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Misconception

Pantera Presserschienen am01.07.2019
'The invisible thread between them tightened, strengthened, bound them together. And now she was walking towards him, about to become his wife, and there was nothing in the world that could sever that thread.'Ali and Tom are the perfect couple. They both have successful careers and are still madly in love after ten years. But when they are told their unborn baby has died, their picture-perfect life is shattered.Faced with an empty room, the prospect of catching up with friends and returning to work, Ali feels her control over the reality she wanted slipping further and further away.When Ali's irresponsible mother re-enters her life, Ali discovers secrets from a past she'd forgotten ever existed. Will Ali and Tom ever be able to find their way back to each other? And will Ali find a way to move forward without letting go of her memories?

Rebecca Freeborn lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills with a husband, three kids, a dog, a cat, a horse, more books than she can fit in her bookcase and an ever-diminishing wine collection. She works as a communications and content editor for the South Australian Government where she screams into the void against passive voice and unnecessary capitalisation. She writes before the sun comes up and spends her moments of spare time reading novels and feminist articles and compulsively checking Facebook.Rebecca is also the author of Hot Pursuit (2017). Misconception is her second novel.mehr

Produkt

Klappentext'The invisible thread between them tightened, strengthened, bound them together. And now she was walking towards him, about to become his wife, and there was nothing in the world that could sever that thread.'Ali and Tom are the perfect couple. They both have successful careers and are still madly in love after ten years. But when they are told their unborn baby has died, their picture-perfect life is shattered.Faced with an empty room, the prospect of catching up with friends and returning to work, Ali feels her control over the reality she wanted slipping further and further away.When Ali's irresponsible mother re-enters her life, Ali discovers secrets from a past she'd forgotten ever existed. Will Ali and Tom ever be able to find their way back to each other? And will Ali find a way to move forward without letting go of her memories?

Rebecca Freeborn lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills with a husband, three kids, a dog, a cat, a horse, more books than she can fit in her bookcase and an ever-diminishing wine collection. She works as a communications and content editor for the South Australian Government where she screams into the void against passive voice and unnecessary capitalisation. She writes before the sun comes up and spends her moments of spare time reading novels and feminist articles and compulsively checking Facebook.Rebecca is also the author of Hot Pursuit (2017). Misconception is her second novel.
Details
Weitere ISBN/GTIN9781925700411
ProduktartE-Book
EinbandartE-Book
FormatEPUB
Erscheinungsjahr2019
Erscheinungsdatum01.07.2019
Seiten392 Seiten
SpracheEnglisch
Dateigrösse952
Artikel-Nr.11934183
Rubriken
Genre9200

Inhalt/Kritik

Leseprobe


Ali

Claudia had already ordered her lunch when Ali rushed through the door of the cafe.

Sorry hon, I ve got a meeting at two so I can t be too long, she said as Ali took the seat opposite her.

That s OK, sorry I m late. Ali shoved her handbag onto the floor, puffing with the exertion of the brisk walk from the office. The boss has been on my back all day, and of course he chose the moment I was on my way out to tell me about the urgent thing that absolutely had to be done right then.

Is this the minister? Claudia rested her elbows on the table. What s his name again?

Not Geoff, no. It s the chief of staff, Alex. We used to get along fine, but ever since he found out I m pregnant he s been treating me differently.

Claudia nodded. The old go-easy-on-the-pregnant-woman treatment, like you might break if you actually have to use your brain. I got that too.

Actually, he s been pushing me even harder than before. Ali s job as media adviser to the state government s education minister had been more frenetic than ever since rumours had begun to circulate a few months ago that the chief executive of the education department had been misusing government funds for travel. Pre-pregnant Ali would have thrived on the extra pressure, but each day she felt a little more tired than the day before. It was becoming harder and harder to put in the hours that were expected of her.

Hang on, I ll just go and order. She swung one leg out to get up from the chair, but a searing pain in her hips made her gasp out loud.

Stay there, Claudia commanded. I ll order for you. What do you want?

Caesar salad, please. No chicken.

Ali grimaced as she moved her leg back under the table. She hated feeling so helpless. Her physio had diagnosed pelvic girdle pain just as she d clicked over into the third trimester. She d been doing exercises that were supposed to help, but none of them seemed to make much difference. The pain got worse every day.

She watched Claudia standing at the counter, her own pregnant belly just beginning to strain against her white tailored shirt. It was good to be back in regular contact with her again after so long. Ali, Claudia and Kayla had been inseparable in high school, but Claudia had drifted away when they d all graduated and moved on to uni. Kayla had later reconnected the three of them, but as the only childless one of the trio, Ali had felt alienated by their overwhelming focus on their children. But now, Claudia was expecting her third child and Ali herself was pregnant, and it was good to have someone to share the journey with.

Caesar salad, no chicken coming up, Claudia announced as she slid back into her chair.

Thanks. Ali nodded at Claudia s belly. You ve really popped out now.

