Sunday 5th November 2017

"What on earth are we supposed to do tonight?" Sam sighed as she and Tom did the washing up whilst they watched Daniel, who was two years and two months old, dig outside in his sand box to find the 5 marbles that Tom had hidden for him. They could see just outside the kitchen window where he was so he wasn't unsupervised. "He doesn't like ear plugs, the dogs are gonna go mad and this time Daniel can't cuddle up to Shadow because she's scared of fireworks too." Sam ranted quietly as it was firework night and neither her son or the dogs liked loud noises like hair dryers, let alone big bangs like fireworks. Additionally, they lived about five miles away from the local racecourse who were having a massive firework show like they did every year that cost £15 a ticket to raise money for the humongous display that went on way past Daniel's bedtime of 7:30pm.

"Maybe we could have a little camp out in the living room." Tom suggested. "I could run to tescos and buy a cheap tent and we can get cosy with the beanbags and sleeping bags. And we could watch a movie or two to try and drown out the noise. C'mon, if he's snuggled between us I'm sure he'll be fine."

"And what about the dogs?" Sam asked.

"They can snuggled up with us and we can get them a disgusting Pig's ear each or an even bigger treat that'll take them ages to chew on and distract them."

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Sam moaned.

"Because I'm a genius and you're not." Tom quipped.

"Oi-"

"Daddy! Done!" Daniel shouted excitedly as he interrupted his mother an they both looked in the doorway to see him standing with his hands cupped around five large marbles and he was dropping bits of sand on the floor plus his shoes were bringing some in too.

"Well done Daniel. Why don't we tidy up the garden? And then me and you can go to tescos and get a tent and some treats. And if you're really well behaved, I'll even let you pick a brand new cuddly toy."

"Yeah!" Daniel nodded confidently.

"You alright in the back there?" Tom asked as he heard Daniel beginning to get a bit upset in the back in in sigh car seat. Tom had just stopped at the traffic lights and turned around to see that Daniel was fidgeting and he was pressing his hands down between his legs. "You need your nappy changed? Don't worry mate, we're nearly there." Tom stated as he pulled into the car park and pulled up towards the back away from the store where it was empty because he knew that the toilets in there weren't very nice so he was just going to change him in the car. He opened the boot where Daniel's changing bag was and he get everything ready before he lifted Daniel out of his car seat and he laid him on the changing mat in the boot, which was thankfully facing a brick wall so no one could see. He then changed his wet nappy and put the dirty one and the wipes in the in behind him before he lifted Daniel to his feet and pulled his jeans up for him.

"Thank you Daddy."

"You're welcome." Tom said as he lifted his son down onto the floor. "Now," Tom began as he squatted in front of his son. "Seeing as it's a Monday morning, the shop is going to be quieter than usual, so do you think you can help daddy with the shopping and walk alongside me?" Tom asked because usually when they went shopping, Daniel preferred to either sit in the seat in the trolley, or Tom would carry Daniel whilst Sam pushed the trolley because he hadn't quite overcome his stranger anxiety. Daniel just shrugged and put his hands out to the side which was what he always did when he couldn't comprehend what he was meant to do. "You don't understand no? Okay, I'll carry you to the shop entrance becuase we don't want you getting run over plus it's a long way, but when we get there, you're gonna walk around the shop with me." Tom explained as he hoisted Daniel up and sat him on his shoulders with his legs either side of Tom's neck. "Make sure you hold on." Tom warned as he walked over to the shop. He grabbed a small trolley and then placed Daniel on the floor besides him. Tom watched as his son looked at the couple of people going in and out of the store and he moved a bit closer to Tom's leg so Tom put his hand down and held Daniel's small hand before he pushed the trolley with the other and they headed for the outdoors aisle. "See if you can find the tents Daniel. I'll give you a hint, they're probably in big bags and maybe blue or green in colour." Tom said encouragingly and because the aisle was empty Daniel zoomed off and looked up and down until he pointed at a shelf and jumped up and down. "Well done." Tom praised. "An, now here's the tough decision. Do we get the blue one, or the pink one?" Tom asked as he picked up two thin, long, rounded bags each containing a beach tent that had only three sides and no door so they would be able to have the open side facing the TV.

"Boo! Boo!" Daniel said loudly.

"You mean blue?" Tom said as he put emphasis on the 'l'.

"Bwoo." Daniel said as he cocked his head.

"Close enough." Tom smirked as he put the blue tent in the trolley. He then went to the baby aisle and picked up some more wipes and nappies before they went to the toiletries.

