31st December 2014
5:30pm
"Tom I've told you a million times, I'll be fine. And if you don't get your backside out of that front door in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to kick it out of this house myself." Sam threatened bluntly.
"You've got such a delicate, feminine voice." Tom said sarcastically.
"Mm, stop stalling and go." Sam ordered.
"Alright, alright, I'm going. But give me a call if you want me to come back at any time okay?"
"Tom, you're keeping the taxi waiting, just go!" Sam ordered.
"Alright alright, I'll see you soon." Tom pecked Sam on the lips before he left and locked the front door behind him, leaving Sam and the octuplets home alone.
Tom was going to meet everyone in the pub after they had just finished their shifts because he was still on his three week holiday, and he had arranged to travel home by taxi too so he could drink. But as much as he wanted to get hammered and celebrate the new year because that's what Sam wanted him to do, he felt guilty about leaving her at home with the kids - despite the fact that he left her alone when he had to go to work all those times before he had begun his holiday.
Sam padded upstairs after making sure that her property was secure because there was something about being in a large house that sometimes made her feel a little uneasy. It was eerily quiet as she entered the bedroom where her children were napping, and she knew that it would soon be time when they would be wide awake and would be playing so she got changed into her pyjamas, ready to play with them on her large double bed and within seconds of her being ready, Aaron began to stir. Sam took the boy out of his cot, and checked his nappy was clean before she sat him on the bed and put a little rolled up towel behind him to give him support.
"Here, you want to play with this?" Sam said softly as she placed a small unbreakable mirror with a soft padded edge in his hands. She smiled as Aaron appeared fascinated by his own reflection, and he looked startled that when he poked his tongue out, the reflection did so too. "Who's that?" Sam teased as she pointed to the mirror.
"Bub... Brrr... Ah!" He babbled.
"Really? I had no idea!" Sam smiled.
11:45pm
Sam was lying in bed, watching the news of celebrations around the world on her iPad when her phone began ringing; it was her husband.
"Hello?"
"Hello!" Tom bellowed.
"And how much have you had to drink?" Sam remarked quietly.
"Nah, I'm just joking, I'm still semi-sober." He stated. "How're the kids?" He asked curiously.
"They're all tucked up in bed, fast asleep." Sam stated.
"Brilliant. Well, I just wanted to give you a call now because it's going to be too loud in the pub at midnight to hear you. Happy new year, and let 2015 bring many more surprises along the way." Tom smiled.
"Happy new year to you too. And could you do me a favour? At least try not to let Fletch drink half of the bar and kill half of his liver in one night please?"
"Fletch isn't drinking, he's driving Rita, Robyn and lofty home tonight. Or rather in the morning." Tom replied.
"Oh, well good for him. Just make sure you get home safe."
"I will. Love you."
"Love you too. Bye."
"Bye." Sam hung up the phone and then put it on her bedside table.
Soon, the time passed as Sam watched the amazing firework celebrations in Tokyo, Beijing, and Sydney and it reached the countdown to midnight. She smiled to herself as she thought of Tom holding hands with people ready to sing old lang syne in the pub, when suddenly fireworks began outside, and the first one made Sam leap out of her skin.
Within seconds the babies began crying and Sam's heart was beating ten to the dozen as she jumped out of bed and didn't know who to comfort first. The fireworks continued, as did the babies crying and she felt her eyes uncontrollably fill with tears as it broke her heart to hear her children scared like that.
"Er... Right." Sam said to herself as she chucked the duvet off of the bed, and then she positioned hers and Tom's pillows into an upside down V shape before she decided the best course of action was for them to sleep with her in her bed for the night. "Sshh, calm down... Please? It's okay." Sam said softly as she began to pick her children up and transfer them to her bed, and soon she was able to get into her own bed and get them comfortable. Ellie was consoled as soon as she had contact with her mother, so Sam placed Ellie between her legs, and tucked her under a little blanket. She then put Bella in between her thighs too and the second infant used her sisters bum as a pillow which caused Sam to smile.
Sam put Charlie and Jonny either side of her own head with their heads nuzzled into their mothers neck. And then she put Aaron on one side with her arm wrapped around him, and Leah on the other side. Finally, she put Megan and Summer on her chest before she set about settling her children whilst the fireworks continued to erupt outside...
Tom unlocked the front door, and came in with a little more force than intended, but it wasn't his fault as the alcohol had slurred his actions. However, he was sober enough to lock the door before he slowly made his way upstairs. He reached the bedroom, and through the darkness he could see Sam with two babies between her legs, two next to her head, two on her chest and two by her sides tucked under her arms to keep them warm.
