Free Free-Falling by Nicola Moriarty Page B

flowers was sitting just outside her door. Lilies. She let the garbage bag fall from her hand, then slammed the door shut without picking up the flowers. She backed away and snatched up her phone, hitting the redial button.
    â€˜Stacey, can you come over – like now ?’
    Twenty minutes later, Stacey was walking into her apartment, carrying the lilies that she’d picked up in the hallway.
    â€˜They’re still perfectly good flowers,’ she said sensibly.
    â€˜They’re ghost flowers!’
    Stacey put the back of her hand to Belinda’s forehead as thoughchecking her temperature. ‘Delirious,’ she diagnosed. ‘Belinda, you don’t even watch Supernatural , and the guys in that are hot . You can’t tell me you suddenly believe in all this nonsense.’
    â€˜You’re the one who had to say he couldn’t even get it right in the afterlife.’ Another image of the ghostly florist popped into her head and she saw Andy ducking back inside the shop: ‘Sorry, do you think I could get some lilies as well? Apparently I got it wrong – as usual!’
    Stacey arranged the lilies neatly in a vase and placed them next to the roses. ‘There’s a note with these as well,’ she said, pulling the card off the wrapping.
    â€˜What does it say?’
    Stacey held it up so Belinda could see just one word scrawled across the card: a cheerful looking ‘Sorry!’
    â€˜See! They’re from Andy. He eavesdropped on our phone call and he’s apologising for getting it wrong the first time!’ Belinda looked up at the ceiling as though expecting Andy to materialise above them. ‘Hey, if you’re listening, I wouldn’t mind some help with these bloody twins you’ve put inside me,’ she called out, sounding a little crazed.
    Stacey took her by the hands and sat her down gently on the couch. ‘Have you been drinking red cordial?’ she asked in a very serious voice. ‘Look, how about you tell me exactly what did happen tonight at the gym?’
    Belinda reluctantly explained how she’d fallen from the treadmill and woken up in the staffroom, embarrassed and upset. She waited for Stacey to laugh at her, but she couldn’t have looked more serious.
    â€˜You’re pregnant. You can’t just ignore a fall like that. You have to see a doctor.’
    Belinda instantly felt irritated. ‘I think I know my own body.I’m fine and so are any life forms depending on me.’
    â€˜ Life forms? Interesting choice of words. Belinda, I think you’re feeling a little too disconnected from your unborn babies. I think that’s why you didn’t even care enough to go and get checked out after the fall.’
    Typical Stace, not one to hold back.
    â€˜I cannot believe you just said that. Of course I care about them. I just happen to know that everything is fine.’
    â€˜Did your ghost-fiancé tell you that? What, is he psychic, too?’
    â€˜Look, I’m not in the mood for this. Maybe you should go home. I think I just want to go to bed.’
    â€˜Yeah right. You think you can call me over here to deal with your issues and then just kick me out? I’m not Andrew, Belinda. You can’t pick a fight with me and expect me to bite, just because you’re feeling guilty and need to take it out on someone. I’m not that easy to provoke, sweetie. Put your shoes on, I’m taking you to the medical centre.’
    â€˜Stacey, I’m already in my pyjamas.’
    This was how Belinda ended up in the waiting room of the twenty-four-hour medical centre, yet again. She wasn’t looking quite as bad as last time, but still interesting enough in her pyjamas to raise a few eyebrows.
    â€˜Heartford. Belinda Heartford,’ murmured the receptionist, tapping on her keyboard. She paused and looked up. ‘Oh, yes, Belinda Heartford. You’re the funny young girl that was in here with a