Positively Yours by Amanda Hearty Page B

didn’t take the whole thing seriously enough.
    â€˜Oh, don’t worry, sure I have my mum ringing me every day demanding to know what food I’ve eaten. The baby will be the first grandchild in our house, and Mum is already so worried and concerned for its health. Honestly, if she could she would move in here just so she could force-feed me steak and vegetables every day! But I suppose it’s because since my dad died earlier this year she’s been so heartbroken. And now she is so excited about her first grandchild. It’s really lifted her spirits.’
    Erin felt guilty. She realized that Ciara had more important things to worry about than bottles of Lucozade and her caffeine intake. She’d dealt with the death of her father, and was now trying to enjoy bringing some happiness into her family. Erin felt she shouldn’t have been so judgemental.
    â€˜I’m sorry about your dad,’ she said. ‘The baby couldn’t have come at a better time for you all. What a blessing for your family!’
    â€˜It really is. We all can’t wait.’
    â€˜Anyway, now that you have this baby on the way I will certainly revise the design plans,’ said Erin. ‘The playroom should be easy: we just need to pick out some nice bright paint and ensure we have plenty of storage units in there for all the toys! But the nursery will be trickier. You and Mark have a good-sized bedroom and en suite, but the remaining three bedrooms are so tiny. What do you think about knocking two of them together? I’m sure Paula could get you some quotes to let you know how much it would cost.’
    â€˜Why don’t we go upstairs and have a look?’ suggested Ciara.
    Ciara proudly showed Erin into one of the sunny back bedrooms.
    â€˜I’d like the baby to have a nice, light, happy room. I can’t wait to pick out cots and baby furnishings!’
    Erin swallowed hard. She didn’t want to admit that for years she had been collecting ideas for baby rooms of her own: girly pink bedclothes, baby-blue wallpaper, dinosaur curtains, princess beds, wooden cots from Scandinavia, and quilts from America – she had all her ideas and hopes in a special book.
    â€˜I think we should paint the room yellow,’ said Erin, trying to focus on the work at hand. ‘It’s a neutral colour, so would suit a girl or a boy, and although the wooden floors might need sanding, I think the biggest problem here will be space. I will work on some ideas, but I think if we could knock this room and the one next to it together it would create a big, bright, and nicely proportioned nursery.’
    For the rest of the afternoon Erin let herself revel in doing nothing but talking about babies. Yes, she was incredibly jealous of her client, but Ciara was a sweet girl who had survived a tough year, so Erin tried to push aside her envy and instead enjoy talking about baby cots, nursery ideas and how to baby-proof the newly renovated house.
    â€˜OK, I’ve taken enough of your time today,’ she said eventually. ‘Email me your thoughts on the kitchen floor, and I’ll look for a brochure I have somewhere at home on a Norwegian company who make the most beautiful wooden nursery furniture. Children’s cots aren’t something we supply, but the catalogue might be of some use to you.’
    â€˜Thanks, Erin. And thanks for all your tips on vitamins, food and exercise. I’ve learnt more from you this afternoon than from any baby book!’
    Erin said nothing, she just stole a quick glance at Ciara’s belly. Of course there was no sign yet she was carrying a child, but still Erin couldn’t believe there was a little person right there with them.
    â€˜I hope you have a good weekend. I’ll talk to you next week.’
    â€˜Thanks,’ said Ciara again as she began to close the front door. And then she added, because they’d talked about it over coffee: ‘Best of