He smiled to himself, and as much as he wanted to get comfy with them, he knew he would only disturb them, and that up it wouldn't be safe to get into bed with small children under the influence of alcohol because he would probably be a heavy sleeper. Thankfully, their double duvet was on the floor so he took his shoes and coat off, before he wrapped himself in the duvet and got comfortable on the soft carpet.
Sam awoke to an odd feeling, and as she looked down, she realised that Aaron had made the small journey to sit up. Her shirt must've fallen down in the night because Aaron was sitting there, leaning forward holding and suckling at Sam's breast.
"Please, help yourself." Sam said sarcastically, but she found it adorable that he had done it by himself. She wondered where her husband was, when she suddenly heard him groan. And within seconds, he was sat up besides the bed clutching his head. "Good night was it?" Sam remarked.
"I'm not sure, I can't remember most of it." Tom admitted quietly. "Although I do remember being called a lightweight." He stated.
"Well considering you haven't had alcohol for quite some time, I'm not surprised." Sam stated. "Do you want some paracetamol?" Sam offered.
"No, don't bother getting up." Tom croaked.
"No, I've got some here." Sam stated as she took the box of tablets out of her bedside draw, and then offered him, her bottle of water with it.
"Thanks." Tom forced a smile before he took two tablets and drank the rest of the water too to ward off dehydration.
"Right, I'm going to go and get these lot dressed and then take them downstairs, you have a lie in and sleep the hangover off." Sam ordered as she slowly sat up and got herself off of the bed without squishing her babies. But she kept Aaron against her chest because she didn't want to disturb his morning meal.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. But you're not gonna be sick are you?" Sam moaned.
"No, I don't feel sick." Tom stated.
"Right. C'mon you lot, rise and shine." Sam smirked as she walked over to the baskets to get out some clothes. It took Sam a while, but she changed everyone's nappies and changed them into clean baby grows before she carried them downstairs to play with their christmas presents that they had not yet gotten bored of.
It was 1pm by the time Tom emerged from their bedroom and he was in his boxers, and his thick, dark blue dressing gown. In the living room, Sam had the five girls with their own play gym each, batting and kicking away at the toys dangling above them, whilst Aaron was lying on his tummy with his arms on Sam's legs where she was sitting on the floor breastfeeding Jonny and Charlie.
"How're you feeling?" Sam asked curiously.
"Still a little fragile." Tom admitted. "But not too bad."
"I made you a chicken salad for lunch, it's in the fridge if you want it." Sam offered.
"Ooh, thanks." Tom replied before he padded into the kitchen, got his lunch and a fork before he sat down on the sofa with Sam on the floor in front of him.
"Fletch has put up pictures of last night by the way. And there's a benefit of being sober - he caught everyone being absolute idiots." Sam smirked as she handed Tom the iPad. Tom unlocked it, and logged in to his Facebook account.
"Oh lord." Tom groaned as he had so many notifications, and he had been tagged in loads of pictures. "Oh my g..." He trailed off as he found a picture of himself kissing Cal on the lips whilst they each held a pint of beer. "Um..." He was just thankful that it wasn't a female, even though Sam would know that it was only the alcohol.
"Are you cheating on me with him?" Sam joked as she peered up to see the screen which Tom lowered for her.
"But I wasn't even that drunk. I felt fine when I came back to the house." Tom said confusedly.
"What time did you stop drinking?" Sam questioned.
"I can't remember." Tom admitted.
"Well just forget it." Sam muttered.
"Oi, hang on you've liked all of these pictures! Including the one of me kissing Cal!" Tom protested.
"So? I like them." Sam said smugly. "I liked the picture of Charlie and Zoe kissing too."
"What?!" Tom laughed.
"Look on Rita's profile." Sam ordered and it took a few moments for Tom to get onto her feed, but he finally found a picture of Zoe kissing Charlie on the cheek drunkly with a glass of wine in her hand.
"That's a let down! I was expecting a full on snog." Tom moaned.
"I said kissing and they're kissing." Sam stated. Tom locked the iPad before he slid onto the floor besides Sam and picked up Aaron. "Don't rock him about too much, he's just been fed." Sam stated.
"Okay. Have you thought about when you want to go back to work yet?" He asked softly.
"Soon." Sam replied briefly.
"Well we'd better start interviewing nannies eh?" Tom suggested.
"I was thinking, and I think that we should have three nannies in total while we're at work." Sam stated.
"Three or four?" Tom asked.
"Three. I mean, I manage with all eight, so I don't see why three nannies can't manage with them." Sam replied.
"Alright. Three nannies working Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm. Sound good?" Tom asked as he picked up the iPad and opened safari.
"Yep." Sam nodded.
Thanks for reading. Sorry this chapters a bit boring so I'm going to try to update again this afternoon and it'll be Sam returning to work. Please review :)