I can do two at once? Can't I?
The last couple of years had been great, it really had and things were going well, they were happy and today was their wedding party. Carla was sitting at her vanity unit which she had begged Peter to get for her as an early birthday present fed up with her makeup being scattered all over the place. Maria was sitting on the bed waiting for the go-ahead to do Carla's hair and she sighed causing Maria to smile sympathetically at her knowing how hard today was going to be for her knowing Michelle wasn't here for her but Maria herself was determined to make this the best it could be for her.
"Ok done," she says looking in the mirror, Maria smiles at her and grabs the curling wand "Thanks for this Maria"
"No problem" she smiles knowing she had to step in for Michelle and that Carla was kind of upset about it "Do you want it just curled?"
"Yeah exactly like last time, you've seen the pictures" she confirms, Maria smiles and nods grabbing the flower to put into Carla's hair, "Perfect"
"You look amazing"
"Hmm," she smiles as cries ring out from the spare room "Ah..."
"I can get her for you?" she offers, Carla nods wanting to make the most of doing her makeup, Maria returns "Someone wants their mummy"
"Hey sweetheart" she whispers taking Esme into her arms, she giggles and kisses her on the forehead "Did you have a good nap?"
"Yes" she mumbles hugging her mother, Carla hushes her and rubs her back gently "Hungry"
"I swear the only words she knows are hungry, yes and no" Carla rolls her eyes adjusting her daughter in her arms and shifting her dress down slightly "There you go"
"Do you want me to get Peter to get her ready?"
"Yes please" she nods slowly as Maria leaves the room, she returns with Peter and he immediately kisses Carla on the lips softly
"You look amazing" he whispers raking his fingers through the curls that were in her hair, she smiles up at him "Am I getting this little monkey ready?"
"Yeah put her hair in bunches," Carla says, Peter nods stroking Esme's cheek as she eats "You're hungry aren't you sweetheart?"
"Are you ok?" he questions, she nods slowly "I know it's going to be hard"
"I know why she can't be here" she starts, Peter nods slowly "Ciaran will be looking after her though and we'll have to pop in after the party"
"Blessing" he corrects her, she rolls her eyes
"It's a party Peter...we aren't saying our vows again" she rolls her eyes as Esme pulls away to pout her lips "Are you ok sweetheart?"
"Dada" she smiles reaching her arms up to her father, Peter takes her and holds his daughter
"Let's get you ready" he smiles kissing Carla on the lips softly, she smiles and bites her lip watching Peter leave the room, Carla laughs slightly and returns to admire her look, she sighs wishing her friend could be here...
They made their way to the party, Maria took Esme with her so Carla and Peter could be all over each other in their car that Tracy was driving. They were so happy and these last couple of years had been the best, hectic but the best, so hectic in fact they only just got around to doing the wedding party thing Peter suggested when Carla was pregnant with Esme but they were happy, well it was bittersweet. Michelle wouldn't be here and Carla was really feeling the effects of that as she wanted her best friend here by her side as she didnt have her the last time she got married, she completely understood why though.
"Here" Peter passes her a glass of prosecco, Carla bites her lip "It's fine baby, you can have one"
"No thanks" she shakes her head passing her drink to Maria "I don't want it to affect Esme, maybe for the toast later"
"Ok" he smiles frowning slightly, Carla smiles up at him and he immediately takes her hand and leads her onto the dancefloor "I love you, Mrs Barlow"
"I love you too" she smiles as she throws her head back, he nuzzles into her neck as everyone cheers "We've done so well haven't we?"
"We have" he whispers, he squeezes her ass causing her to smirk suggestively, Peter kisses her on the lips softly "Maybe this time I can appreciate your dress in full eh?"
"Maybe" she muses looking back at Esme who was being held by Maria "Except I feel that a certain somebody might put a spanner in the works if she wants to be nursed"
"She's starting to wean though" Peter smiles, Carla grins at him "You seem happier about it as I remember how sad you felt"
"Yeah I know" she whispers "But it's been good, I've enjoyed every minute of it"
"Good" he smiles kissing her softly on the lips again "We should eat as everyone else is"
"Agreed" she smiles as they walk to the table, Esme toddles over to them and Carla picks her up and sits her on her lap, she looks at Peter who kisses Esme on the head then Carla on the lips, they would be fine they just knew it...
