Chapter 21
"Come on, Zoe! I'm hungry!" Max whinged. He, Zara, Zoe, and little Olivia were at Holby shopping centre, and Zoe was trying on outfits for Charlie's birthday party at the Hope and Anchor, she didn't have anything smart enough to fit her.
A hanger came flying out of the changing cubicle in Max's general direction. "Stop it, I have Olivia!" he protested.
Zoe poked her head out of the cubicle. "Sorry."
"I'm hungry too! We've only got three hours until we're due at work!" Zara chipped in.
"Alright, alright!" Zoe huffed, emerging from the cubicle. "What d'you think?"
"Wow, you look amazing!" Her sister complimented.
Zoe was dressed in a knee length dress, with black and grey patterned stripes.
"Really?" the consultant asked, placing a hand on her bump and assessing herself in the mirror.
"Yes, you look gorgeous!" Max said, enjoying the view.
Zara rolled her eyes and turned to Olivia. "Now that's sorted, let's go and get something to eat!"
Zoe changed back into her normal clothes, and exited the cubicle.
"Okay?" Max asked, one hand pushing Olivia's buggy back and forth to try to lull her to sleep, the other hand outstretched for Zoe to take.
"Yes thank you" she smiled, taking it.
Zoe was now five months pregnant, and exhausted to go with it. Thankfully, the morning sickness had stopped, but tiredness had seemed to have replaced it.
"So how about pizza express?" Zara interrupted the couple.
"That sounds good." Zoe smiled at her younger sister.
Olivia gave a little cry.
"Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?" Zoe lifted her daughter out of her buggy. "Look at all the pretty dresses!" she gestured to some clothes on a rack. "And out here... " she exited the shop. "Look at the roof!" she pointed upwards at the sun shining through the glass roof.
"She's an amazing Mum. " Zara observed, she and Max were following on.
"She is" Max agreed.
"You know, I never thought that she'd settle down and get married. But she did. Full of surprises, Zoe." The registrar said.
"Certainly is!" Max chuckled.
Zoe smiled at her husband and sister chatting. "I wonder what they're talking about?" She asked.
The consultant spotted a dog. "Look, Liv! It's a doggie! Your favourite!"
Olivia gazed at the yellow Labrador thoughtfully, then smiled.
"Aw bless, that's cheered you up!" her Mum said happily. "Right, when I put you back in your buggy, please go to sleep because it's your checkup appointment with Mrs Beauchamp later on so you need to be on your best behaviour!"
"Max, d'you think that I should put Liv down for a nap now?" Zoe asked her husband.
"Yes, she's just had her lunch, and it's her checkup appointment today, isn't it? If she goes to sleep now, she won't be grumpy at the hospital."
"That's what I was thinking."
"Great minds and all that." Max said.
Zoe laid her already sleepy daughter in her buggy. "I think that she'll drop off soon enough."
A few hours later...
"Here she is" Zoe said to Connie, proudly carrying Olivia into an empty cubicle.
"And how is she?" Connie asked, taking her stethoscope off and listening to Olivia's heart.
"She's okay, from what I see, she's perfect."
Connie smiled at her friend and colleague. "You would say that!" She said, rolling Olivia over onto her back. "Let's see if she rolls over."
Zoe was stood on the opposite side. "Liv!" she tried to catch her daughter's attention.
Olivia heard her Mum, and rolled over to face her.
"Well done!" Zoe said proudly.
"Okay..." Connie observed. "Can she hold her head up?"
"Yes" Zoe said, proud to show her daughter off. She got Olivia's toy rabbit out of her bag. "Liv? Who's this"
Olivia lifted her head up at the sound of her Mother's voice.
Zoe smiled at her daughter, and Olivia smiled back.
"That's all well and good." Said Connie.
She did a few more checks, and, at the end, she was happy to announce that Olivia was absolutely fine and developing normally.
"So how are you, really? And don't fib!" Connie asked.
"I'm okay" Zoe said as Olivia put her hands up, asking for a cuddle. She lifted her into her arms. She put her spare hand on her bump. "I think that my youngest is okay too."
"Good. How far along are you again?"
"Five and a half months, 2 weeks until Max and I can find out what we're having." Zoe smiled.
"That's wonderful."
"It is. Max is hoping for a boy, and I don't mind, really. It would be nice to have a boy, though, because judging by Zara and I, if Olivia has a sister, they will argue a lot." Zoe chuckled. "I will honestly love my baby whatever they are."
"Aww" Connie smiled at her friend's tenderness. "Has he or she kicked yet?"
"Yes, a lot!" Zoe chuckled.
"I like Olivia's outfit, by the way" Connie smiled as she put her stethescope back on.
"Thank you" Zoe smiled.
Olivia was dressed in a white top with red writing on it which said "I love my Mummy," a pair of dark blue jeggings, a white jacket, and a pair of grey spotted shoes, complete with pink socks.
"I didn't think that white would be a good idea in case of it getting dirty, but she really dislikes getting messy!"
"That's good, in a way." Said Connie.
"It is" Zoe agreed.
"How is she?" Max asked as Zoe and Connie made their way back into the heart of the ED.
"She's absolutely fine, and thanks for asking about your wife!" Zoe teased.
"Sorry, how are you?"
"In need of a hot chocolate and a curlywurly?" Zoe asked hopefully.
"Of course." Max smiled. "Do you want me to take Liv for a bit?"
"Okay" Zoe said as Max held his arms out. "Here you are"
Max took Olivia. "Come on, little one. Let's take you for a little walk."
"Be back soon" Zoe winked, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek. Max smiled and left.
Zoe turned back to Connie. "By the way, are you coming to Charlie's party?"
"Yes, I am. It's in 2 weeks, right?"
"Yeah, I got my outfit sorted this morning. It just so happens that it's on the day that Max and I find out what we're having!" Said Zoe excitedly.
"That's a very good day, then!"
"I hope so, I can celebrate the fact that I can finally get cracking on nursery planning, properly... Max won't celebrate as much though because he has to build all the furniture" chuckled the consultant.