It had just gone midnight and a rumble of thunder shuck the house followed swiftly by a flash of light. Lighting up the bedroom where the young girl slept, she was no older that four.
The second rumble rolled in, followed by the rain lashing against the window. It startled her awake. She grabbed the covers and hid her face. The flash of lightning lit the room again. She whimpered and pulled the covers over her head and clutched Bailey-Bear her slightly well loved and well washed teddy bear.
She was scared, her parents were just across the hall. Maybe she could call out for her Mother. "Mummy?!" She calls out but her voice is drowned out by a loud crack from outside. The lightning had hit a tree down the road.
The young girl remains in her bed frightened for a while longer before picking up the courage for slowly clamber out of bed with Bailey-Bear in hand.
She tip-toes across the hallway and shrieks loudly as the thunder echos through the house, she was now very scared the trees projecting scary shadows through the hallway window, "mummy!" She cries, she was so close to her parents room but she was frozen with fright.
Suddenly a dark figure comes towards her, "don't hurt me" she cries clutching Bailey-bear for dear life.
The figure scoops her up, she opens her eyes and realises she is safe. "Shh it's okay, the thunder won't hurt you" The Irish accent spoke, it was her Dad.
He carries her through to her parents room and sits down on the bed with her as she snuggles into her fathers shoulder. "Jack?" A voice mumbles.
He looks over his shoulder down at his wife who is just a dark outline. "Nik? It's okay. Just a storm. Lil's got herself scared, calling out for you" he responds.
"Oh Liliana. There's nothing to be scared of" Nikki smiles at her daughter as she sits up and turns the lamp on. Squinting she looks over at her daughter hiding her face in her lovers shoulder.
There is another crack of thunder and she squeals and tries her hardest to bury her face in Jack's shoulder.
Nikki shuffled over the bed and strokes her daughters head, her thin blonde curls draped over his shoulder. "Lil's there isn't anything to be scared of," Nikki speaks softly.
"Thunder is the angels playing bowling remember? Your Granny Carol is playing bowling with my Ma, your Granny Winnie."
"Really?" The four year old quizzes curiously pulling her face away from her fathers shoulder.
"Mm-hm..." Jack smiles. He manages to sit himself back on the bed with his back against the headboard and their daughter on his lap.
Nikki shuffles closer to Jack and watches their daughter with a smile as she clutched her comfort bear and flinches every time their is a rumble of thunder. "Do you want some warm milk?" Nikki asks softly.
Liliana nods and watches her Mum clamber out the bed, she quickly jumps into her mothers spot and pulls the covers over herself and grins cheekily.
"Don't be getting comfortable, mummy sleeps there" Jack smirks as Nikki leaves the bedroom.
Liliana smiles and then disappears under the covers, for a split second he notices how much alike Liliana is to Nikki. Jack chuckles at the four year old and also pulls the covers over his head and looks at her. "What ya doing you wee thing?" He smirks poking her sides causing the young girl to giggle at her father.
"Shh, the thunder can't hurt me here" she grins looking up at her father.
"Oh Lil's never grow up, please," he whispers fondly.
Liliana was their world, everything and anything, their whole existence was all about her. Their tiny little Liliana all five pounds exactly of her as a baby. Jack have never felt a love or devotion to keep someone so safe until their daughter came into the world. She is everything and more to them.
Nikki climbs the stairs with the beaker of warm milk for Liliana and a glass of water for herself. She steps into the bedroom to see Jack sat up under the covers. "She watches for a moment before placing the beaker and glass down on the dressing table.
She steps over to the bed and lifts up the duvet and looks at the pair, "what are you pair up too?" She smiles.
"Ahh Mummy!" Liliana giggles and hides her face in Nikki's pillow.
"Shh Mummy, we're hiding from the storm" Jack announces.
Nikki smirks and grabs Liliana's beaker and then climbs under the covers with her partner and child.
The storm was nonstop for an hour but within ten minutes of Nikki sat under the covers with her daughter and Jack, Liliana had fallen asleep between the pair.
They both emerge from under the duvet and look at each other as Jack gently drags Liliana up the bed so she is from under the duvet. "Shall I take her back to her own bed?" Jack asks as he watches Nikki, who is on her side slowly stroke her daughters cheek as she watches her peacefully sleep.
"Five more minutes," Nikki mumbles.
"We've got work tomorrow. It's half twelve" Jack reminds his partner.
"I know, isn't she just amazing though?" Nikki smiles. Jack rolls his eyes and gets comfortable under the covers, he rolls onto his side so he is facing his wife and child.
Smiling happily he watches his lovers hand as she strokes their daughters cheek. "Go to sleep Nikki," Jack smiles and closes his eyes, she chuckles at his comment and rolls over and turns the lamp off knowing if her daughter woke again they would be right there for her, she makes herself comfortable and closes her eyes, drifting off into a comfortable sleep.