I know, it s amazing how much quicker you show with each successive kid. How are you going, anyway? Work getting you down a bit?

Ali sighed. I still love the work, but not the way I used to. I didn t realise this baby would take over my life so much. She had the hiccups the other day, and I got sprung at work just sitting at my desk staring down at my belly. Not that I get many of those moments with Alex ordering me around.

Claudia s brows knitted together. Make sure you don t overdo it. Everything you do affects the baby inside you.

Ali let out an exasperated groan. I m not working in a nuclear power plant, Claudia. Office work isn t going to give her deformities.

Claudia pulled the ridiculous prim face she always assumed when someone didn t like what she had to say. No offence intended. Just the stress, you know. But if you re all good, it s all good.

I m good.

Their meals arrived together and Ali stabbed her fork into a segment of hard-boiled egg.

How s Tom? Claudia asked around her mouthful.

Going to Sydney again next week. I hate it when he s away. He s been cooking dinner every night when I m too exhausted to get off the couch. I live on baked beans on toast when he s not around.

Claudia frowned again. He won t travel this much when the baby comes, will he? It ll be hard on you, being on your own.

We ll be OK. Ali felt disloyal to Tom for complaining. It s for our future, so it ll be worth it in the end.

Claudia gave a little shake of her head. It won t be worth it if he misses all the baby s milestones.

He won t, Ali said firmly. He s been so involved in the pregnancy. He s on this email list that sends weekly updates about the baby s development. I think he knows more about what s going on in here than I do.

Claudia tilted her head to the side. That s sweet. He ll be a great dad.

We re going shopping for the cot and pram this weekend, Ali said. He s so excited, you d think we were buying a sports car.

Claudia laughed. You always seemed so determined you were never having kids.

I was, Ali admitted. When she and Tom had got married they d agreed they weren t going to have children. But when Tom had broached the idea of having a baby over dinner two years ago, Ali s carefully curated world had tilted on its axis. She d carved out a successful career, first as a journalist and then in the political field, and she had a strong, loving marriage with a man who shared her goals. There was little room amid all that for babies. And then there was her own mother; the ultimate cautionary tale against ever becoming a parent.

Ali had always been the kind of person others described as an overachiever. Everything she put her mind to, she excelled at. English, maths, science. Even sport. She d been one of the only graduates in her journalism year to pick up a cadetship straight out of uni. Then, after five carefree years of singledom, she d found the perfect man and married him. So when she d agreed to Tom s idea at the age of thirty-eight, it never occurred to her that she might not be good at making babies too. She hadn t imagined then that it would take two years to get to where she was now. Her throat constricted with an ever-present fear and she clutched her fork more tightly.

Claudia suddenly straightened and moved both hands down to her belly. The baby just moved!

Ali snapped back to the present. Is that the first time you ve felt it?

Claudia nodded. I d forgotten how cool it was.

It s not quite so cool when they re dancing on your bladder at four thirty in the morning.

Yeah, that sucks, Claudia said. But it s just the baby s way of helping you get used to waking up in the middle of the night.

Oh, do shut up, Claudia, Ali said lightheartedly. You re only the twenty-third person to tell me that, and you d be surprised to discover it doesn t make me feel any better.

Claudia laughed, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

Anyway, this one s not moving anywhere near as much as before, Ali said after a while. I think she s running out of room.

Claudia s smile vanished. Have you told your obstetrician?

No. Ali frowned. Isn t it normal for them to slow down in the third trimester?

Neither Ellie nor Jacob slowed down until I went into labour. I could be wrong, but I m pretty sure they re supposed to stay active. You don t sleep on your back, do you? That s supposed to be one of the risk factors for stillbirth.

A cold spot formed next to Ali s heart. Sometimes I wake up on my back. I don t see what I can do about that, though.

The little furrow between Claudia s eyes was still there. I used to stick a tennis ball in the back of my singlet just in case I rolled onto my back in the middle of the night.

Ali stared at Claudia for a moment, then burst into laughter. You re nuts!

Claudia s face turned pink. It s the pregnancy hormones. They turn me into a lunatic. Still, though, I d keep an eye on the movement thing if I were you.

Ali bit back a retort, but then the baby pushed a foot right into her ribs. She pointed with triumph at the top of her belly. See, there she goes now. Nothing to worry about.

Claudia flashed a quick smile. Of course, I m sure everything s fine.

But when they d finished their meals and parted ways on the street, the little pinprick of doubt was still there in Ali s chest.

* * *

Ali opened her eyes on Saturday morning to the weak winter sunlight filtering past the edges of the...
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Autor

Rebecca Freeborn lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills with a husband, three kids, a dog, a cat, a horse, more books than she can fit in her bookcase and an ever-diminishing wine collection.
She works as a communications and content editor for the South Australian Government where she screams into the void against passive voice and unnecessary capitalisation. She writes before the sun comes up and spends her moments of spare time reading novels and feminist articles and compulsively checking Facebook.
Rebecca is also the author of Hot Pursuit (2017). Misconception is her second novel.