Gil's Story.
Monday; February Twenty –Ninth nineteen ninety nine, am.
Three days old and yet Gil was in a routine already, he was coping surprisingly well as a single parent, Henley was being a typical baby, crying , sleeping and doing everything that a baby did. Going around the apartment there was reminders of Natalie all over the place, photos of her, her things it was full of her, he hadn't done anything with any of it. He wanted Henley to know who her mother was. He had just gotten Henley down for a nap a few hours earlier, cleaning up around the house he picked up the photo of him and Natalie together, she had a six month old baby bump with Gil's hands on it; he couldn't help but let the tears roll down his face. He missed her so much, but he had to remain strong for Henley. Wiping the tears away he heard a knock at the door, setting the photo down he shuffled along to the door and opened it.
"Hello Gil." Bethany, Natalie's mother said as she looked at him. "I was wondering if I could see my granddaughter." She asked as Gil moved to allow her inside the house, much like himself, Natalie was brought up in a single parent household. He hadn't even called his mother to tell her about Natalie yet, he couldn't find the strength to do it, he struggled to talk to anyone but Henley.
"Hello Bethany, of course, I'd never stop you seeing Henley." He said as he closed the door and led her through to the nursery, where a sleeping Henley was, he loved to just watch her sleep, she was an easy settler, he had managed to figure out the correct amount of milk she liked to drink before falling asleep. "As you can see she's sleeping right now, but she's due a feed in about an hour, you are welcome to wait until she wakes." He said softly.
"Thank you, I will, can I ask you about Natalie's things? Have you packed any of it up yet?" She asked looking at the shadow of a man that had stood in this room a week ago excited about the arrival of their daughter.
"I've done nothing with her belongings. I can't seem to bring myself to doing it." He said softly as he looked at her, "You are welcome to help yourself; I just request that the jewellery I bought her stays here for Henley when she's old enough." He said softly, he wanted to be able to give Henley something that belonged to her mother when she reached the appropriate age.
"Thank you Gil." Bethany nodded as Gil led her through to the bedroom; he got to setting the things aside he wanted to keep for Henley then let Bethany do what she wanted to do with rest, he found it so hard seeing all her things out of the bathroom and their bedroom, he watched as Bethany filled boxes with his dead girlfriend's belongings. It didn't take them long to finish up and put all the boxes in her car, carrying the baby monitor everywhere he went.
Soon Henley was awake, demanding a bottle as usual. Gil smiled as he warmed the bottle as Bethany held her granddaughter. Giving the bottle to Bethany, Gil stood back and watched as Henley got the first feed that wasn't given to her by him. Looking at his daughter, he had already taken time off work; bereavement was its official title, but no one from the lab had come near, Catherine and Jim being his best friends, had told everyone he needed time and space to himself, not that he was a very good at communicating himself anyway.
Sara's Story
Monday; February Twenty –Ninth nineteen ninety nine, am.
After spending a fortune on things for Aurora, Sara had finally gotten the carpets delivered and laid that morning. Looking around the room, she opened up the dust sheets she had bought and laid them all on the carpet, Aurora was asleep in Sara's bedroom in her crib, and now Sara was ready to decorate her little girls' room. Picking up the lilac paint pot she opened it, pouring some into the roller tray she began to decorate the room, she had decided on a base color of lilac then wall stickers of butterflies, all various sizes and colors, it was really pretty. She had taken maternity cover from work so she was off for six months, glad of the time off to settle Aurora into a routine.
Once the room had been painted, Sara quickly checked on Aurora and smiled seeing her still asleep, it was amazing that in three days, she had already become someone that someone else depended on. Although her house was like a bomb had hit it, Sara was happy. Sticking the butterflies to the wall, she looked around and smiled, the walls were finished apart from the personalised sticker that was due to come home in the mail in a few days, but where Sara had planned to put it was easy accessible from where the furniture was going. Taking the boxes through she got to work on building everything up.
She was halfway through putting together the little wardrobe when she heard crying coming through the monitor, dusting off her hands, she stood up and quickly got Aurora in her arms. "Hey sweetheart, what's wrong huh? Hungry?" She asked with a smile on her lips, taking her through to the kitchen where she got a bottle and started to heat it up. "Don't worry it won't take long." She said in a soft soothing voice, rocking the little girl in her arms, smiling at her. She hadn't thought it possible to love someone as much as she loved Aurora.
Feeding her daughter in the living room, Sara got Aurora back to sleep again then got her in her crib, returning to furniture, she spent several hours finishing Aurora's room, tidying up the empty boxes, she flattened them all so she could easily put them out when she had the chance. Going back through to Aurora's room and smiled as she looked at the finished room. It was just what she wanted for her daughter. Hearing a knock at the door she closed the bedroom door straightening up the name sign on the door before going and answering the door.
"Hey Jaimee!" Sara smiled as she let her best friend since Berkeley inside her apartment. "Aurora's asleep at the moment." She explained softly as she looked at the smile on Jaimee's face. "What?"
"It suits you, you know." Jaimee said with a smirk. "Being mom." She said with a little laugh. "Sorry, here, I got a little something for Aurora, since I knew you wouldn't get her this." Handing the bag that contained a pink bow for Aurora's hair when she was a little older, but also contained a couple of cute outfits and a voucher to get diapers and things when Sara needed them.
"Awh thank you! You really shouldn't have gotten all this for her." Sara said softly as she looked at her best friend. "And as for it suiting me, I'm glad, I'm happy, for the first time ever I feel that I have a reason to be here." Sara explained, tucking a strand of lilac paint streaked hair behind her ear.
"I'm happy for you Sara, god knows you deserve happiness." She spoke out with a smile still on her lips. "So when do I get to meet my little niece?" She asked as Aurora woke crying.
"Now." Sara laughed as she walked through to her bedroom and picked up the little girl and held her close to her body as she soothed her crying. Walking back through the house she rocked Aurora in her arms as she looked up at Jaimee. "Aurora Rose Sidle meet Jaimee Mason." Sara spoke softly, the smile never fading from her face.
"Hello little one." Jaimee smiled as she took the baby's fingers in her hand. "She's so small!" She commented as Sara let Jaimee take Aurora in her arms. Taking a step back she turned and got a bottle ready knowing that Aurora was due a feed. "Sara she's stinks." Jaimee shouted from the spot where Sara had left them only moments before. Coming out of the kitchen she had the warm bottle in her hand.
"That would be because she needs a diaper change. Back in a minute." Sara took Aurora in her arms and quickly changed her daughter before going back through to the living room, sitting down in the chair that had quickly become the feeding chair and started to give Aurora the bottle, the smile still on her lips like it had been there the last three days.
A/N All mistakes are my own, no beta! Reviews are loved and very much appreciated. Bigger leap in age next time it's not going to be slow. Gil and Sara will meet soon, two chapters away max.
