Family Values – Part 2

Archie ran the bath for the twins that morning. Lexie had left the night before to go to Glasgow and today was the day where Archie would be looking after the girls all by himself for a whole day, without any help.

"Ellie come here" Archie pleaded with his daughter as she ran away from him.

"Daddy, I need a wee wee" Kyla tugged on his t-shirt as he tried to undress Ellie.

"The potty's their Ky" Archie replied to Kyla as he finally got Ellie undressed. Kyla remained standing staring back at Archie with her bright blue eyes. Archie signed then took her to the potty and sat her down and waited.

"Ducky duck's" Ellie spoke to herself as she stood beside the bath and tipped all the bath toys into the bath.

"Ellie be careful" Archie answered turning round to see Ellie smile innocently back at him and giggle. "Opps"

"You finished yet Ky?" Archie asked as he sat on the toilet seat waiting for Kyla to finish.

"I don't need a wee daddy" Kyla replied standing up and joining Ellie at the side of the bath. Archie sighed and lifted each girl into the bath. He sat happily watching them play with the plastic yellow ducks until an argument broke out.

"Mine" Ellie screamed snatching the duck of Kyla and splashing water.

"No Ellie mine!" Kyla replied back to her taking hold of the duck again and holding on tight.

"Girls, look give daddy the duck" Archie pleaded

"MINE KYLA!" Ellie screamed one more time then as she pulled it; Kyla let go and Ellie fell backwards into the water.

"Oh god" Archie cried out as he pulled her back up, Ellie was shocked at first then burst out in tears. Archie tried to calm her down and as he went to wipe the water out of her eyes, she grabbed him in a rather wet hug, as she let go Archie looked down to observe his now wet t-shirt.

Ellie kicked her legs and water splashed everywhere including right over Archie. As Archie wiped the water of his face, he grabbed the girls towel dressing gowns.

"Right time to get out I think"

He wrapped each one in their towel dressing gown and put on their slippers and escorted them to their room.

Archie stood in front of the big dresser draw in between the two small beds, and opened one draw up. Beside him Ellie pulled out a top "Want this one"

Meanwhile the other side of him, Kyla started pulling out tops and letting each one fall to the floor.

"No, no Kyla stop it" Archie cried out picking up the once ironed tops. "Look Mummy has put out what your going to wear today" as Archie carefully put the tops back in the draw and took Lexie's suggestion and started to get the girls dressed. He put on Ellie's top and she started fiddling with the collar.

"Ellie leave it alone its fine" Archie replied

"Ouch its hurting daddy" Ellie replied tugging on the collar until Archie realised he had put it on back to front and that is why it was hurting her.

"I Want waffles daddy" Kyla told Archie after he had finished dressing them.

"Waffles?" Archie replied confused

"Waffles! Waffles!" Ellie repeated jumping up and down.

Just then the phone went, Archie picked up Kyla and took Ellie by the hand as he went down the stairs to pick up the phone.

"Hello Glenbogle house"

"Oh hi Arch, its Paul"

"Paul…hi"

"Is Lex there? Just Livia's sick and I wanted to ask her…"

"Sorry Paul, she's gone to Glasgow today"

"Oh yeah…so how's it going with the girls?"

"Well I got more wet then them at bath time, totally mucked up their clothes and now they want waffles!"

"Waffles?"

"Yes Waffles!"

"Well is it ok for me to come round…cos Isobel's not here and well I could give you a hand"

"Do you know how to make waffles?"

"Er…yes?"

"Then yes please come round"

"Ok cya soon Arch"

"Bye"

"Right well I'm just going to put the gel on your stomach now, sorry that it's cold" The nurse spoke to Lexie as they sat in the hospital. "Right now if we just put this over…then the image of the baby should come up here…ah there we go" the nurse commented to Lexie showing her the image of the baby. "Well there's just the one this time" the nurse joked, as Lexie looked a little relieved but smiled as she understood the joke. "Well the baby looks very healthy, as you can see here's the baby's spine, then its head. You can even see its brain, and its heart beating there." the nurse pointed out for Lexie to see as a huge smile formed on her face at the little heart inside her beating. "Then the baby's got its arms and legs there and there" the nurse finished sitting back for Lexie to admire the image.

Lexie thought for a moment, and then decided to ask.

"Can I know the gender of the baby?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" the nurse checked

"Yes, I'm sure" Lexie replied nodding

"Well Mrs.MacDonald, it looks like you will be expecting another little girl" the nurse answered.

Lexie smiled in reply, but even though she was happy she was having another girl, it meant Archie wasn't going to get his son. So then she decided she wasn't going to tell him, if he was going to get upset about it then it might as well wait 2 more months, she didn't think she would be able to cope with it until then.

Paul got out of the 4 x 4 and un-strapped Livia from her car seat in the back. He put her balanced on his side and strolled round the back of the house past the many toy cars and bikes that lay scattered in the courtyard behind the kitchen and entered the Macdonald's kitchen to meet Archie.

Ellie and Kyla sat side by side the other side of the kitchen table. Ellie had a messy ponytail on the top of her head and next to her Kyla had uneven bunches. Paul laughed at the sight of them and thought about what Lexie would think if she saw them.

Archie was in the pantry with his head in the freezer, sighing to himself and moving frozen fish and products about trying to find some waffles.