After the party had finished Peter offered to take Esme home as she was exhausted but Carla said they had to bring her to see Michelle and Peter agreed knowing she really wanted to see her friend today. They went to Michelle and Ciaran's house, knocked on the door and Ciaran answered causing them to head in and up to the bedroom to see Michelle who was laying in bed watching the TV, she turned the TV off and Carla sat on the edge of the bed and Michelle hugged her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Hey" she whispers, Michelle smiles at her
"You look beautiful" she whispers, Carla smiles at her and Michelle immediately takes her hand and places it on her tummy, "Your niece or nephew says hi"
"Well I say hi back" Carla smiles as Michelle chuckles slightly bringing her in for another hug
"Mi!" Esme huffs, Carla chuckles and gestures for Peter to pass Esme over to her, Esme crawls up beside Michelle and hugs her aunt
"Why don't you go downstairs and have a drink with Ciaran, Peter?" Michelle suggests sensing that Carla had something to tell her, he nods taking Esme and heading downstairs shutting the door "Out with it then"
"What?"
"You" she points knowing something was definitely up with her friend "What's gotten you all quiet, this is meant to be one of the best days of your life"
"Oh its nothing"
"Nothing, yeah right," Michelle says with a roll of her eyes not convinced at all"Go on out with it"
"It doesn't matter"
"Carla" Michelle scolds, she bites her lip and a smile appears on her face because she was genuinely happy "Why are you...no, oh my god!"
"Shut it" she quietens Michelle down who laughs slightly as the tears fill her eyes, the tears falling freely down her face "Hormonal cow"
"I'm not the only one" she smirks, Carla sighs dramatically "How far?"
"No clue, I'm having a termination"
"What?" Michelle splutters, Carla frowns "Does Peter know?"
"No...this is my decision"
"Thats his baby as well" she points, Carla bites her lip "Speak to me"
"We only agreed the one" she states with a sigh "It was reckless, don't get me wrong we go at it like rabbits-"
"Yeah you do" Michelle rolls her eyes "Yet you haven't given me a reason why you can't go through with it"
"We don't have the room"
"Simon's moved out so thats a lie" Michelle comments, Carla groans knowing she had an answer for everything "So what's stopping you?"
"Esme"
"Right and why?"
"Because she will have to share my time with me and the other baby if this pregnancy sticks, thats going to be so hard on her"
"It'll be hard at first and I know you three have a lovely bond with just her but would it be that bad? Adding another one to the clan?"
"I'm forty-eight Michelle, the last thing Esme needs is her mum popping out another one, its the tantrums as well...ugh"
"Speak to Peter, I would offer to have Esme so you can't get out of it but I think we know that would be a bad move"
"How are you?" Carla questions taking her hand, Michelle wipes her eyes "I know babe, that must have been so hard for you"
"I'm just taking each day as it comes" she whispers "The baby's still staying so I'm hoping it's made of strong stuff, all the scares and bleeding aside I'm on bed rest for the foreseeable now, Ciarans got to work, he's been offered this job that would give us tons of money but he didnt want to leave me because it's on a cruise ship"
"Why doesn't he go then?" Carla questions
"I'd be alone," Michelle says as if it was obvious, Carla hums thoughtfully "What?"
"Not necessarily. We have the spare room" Carla says quietly, Michelle nods slowly "And how long is this job for?"
"A few months if that" Michelle shrugs, Carla smirks "I dont know Carla"
"Go on, you know you want to...at least speak to him, I'll speak to Peter"
"If it makes you speak to Peter then fine," she says quietly, Carla grins and hugs her friend, Peter enters the room with a grumpy Esme
"We should head back Carla," Peter says as Esme continues to cry "She's shattered"
"Alright then" Carla smiles kissing Michelle on the forehead, "Take care babe, rest up ok?"
