"Auntie Dixie" Jack beamed as he raced into the ambulance station, card, flowers and a helium balloon in his hands, "Happy Birthday!"
"Oh wow, are these for me?" she asked as he held out the flowers, balloon and one of the envelopes in his hand.
"Yep, cos it's your birthday" he grinned as she bent down to give him a hug.
"Thanks mate" she smiled, "what's that?" she asked, putting the flowers and card down as Jack held out the second envelope, a huge smile on his face.
"It's a present, well, Mummy and Daddy have got your real present" he pointed to his parents, watching Dixie and Jack from the doorway, "because you can't have this present yet and when it comes you've got to share it" he'd spent several hours practicing what he was going to say.
"Okay" Dixie frowned slightly not sure what could be in contained in an envelope that would have Jack almost bouncing in excitement.
"Open it, please Auntie Dix, open it please."
Never one to say no to the boy, Dixie slid her finger under the seal of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper, "oh my" she gasped as she saw the scan picture, noticing Rita's name at the top.
"Mummy's got a baby in her tummy" Jack told her, "it will be here before the big holiday in the summer."
"Well isn't that exciting?" Dixie's grin matched Jack's as she felt herself welling up.
"Okay?" Rita asked as she and Iain walked over, putting the gift bag down beside the flowers as Dixie pulled her into a tight hug.
"Yeah, yeah, I should be asking you that though".
"I'm fine" Rita nodded, "we both are."
"How long have you known?" Dixie asked, hugging Iain too before punching him in the arm, "and how have you managed to keep your gob shut? I'm surprised you haven't been screaming it from the roof."
"We found out before Christmas" Rita told her, "when Jack was ill actually, I started being sick but I didn't feel ill and… well…" she shrugged, "we, I didn't want to say anything before I'd had my scan but we wanted you to be the first person we told after Jack and it just seemed like great timing."
"I'm so happy for you, I can't believe it."
"Neither can we" Rita smiled as Iain pulled her into his side, holding her closely.
"Speak for yourself" he told her, glancing at Jack, seeing he wasn't paying any attention to the adults as he stood by Dixie's desk, running a toy car along the wood, "I always knew I had brilliant swimmers" he winked.
Rita rolled her eyes and swatted at his chest before looking at Dixie, "are you ready to go?" she asked, "Jack's been complaining he's starving since we picked him up from school."
"Yeah" Dixie smiled, holding her hand out to Jack, "come on Kiddo, let's go before they run out of burgers."
Once they'd told Dixie, Rita and Iain decided it was time everyone else knew about the baby, and that was something else Jack was going to help them with.
"Is Mummy at work?" Jack asked as he walked home from school with Iain a few days after Dixie's birthday..
"Yeah she is" he smiled, "we're going to go and meet her at the hospital" he said as they neared the house.
"So I can tell everyone?" Jack asked.
"Everyone" Iain nodded, letting Jack into the hall, "the t-shirt is on your bed with some jeans, I'll make you a snack then we can go and meet Mummy."
"And tell everyone about the baby?" Jack asked, already halfway up the stairs.
"And tell everyone about the baby" Iain nodded.
Jack sat with Iain whilst he had his snack and read some of his school book before Iain announced it was time to walk to the hospital, Jack racing off to get his shoes.
"Hello you" Zoe smiled, seeing Jack and Iain almost as soon as they walked into the department, "have you come to meet Mummy?"
Jack nodded before looking up at Iain "Can I show her Daddy?" he asked.
Iain nodded, smiling as he saw Rita walking over to them, "he's got a new t-shirt, he wants to show everyone" Iain explained before helping Jack who was struggling to unzip his coat.
"Look" Jack grinned excitedly, holding his coat open so Zoe could see the grey t-shirt he wore underneath, black lettering announcing 'I'm being promoted to big brother'
"Wow" Zoe gasped before looking between Rita and Iain, "you're…?"
"We are" Iain nodded.
"July" Rita confirmed, one hand on her stomach.
"Wow" Zoe smiled, "that's great news" she smiled, "I bet you're excited aren't you?" she asked Jack.
"Yep" Jack grinned, "and soon Mummy and Daddy will be able to know if I'm getting a brother or a sister."
"That is exciting, what would you like it to be?"
Jack shrugged, "I just want them to play football with me."
"In sure they will once they're big enough" For ruffled his hair before turning to congratulate Rita and Iain, "how long?" she asked, gesturing to Rita's stomach.
"14 weeks on Friday" she smiled.
"That's great news", Zoe hugged them both, "and everything's okay?"
"Perfect" Rita nodded, "especially now the sickness and nausea's worn off."
They were interrupted by Cal coming over, "little dude" he held his hand out for a hi five, Jack obliging as he always did when he saw Cal.
"Look" Jack pointed to his t-shirt, excited that he was allowed to tell people the news.
"Hey" Cal grinned, giving Jack another hi five, "does that make you a big dude now and not a little dude?" Jack nodded, grinning and giggling cheekily. "Do you want me to tell you a secret?" Jack nodded again, "only the best little boys get to be big brothers."
"Like me and you?"
Cal nodded, "just like me and you" he winked before Congratulating Rita and looking Iain up and down, "didn't know you had it in you mate" he teased, Jack out of earshot, showing off his new t-shirt to Charlie and Noel as he sat on the reception desk, the same proud grin on his face that appeared every time he spoke about his baby brother or sister.
"Oh Cal" Iain shook his head and rolled his eyes, "don't they treat you anything in med school?" he teased "Rita's the one that's got it in her. The baby's growing in her tummy, not mine."