Margaret, who is sixty, is due to retire soon but she isnt in any rush. After finishing her shift at the NHS hospital, she changes out of her scrubs, grabs her coat and walks home. A heavy downpour is falling, and she has no umbrella, so she pulls her bag over her head and hurries to the bus stop.
A wail cuts through the rain and she spots a tiny infant, no more than a few days old, lying on the bench. She lifts the bundle, cradles it and tries to calm the crying. A frantic woman darts back into the hospital because the baby is soaked, and she dials an emergency paediatrician to examine the foundling.
The boy is about two weeks old, perfectly healthy. I have no idea why he was left here. He needs love and a proper home, the doctor says.
Margaret decides to stay on night duty, knowing she wont be sleeping anyway. Soon the police arrive and ask for a statement, but Margaret never lets the child slip from her arms.
Two hours later a young married couple is escorted in by the officers. The woman, Emma, is sobbing, and their little boy can barely stand.
Lets see the baby maybe hes ours, Emma whispers. They put on their gowns and head to the maternity ward. When Emma lays eyes on the infant she collapses into tears, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go. Margaret watches, bewildered, until the inspector steps in to explain.
Sarah and Robert have been meeting in secret because their families disapproved of their relationship. Sarahs parents eventually gave their blessing, but Roberts mother has been doing everything to sabotage the match. When the child was born, they hoped the grandmother would soften and welcome him, but the grandmother believed Sarah had overindulged the baby. She sent the young couple to the cinema, then took advantage of their absence and left the baby on the steps of the maternity ward.
That is the whole story. It looks as though the boy may never see his grandmother again.
