Chapter two - Surprises

'Now young man, I think you're pretty clean now, so let us get you in your pyjama's!'.

James started to cry to show his disagreement, but Louisa firmly lifted him from the tub and wrapped him in a warm towel.

This was the signal for Martin to go upstairs. He entered the bathroom and quickly put away the numerous plastic boats and ducks James loved to play with.

While he tidied up the bathroom, Louisa was reading to James his favourite Thomas the Tank engine book "Thomas comes to Breakfast". James sat on Louisa's lap and they both had a lot of fun. Louisa showed all the images to James and included silly noices to the story. When the book was finished, Louisa hugged and kissed their son and put him in his cot.

She started to sing: ' Hush little baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird...'

Martin listened for a minute and wondered why the lyrics of lullabies never made any sense..He knew them by hart though, even if he hadn't ever sung the song .

As she always did, Louisa sang the same song twice.

Thinking of what Dr. Johnson advised him, Martin entered James' room and stood behind Louisa. He put his arms around her waist.

'And if that mockingbird won't sing, mama is gonna buy you a diamond ring', he sang along with Louisa.

At first, his voice sounded a bit insecure, but it grew in confidence every second. Surprised, Louisa glanced at himand smiled, but continued the song.

James also looked surprised, then clapped his chubby little hands and kicked with his feet and showed a huge smile. He really seemed to enjoy himself. He looked up at both his parents. 'Dada', he babbled and then 'Mummum'.

Now Martin and Louisa gave each other a puzzled look. That sounded like 'dad' and 'mum' to them, but James was only ten months old! At the sound of their soft singing voices, the little man soon calmed down and started to doze of.

Quietly, Martin and Louisa kissed James goodnight and went downstairs.

'Thank you Martin', said Louisa, giving him a big hug, 'you are a wonderful father'.

'Hmm, no, I'm not, I hardly know anything about babies and toddlers. It looked like he called me daddy, but that can't be true yest, is it?'

Martin was honest, he didn't know a lot about upbringing childrenand when they start to speak. He made a mental note to look it up some time.

'Yes, me too I thought he called me mummy a few minutes ago, whishful thinking, I guess?

'Hmm, yes, maybe'

Martin, went to the kitchen to make them some tea. As he entered the living room, Louisa had settled on the couch. He gave her a mug of tea and joined her on the couch. Louisa snuggled close to him and rested her head on his chest.

He gently stroked her hair and they both relaxed enjoying their tea. These were the most precious moments of his days and he hoped that for once the villagers of Portwenn wouldn't disturb them with some non existing 'emergency'.

Maybe he was lucky this time, as there was an important football match on tv. He wouldn't have known this - he hated any form of sport - but he overheard his patients chatting about it this afternoon in the waiting room of the surgery. Louisa zapped from channel to channel in a tempo his eyes couldn't cope with, so Martin picked up his medical journal again.

Martin noticed that Louisa got frustrated by the fact that there wasn't anything of her interest on the telly. Then he said: 'Louisa, in a few weeks, the Easter holidays will start, isn't it?'

'Yes, Martin, why' ?

'Well, uhmmm'…

'Yes Martin...?'

'I would like us to go somewhere, you and me ... and James of course'.

'Oh...? OK.., what do you have in mind? '

'You have never been to the Netherlands, have you?'

'No, my father always gambled without any luck whatsoever, so all the money .. ffffft down the drain..'

'Good, I mean, so it would be a new experience to go there then?'

He hands out the medical journal, opened at page 37..

To be continued...