February 22: Baby steps

My friend is in Bristol for the evening. Hooray, I have something to do. I have a place to go, a person to see, a friend, a reason to exist. I leave my house (a rare occurrence.. especially as I can barely get to the front door as the whole lounge is taken up with boxes) and drive to the restaurant to meet her. She has been so very very kind. She's bought me a gift of some cosy knitted slippers (for when I go into hospital to have Bump.. clearly she's not in denial about what's coming up, even if I am). And, better still, she's bought Bump some tiny bright blue shoes with scary orange monsters on them - his first, and most-beautiful present, bar all the second-hand stuff my sisters have already dumped on me. 'I'm convinced it's a boy,' she said, explaining the blue away with a cheerful swig of her wine. 'And anyway, the pink shoes had cup cakes on them. You're much more of a monster girl.'