"Of course" she smiles, Carla takes Esme into her arms and holds her watching as her daughter snuggles into her shoulder "Let's get you home sweetheart"
They headed home and Peter put Esme to bed allowing Carla to sort out the bedroom and make it all romantic for them, Peter then returned and they began kissing and soon enough they were making love and Peter was making sure Carla knew how much he loved her, he wanted to make sure she forever knew that. Carla felt immensely guilty keeping her secret from him and she knew Michelle was right and that she needed to tell Peter so they were cuddling and he was just holding her, she didnt know when to tell him or what to say and somehow she was so nervous and he did sense a shift in her mood.
"Are you ok?" he questions, she bites her lip and sighs "What is it?"
"I just...I want us to be happy"
"Do you not feel happy?"
"It's not that," she says quietly looking into his eyes, he narrows his eyes and sits more upright as she sits up cross-legged
"Then what is it? You're scaring me baby" he says holding her hand, she closes her eyes and shakes her head "Carla I mean it you either tell me-"
"I'm pregnant"
"What?" he questions as his mind whirs having taken in the words she had just said "Seriously? I thought you only wanted the one"
"I thought we were safe with me breastfeeding"
"So you're pregnant?"
"Yes" she responds getting up and heading to the wardrobe, she pulls out the pregnancy test and shows it to him "I took that a week ago"
"So...wait?"
"I dont know anymore" she comments sitting back down on the bed, she chews her lip "I wanted to have a termination"
"Why?"
"I just think about how much I like it just you me and Esme, how would she cope with another baby, the set-up we have right now is near perfect"
"And you think that adding one more to the clan will ruin that?"
"Not ruin it but change it," she says quietly, Peter takes her hand and squeezes it gently "Is it wrong for me not to want to change it?"
"Sweetheart, we'll do whatever you want and if I'm honest this is just you panicking calmly about the future but if you do really want this, a termination, then I will support you, how did you suspect you might be?"
"My chest really hurt and I was pretty bloated that morning so I just took a test to rule it out but then it came back positive"
"I'll tell you what, you can't be that far along can you so I say we wait for a week to see how you go now that I know and we can see how you feel in a week and if you still want to go ahead with the termination I will support you"
"I told Michelle"
"Ok" he nods slowly, she bites her lip
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all, you've supported her through her pregnancy so she will support you and it'll probably do you good to have some support and I'm not trying to sway you with this but don't you think it would be cool having a baby months apart from her?"
"Yeah that did cross my mind" she grins, Peter smirks and chuckles "How would Esme cope though?"
"Kids that age adapt easily" Peter whispers stroking her hair as she settles against his chest "You usually find when they have the concept of a brother or sister they get excited"
"I guess" she whispers "It's just crazy, another baby I never thought this would be possible Peter"
"Me neither" he whispers kissing her on the forehead "But we can do this, can't we? Esme goes to preschool, you work from home now"
"Talk about working from home..."
"You want to start going into the office again?"
"No it's about Michelle actually...You know how money's tight with her not working and Ciaran being the only source of income...he got offered this job it was on a cruise, double the money he's on at the moment and he didnt want to leave her because she would be alone and if anything were to happen to her or the baby he would never forgive himself you know so I suggested that she could maybe have the spare room, I would be here all the time and you know he drops her off here during the day when he works for me to keep an eye on her so it would just make sense for her to be here"
"I'd be ok with that, we're all friends aren't we and I'd do anything to help out with Ciaran and Michelle as she's a huge part of your life"
"Are you sure?" she questions biting her lip, Peter chuckles and nods kissing her on the forehead "Hmm this is why I love you"
"Hey I love you more" he smirks and kisses her on the lips softly before cries ring out from the baby monitor "Ugh, what is up with this child does she ever sleep?"
"I'll get her" Carla smiles grabbing her robe and wrapping it around her, she walks into Esme's room and picks her up "What's with all the fuss baby?"
"Dada" she mumbles tiredly as Carla sighs and pads back into the bedroom, she places Esme down on the bed and she immediately snuggles into Peter's side
"Looks like we're going to need to have room for another one" she smiles as Peter rolls his eyes knowing they did bedshare for a bit when Esme was a baby "We should sleep baby, we'll speak more tomorrow about you know what"
"Alright" he smiles kissing her softly on the lips, she climbs into bed and yawns before turning the lights off "Night sweetheart"
"Night Peter"