried to follow the car taking Sally to safety, but once I'd explained the danger Sally would be in should Dad get access to her, he was immediately asked to return to Bodman. He refused, and while he got into an argument with the locals who'd shown up to see him off, Callum and I managed to sneak away. We were soon installed in another house to wait out Sally's labour, and I wondered who I should curse more; Oliver, for delaying us, or Dad, for being such an arsehole. I decided to spread my wrath equally between the two, and Callum, sensing my mood, kept a tight grip on my hand as the night wore on.
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Just past midnight, Sally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom she named Olivia, after her stepfather. Being born four months premature, Olivia and Sally were immediately whisked away to Belford Hospital, and Oliver, distressed and angry, came to the house where Callum and I were staying. I half expected him to blame me for the disastrous turn of events, but insteads, he grabbed a coffee from our hosts and threw himself into an armchair. "I hate myself," he said to the ceiling.
"And so you should," Callum said sharply. "Had you not wasted time arguing, your wife would be safe with you, and you wouldn't now be wondering if your new daughter is going to make it through the night."
Oliver shot him an angry look, before turning an appealing look to me. "I can't do this," he said. "Your dad is right - you and I are meant for each other. What about the good times we had? You remember the night we had our first kiss - how we were there, under the water, wondering how much time we had before we ran out of air? And you can't have forgotten the sex we had in the Kombi afterwards - not to mention the £2 rings we got each other on the way back from St Albans. We've still got a chance - your dad will help me get custody of Olivia, and then you and I can finally get married."
"No," I said firmly. "I do remember the good times we had, and they'll always have a fond place in my memory. But I was told by a wise woman that sometimes, you have to let go. I let you go, and I'm happy now where I am, with who I am. No, Callum and I don't know each other very well yet, but we've got the chance to, and I won't throw it away on a man who'll abandon his wife and newborn daughter, or worse, who'll steal his newborn daughter from his wife, just because his former stepfather doesn't know the meaning of the words let go."
"You're making a mistake," Oliver said, gesturing to Callum. "He could be a creepy axe murderer, for all you know. Or maybe he's got a secret wife and child you don't know about. Hell, you said you barely know him, but you know me. And I know you. And I've had more of you than he ever will. He won't have that first kiss, he won't have that first time in the back of the Kombi, and he sure as hell won't have £2 rings from a supermarket."
"No," I agreed. "But we'll have better times, because they'll be new and fresh, and not recycled good times."
Oliver stood, hands clenched into fists. "I can take you now," he said. "Get you in the Kombi and drive out to the middle of nowhere. You won't be able to say no to me after I've fucked you---"
Maureen, our host, entered at that moment, cutting off the rest of Oliver's threat. "I've had news of your wife," she said. "She wants to see you."
Her grim tone cut off all communication, and I felt my heart sink as Callum took my hand. We ran out to the car, and seconds later, we were racing back to Fort William.
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Sally was very white, but she managed a faint smile as Callum and I entered her room. "Where's Oliver?" she whispered, and I felt sick when I saw the blue tinge to her lips. She was now hooked up to a life support machine, and only the faint beeping indicated she was still alive, so slight was the rise and fall of her chest.
I braced myself. "He's not coming," I said. "He's gone off somewhere - probably to find Dad."
Sally sighed. "Of course," she murmured, eyes fluttering closed. "Listen," she went on, more faintly now. "Olivia is in NICU, but she's expected to get robust as she gets older. I've already talked to the staff and the legal time - I didn't put Oliver's name on the birth certificate, so her fate is solely in my hands."
"You want us to raise her?" Callum asked, and Sally nodded.
"You two will be good parents to her," she said. "And she's your cousin, Charlie. You're the best person I can think of to raise her, and I'm sure Callum will be able to help you here and there."
I squeezed her hand. "I'd be honoured," I said.
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Half an hour later, I visited Olivia in the NICU, and my eyes filled with tears as I looked at the little girl who was now to be my daughter. Callum put an arm around me as I reached out and gently touched Olivia's hand. "She's so tiny," I whispered.
"But she'll grow up to be strong," Callum assured me, kissing the top of my head. "So, would now be a bad time to ask? I know we've only known each other for a short while, but ..."
I squeezed the hand wrapped around my waist. "Let's just not use cheap £2 rings from the supermarket," I said, and Callum chuckled as he kissed me again.
"Mum's got a gorgeous wedding set," he told me. "She'll be absolutely thrilled, by the way. She's always had a good eye for who'll make good couples, and she said I got the goofiest look on my face the moment you walked in the door."
I smirked. "I have that effect on people," I said.
Our moment was interrupted by a nurse, who told us we had to go back to Sally's room immediately. We wasted no time, and when we entered, I ran to her bed, taking her hand as she looked up at me, her eyes sunken, her lips blue. "You've seen her?"
"She's beautiful," I said, kissing her forehead. "And Callum's done the one smart thing he'll ever do in his life."
Sally smiled. "You two will make a wonderful couple," she whispered. "Thank you, both of you. Callum, look after her."
Callum's eyes filled with tears as he kissed her cheek. "I will," he promised. "Go on - your daughter is in safe hands."
Sally smiled again, and, as the sky began to lighten in the east, she slipped her mortal leash, going so quietly and quickly that the only indication of her passing was the sudden, sharp tone of the life support machine as she flatlined. As staff came running, Callum and I retreated, and though we'd neither of us gotten any sleep since Sally's water had broken, the backseat of the Beetle proved a very good place to seek some much needed consolation.
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