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“Fine.” I sigh. “When she’s two, but only under adult supervision.”
He fist-bumps the air in triumph.
“I don’t class you as an adult,” I add, making him pout.
Zie laughs. “Alright then, Mr uptight and serious, what didyouget Rose for Christmas.”
“Premium bonds, shares, and her first property,” I reply proudly. Zie and Kaiden both groan. “What?”
“You can’t buy an infant that shit. What are they gonna do with it?” Zie snickers.
“I’m investing in her future. She’ll thank me for it one day. Alright then, Mr dad of the year. What the fuck did you get her?”
“A mini kitchen,” he replies proudly. I want to scoff, but it’s actually a really good gift. Rose loves emptying the kitchen cupboards and banging the pans with a wooden spoon.
“You suck,” I grumble.
“That’s why she likes me best,” he brags. If he wasn’t on the other side of the kitchen, I’d hit him for that comment.
A laugh from the doorway makes us all stop bickering and turn as one to Odi like sunflowers follow the sun.
“I think she’s going to be more interested in the paper, guys,” she tells us with another delightful laugh, bouncing our now wide-awake daughter on her hip. “Now, for the love of all that’s holy, someone bin that instant shit and turn on therealcoffee machine.”
“Only too happy to oblige, my love,” I tell her with a smile as the others race over to my…our…girls to kiss them both good morning and wish them a merry Christmas.
My heart is sofull it could burst.
They think they’re so stealthy sneaking around downstairs like they won’t wake us up. There’s something about being a mum that means I’ll never sleep properly again. I’m hyper-alert to every little noise Rose makes, every time she moves. Even the times the guys have tried to sneak away with her to give me a break, I’ve woken up. And when Idosleep, I dream I hear her crying and wake up. I asked Mrs Montgomery – who insisted I call her Valarie – if it was normal, and she laughed and told me I wouldn’t even sleep when Rose is fully grown. It’ll just be a different set of worries that keep me up at night.Great.
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Zie beams at me, crossing the kitchen to kiss my cheek and take Rose from me.
“Her or me?” I joke.
“Definitely her,” he replies, his bright blue eyes twinkling. “But she gets it from her mama.”
“You’re lucky I love you, and that you’re right,” I tell him, shaking my head and accepting another kiss – on the lips time – as an apology from him.
“Merry Christmas, babygirl.” Kaiden swoops in for a much showier kiss than Zie gave me. Luckily I had time to brush my teeth before Rose woke up and we came downstairs. The guys probably would have heard us if they weren’t so busy fighting over theirdad of the yearaward.
“Happy Christmas,” I murmur, giving him a hug back.
He wanders out of the kitchen, following Zie and Rose into the lounge. I turn to Axel only to find him beside me with two coffees in hand.
“Here you go, princess.”
“Thank you. I love you,” I groan, inhaling the delicious, strong aroma. I’m not quite sure how anyone can be a parent and not drink coffee and still be a functioning member of society. This stuff has saved my life this past week.
”It’ll get easier, you know,” Axel tells me softly. “It’s early days. And you’re doing amazing.”
“We’realldoing amazingly,” I correct him.
“Come on, we’d better get in there before the children have opened everything and have taught Rose to sharpen pencils with a knife.”
I laugh, but at Axel’s flat look, I realise he might not be joking.
He heads to the lounge with a little more urgency in his step than I do, and I rub his back affectionately as I pass him to take my seat on the sofa.