"What that?" Daniel asked as he put his hands out to the side whilst Tom had discreetly tried to put a box of tampons and a pack of pads, that Sam had asked him to get, into the trolley which he had tried to hide because he knew that his son would ask questions.

"It's just a box of tissues for cleaning up." Tom lied and Daniel seemed content with the answer before he toddled off and Tom had to chase after him as he let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't cry Daniel, you're doing so well." Sam said softly. They had set up the tent in the living room with the first Toy Story film playing whilst Daniel was cuddled by his mum on one side and his dad on the other under blankets whilst they leant on beanbags with the dogs curled up by their feet. Unfortunately, the fireworks show at the racecourse had obviously began because Daniel had been okay with a couple of bangs from the nearby gardens but it had suddenly got louder.

"I don't like it." Daniel mumbled as he buried his head into his dad's chest whilst Sam gently rubbed her hand up and down his back.

"I know you don't mate, but what don't you like about it? Because you're perfectly safe and it's not gonna hurt you." Tom said reassuringly.

"I don't like it." Daniel repeated before he began sobbing again and it broke Sam's heart to hear her baby so frightened and upset.

"Do you want to come up and cuddle with mummy and daddy in our bed?" Sam asked.

"No." Daniel said firmly.

"Do you want some warm milk?"

"Mmhmm." Daniel mumbled as he turned around onto his other side and he went to grab Sam's breast but Sam stopped him.

"Daniel, we stopped that weeks ago darling." Sam said softly. Sam had breastfed until Daniel's 2nd birthday. She had gotten strange looks from others for breastfeeding a toddler in the staffroom at work, but the World Health organisation recommended that all babies are breastfed for their first two years of life and Sam saw no harm in carrying on with something that helped the two to bond - she also didn't care what other people thought of her so she ignored the ignorant looks. "I'll go and warm you up some whole milk-"

"No mummy don't go." Daniel protested as he let go of his father and clung onto his mother for dear life.

"Alright, Daddy can go and warm your milk up for you." Sam hinted and so Tom got up and tucked the cover that he had just move under Daniel so he was comfy.

"I'm kind of glad he's scared of fireworks." Sam admitted softly as she stroked her son's hair. He was fast asleep after they had turned the TV off and Tom had read several stories whilst he had a cup of warm milk to make him sleepy and he had fallen asleep cuddling his mother so she had him in her arms.

"Why?" Tom questioned.

"Because he's never like this anymore; I miss it when he didn't trust other people at all and when he was really clingy wherever we went."

"Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. At times it was a bit too much but it was comforting that he trusted us so much." Tom nodded.

"Can you carefully carry him up to bed please?" Sam requested.

"Why? I thought we were gonna spend all night here." Tom stated confusedly.

"Yeah well I think I'm about to come on, I'm not feeling very well and as cosy as this is, I just want to go to the toilet, get some painkillers and a hot water bottle and cuddle in bed with you." Sam admitted. She had started taking the contraceptive pill because her periods had been a lot heavier and more painful since she had given birth to Daniel, and it had helped quite a bit. But Sam still had pain for the first day or two of every cycle and Tom always took care of her when she was feeling poorly because he was mature enough and kind enough to do so. "Plus if I don't go and get a pad now then I'm gonna wake up in a pool of blood." Sam quipped.

"Far too much information." Tom stated as he shuddered. "Go on, go up to bed. I'll do your hot water bottle for you." Tom said as he ever so gently scooped his son into his arms and carried the lad up to bed.

Tom held the hot water bottle against his wife's abdomen from behind whilst she curled up with her knees against her chest and their son was thankfully still asleep in his cot in his own room.

"How's my beautiful wife feeling?" Tom asked softly as he used his spare hand to comb his fingers through Sam's long hair.

"Like I'm on my period." Sam mumbled bluntly.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Tom asked.

"This is gonna sound really cliched and cheesy, but..."

"But what?" Tom prompted.

"Just hold me until I fall asleep." Sam whispered.

"Okay sweetheart." Tom replied softly and he couldn't help but smile at his wife whilst he cuddled her with the intention to keep her in his arms all night, not just until she fell asleep.

Monday 2nd July 2018

It was the first day of many that Sam and Tom had booked time off of work so that they could spend their summer with their son. After booking Daniel's birthday, a week around Christmas and new year and a week near Easter, they decided that the best time to use up the rest of their holidays would be when there was good weather. And once again, it had turned out to be a very hot summer. Daniel was 2 1/2 years old and of course, he was whining whilst he stood in his is swimming nappy and blue wetsuit material shorts whilst Sam rubbed sun cream onto his back for him. They hadn't yet attempted potty training because he still wasn't ready, but he was certainly growing into a handsome young boy with short, light brown curly hair.

