‘Okay. Have you called Mum?’
‘Christ no, I can’t handle the entire panic stations.’
The sisters tentatively smiled at one another.
‘Okay,’ said Carmen. ‘Come on, let’s get you up.’
But before she had finished the sentence and pulled up Uber, Sofia was bending double.
‘Ah, bugger.’
‘It’s okay though?’ said Carmen. ‘Babies take ages to come, right?’
‘The first one does,’ said Sofia. ‘Number four just kind of strolls out.’
‘Shit,’ said Carmen. ‘Are you going to make it?’
Sofia pulled herself up, breathing heavily, to collapse in the big chair.
‘You know you call me a control freak?’
‘I have never called you that,’ said Carmen, inputting the info for the route on her phone. ‘To your face.’
Sofia did several more panting breaths.
‘Well. This is the time when it comes in useful. Get me a cab, then you stay here and babysit.’
‘You can’t be alone,’ said Carmen.
‘I can,’ said Sofia. ‘I promise, it’s not a new experience, and it has poo in it. I’ll get them to call you when I’m done, okay? Don’t worry. I got this.’ They were holding hands then, and Sofia suddenly squeezed Carmen’s tight. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah,’ said Carmen. ‘Federico will come straightaway, won’t he?’
‘Well, if he has a quick trip to a gym and spa I’m going to be very … ach … ’
She bent over and squeezed Carmen’s hand again.
‘You’re right,’ said Carmen. ‘This is painful.’
‘Just. Don’t. Wake. The. Children.’
They would have got away with it too, if the cabbie hadn’t turned up and immediately honked four times, loud enough to wake the street. Carmen had Sofia’s immaculately packed hospital bag and was about to help her sister out to the cab, when there came the familiar banging feet from upstairs.
‘Oh no,’ said Sofia.
‘Oh no,’ said the cabbie as they opened the door and he saw what he was picking up.
‘Come on,’ said Carmen. ‘It’s a booking for the hospital in the middle of the night – what did you think it was going to be?’
He scratched his head.
‘Is she going to have it in the cab?’
‘No,’ said Carmen, then, quieter to her sister: ‘Are you?’
‘No!’ said Sofia.
‘But if she does, we’ll pay for the cleaning and you’ll be in the papers.’
‘Mummy, where are you going?’ It was Phoebe’s voice.
‘Just nipping out,’ said Sofia.
‘Just nipping out?’ Carmen said.
‘The thing is,’ said the cabbie, ‘I just got it cleaned and … ’
‘Can we come?’
‘Mummy’s just going to hospital,’ said Carmen.
‘HOSPITAL?’ said Jack.
‘Jack!’ said Pippa crossly. ‘You never listen! It’s for the baby.’
‘I forgot about the baby,’ said Jack. ‘Oh. Bye then.’