The pregnancy was about to come to an end and Joey Boston would be relieved once the wait was over. It had been an up and down time with his girlfriend Paula Snell but the best and the worst was still to come.

The main problem being they were teenagers and hardly prepared for the responsibilities of parenthood. It had been a shock. Harsh words had been said. But after the dust settled she wanted the baby the minute she found out and he pretended to be pleased, not to upset her.

But then he found out the cost of the love of a baby and how his life would change. He protested about how he would have to give up his home luxuries and night out. He had packed a secret case in the hope he could sneak out from their small terraced house and escape. But he changed his mind when he saw the scan. It made it real. She convinced him the right thing to do was keep it and he was persuaded.

After the decision was made he became the responsible one, he thought about the income of the family and what they needed to do to bring a child into the world. She became homely and caring with the odd hormonal outburst. She thought with her feelings and everybody else would have to fit in place. They were not a match made in heaven but they did work at it. Both knew the baby would arrive to loving parents.

That afternoon, Joey was at work with the Hoopla, company, responsible for the sales of a scientifically designed hoover. To the common eye all the machine did was suck but there was more to the insides that allowed them to call it revolutionary.

Joey was on tenterhooks knowing he could get a call at any time to say Paula had gone into labour and to make his way to the hospital fast. As he sat playing with his Jenga game on his desk, in the small poky sales office, a cheap porta-cabin, he thought about the baby.

His concentration was broken by the heavy handed entrance of Jeff Keller, in his forties, chief salesman and boss of Joey. He flung open the door and stomped across to his own desk opposite Joey. Joey’s tower crumbled as a result of the vibrations.

He could tell Jeff had something on his mind by the way he took ages to drink his tea. He would sip it slow then glance round the room. Joey waited for the outburst that he knew would come.