"Mummy."

"Yes Daniel." Sam replied as she rubbed the sun cream into his shoulders.

"Lolly please." Daniel requested cheekily - he couldn't yet structure questions more than a few of words long.

"Not yet, maybe a bit later after lunch." Sam replied.

"Last one in the pool smells!" Tom shouted as he ran past Sam and his son and he dived straight into the massive circular pool that was 12 ft in diameter and 1.5m deep. They had gotten that because they were teaching Daniel his to swim, and then they had the small rectangular pool (that Tom had gotten for Sam to cool down three years ago when she was heavily pregnant) that Daniel could walk around in, play in and the dogs could play in too.

"Oi, no you need to wait for your sun cream to soak in." Sam said sternly as she stopped Daniel from running after his father.

"Mummy." Daniel moaned as he folded his arms across his chest and frowned.

"Only a couple more minutes and don't look at me like that. Don't you remember when daddy got sunburnt and he was in pain for ages?"

"Heehee, daddy tomato!" Daniel giggled at the memory.

"Exactly, you don't want to turn into a tomato so just wait." Sam said sternly. "Daddy, I'm just gonna go and get changed can you keep an eye on him for a minute?" Sam asked. They could no longer call each other by their names when Daniel was around because otherwise he got a bit confused though Tom quite enjoyed calling Sam mummy because he knew it annoyed her when he said it.

"Of course I can mummy." Tom beamed so Sam rolled her eyes before she went back inside the house and Daniel stood on the patio.

"Daddy lolly please." Daniel asked.

"Oi you cheeky rascal, I just heard you ask mummy that." Tom smirked and Daniel giggled as he clapped his hands together. "And the answer is still no." Tom added. "Tell you what, you can have an ice cream later, if you do a favour for me. But it's top secret and you can't tell mummy." Tom said sternly. "Come here." Daniel ran up to the edge of the pool and Tom began whispering into his ear.

"What are you two up to?" Sam asked as she came out in a aqua blue bandeau bikini with her hair tied up in a messy bun to keep it out of her face.

"Nothing." Tom replied and Sam gave him a sheepish look before she pulled her sunglasses on.

"Be very quiet." Tom whispered as he put his finger to his lip. He had been helping Daniel learn to float on his back in the large swimming pool when he decided that it was time for Daniel to do his 'favour' for his daddy. Sam was sunbathing on a lounger on the decking at the end of the garden in the bright sun so Tom silently lifted Daniel, who was trying not to giggle, out of the pool and onto his feet because the pool was taller than Daniel and he couldn't get in or out of it by himself. "Do you know what to do?" Tom asked quietly and Daniel nodded as he filled up the small plastic bucket with water from the smaller pool. He toddled over to where Sam was, and accidentally spilled some of the water on the way, but Sam had fallen asleep so she didn't notice, until Daniel poured the bucked of cold water over his mummy and Sam shrieked as she jumped up.

"Daniel!"

"Daddy's idea." Daniel giggled as he jumped up and down out of happiness.

"Was it now?" Sam asked as she put her hands on her hips and Tom raised his eyebrows as he put his hands up in mock surrender. "Well then Daniel, why don't you get your water gun and me and you can get daddy back?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah!" Daniel smiled as he ran as fast as he could to the small pool and got his small, green, plastic water gun that didn't have a lot of power.

"Daddy's already wet, I don't care!" Tom laughed as Sam stood with dripping wet hair.

"Come on." Sam picked up Daniel and lifted him into the pool before she balanced him on her hip because he couldn't swim yet and the pool was deeper than him so she didn't want to take a risk. Daniel started squirting Tom with his gun whilst Sam splashed Tom with her spare hand, but when Tom started splashing back, Sam lifted Daniel in front of her to shield herself.

"Daddy! Stop!" Daniel giggled as he dropped his gun and tried to hide himself but within seconds the family were drenched.

"Alright, alright. Ceasefire." Tom ordered. "We're even."

"I have lolly now daddy?" Daniel asked innocently and Tom glanced at Sam to see that she was shaking her head in disapproval that he had asked his son.

Coming up: Sam gets worried after Daniel experiences a prolonged cold, but he is given a devastating diagnosis that requires surgery. Will Sam and Tom lose their one and only son?

Thanks for reading, please review :)