Maria is shocked she's having Liam's baby but, Coronation Street's Samia Smith warns, not as shocked as Liam! Maria finds out she's having Liam's baby. Was it planned? "Of course not! Something went wrong somewhere." Perhaps she accidentally got pregnant to hang on to Liam? "You're wrong there. She didn't mean it to happen at all! She's devastated when she finds out." Why? "Because it's far too early in her relationship with Liam. Maria's also quite ambitious. She wants to make something of herself. A baby wasn't on her agenda. She's shocked and worried." We bet not as shocked as Liam. Does she tell him? "Not straight away. Maria confides in Audrey and Michelle. She knows Michelle will understand as she fell pregnant herself at 16." What about Liam? "She keeps putting it off. She's convinced he'll freak out and break up with her. She's worried he'll think she's planned the whole thing to trap him." But she does tell him eventually? "She blurts it out when he wants to know why she's been having secretive chats with Michelle." How does he react? "He's shell-shocked but supportive. He tells her she should have told him before. Obviously she didn't because she was scared he'd distance himself from her. He doesn't though. He reassures her that he'll be there for her. I think he genuinely does care for Maria." But not the way he cares for Carla! Does Maria know he has feelings for her? "She hasn't a clue. She's aware there's this undercurrent of tension between them but has no idea what it's about. She just thinks Carla keeps picking on Liam." What if Maria found out the real reason? "It would depend how she found out and how Liam explained it to her. If he said he'd had these feelings for Carla but didn't any longer she'd be OK with it. But if she found them in bed together she definitely wouldn't be!" Carla versus Maria, who'd win? "I don't know. Liam has this dark, sexual thing for Carla but he really likes Maria. Life with Maria would be far more simple and probably far happier than life with Carla." But would Maria settle for being second best? "It would depend on how well Liam explained his feelings for Carla to Maria!" So does Maria decide to go ahead with the pregnancy? "It's not that simple. She and Liam don't know what to do. On the one hand they don't want the responsibility of a baby but then again, as Liam says, it could be the best thing ever to happen to them. If Liam wasn't supportive, there's no way Maria would have the baby. She doesn't want to be a single mum..."
