presuming the old sperm has to be used up to make way for the new.’
‘I like your thinking.’ He lunged at me, but I was ready and sprinted off across the garden with Jon close behind and William, obviously deciding that this was better than cat chasing, close behind that.
Including William in the improve your diet section of our efforts to improve the quality of Jon’s sperm count – though for him we focussed completely on how eating healthily can improve your fitness and strength – turned out to be exactly the right thing to do. He began to take a huge interest in cookery programmes and showed a willingness to try many of the foods that he had turned his nose up at just a short time ago.
When we bumped into Jade, Lucy and the children at the local library a few days later, they were amazed to find Will pouring over children’s cookery books, while Tristan and Molly headed straight for the fiction section.
‘Now how on earth have you managed that?’ Jade demanded. ‘Even Molly’s idea of a roast dinner is chicken nuggets and roast potatoes all covered in ketchup, and everything, except the ketchup, has to come ready-to-cook from bags in the freezer.’
Will overheard her and, looking very superior, he stated, ‘I can make chicken nuggets.’
Lucy was fascinated, and sitting down beside him, asked, ‘From minced chicken and ready-made breadcrumbs, right William?’
‘Oh, no,’ he said loftily, ‘from fresh chicken breast and our own grated breadcrumbs – and beaten egg,’ he added as an afterthought.
‘But doesn’t it take forever?’ Lucy directed the question at me. ‘Tristan would get bored in five minutes.’
‘Not if you all ate the result of his labours,’ I assured her. ‘Will can’t wait to get hands-on in the kitchen these days. I barely get a look in. In fact why don’t we invite everyone round to try your beef-burgers this weekend, Will? Do you think you can manage to make enough for all of us?’
‘No problem,’ he said confidently, sounding and looking just like a miniature Jon.
Unfortunately, the pleasure I took in that was quite spoiled when, on the way home, Lucy asked William if he was planning to be a chef when he grew up, he answered firmly, ‘Oh, no, I’m going to be a rugby player.’
Chapter 9
‘A rugby player? Really?’ Jade looked puzzled. ‘That’s a funny choice – I would have thought most boys these days would choose to be a footballer. Is Jon a fan of rugby, Wendy?’
I tried hard not to be defensive and I thought I’d succeeded when I managed a carelessly light and dismissive tone. ‘Oh, Jon will watch any sport, given half a chance, and William often watches with him. No doubt it’s another fad.’ I even laughed as I added, ‘He was even going to be a wizard for a while after he watched Harry Potter.’
‘Oh, I know,’ Lucy joined in. ‘Talk about fickle. Tristan was definitely going to be a soldier after we paid a visit to the Tank Museum at Bovington, but only until we flew to America on holiday and then he decided he’d rather be a pilot for Virgin Airlines.’
The conversation followed in that vein for a while and then by the time we’d reached the local park and the children were playing on the swings the original subject was forgotten and changed for another one – also close to home for me – when Jade suddenly confessed that she and her husband, Ian, were trying for another baby.
‘I thought it would happen right away, just as it did when we were trying for Molly, but it’s been almost six months now and nothing seems to be happening at all. I haven’t even been late with a period. I think we should make an appointment with the GP and look at our options, but Ian won’t even consider it. I think he’s scared it will turn out to be his fault we’re having trouble conceiving, though he won’t admit it. What would you do if it was you?’
The question was directed at both Lucy and me, but I was glad when Lucy
‘I like your thinking.’ He lunged at me, but I was ready and sprinted off across the garden with Jon close behind and William, obviously deciding that this was better than cat chasing, close behind that.
Including William in the improve your diet section of our efforts to improve the quality of Jon’s sperm count – though for him we focussed completely on how eating healthily can improve your fitness and strength – turned out to be exactly the right thing to do. He began to take a huge interest in cookery programmes and showed a willingness to try many of the foods that he had turned his nose up at just a short time ago.
When we bumped into Jade, Lucy and the children at the local library a few days later, they were amazed to find Will pouring over children’s cookery books, while Tristan and Molly headed straight for the fiction section.
‘Now how on earth have you managed that?’ Jade demanded. ‘Even Molly’s idea of a roast dinner is chicken nuggets and roast potatoes all covered in ketchup, and everything, except the ketchup, has to come ready-to-cook from bags in the freezer.’
Will overheard her and, looking very superior, he stated, ‘I can make chicken nuggets.’
Lucy was fascinated, and sitting down beside him, asked, ‘From minced chicken and ready-made breadcrumbs, right William?’
‘Oh, no,’ he said loftily, ‘from fresh chicken breast and our own grated breadcrumbs – and beaten egg,’ he added as an afterthought.
‘But doesn’t it take forever?’ Lucy directed the question at me. ‘Tristan would get bored in five minutes.’
‘Not if you all ate the result of his labours,’ I assured her. ‘Will can’t wait to get hands-on in the kitchen these days. I barely get a look in. In fact why don’t we invite everyone round to try your beef-burgers this weekend, Will? Do you think you can manage to make enough for all of us?’
‘No problem,’ he said confidently, sounding and looking just like a miniature Jon.
Unfortunately, the pleasure I took in that was quite spoiled when, on the way home, Lucy asked William if he was planning to be a chef when he grew up, he answered firmly, ‘Oh, no, I’m going to be a rugby player.’
Chapter 9
‘A rugby player? Really?’ Jade looked puzzled. ‘That’s a funny choice – I would have thought most boys these days would choose to be a footballer. Is Jon a fan of rugby, Wendy?’
I tried hard not to be defensive and I thought I’d succeeded when I managed a carelessly light and dismissive tone. ‘Oh, Jon will watch any sport, given half a chance, and William often watches with him. No doubt it’s another fad.’ I even laughed as I added, ‘He was even going to be a wizard for a while after he watched Harry Potter.’
‘Oh, I know,’ Lucy joined in. ‘Talk about fickle. Tristan was definitely going to be a soldier after we paid a visit to the Tank Museum at Bovington, but only until we flew to America on holiday and then he decided he’d rather be a pilot for Virgin Airlines.’
The conversation followed in that vein for a while and then by the time we’d reached the local park and the children were playing on the swings the original subject was forgotten and changed for another one – also close to home for me – when Jade suddenly confessed that she and her husband, Ian, were trying for another baby.
‘I thought it would happen right away, just as it did when we were trying for Molly, but it’s been almost six months now and nothing seems to be happening at all. I haven’t even been late with a period. I think we should make an appointment with the GP and look at our options, but Ian won’t even consider it. I think he’s scared it will turn out to be his fault we’re having trouble conceiving, though he won’t admit it. What would you do if it was you?’
The question was directed at both Lucy and me, but I was glad when Lucy
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