The morning after

December 2002

The next thing I knew, I was just waking up the following morning. Amazingly, despite the seriousness of the conversation the night before, I'd fallen asleep. Maggie woke up with me, even though she had taken the day off, so that, as she said 'I can spend as much time with you as possible'.

'Honey, did we reach a conclusion?'
I didn't answer straight away. Then 'Look, I really think we need to wait until we are more settled, before we could think about having a baby, don't you agree?'
'Honey, I accept what you say, what do you want me to do?'
'Have you ever heard of the morning after pill? Can you get them in Hong Kong?'

So we agreed that she would call her doctor at 9am, and then call me. I said I would go with her to the clinic.

At 10am, having not heard from Maggie, I called her mobile. 'What happened?' I asked.
'I just arrived at the clinic'
I feigned anger, 'why didn't you call me? I was worried'
'Honey, I didn't want to disturb your work'
'What's the name of the clinic? I'm coming over'

Half an hour later, I walked into the waiting room. I felt quite a man, as I wandered across to sit next to Maggie.

I took her back to the hotel. As I held her in my arms, I heard her cry for the first time. 'Hey babe, what is it? Did you want a baby?'

'No, its not that.' She said, 'its just you leave tonight, and I miss you already. When will you be back to Hong Kong? ................You don't know, right?'

All I could do was hold her.