This is dedicated to all the MMEPAC girls again. Partially inspired by a Tumblr post.
Shelagh was standing in the kitchen making breakfast for her family. Angela was sitting in her high chair with some toast soldiers that she was determinedly mashing with her fists, creating a large mess. Upon seeing this Shelagh sighed and turned to remove the food her daughter was using for art, cleaning Angela in the process before returning to the toast and tea she was preparing for herself and the others.
Quietly, softly, Patrick tiptoed up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning as he felt her squeak in surprise.
"Hello Shelagh" he quietly spoke, but it was loud in the quiet room. Angela had stopped babbling, she could still only say 'Timfy' and that was mixed in with babbles and bangs and clatters and squeaks and giggles. Angela wasn't a quiet baby. Now, she was silent.
Shelagh sighed and put down the breakfast again, turning her head slightly so she could look Patrick in the eyes from where his head rested on her shoulder, and softly pressed her lips against his, softly kissed him. He reciprocated lazily, delaying breakfast and his inevitable departure.
They stood together, blind to the watchful gaze of their daughter of the boiling of the kettle until eventually Shelagh extricated herself from her husbands embrace, ignoring his low voice inviting her back to his arms, back to home, and returned to the teapot. She filled it, and carried it to the table, walking past her husband as she did so.
On her return trip, he pulled her back to him, ignoring breakfast, ignoring the clock, ignoring everything other than his wife who stood laughing in his arms.
"I love you, dearest", he said, and grinned as her lips met his once more, "I love you my darling, my Shelagh." Laughing, she responded, pulling herself out of his grip to call Timothy for his breakfast. They were dangerously close to becoming late. Patrick kept a tight clasp on one of her hands and lifted it to his lips, caressing it with his lips as he placed them over her wedding ring. She rolled her eyes and laughed at him.
"I love you too Patrick" she finally said, and he eagerly kissed her hand again, "but you need to eat!" And she pushed him towards the table where he eventually conceded and sat next to Angela.
It was at that moment that Timothy sauntered in, catching Shelagh's eye and winking at her as he took in her hassled look and his fathers barely eaten breakfast. His father left for work before Timothy left for school, as the boy preferred to walk with his friends or occasionally with Shelagh and Angela, as he loved showing off his little sister. It was a shared joke between he and his stepmother of his fathers procrastinating habits, and they usually rolled their eyes or grinned at each other at Patricks expense at least once a day.
As Tim wished Shelagh good morning, he kissed her on the cheek, and it was at that moment that Angela spoke her favourite word. But for the first time, it was accompanied by something other than babbles.
"Wuv oo Timfy"
Timothy and Shelagh turned and stared at the little girl who was sitting in her high chair, while the cup of tea paused halfway to Patricks mouth. Tears started to prickle Shelagh's eyes as she asked her daughter to say it again.
"Wuv oo Timfy" she said again, but upon realising her captive audience, continued. "Wuv oo! WUV OO TIMFY!" And finally her brother responded, placing his food far away from her and lifting her out of her chair, kissing her cheeks and squeezing her.
"I love you too Angie" he whispered, putting off breakfast until eventually Shelagh forced her complaining husband out of the house and then handed Timothy his toast so he could eat one handed.
Timothy was ecstatic, and conceded to walking to school with them that day, proudly encouraging his sister to tell him she loved him every time they met someone they knew. By the end of the day, there wasn't a single person in Timothy's class, or any of the nuns or nurses that graced Nonnatus' halls, both past and present, that did not know Shelagh's little Angela could now speak and tell her brother she loved him.
"Wuv oo Timfy!"
