So sorry it's been a while guys, I had a breakdown and had to leave education in the middle of A-Levels, so I'm now f*cked :/ Thank you for baring with me and not forgetting about this story, I'm glad you all seem to love it as much as I do. Updates will hopefully be a bit more frequent now.
Anyway, hope you all enjoy the latest instalment!
xxx
Carla had texted Johnny her new address and where to find the spare key and he was getting ready to leave at the flat, meeting Kate, Michelle and Aidan at the car in twenty minutes.
Michelle had gathered everything she needed, and decided to go to see Gail, and offer her the chance to meet her grandson. She wondered how Johnny and the others might feel about Gail coming too, but she knew that she would love to see the baby, deep down, and the outburst earlier would have been the pure shock of the situation. Fortunately for Michelle, when it came to Carla, she was rarely shocked by anything anymore. In this case, she was amazed that Carla had kept it to herself and not rung, but that was definitely a thought for later.
With her overnight bag in her hand, Michelle knocked on the door of number eight. David answered the door, with Lily at his feet. "Is it true, have Nick and Carla had a baby?" He asked her, a very confused expression adorning his face. "Apparently so, we've just spoken to her, they've got a little boy, born about two hours ago." She told him quickly, wanting to set off to Devon. "Well, looks as if Carla's been busy." He remarked. "Is Gail in, we're going down to Devon to see the baby. There's a spare seat if she wants to come too." Michelle explained, with David letting her in the house. "Mum, Michelle's here!" David called as Gail came thundering down the stairs. "We've got a spare seat in the car if you want to come down with us to see Carla and the baby." Michelle explained, placing her bag down on the floor. "Nick told me to keep a distance, I don't want to intrude." Gail told Michelle, folding her arms. "I'm sure Carla wouldn't see it that way. It's been a shock to us all and I think it's been a shock to Carla as well, she seems all over the place. Those hormones can't be easy. And I'm sure that Nick would love to have you there." Michelle told her, smiling warmly. She knew that Carla would want to avoid conflict, especially with Gail. "We're staying at Carla's house. There's plenty of room." Michelle told her. "Alright, let me just pack a bag." Gail smiled, gliding up the stairs, as if walking on air, chuffed that she would be meeting her newest grandson.
Nick knocked softly on the door, before entering the room. Carla was stood by the window, rocking her son back and forth. She was soaking up the newborn, making Nick's heart melt and making him feel even more guilty. "How are you doing?" Nick asked Carla, walking softly towards her. "We're doing good, aren't we baby?" Carla asked the infant, smiling softly. "But, I think that this little man wants his daddy." Carla told him in a hushed tone as she began to pass the tot to Nick carefully. "Hello little man." Nick greeted him, pride and joy overcoming his face. Carla smiled at the sight of her husband cradling their son. It was a time that should have been so happy for them both, they should have been living in Devon together, and Carla couldn't help but feel as if she tore her family apart before it even had a chance of working. "Nick, I am so sorry." Carla blurted out, a silent tear falling down her face. "Come on, I didn't think we were doing this. No apologies, remember?" Nick told Carla as he came over to where Carla was perched on the edge of the bed. "Carla, listen. You have given me the most beautiful baby in the world and I couldn't be any happier than I am right now. I don't care about anything else. It's about our future now, just the three of us." He told her, passing the baby back to Carla slowly and carefully, as if he was the most precious thing in the world, knowing that holding her son would make Carla feel instantly better. At that moment, a faint buzzing could be heard from Carla's handbag. "Do you want me to get that for you?" Nick asked, knowing that moving was still quite painful for his wife. "No it's fine, it's probably just Michelle telling me that they're on their way." Carla told him, as he stood up and took a step away from the bed, a confused look adorning his face. "Who is on their way?" He asked her, folding his arms. "The family; Michelle, Johnny, Kate, Aidan..." She listed as Nick interrupted. "What, so my family are staying away and yours are coming down to see the baby?" He asked her in a harsh tone, as she cradled her son in her arms, comforting him and making sure that he wouldn't wake. "I never asked you to tell your family to stay away." Carla told Nick softly in defence, not wanting to wake her sleeping baby. "No, but you never told anyone, I thought that was how you wanted to keep it." Nick said, his voice even more raised. "He's not a dirty little secret." Carla replied, again in a hushed tone, shifting the baby in her arms slightly. "No, but he feels like it. I was completely in the dark Carla!" Nick said, moving away from her slightly, anger and hurt still in his voice. "Through no fault of mine." Carla snapped back, as the newborn in her arms began to stir. "You could have told anyone else, but you didn't." Nick told her, as Carla soothed the infant. "I wanted you to know first, it was only right and I was trying to take care of him." Carla told him, tears forming in her eyes. "I was so scared of getting it wrong, I didn't want to lose him. I couldn't." She added, tears spilling, as Nick walked out of the room, knowing he was making the situation worse and needed to calm down.
As he walked out of the main doors to the hospital, Nick contemplated leaving Devon. It seemed as if Carla didn't need him, his son didn't need him. He sat in his car and sighed, placing his head in his hands. It was all such a mess. He was deep in thought, thinking about his future as a father, when his phone rang. He immediately jumped to answer it, just in case it was Carla. He had done enough missing out for a lifetime. It was Gail. He answered the call, as much as he didn't want her to interfere, he felt he needed his mum, anyway, it wasn't like the Connor's we're giving the three of them the space Nick had wanted for them. "Hi Mum" He answered, sighing lightly. "Hello Nick lovey, I was just calling to say, we've arrived at Carla's house and we're going to grab something to eat if you want to come, or you want me to get you something." She told her son, as he was completely in shock. After shouting at her earlier, telling her to stay away, she was the last person that he expected to see in Devon tonight. "Nick?" Gail asked, as her son had remained silent. "Yeah Mum, I'm fine. I didn't know that you were coming down too." He said, his voice quiet and soft. "I know what you said earlier, but Michelle offered me a lift down to see you three and well, It's not a problem is it? If it is, just say and I'll stay away, give you some space..." Gail told him. "No, I want you to meet him." Nick smiled. "I'm going to head to Carla's in a bit, get some things ready for when the baby comes home, so I'll see you in a bit." He added. "Alright love, I'll see you then." Gail said. "Bye Mum." He said, ending the call, before taking a deep breath and going back in to see Carla and the baby.
Nick walked into a scene that looked blissful. Carla was on the bed, lying on her side, almost curled up around her baby, as he was laying on his back, kicking his arms in the air. The tot had a grasp of his mothers finger, and Carla was smiling softly at her newborn. "I know you said no apologies, so I'm hoping these are the next best thing." Nick said, as he got Carla's attention. She looked up from her son before going back to looking down at him. "It's my fault. I should have asked whether it was OK with you. I've spent the last few months bonding with him, he's your son too." She told him, as Nick placed the flowers on the stand next to the bed, before kneeling down by the edge of the bed, close to his baby, and allowed the infant to take a hold of his finger in the other hand. "Whatever is happening between us, we need to sort it out because I can't let it affect him, I won't let it." Carla warned. "Yes, I know. I want what's best for him too. It's just a massive shock and I'm not just talking about this little fella. When I was in Weatherfield, I thought that I was fine, that I was moving on, but being down here and being with you, both of you, I've realised that I wasn't fine - because I still love you." Nick admitted.