Luka

I lie in bed with both arms curled round Sam, holding her little frame to me. The kids fell asleep relatively early, full of sweets and turkey. Lilia and Leioa insisted they wear their new sleep suits, even though they only put on clean the night before. But they're happy and that's what's important. Jak was quiet yesterday, and he said he felt guilty about being so happy even though he knows that's what they want. I understand what he meant, and so we spent half an hour looking through some albums and remembering Christmases before now. I think it made him feel better to talk about them with someone.

Sam is doing a great job with the girls, keeping them entertained and speaking English. They're already doing great just from being here, now we won't let them speak Croatian. Jak is struggling more, being older, but Alex is helping him a lot.

It's strange the difference in Alex since they came. He is clingier with his mom but he also seems to be happy to 'share' her more, and he'll go off and play PS2 with Jak.

We decided not to tell the kids about the baby until after the scan, although I think Alex knows already.

Sam snuffles and rolls onto her back. I sigh and lay my arm across her, tracing little circles across her abdomen. After awhile she swats at my hand, then laughs and rolls away from me. I follow her across the bed and continue my tickling until she's right on the edge and I stop then pull her backwards.

As my lips dive to hers, she smiles but doesn't speak. She locks her arms around my neck and twirls the lock of hair at the back round her finger. I kiss her deeper and she quickly rolls me over she's lying on me chest. Breaking the embrace she straddles my hips and quickly pulls off her strap top then lowers to kiss me again. I slide my hands down her sides and pull at the tie on her trousers until it comes loose and I remove them. Gently I roll us both over and she runs her fingers down my sides, eliciting a shiver of pleasure from me, and then quickly pulls off my boxer-briefs.

I hold her gently, delicately, as we move together and words bubble over my lips. "You're beautiful…volim te…I love you…marry me." My passion deepens as she calls my name into my shoulder and we finish together. I nuzzle her neck and shower her with kisses as she smiles and twirls my hair again. I move and hold her in my arms again as I stroke her cheek and wonder inside how I found someone so perfect in every possible way.

"I meant that you know." I say, into her hair.

"Meant what?"

"I want you to marry me." She turns her head to look up at me. "Will you…marry me?" She pulls back from my arms and my heart stops beating. Her face is still flushed as she looks me in the eyes, then in an instant, beams that smile that brings the corners of my mouth twitching upwards. I raise an eyebrow and she laughs.

"Of course I will." She kisses me with a gentle passion and she says into my lips. "Did you really think I would say no?"

"I don't like to presume."

"I hope it isn't a shot gun wedding." I look at her blankly and she laughs again.

"I forget you don't know sayings. A shot gun wedding is where two people get married because the girl is pregnant."

"Oh, but you didn't marry Steve."

"No, it was tradition years ago but it doesn't happen much now." I smile. "Don't worry."

"Well you learn something new everyday."