Prologue

"Ah, you want your milk again? Here you are darling." I say, rocking the small baby in my arm and holding the bottle to his mouth. He happily puts the teat inside his mouth.

The front door suddenly opens and I hear voices. It's already midnight. Why is he late tonight?

"Mmmmm, don't do that, no mmmmmm..." The sounds make me grimace. Have I got front row seats to an R-rated movie?

"Shhhhh, I can't wait anymore... let's go to the bedroom."

I feel like gagging. I realise my hand with the bottle has moved away from the baby and before I can take it back to him, he begins to cry loudly. My eyes widen in shock and I quickly try to quieten him by making hushing sounds but he only cries harder.

The man and woman who are entwined together hurriedly step apart and they stare at me in horror. The woman's eyes travels to the baby in my arm.

Awkwardly, I force a smile. "Uh, hi?"

The woman's blue eyes turn to glare at the man in disbelief. "You liar! You told me your were single! You were hiding a wife and child at home! I'll be letting everyone know about how you cheated me!"

"Um, excuse me... I'm not–" Before I can finish speaking, she slaps the man who is left staring after her leaving back with a pale face.

"Wait Carol, this isn't–" His voice trails off as the front door shuts with a loud bang!

As he turns his light brown eyes towards me, I shrink back a little and sheepishly stare back. "Sorry for coming unannounced Seb, I can explain."

He shakes his head in anger, "Look what you did! You scared Carol off and tomorrow, she will be telling all our colleagues about me hiding a wife." His eyes travel to the baby who has now fallen asleep in my arms, "Why do you have a baby? Whose baby is this Eva?"

"Mine." I say. "Isn't he cute?"

"What? You gave birth to a baby? When?! Who is the father?!" His voice rises as he speaks.

I grin and point at him, "You."

"It's not the time to joke Eva!" Seb shouts. He is as quick tempered as always. I have no idea how he managed to become a police officer.

"Fine." I sigh and sit down on the sofa, with the baby on my lap, "It's like this..."

***

~28 hours earlier~

Angrily, I enter the office. How many times has it been that I have worked overtime and stayed up late until my sleeping schedule is a mess and my eye bags are dark and bigger than my handbag just for the manager to take all the credit for my hard work?

I can't take it anymore. I won't tolerate it. I am already twenty nine years old and because of my workload I have no time to go out or date. To be honest, I have done my best to endure the mistreatment here but it's been too long and my patience is running thin.

Packing my belongings into a box, I walk out with my head held high and knock on the manager's door. Balancing the box on one knee, I pull out my resignation letter which I had already prepared last month.

"I quit." I say loudly and throw the letter onto her desk.

She stares at me with her piercing dark eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course. I won't let you steal my work anymore. The only reason you reached your current position was because you kept taking credit for my work." I say, my temper rising.

She smirks, "Don't come running back here then."

Turning towards the door, I throw up my middle finger at her before walking out. I take the elevator down to the car park and place the box inside the boot. It's already 8pm and I was kept behind again to do more work. That was the last thread.

Driving out of the car park, the rain lashes down onto my windscreen. This weather is really matching my mood. The traffic is horrendous tonight.

Parking outside a convenience store, I step out of my car and buy some beer cans. I need to drink once I get home. I'll finally be able to start anew. I worked there for almost seven years without getting recognised for any of my hard work and instead the manager received praises and awards for the work I submitted.

Walking out into the rain, I use the carrier bag to cover over my head as I run to my car. Sitting inside, I put the cans into the back seats and start the engine.

Before I can manoeuvre the car out, a loud knocking on my window makes me roll it down. A middle aged man stares at me from outside.

"Ms, you can't move right now!"

Confused, I stare at him. Is he drunk? "Why?"

"There's a big box behind you. It looks strange. Why don't you check what it is or call the police?" He says.

"What box?" I ask in confusion and step out of the car. Walking to the rear of my car, I see that he is right. A large cardboard box is sitting there, battered and damp from the rain. I am sure the box wasn't there earlier when I parked.

"Be careful Ms. It could be a bomb." The man looks frightened as I step closer. No one would be stupid enough to put a bomb so openly here.

Slowly, I open the top of the box. It's already unsealed. My eyes widen in shock when a crying sound comes from inside and I am met with a cute baby. Why would someone leave a poor defenseless baby here? He can't be more than a few months at most.

Did they place him behind my car on purpose? I gasp aloud. "Does someone want to kill this baby? How cruel."

"Ms, it's not safe for the baby to be wet by the rain, he might catch a fever." The man says.

I glance up at him, "What do you want me to do?! I don't even know whose baby he is." I say in frustration.

"You can hand him to the police."

"And what will they do? The only reason the parents would let their baby be placed like this near a car is to kill it. Do you want the police to find his parents only for them to kill him?" I say.

"Or the police could take him to an orphanage." The man says.

I raise my eyebrows, "I'll think about it and take him later."

"Make sure he doesn't catch a fever."

I nod and gently pick up the baby from the box. He stinks of poop. How long has he been out here? Carefully, I place him on my lap and drive. He is too small to sit up in the seat by himself. I will decide what to do once I get home. I am too tired today. I guess I won't be able to drink tonight.

Fortunately, the shops are still open so I buy some nappies, baby clothes, a milk bottle and milk formula on my way.

After reaching home, I change his dirty nappy and make the milk, using the instructions given on the box. He hungrily drinks the milk from the bottle as I hold him in my arms. Why would someone throw away their precious baby? If the police have no choice but to send him to an orphanage, isn't it better for me to look after him?

I hug him as he falls asleep. "I'll be your mother."

***

Of course my resolve soon gives me trouble when my mother decides to call me the next day to announce that she will be visiting me. I have been living alone in this city for the past seven years. She visits once in a blue moon and usually nags me to find a partner and get married.

Being a tad bit traditional, she has always emphasised that sex and babies should be after marriage if we want a stable family. I usually roll my eyes at her thinking but I know she will give me a headache of she sees this unfamiliar baby.

That is how, I end up taking my new son to the only safe place I can think of. Sebastian Eccles. Also known as my childhood friend. We have been best friends since we can remember. In the panic of taking the baby to him before my mother arrives tomorrow morning, I forget that Seb is a playboy who flirts with as many women as the amount of times he changes his underwear.