Zoe Hanna-Once A Wanderer
A/N
So I got bored in a free lesson and wrote this… Just a little bit of drabble. Set in the Miracles universe. Maddie is 6 and the twins are 7. One-shot. Fluff.
Reviews welcome,
Laura xxx
In life, I've always wandered. From relationship to relationship, job to job, hospital to hospital. Even when I was younger, I went from group to group of friends, because I always fell out with them.
When I came to Holby ED, all of that changed. I met the one and only Nick Jordan. It was "the" match made in heaven, but, of course, again it was not meant to be. He left me, and for a long time afterwards, I didn't cope very well without him.
Then, the cheeky young porter, Max Walker, on his first day asked for a cigarette and offered me a drink in return. Fast forward five or six months and he bought me a beautiful bunch of flowers. Then we're having a passionate affair, doughnuts for breakfast and sex in the cupboard.
And then, on my birthday, I embarrass myself, in front of everyone break up with Max, and go off on a big adventure for almost three months.
Then, I got myself into a car crash, and almost die. Great, right? Max confesses his true love to me (this is getting more rom-com like by the second) and we all lived happily ever after. Well, almost. After our two miracles/children are born, and I'm pregnant with a third, my Dad gets cancer, terminal cancer. All this I had to cope with whilst running an ED and looking after two tiny lives. But then my Dad passed away and Maddie was born a few months later, albeit rather dramatically. She was quite small when she was a baby, and couldn't breathe very well for herself so she had to be on a breathing machine for the first few days of her life.
Three years later, Max and I married. It was a fairly small ceremony, held on our local beach. The kids loved it, of course, and Maddie spent the majority of it trying to eat sand, and not being a good girl like I'd told her to!
Skip forward three years, to the present. Max and I are sitting on the sofa, whilst Maddie and Sophia argue over which film to watch: The Princess and The Frog or Mary Poppins.
"If you don't stop arguing, we will watch Cars, Ethan's favourite film." I say.
"Nooo!" The girls chorus.
"Yes." I say firmly.
"Okay then, we're watching Mary Poppins." Maddie says.
"We watched that last week! It's boring." Scowls Ethan.
"It's not!" Maddie and I protest-it's our favourite film!
"Max, do the honours." I order.
"Why must it be me who has to get up?" Enquires Max.
"Because you love me a lot." I giggle.
"Hmm" Max smiles infectiously at me. I can't help but beam back.
"Mummy and Daddy are silly." Frowns Maddie.
"They're in love." Sophia states, with wisdom beyond her years.
"That's my girl." I smile at my daughter. I'm very lucky to have my three little ones. At the ED, they're collectively known as the "Miracles", it's the honest truth.
"I love you." I tell my children.
"Love you too, Mummy." Ethan says, and launches himself onto the sofa beside me.
"Watch it!" I warn, and start to tickle him, making him giggle.
"Stop it! Mu-um!" my son protests.
"Pile on!" Madison giggles in glee, jumping on the sofa and setting to work tickling the back of my neck. I start to shriek-I'm very ticklish!
Only Sophia seems to be unfazed by the noise, and instead informs us quite coldly to "shut up." Max has wisely decided to keep out of the tickle fight.
After a couple of squeals more, we all calm down. Ethan snuggles into me, Sophia sits on Max's knee, and Maddie sits in between us.
I'm half watching the film, and half keeping an ear out for the familiar "ping" from my Ipad telling me I've got a new email. Maddie has been recommended a new gym club that's in the early stages of getting set up , and her school, Holby Primary, has promised to email me telling me if she's got in or not. The school is very sport orientated, so Maddie getting into the club is quite a big deal.
Out of the three, Maddie is probably the most active. Sophia hates the very mention of PE, and does everything in her power to get out of it-headaches, tummy aches, the lot!
Sophia's favourite subject at school is English, she loves writing stories-and reading them to Ethan when he can't sleep. Unlike a lot of siblings, they don't argue a lot. Sophia is protective of her younger brother, and God help anyone who hurts him!
Madison is the feistiest, and is always getting into arguments and upsets and school-not because she's naughty, because she is downright honest and often speaks the truth when she isn't supposed to!
Ethan is a brainbox-he loves Maths and Science, but unlike his sister, hates English. He's quiet and reserved, but once he starts to talk, he never shuts up!
Max and I love the three of them equally, they are our little (okay not so little anymore) Miracles.
I snuggle up to Max, Ethan still on my lap.
"I love you you know" I whisper into my husband's ear so the children can't hear.
"I know." He says.
"I love you you know" and the reply "I know" has sort of become our thing. It's what Max said to me and what I replied when I left the ED for a while to go on my big adventure. It's what we say to each other if we're worried or stressed, or the other is worried or stressed. Sometimes, like now, we say each other when we're happy and content.
"Jolly Holiday" starts to play on the TV, and I begin to sing along. I've got a terrible singing voice, which Max likens to a screeching cat, but I honestly do not care!
Sophia begins to sing, and then, very quietly, Madison.
The telly is on quite loudly, almost too loud for me to hear the "ping" from my Ipad. It's an email from Maddie's school-she got into the gym club!
"Maddie..." I say.
"Hmm?" My six-year old's attention is on the TV screen, and not on me.
"You got into the club! I've just received an email!" I announce. She whips round.
"What? Really?" She asks in disbelief.
"Why would I fib to you?" I enquire.
"I got in?" Maddie asks in disbelief.
"Well done, Madison" Max congratulates her.
I check my watch, it's still early afternoon and I have a plan.
"To celebrate, who fancies going out to Pizza Hut for tea?" I smile. We went to Pizza Express last Sunday, and usually Max and I only go to a fancy restaurant or pub when the kids are being minded, so I think they'll like it.
"As long as we get to pick what we're having?" Maddie asks.
"Of course you can, this is for you, Maddie." I beam. "I am so proud of you." I say.
"Thanks Mum. My PE teacher said that I'd be good at gym, but usually you have to start earlier if you want to go on to comps and stuff." Maddie answers.
"Comps?" Ethan questions.
"Competitions, silly." Maddie scowls.
"Everyone knows that" I tease my son.
"Bet you didn't" says Max.
"You love me underneath." I shrug.
"Hmm." Max smirks, I know that he's joking.
"Mrs Walker, of course I love you!" He smiles. I've pretended to look miserable.
"I know you do, I was just messing with you!" I answer, and then duck as he attempts to swipe me with his arm.