Chapter 23

Once Arnold left, Kriss could look at her new son properly. She stared into his deep blue eyes and fell deeper and deeper in love with him

"I'm so sorry Theo" Kriss' eyes sparkled with teardrops "I do love you and I do want you" she kissed his forehead "you are so beautiful Theo" Kriss wiped the tears from her eyes "just wait until your brothers meet you"

Theo looked at Kriss and she smiled at him. She put her finger into the palm of Theo's hand. One by one each of Theo's tiny fingers closed around Kriss' hand and squeezed it tight. To Kriss this was Theo saying 'I love you' without actually saying it. Once each of her children had done this she knew that they loved her and that she was going to be a good mother.

Dave stood in the doorframe and smiled

"Hello beautiful" he said, "I love you"

Kriss smiled back "I love you too" she told him "what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Dave asked her

"Well" she answered "will you treat Theo like you treat Chloë?"

"Let me give him a cuddle" he requested, "let me give us a chance"

Kriss smiled and handed Theo over. She knew that this was all she could ask of him for now. If he had the same view of Theo as he had of Chloë all those years before she knew they'd be okay!

Dave stared at this beautiful baby boy in front of him. Dave thought about this, he wanted to love Theo like he loved Chloë, but nothing was happening.

"Put your finger in the palm of his hand" Kriss told him "I believe that if he grasps your hand, he loves you"

Dave did as he was told and as expected Theo's tiny fingers grabbed hold of Dave's hand. Theo's grip was so strong that Dave couldn't pull his hand away. Dave felt a blanket of love cover him

"You're right" Dave told her "he loves me and I love him"

"I told you" she smiled

Dave thought about this, he remembered how he felt about Chloë when she was knew and why, he recognised that he felt the same about Theo, which to be honest wasn't much different to how he felt for Llewey, Jim-Bexley and Alicia-May.

"Right now I feel the same about Theo as I did about Chloë" Dave confessed

"What do you mean?" Kriss asked with a smile

"Chloë's part of you, I love Chloë like I love you"

"That's lovely" Kriss smiled

"Theo is also part of you and I'll love Theo like I love you as well!"

"Let's get married" Kriss yelled "let's get married as soon as possible!"

"Kriss who's going to officiate?"

"Kryten" she smiled "Kryten can do it!"

"Kriss, it won't be legal, we wont be officially married"

"I don't care" she giggled, "it'll be symbolic, and when we can make it legal, we will"

"Okay" Dave was so pleased "I'll go and tell Kryten"

"Dave" Kriss called "can you get Arnold for me?"

"Rimmer?" Dave was puzzled "why do you want to see him?"

"I need to tell him about the wedding" she confessed "he'll want to hear it from me"

"Okay" Dave shrugged "if you're sure!"

"Very" Kriss smiled

Arnold came to see Kriss straight away

"Hello" he said nervously "you wanted to see me?"

"Yes" Kriss agreed, "what did Dave say?"

"Just that you wanted to see me" he smiled "you want me back don't you?"

"No, I don't"

"Why?"

"I've told you, I don't love you"

"What do you want to tell me then?"

"Me and Dave" Kriss smiled "we're getting married"

Arnold looked at her; the hurt and disappointment in his eyes shone through and Kriss could see it. Suddenly something hit him and a huge grin emerged on his face

"You can't get married" he scoffed "there's no-one to officiate!"

"We're going to have a symbolic ceremony for now and make it official as soon as we can"

"Oh" Arnold didn't really know what to say to this "fine"

"I'd like you to be there, look after Chloë and Theo for me"

"Okay" he agreed, "I will"