Missing You – Part 12

" Okay" Lexie called everyone to attention, resting the notepad on her swollen belly, " Invite list, Lizzie who do you want to come to Martha's birthday?"

" I think it should just be reasonably small Lex, I mean she's only four and you're going to be six months pregnant, I wouldn't want it to be too much for you."

Lexie sent her a look and Lizzie immediately revised her explanation

" I mean, not that you couldn't fairly handle it, but I'm just not sure that I could. You know one four year old is quite enough to handle."

" Okay" Lexie responded, " So You, Martha, Molly, Golly, Duncan, Archie and me?"

Lizzie nodded with a smile and then remembered someone else, " What about Katrina?"

" Katrina?" Lexie repeated

" She's Martha's Godmother after all," Lizzie reminded

" Okay" Lexie agreed, making an amendment to the list that read 'Katrina and partner'

Archie glanced at Lexie and wondered what she was thinking at the moment; she was being harder than usual to read. In the end he decided he'd get her opinion out of her later that night.

" Okay" Lexie took charge again. It was good to see that being pregnant had not affected her organisational skills or her ability to lead, if anything it had increased them.

" Next on the agenda is decorations"

What are you are worried about? Seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

Lexie stood in the doorway watching Lizzie and Martha run around the garden shrieking and laughing. She smiled and put her hand to her own stomach, wondering what it would be like when she had her own child.

Lizzie grabbed Martha and swung her around until they both screamed and fell down in a dizzy heap on the ground, Lexie laughed from the doorway, making Lizzie look up, a huge smile on her face as she waved enthusiastically to Lexie.

Archie came up behind his wife and smiled too

" That'll be us in a few more months."

" Quite a few months hopefully" Lexie agreed, " I'd like this one to go full term if possible. I don't know what I'd do if it was premmie"

" We'd cope with the situation like any other situation. Anyway I don't want you to be worrying about these things right now. Lets go play with the soon to be birthday girl."

Lexie smiled and let him give her a peck on the cheek before he raced off and crash tackled his sister to the ground, much to the delight of his watching niece.

Lexie followed her husband and was immediately engulfed in a hug from Martha. He small hands not quite meeting at the Lexie's back. Tilting her head she rested it on her Auntie's stomach to listen to the baby with a quiet vigil.

Lexie laughed and ran her hand through Martha's straight brown hair, remembering how very lucky she was to be expecting a child of her own.

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.

William D. Tammeus

Missing You – Part 13

" So?" Archie asked in bed with his wife that night

" So what?" Lexie asked

" So what do you really think about Katrina coming to Martha's birthday party?"

" She's entitled to," Lexie answered simply, before going back to reading her book

" That's it? You really don't mind?" Archie asked cautiously

" Archie I've got far more important things to worry about then whether Katrina is coming over for my niece's birthday. Frankly it doesn't particularly bother me at the moment, I probably wouldn't have chosen her to be on the list, but then it's not my party is it so it's not my choice."

" Hmmm" Archie uttered in understanding and slight amazement. While worrying about Lexie's reaction he had totally ignored the thought of how he would react to seeing his old girlfriend.

He glanced at Lexie tucked up under the blankets, fully engrossed in her book and decided that he would write a letter to Katrina, telling her the news and inviting her personally.

Reaching over he fumbled around in the bedside drawer until he found a notepad and pen, and set them up resting against his knees.

Katrina.

I hope that you're well, and that you're life is going well. Lizzie mentions you whenever she comes up, but I haven't heard from you directly since you came back to apply for the teaching position.

" What are you doing?" Lexie asked, glancing over

" Writing a letter to Katrina explaining everything." Archie replied, " Lizzie can give it to her when she goes back to London."

Lexie nodded and went back to her book

" Is that okay?" Archie asked sincerely

" Hmmm" Lexie glanced back up at him, " Yeah Arch I think it's a good idea."

" You can read over it when I finish if you want" He offered

Lexie smiled, " Arch I trust you, it's okay"

Archie smiled, leaning over to kiss her before continuing the letter

Lexie knows that I'm writing this, and no matter what happened last time you came up we want you to know that it would be ice to see you again. (I actually talked it over with her this time, a skill that I am slowly learning.)

Plus, - Lizzie probably hasn't mentioned it yet- but we've volunteered to have Martha's 4th Birthday at Glenbogle and as you're her Godmother it would be good if you could come.

Mother and Golly are dying to see you.

I hope that things can be okay between us. I know that you said that you didn't want to see Lexie and me together but I had hoped after a bit of time, and because I know how close you are to Martha, we would be able to put the past aside and just have a good time.

Our relationship isn't, and can never be the same as it was.

He glanced across at Lexie and nodded

But we can't cling to the past.

" Lex"

" Yeah" Lexie answered distractedly

" Do you know where the negatives are for that photo I like of us on our honeymoon?"

Lexie looked up, but decided it was better not to ask, " Um, yeah I think they're in the photo box in the wardrobe. Are you thinking of getting it done off?"

" Yeah, something like that." Archie answered, deciding that he would go down to the local photographics shop and get the photo reprinted to send in the letter.

Feeling somehow consummated he finished the letter and placed it by the bed before snuggling down on his side of the bed and falling asleep.

Hope to see you soon.

Archie and Lexie MacDonald…….