Chapter 7-Happy Christmas Part 1

The next day...

It was one of the first Christmas mornings in years that Zoe hadn't woken up with a hangover from the previous nights' party.

The consultant wasn't entirely convinced that Max wouldn't wake up with a banging headache because he probably drunk a little too much at the Hope & Anchor last night!

Zoe didn't want anyone knowing about her pregnancy, and used the excuse that she didn't want a headache on Christmas day to explain why she didn't drink.

She turned over and snuggled into Max's chest in an attempt to wake him. "Good morning, it's Christmas day." Zoe mumbled.

"Mmm... Go back to sleep..." Max muttered.

"It's Christmas Day! You have got a present for me?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah..." Max said, then his eyes opened in realisation. "Happy Christmas gorgeous" he beamed down at her.

"Happy Christmas Max. I love you."

"I love you too." He said, and kissed her.

When they broke apart, Zoe rested her forehead against his.

"How are you feeling today?"

"I'm okay. I don't feel sick. Yet."

"And how's the little one?"

"Alright, I think" Zoe grinned. "I still can't believe it."

"Me neither. What's the time?"

Zoe turned over and checked her phone. "7 o'clock."

"Can we go back to sleep?"

"Here's me thinking that you wanted a shower this morning, with me?" Zoe winked.

"That sounds good but I want to sleep."

"Are you alright?" Zoe asked.

"Mmm... Headache..."

"Drink too much last night did we?"

"Probably." He muttered.

Zoe chuckled. "Come on, let's get up."

A while later, after they had showered and dressed, they went downstairs.

The consultant gazed at the pile of presents under the tree gleefully. "Can I open them?"

"First things first. You're eating for two now, sort of. Breakfast." Max said.

"Cheese on toast with roast tomatoes?"

"Your wish is my command!"

"You know it." Zoe chuckled.

A while later...

"So can we open our presents yet?" Zoe asked for the millionth time.

"Okay. You first." Max said, handing her a present.

Zoe unwrapped it eagerly, not being careful, like a child.

"Oh Max! I love it!" She beamed when she saw what he'd got her. It was a necklace with a pendant, and inside it was a picture of them together, the selfie that he'd taken a few weeks ago. On the back was a date: February 7th, 2015.

"What's so important about that date?" Zoe frowned, her mind had gone blank.

"It's the day that you told me that 'some flames just aren't meant to go out.' Since our wedding day was so unhappy, I thought that the date that we got back together was better."

"Max, it's perfect. I hope that our first anniversary will be happier."

"I'm sure it will." Max smiled. "Can I put it on you?"

"Of course." Zoe said, carefully lifting the necklace out of the box.

Max placed it around her neck and fiddled with the clasp, eventually closing it with a "click."

"It's a really lovely present." The consultant smiled, with feeling.

"Thank you. Now, this one is from Tess-she was going to come down from Leeds and give it to you personally but she couldn't make it, I'm sorry."

"That's okay." His wife smiled as he handed her the present.

It was a sign which said "Welcome To The Walker Household-Please Remove Your Jimmy Choos!"

"Haha! That's brilliant!" Zoe chuckled. "I'm going to go and put it by the front door."

"Right, here's your present."The consultant said to her husband when she came back. She handed him a heavy square box.

"Oh wow, Zoe! It's amazing!" Max said when he realised what it was.

It was a Rolex watch, the one that Max had been wanting for a while, after Zoe had accidentally on purpose broken the one that she'd given him on their wedding day.

"Can you pass it to me? I'll put it on your wrist." His wife said.

Max nodded and did so.

"Left or right wrist?" Zoe enquired.

"Right please."

"Okay" she responded, fastening the watch around his right wrist.

"What shall we do now then?" Zoe asked when they'd opened the rest of the presents.

"I can think of a few things!" Said Max cheekily.

"We've just done that in the shower. I suppose I should ring my parents." Zoe said, grabbing her phone from the coffee table.

She dialled her parent's number and, with a sigh, put it to her ear.

"Hello... Mum? It's Zoe. Oh, are you busy? I'm sorry, it's just to say happy Christmas and that you're going to be a Granny!"

"... Yeah, I've had IVF treatment and it's been successful. Max and I are over the moon!"

Max smiled and squeezed Zoe's hand, she beamed back at him but then her expression changed.

"Yes, we are still married! Yes he's still a porter." Zoe sighed. "I know he's not Nick Jordan but he's the love of my life... It would've been nice to see you and Dad at the wedding you know. No I'm not going to start an argument... Okay, bye. Love you too."

Zoe disconnected the call with a sigh of relief. "That was stressful."

"She's still not happy then? Did she soften at the fact she's going to be a Grandmother?"

"A little bit." His wife replied. Her parents had been overjoyed to hear that Zoe was going to marry Nick Jordan, he had a good job and a good house.

When Max had turned up, however, Zoe's parents had shunned her and didn't approve. They had refused to travel to the wedding as well.

"Ah well. I'm sure that my Mum will be happy for us."

"I hope so. I'm going to have to tell her on her own, I don't want Robyn knowing yet because she'll tell everyone at work and I don't want it getting out till I'm about three months along." Zoe said.

"I agree, much as I love my sister she'll blab it to everybody as soon as she hears."

"Don't let her hear the blabbing part! You'll never hear the end of it."

"I won't! D'you fancy putting a film on?"

"Yeah, as long as it's not a sad one. I'll cry."

"Soppy date."

"I'm pregnant, I'm allowed to be emotional."

"You cry at every sad film anyway."

"Max?"

"Mm hmm?"

"Shut up and put a happy film on."