Soldier Prince's Secret Baby Gift

‘Then call her. Tell her that you’re staying here for a little while.’ He paused. ‘Give me three days, Tia.’

‘Three days?’ Tia was horrified. ‘What if Mum needs me?’

‘Do you have a neighbour or a friend nearby who can keep an eye out for her?’ Antonio asked. ‘Or I can arrange for a nurse to come in and help her, if you prefer.’ He looked at her. ‘I apologise. Nathan didn’t tell me much about your mother’s condition, other than that she’d been poorly since you were small. And I was brought up not to ask personal questions. So I’m afraid I don’t know how ill she is.’

‘Mum has chronic fatigue syndrome,’ Tia said. ‘It used to be called ME—myalgic encephalomyelitis.’

When Antonio looked blank, she continued, ‘After Dad was killed in action, Mum went down with a virus, and we think that’s what triggered the CFS because she never really recovered. It’s a bit like having the flu, with joint pains and a headache you simply can’t shift, and absolute exhaustion—but it doesn’t go away after a couple of weeks, like the flu does. She has it all the time. So she needs to rest a lot.

‘It’s a variable condition; some days she’s fine and to look at her you’d never know she was ill, and other days she can barely get out of bed. And she’s not lazy or stupid. It’s not like when you’re feeling just a bit tired after a busy day—she gets absolutely exhausted and physically can’t do anything. If she has a day when she’s feeling really well and overdoes things, then she’ll really pay for it for a few days afterwards. She has to be careful.’

‘And you look after her?’

‘Yes, and I don’t begrudge a second of it. I love her. She’s my mum.’ Growing up, Tia had had days when she’d wished her life had been more like that of her friends, where she’d had time to do homework and hang out with her friends and meet boys, instead of struggling to keep up with her studies and worrying that her mum’s condition was getting worse, and never starting a relationship because she knew it couldn’t go anywhere. But she’d done her best to hide it from her mother, because she loved Grace and didn’t want her mother to feel as if she was a burden.

Grace had encouraged her to go out with her friends, but Tia didn’t like leaving her mum, except when she went to work and she was only just round the corner and could rush back if there was an emergency.

‘Tia,’ he said gently, ‘we’re going to need to talk about the best way to support your mother when you have a small baby to look after as well. Because you’re not going to be able to do everything.’

Oh, yes, she could. She always had. ‘It’ll be fine.’ She lifted her chin. ‘I’ll manage. We always do.’

Meaning that she’d struggle and drive herself into the ground.

Antonio was shocked by the sheer protectiveness he felt towards her. And it wasn’t just because she was his best friend’s little sister. There was something about Tia Phillips. She was brave and strong and independent, not looking for the easy way out—she’d been very explicit that she expected nothing from him. He admired her courage; yet, at the same time, he wanted to take some of those burdens away. What she’d just told him, in addition to the little that Nathan had let slip, made him realise that she must’ve spent most of her life looking after her mother. She’d never really had a normal childhood.

Well, she didn’t have to struggle any more. He could support her. Though he was pretty sure that her pride would get in the way and she’d refuse any help. So he needed to gain her trust, first. And that meant being specific rather than vague.