Paul coughed loudly to get his attention and Archie jumped up banging his head on the lid of the freezer.

He turned around rubbing his head. "Hi Paul"

Paul laughed "Here take Liv, I'll find them"

Archie walked over to Paul and took his niece off his brother. The usually red rosy cheeked Livia looked pale today and sleepy.

"So what's wrong with her?" Archie asked as Paul dug around in the freezer.

"Don't know, shes been sick all day, I've had to change her 2 times already" Paul replied standing up and producing a packet of waffles in his hand. As Archie gave worrying glances down at Livia and handed her quickly back to Paul.

Ellie and Kyla nattered to each other and giggled as Archie put the waffles in the oven to cook.

"So has Lexie got any Capol or something I can give her?" Paul asked as Archie walked over to a top cupboard.

"Come on Paul, this is Lexie, we've got a whole chemist in this cupboard" Archie replied laughing as he produced bottles of children's medicine in the cupboard. Retrieving a medicine spoon from the draw he poured the pink liquid out on the spoon and feed it into Livias mouth.

"I want some!" Ellie shouted from behind Archie.

"Me too!" Kyla added holding her hands out to Archie.

"Girls, how many times do I have to tell you, you only have it when your poorly" Archie explained to his daughters as a disappointed expression appeared on both there faces at the thought of not getting some of the strawberry flavoured liquid.

"They look just like Lexie when they do that, quite scary really" Archie laughed to Paul as he went to get the waffles out the oven.

Lexie pulled the car up outside her mother's house on the outskirts of Glasgow. She walked through the perfectly landscaped garden to the big white door. Her mother and Eric had such a nice house, that it almost baffled Lexie as to how different it was to the one she had lived in as a child with her mother.

"Lexie darling!" Pamela opened the door and hugged her daughter in her arms before pulling her inside and shutting the door behind her.

"Hello mum" Lexie replied with a smile.

"My your getting big now aren't you, don't want to go putting too much weight on now do you, don't want to end up like your father after" Pamela added

"Mum I'm pregnant" Lexie replied frustrated, her mother was already annoying her and she had only been there a few minutes.

"I know that dear, right come through I've just been shopping and I have some things to show you!" Pamela ushered Lexie through to the living area where bags of shopping lay scattered on the floor.

Lexie dropped herself down in a nearby chair she was exhausted.

Pamela held up a baby gap bag. "I couldn't resist" she laughed

"Mum you shouldn't have, I've got loads of baby clothes" Lexie replied

"All Ellie's and Kyla's stuff is premie clothes, you'll need some newborn ones this time" Pamela answered holding up a cute pink baby grow with 'Baby Gap' printed across the front.

"Mum its pink" Lexie stated

"Well I know that pet, I'm not colourblind" Pamela replied

"What if I have a boy?" Lexie questioned, knowing full well she was having a girl, but it frustrated her that her mum had bought stuff for a girl.

"Oh come on Lexie, you know this family is destined to have girls, your gran had me and your auntie, I had you, your aunt had Susan and Jane, you had Ellie and Kyla. Susan had Melanie and Laura and now Jane's expecting a girl" Pamela stated rolling the facts off her tongue.

"That's just a coincidence" Lexie answered back

"Well whatever, if you don't want the clothes I'll give them to Jane, shes expecting" Pamela sighed folding the clothes back up.

"Er no wait, I never said I didn't want them" Lexie replied quickly

Pamela smiled and handed Lexie the bag "I knew you'd like them"

Isobel and Jess returned later on in the afternoon and walked in the house to find Archie and Paul asleep on the sofa with Livia rested on Paul's chest and Ellie and Kyla laying either side of Archie. The mess that lay on the floor of toys, drink cups, paper and colouring pencils shocked Isobel as to what Lexie was going to think when she got back but smiled at the scene of the two men.

Isobel and Jess looked to each other and Jess nodded "Was thinking the same, I'll start clearing up"

Isobel walked over to Paul and Archie and picked Livia up off Paul's chest as he stirred. She cuddled Livia, and Livia fell back to sleep on Isobel's shoulder. Archie woke up and peered up at Isobel with Paul.

"What's this? Daddy day care?" Isobel joked as Jess started to pick the toys up off the floor and put them in the boxes at the side of the room.

"Oh Jess I'll do that" Archie spoke up feeling guilty

"No worries, you stay there" Jess smiled back.

"Well we better be getting home" Isobel answered as Paul got up from the sofa. "Got cows, a child and a husband to feed" she smiled as Paul put his arm around her.

"Thanks for helping today Paul" Archie answered as the family walked out of the room.

Archie carefully slid his arms out from either side of the twins and left them to sleep as he walked over to Jess to help.

"So…how's it going with you and Duncan, thought any more about getting married?" Archie asked as they cleared the toys together.

"I don't know, he hasn't said anything about it…I mean I'd like too…I think, but if he's not ready…" Jess stuttered

Archie smiled as he noticed her look across to the girls and smile. "Getting broody?" Archie asked

Jess laughed "I don't know, I guess just Lex is about to have another one, Isobel has Livia…I'm just kinda the odd one out"

"Well I'll tell ya what, you and Duncan can have the girls on loan for a weekend" Archie laughed as he looked down at his T-shirt filled with apple juice stains and food marks along with the felt tip pen on his arms. He didn't know how Lexie did it everyday.