Free Positively Yours by Amanda Hearty

for lying to Tom.
    Tom looked a little put out, but then made Beth promise they would catch up at the weekend instead. As she walked out of his office she felt sick, thinking of the secret she was withholding from him.
    Beth had been avoiding her family and friends all week. Ever since she had done her first pregnancy test she just hadn’t been able to face talking and lying to those who were closest to her, and so she had switched her phone off, hadn’t replied to any personal emails, and had ignored any messages from her dad. It felt as if her life were on hold, and the longer she avoided telling anyone her secret the longer she could avoid facing reality. There were times she did feel excitement at becoming a mum, even if it was unplanned. But then she would think of the reality of it: she was unmarried, in a relationship with a man who didn’t want kids, and it was not the ideal situation. And so she had put off telling anyone for another week.
    But today she knew she couldn’t avoid what had to be done. She had an important phone call to make, and it was to the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street. Beth had been born there, and after discussion with her own GP it was where she knew she wanted to book herself in. Going to her own doctor to get confirmation of her pregnancy had been an uncomfortable experience. As her GP had congratulated Beth and handed her some leaflets on pregnancy she’d felt like admitting that she didn’t really want to be pregnant. But instead she had taken down the names of vitamins and a list of foods to avoid, and promised her doctor she would book into a maternity hospital asap, as apparently they got booked up quite quickly. That had been three days ago now, and Beth knew she finally had to make the call.
    As soon as she could leave the office Beth grabbed her woollen coat and headed over to St Stephen’s Green. She found a quiet park bench and dialled the number. Her voice shook as she asked to be put through to the first gynaecologist her doctor had recommended.
    â€˜Hi. Is that Dr McWilliams’s secretary? My name is BethPrendergast and I would like to book in with the doctor. I’m pregnant.’ Beth almost whispered the last two words.
    â€˜Oh, congratulations, when are you due?’ said the friendly secretary.
    â€˜I’m not sure of my dates,’ Beth admitted. ‘But I think I’m due around the end of July.’
    There was a pause on the phone.
    â€˜Oh,’ Beth said. ‘Am I too early to book in? I suppose July is miles away! I can ring back in a few weeks if you want.’
    â€˜Too early?’ the secretary replied, almost laughing. ‘Darling, you are way too late. I’m afraid Dr McWilliams is all booked up. I’m sorry.’
    â€˜Booked up already?’ Beth said surprised. ‘How is that possible? I’ve only just found out I am pregnant. How could I have rung any earlier? This doesn’t make sense.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, pet, but you should have rung weeks ago. We are all booked up until the end of August.’
    â€˜But if I’m only a few weeks pregnant, and I’m due at the end of July, how could other people possibly know already that they’re having a baby at the end of August? This is madness.’ Beth’s pulse raced, and her blood pressure rose.
    â€˜That’s just the way it is nowadays,’ the secretary said, matter-of-factly. ‘Everyone knows they have to book early. I suppose with all those new pregnancy tests you can now find out you are pregnant days after conception. So we’re all booked up.’
    Beth was shocked. She was only about six weeks pregnant, and yet she was too late to book in with her preferred consultant. She hung up, and looked at the list her GP had written out for her. She was sure one of the other doctors would be free. But the names meant nothing to her. How was she supposed to know which doctor was the best? She