Babies

The first stone broke the still surface of the pond.

“The baby was enormous,” said Polly. “Every time I tried to talk to her it was in the way. She was breastfeeding right there in the cafe. Everyone was there. I thought she was trying to hide its face at first.”

“Is she coming back to school?” asked Clara.

Both were long and slender, pale limbs folded up at the water's edge. Both smoked cigarettes.

“She doesn't know. She looked all fat. I asked her about Jack and if he's coming to see it. She was his first.”

“Poor Jack.”

“He's so cute.. He came in all awkward and was like 'hello'. He couldn't look at the baby even though it was massive. He said it was cute but I said I wouldn't let anything breastfeed. It was weird. She had all photos on her phone, but they weren't of hers, they were of other people's. She let me hold it.”

Clara thought of Jack shaking and the way he fell asleep in her arms afterwards. “I'm glad he's not still with her,” she said.

The second stone into the water made barely a ripple.