Christening
Sarah came bustling into number eight and swiftly snatched the remote and switched the television off. Everyone tuned to listen when they heard David's cries of protest.
"Right" Sarah began, "I know we're not all exactly best mates with Nicola, but_"
"You got that right" shot in David, whose comment was met by a mock disapproving look from Shona.
"BUT" Sarah carried on, "she's recently got back from Bristol and she's feeling a bit lonely. So after Zack's christening, me and Gary thought it'd be a nice idea to throw a big, fancy party in the Bistro and since she hasn't got many mates, I want all of you to come too".
"Do we have to? I mean, we don't even know the kid" David complained.
Shona rolled her eyes at David's unsurprising comment, before giving her opinion: "I think it's a great idea and it'll be fun" she smiled. "And we're all going to be there. Right?" She said, directing her question at David.
"Fine" David sighed and snatched the remote back from Sarah, "I'm going to have to rewind this now, thanks to you".
Sarah smiled smugly and walked into the kitchen, to sit with Shona and Bethany at the table.
"I'm going to have to go out and buy something new to wear" remarked Bethany.
"Yeah. Me and all" nodded Shona.
Sarah pouted, "I was going to suggest that we could all go, but I promised Gary that I'd help him decorate the Bistro."
"Ah well" Bethany joked dismissively, before turning to Shona, "looks like it's just going to be me and you then."
Shona and Bethany stepped off the bus, with bags filled with their new outfits for the christening, as well as some other bits that they couldn't resist.
They walked in a comfortable, yet slightly exhausted silence, until they reached the Platt's front door.
"That was fun. We should do it again sometime" smiled Bethany.
"Oh, I'd love that. However, I'm not sure my bank account would" Shona joked.
Bethany laughed in response, before turning and making her own way home to Victoria Court.
"Oh! And…" she exclaimed, to catch Shona's attention again, "stop worrying about that dress. It really does look great on you!"
Shona smiled uncertainly and walked into the house. She was greeted happily by David the dog, who sniffed curiously at the bags in her hands.
"They're not for you" she told him and placed them down on the kitchen table. Then she made her way over to the couch and placed herself next to David and slung her legs tiredly over his.
"Have you even moved since this morning?" she asked him, whilst she simultaneously took the cup from his hands and drank some herself.
"Yes!" David remarked in feigned surprise, before nodding at the cup in her hands, "I made that brew."
Shona tilted her head at him and smirked. Smirking back at her, David stole the cup out of her hands and continued to drink it himself, whilst he subconsciously caressed her knee with his thumb.
"Come on, Shona" David urged, whilst he stood outside of the bedroom door, "You're the one who wanted to go and now you're the one who's making us late."
"Hold on!" Shona shouted back, "I'm almost done!"
Inside their bedroom, Shona huffed at herself in the mirror. No matter what Bethany said, Shona couldn't stop worrying about the dress. She thought it was beautiful, but too classy for her usual casual style and Shona really wasn't sure whether she suited it or not.
In the time that Shona began considering whether to get changed into something else, David impatiently walked into the bedroom to see what was taking his girlfriend so long, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.
Her hair fell in slight waves down her back and her neutral makeup complemented her natural beauty. She was wearing a simple, off the shoulder, burgundy dress and it hugged her figure perfectly. Finally, to complete the outfit, she wore a pair of small black heels and the silver necklace that David had given her as a Christmas present, which she had worn like a wedding ring ever since.
"What?" she asked worriedly. "Is it too short?"
"Not short enough" David commented, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
This prompted a laugh from Shona and David noticed her visibly relax a little.
Whilst smiling gently, he approached her and took her hands in his. He looked her in the eyes and spoke to her honestly.
"You look beautiful. You always do."
Shona smiled and dropped her eyes from David's.
"Hey" he said, lifting her chin so that her eyes met his again, "stop stressing."
After a pause, he continued: "I kind of feel sorry for that child."
"Why?" Shona asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Well the christening is supposed to be all about him, isn't it?"
"Yeah" she said, drawing her answer out and trying to guess where David was going with this.
"Well, no one's going to give a monkey's about him when you walk in" he said, as he looked her up and down.
Shona laughed and smacked David's chest playfully, as what he was saying dawned on her.
After a second, David kissed her full on the mouth.
"Right" he said, after they broke apart. "Anything else you need before we can finally get gone?"
Shona pondered this for a second. "A wee" she said, before turning on her heels towards the bathroom.
David and Shona walked into the Bistro, which was decorated with balloons, flowers and fairy lights and cards and presents littered the tables.
David turned to Shona quickly. "We weren't supposed to bring a present, were we?"
Shona's eyes widened, "I hope not" she said, half joking and half serious.
Sarah hurriedly approached them and handed each of them a glass of champagne.
"Finally" she scolded, "I was beginning to think that you two weren't going to show up."
"Calm down, we're here now" David said, dismissing Sarah's annoyance.
Sarah narrowed her eyes at David, before turning to Shona and complementing her dress and how good she looked.
"Told you" David said, whilst he gave Shona a nudge with his shoulder.
Shona smiled back at him and rolled her eyes light-heartedly, before she left his side to go and greet Billy and Eileen.
About an hour or so into the party - after David had finished chatting to Steve about how people go too over the top for children's parties nowadays, because it's just wasting money on something they're not even going to remember - David scanned the room to see what Shona was getting up to and he couldn't help but smile at the sight that he was met with.
Shona was sat rocking Zack in her arms, whilst talking happily with Nicola. David knew that Shona has always exuded traits of being a natural mother. She was nurturing, kind, protective and strong. He watched her with Zack, as she gently spoke to him and his tiny fingers were wrapped around Shona's index finger and he couldn't help but imagine what their life would be like if they were to have a child of their own. After all, he adored being a family with Shona, Max and Lily.
After a couple more minutes had passed, Shona cuddled Zack close to her chest and almost reluctantly returned him to the arms of his mother. It was then that Shona looked up and noticed that David was watching her, so she excused herself from her conversation with Nicola and made her way over to David.
"You Billy no mates?" she jested.
"I've got tonnes of friends" David corrected her, "there's Daniel Radcliffe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep…"
Shona laughed and shook her head at him. "Dance with me?" she asked hopefully, with her hand outstretched.
"No."
"Oh, come on. It's a party!"
"I don't dance" David said, "and actually, since when do you?"
"I don't normally. But I've had a couple drinks, haven't I?" she smiled.
"Please" Shona almost begged, when David still made no effort to move.
David sighed and rolled his eyes, before grabbing hold of Shona's hand and allowing her to pull him to his feet.
To begin with, David was only half-heartedly enjoying his time dancing, but he quickly relaxed and pulled Shona closer to him whilst they swayed together. With his arms around her waist, her arms around his neck and their heads on each other's shoulders, David realised that he was truly happy. He lifted his head off Shona's shoulder and kissed her, before resting his forehead against hers.
They were going to spend the rest of their life together. He was sure of it.