Ruling out the Rovers, the Bistro and the cafe, Peter decided to walk around all the local hotspots. Coffee shops, bars and parks.
As he searched, he thought of all the things he wanted to say to Carla once he found her. That he was sorry, that he wanted to support her and was going to be there, no matter what.
Peter decided on taking a walk round the red rec as a last resort, it was the only place that he hadn't looked. He was over the moon when he caught a glimpse of his wife sitting on a bench, looking across to a playground, where a few children were playing and laughing.
Carla had a soft smile on her face and seemed deep in thought, unaware that her hand was covering her stomach protectively. He smiled at how maternal she already was, without even knowing. It was in that moment he knew that nothing on this earth would persuade Carla to have a termination, she was just absolutely terrified of the future. If Peter was being honest with himself, the feeling was mutual, but he knew he had to keep it together for his girlfriend. She needed him more than he needed to panic.

"Well, this isn't where I thought I'd find you." Peter told her softly, as he approached her cautiously, not wanting to disturb her too much.
"I didn't mean what I said earlier, about, you know..." Carla trailed off, looking at the ground, as Peter sat next to her. He curled his arm around her shoulders as she leant into him.
"I know love." He told her softly.
"I want these babies so much." She explained, without even needing to. Peter already knew how she felt, it was obvious. "I just don't want to let them down." She revealed.
"You won't do." He reassured her, before planting a soft kiss in her hair. "I saw you at the hospital today, I know how much you care." He added, his voice soft and gentle.
"But Peter, I couldn't even keep one baby safe. How am I going to manage two?" She asked him in almost a whisper. Tears clouded her eyes, as she thought of all the things that could go wrong. Peter's heart felt heavy with guilt. He had always blamed himself for what had happened all those years ago. If he hadn't have had the affair, then things would have been so different.
The fact that Carla carried the tragic and painful memory of losing their daughter around everyday hurt him, and it stung even more that this pregnancy would bring her constant reminders of the past and fill her with nothing but anxiety and fear. This was only one of the reasons why he was so determined to get things right, he couldn't do that to Carla again. He loved her far too much and it would definitely be their last chance to have a family and do things properly.

"I spoke to my Dad." He told her, changing the subject slightly.
"Yeah?" She asked curiously, turning her head to look up and face him.
"He suggested that we move away." He replied.
"To where?" She asked him flippantly, with a slight laugh in her voice. There was no way that Peter had thought about this properly. They had nothing. No money, no family anywhere else. Over the next seven months or so, they would need all the help they could get. The last thing they needed was to move somewhere new.
"Anywhere." He answered, in a slightly more optimistic tone.
"How are we going to afford that Peter? All my funds are tied up in the factory." She expanded. It was a nice idea, but Carla knew it wasn't the most practical solution.
"My Dad said he had some money saved up. When we get settled, we could pay him back." Peter suggested. Carla thought about it for a brief second. The thought of moving away and starting fresh was very appealing, but it sounded too good to be true.
"Peter, I don't think you've properly thought this through. We can't just take money from your dad!" She exclaimed. "What about our families?" She probed.
"What about them?" He asked her back, rhetorically. "I don't care about them, all that matters right now is you. You and our babies." He confirmed, capturing Carla's gaze and sharing a moment of loving silence.
"What about Si?" Carla asked, trying to get Peter to see that he had only thought of half the picture.
"I don't know." Peter confessed, sighing. "Please, just humour me and think about it." They both knew they had a lot of decisions to make. It wasn't going to be easy, either way.

After spending some time together at the park, digesting their news and thinking about the future the pair decided to take a slow walk back to Ken's.
"You're going to be an amazing mum." Peter thought out loud as the couple were walking past the peace garden. His arm was wrapped lovingly around her shoulders.
"Peter, what if I lose them?" She asked quietly, with the fear more than evident in her voice. It sounded as if that were all she'd been thinking about since they had finished their previous conversation.
"You won't." He promised in a soothing tone, using his hand to rub her back in comfort.
"There's a very good chance..." She began, as Peter stopped them. He and Carla were standing in the middle of the path and the world around them seemed to stop. In that moment, the only thing that mattered to Peter was his partner and unborn children.
"I promise I'm going to look after you." He interrupted. "I am going to make sure that you keep your feet up and rest for the next six months, no matter where we are. " He added, with Carla staring into his eyes, noticing the sincerity. "It's not going to be like last time, I've changed." He reassured her, not that she needed telling. He was right, he was a changed man. Carla didn't have to worry about his drinking as much as she used to, and they spent far much more time together as a couple. Their relationship now was completely different, better. "I love you so much." He concluded, causing her to smile softly. She had a bit more faith. This time it was going to work out. They were going to make it work.
Last time they had found themselves in this situation, Peter had messed it all up, with mistakes he was determined not to make again. This time, he was certain he was going to do all the right things, to stand by his girlfriend for the sake of their family.

It was later in the evening and Peter was already in bed. He was sitting, leaning against the headboard when Carla joined him. She peeled the duvet back from where it was laying and sat next to him before making sure to pull the covers up over her stomach. Nonchalantly she placed her hand on top of that, just above where her unborn children were growing.
"Let's do it." Carla announced, looking towards her partner.
"Really?" Peter asked, turning to face her back, a surprised look on his face. Part of him thought that she'd never agree to just move away with him, but he was thrilled that he would get Carla away from the toxicity of Weatherfield and could look after her properly, without judgement from her family or anyone else around them.
"With one condition." She added, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Just name it." He replied with a soft smile. He would do anything to make sure that she was as happy as she could be with the decision.
"We don't tell anyone where we are." She revealed. "We need a fresh start." Carla added, in a defeated tone. Although she didn't like the idea of leaving everything behind, it was safer and easier that way. "Apart from Ken and Simon, no one else finds out." She requested. She knew that Ken would prove to be an ally and that Simon would want to have contact with his dad. Carla also trusted that both of them would be able to keep their new location a secret and she knew that they had faith that she wasn't behind the accident at Underworld. They seemed to know her better than her own family. Carla didn't like to dwell on the fact too much. It was one thing to lose her sister-in-law, business and her family; but to lose all of those things because of Gary Windass and having him pin the blame on her, knowing she had done nothing wrong? It tore her apart.
Peter knew how much this decision meant to the both of them. They wouldn't be moving away because they wanted to – they needed to, and if this was the only way to make sure that he kept Carla and the babies safe, then it was something he was more than willing to do.
"Deal." He promised her. It might have pained him to agree to leave Weatherfield, especially leaving his son, but he was thrilled at the idea of a fresh start. He couldn't wait to start taking care of his new family. It was just a shame that Simon couldn't be a part of it. Peter took his arm, wrapping it round Carla's shoulders and pulling her in softly for a cuddle, as they moved down the bed, lying down, getting ready to go to sleep.
"So, where to?" Peter asked her.
"Anywhere but Portsmouth." She mumbled, her eyes closing softly. She was exhausted, both a sign of the day she'd had and a symptom of her pregnancy.
"I'll look for somewhere nice. Don't worry about a thing." He assured her. Before he knew it, she was asleep.

Twitter: Lost_Buoy