Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed the characters for a little while.
"Oh you can't be serious," scoffed Holly, never stopping rinsing dishes.
"What?" retaliated Messer as he continued to collect up plates. "I
happen to think it's a good name. Nice, different, and can't be spelt
wrong," he added as he placed the dishes on the bench.
Holly looked up then. "Britannia?" she confirmed. "You want to call
our daughter Britannia?"
Messer wrapped his arms around her pregnant form, his hands coming
together over her swollen abodmen. "Yep."
He thought a moment longer as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Brit for short."
Holly burst out laughing. "Never happening." She turned in his
embrace, her back now against the bench, his arms braced on either
side of her. "No child of ours will ever be called Brit." She
emphasised this by poking at his chest.
She slid past him. Messer was prepared to speak again before he heard
her voice. "I'd consider Bryn though."
He trailed after his laughing fiance. Catching up with her, he leant
down and pressed his lips to hers. What might have followed was
interrupted when their first daughter's voice could be heard from the
lounge room.
"Daddy! It's Wiggle Time!"
Two months later (and three weeks earlier than they'd expected to be
in this position), Messer pulled Sophie's bedroom door shut halfway,
the four year old finally asleep.
Moving down the hall, he paused in the doorway, looking at the scene before him:
Holly sat on the rocking chair, rocking backwards and forwards
slightly as she looked down. In her arms was the days old Bryn,
nursing at her breast.
As if sensing company, Holly raised her head and smiled at Messer.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey yourself," he replied, stepping into the room. "How's it going?"
"Good," said Holly as they both looked down at the bundle in her arms.
"Sophie down?"
"Out like a light," Messer confirmed.
"Finally," they both added simultaneously.
Britannia finished feeding shortly after, Holly shifted the baby to
her lap, running her hand up and down her daughter's back.
Messer just looked at her. "I can't believe I ever doubted your
ability to be a mother."
Holly raised her eye in his direction. "You did?"
"For a while," he responded candidly.
She flashed him a mock glare.
A comfortable silence fell between them before he spoke again. "You
were made for this."
He grew concerned when he saw tears starting to pool in her eyes. "I
never doubted you."
Her hands were otherwise occupied, but he was more than able to move
closer, brace himself above her and press his lips to hers.
He pulled apart, staring deep into his fiancee's eyes before coming to
the realisation that he was feeling a peculiar sensation on his hand.
"The baby just threw up on me."
Holly couldn't hide her laughter as he pulled back, reaching for the
towel on her shoulder.
He too was laughing soon and they both struggled for their breath
before they looked at each other.
"We're delirious!"
Life was good..