Chapter Twenty Five
"Momma!"
Kay rolled off Charlie's chest and strechted, a big smile on her face.
"Momma!"
"Hang on baby, momma's coming"
She got out of bed and pulled on Charlie's old t-shirt with her shorts, as she did every morning, and went out to Sammy's room
"Momma!" Sammy smiled
"Hey birthday girl" She smiled back and lifted Sammy from her cot
Sammy put her arms around her mothers neck, her form of a hug.
"Is it your birthday?" Kay asked
Sammy nodded. At one years old, she could say Momma, Dada, nod and shake her head
"Do you want to go see Daddy?"
Sammy started reaching out the room as she did every morning to show she wanted to go see Charlie
"Ok, we'll go see Daddy. Then you can have some presents"
"Dada" Sammy pointed out the room again
"Ok, I get the hint"
In their room, Charlie was sat up in bed, thinking about what had happened on this day a year ago. Became a Dad...Met his own father...and told Kay exactly how he felt.
He couldn't believe that he and Kay had been together a year and engaged for six months. He knew that they'd mark it tonight...
"Dada!" He heard Sammy call as she and Kay came down the hallway
"Sammy!" He called back
She giggled as they came in and sat on the bed
"Hey birthday girl" He smiled "You ready for your party?"
She clapped her hands together and showed off her four front teeth with her smile
"You gonna play with Clayton and Ellie?" Kay asked
Sammy nodded
"Grandma and Grandpa are here, Aunt Holly's coming too" Charlie said
"And my parents" She sighed
"It won't be that bad, you can tell them that we're engaged"
"Then mom will want to get involed and arrange everything and I may end up killing her"
Charlie laughed "You couldn't wait to tell my mom"
"Thats because your mom understands that I need help but not enough for me to not do anything" She got an idea "Maybe I could just not say..."
"But Aimee will"
"Oh yeah" She sighed "I'd better just bite the bullet and get it over with"
Charlie put his arm around her "It'll be ok" He kissed her head "Just because your parents don't like me"
"They do..."
"Kay, I'm a lowerly caretaker at a cemetary, I got you pregnant when we weren't in a reletionship..."
"I don't care, I'm marrying you because I love you. My parents can't change my mind one little bit"
"Glad to hear it" He kissed her lips
Sammy made an annoyed noise
"She was mine first" Charlie said "Mine, all mine" He kissed her head, making Sammy annoyed again
"Charlie, you're annoying her"
"Sorry" He looked at Sammy "Wanna go open some presents?"
She nodded, so they headed down stairs
Charlie watched Kay greet her parents from behind the behind the barbeque.
They'd decided to do it like this, Kay was going to mention it to them casually, and pray they wouldn't want to get involed, they may offer to pay for some of it, which they wouldn't object to.
"She telling her parents?" Joe asked
Charlie nodded "I wanted to be there but she thought they'd take it better if I wasn't"
"There's nothing to complain about, you're making an honest woman out of her...just 6 months later"
"Yeah but they've never really liked me, not good enough for their little girl. I overheard them talking to each other at that random barbeque we had when Kay was pregnant and her mother said 'If she was going to get pregnant out of wedlock, why couldn't it be with someone back in Los Angeles? Not someone who works in a place like this?'"
"Ouch" Joe winiced "That's harsh"
"Expected it really..." Charlie felt a tugging on his trousers and looked down, Sammy was stood holding her arms out for him. He picked her up, knowing she was getting tired
"You ok?"
She nodded
"Tired?"
She nodded again
"Will Uncle Joe take over barbeque duties so I can Sammy to sleep?"
Both Sammy and Joe nodded, Joe laughed "Sure, go get her to sleep"
Charlie headed inside and in to the kitchen
He got one of Sammy bottles out the fridge and placed it in the microwave
Sammy's head rested against Charlie's as it always did when she was tired
"Dada" She said, reaching for the bottle, though she was actually saying she wanted her bottle
"In a sec, we need to make it warm"
She let out a tiny sigh, Charlie smiled as the microwave binged
He was getting hang of testing everything now, though soon it wouldn't need to be tested as she'd be able to tell them if the temputure.
They headed into the living room and sat on the sofa.
Sammy snuggled up to Charlie as she had her bottle and it wasn't long before she was sleeping
Charlie headed outside, Kay came over to them
"Want me to take her?"
"Joe's food sucks doesn't it?"
She nodded "Otherwise you could hold her all day"
Charlie laughed and handed Sammy to her mother
"How'd they take it?" He asked
"Mom wasn't too happy when I said I'm doing it myself..."
"Which we expected..."
"But they offered to pay for it"
"For the dresses"
"No" Kay said "All of it"
"All of it?"
She nodded "Which means we can married sooner than we thought"
"Oh my God, guess we don't have to wait till we're like thirty five"
"Wanna know how much they've given us?"
"Of course"
"Twenty thousand dollars"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously"
"Better start making plans then"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father and Holly come through the back gate
"Oh joy, he's here"
"I'll stay away, and just ignore him" She kissed his cheek and walked over to Sky and Annika
"Charlie's Dad's here" She sighed
"Will there be a fight?" Annika said, slightly worried
"Shouldn't think so" She paused "Well betwenn him and Charlie, unlikly, him and Louise is more likely"
"There's something about that Holly that I don't like" Sky said
"What are you talking about? Holly's sweet"
"Sky's right" Annika said "Don't you think Aimee?"
Aimee nodded "They're right"
Clogs turned in Kay's head, until she released
"Oh My God" She stood up "I'll be right back"
Charlie saw her walking over to him, a worried look on her face
"What's up?" He asked
Kay sighed "Holly's not who we think"
"What do you mean?"
"She's acting as a spy for your dad"
Charlie thought about everything that had happened, he could see what she meant
"We'll see how it goes today"
As the sun fell behind the clouds, Charlie saw Sam coming towards the now quiet small party and smiled slightly
"Your sisters told me you usually go out around now" Robert said
"Thats not your buisness" Charlie said
"So where do you go?"
"I said that's..."
"You know your sister doesn't actually want to see you now. She just tells me everything you do"
"Just go home and leave my family alone" Louise was stood beside Charlie now
"But they're my family too"
"No we're not" Charlie said "Get out, both you and Holly"
"You heard him" Louise said
"Fine, we'll leave. But everyone will always remember whack job St. Cloud"
His father grabbed Holly by the wrist and left the garden
"Don't listen to him Charlie" Louise said "No one really remembers you like that"
"No, mom he's right" He sighed "Everyone will renember crazy St. Cloud"