A/N Sorry, it's been far too long since I last updated, I'm kind of losing touch with this story a bit. This chapter jumps a few months - I felt like I had to move it forward in order to keep writing. I don't think this will be much longer, but I promise it will be finished and concluded properly, I won't leave it hanging. As always, thanks for reading, reviews and suggestions are much appreciated!
"Happy birthday baby girl! I can't believe you're one today! This has been the quickest year ever! Let's get you ready for your party – everyone's going to be there. Oh, and there's going to be cake – don't think I don't remember how much you liked my birthday cake last month sweetie." I say, rambling on to the birthday girl as she makes little noises and occasionally an actual word in reply. She said 'mummy' – or at least a variation of it last month to Bridget and I've never seen my wife more ecstatic – it put the biggest smile on her face. A lot has happened the past few months, Erica and Maura got married, Bea got a reduction in her sentence – meaning she now has around the same amount of time left inside as Allie – which she's delighted about, and well then of course there is –
"Hi my loves." I'm brought out of my thoughts by my beautiful wife walking into the nursery – she's wearing a gorgeous red dress that hugs her curves in all the right ways.
"Hi babe – you look lovely. I'm just putting that dress you bought Olivia on her – everyone will be here soon – I just hope she keeps it clean for at least some photos." I say, tickling Olivia as she laughs.
"Oh god – I hope so, no cake until after the photos please, we know how she is." Bridget laughs as she moves further into the room, Olivia noticing her for the first time as she pushes herself up to a crawling position and heads off in the direction of her mother.
"Happy birthday beautiful girl – are you excited for your party?" Bridget asks, bending down to scoop Olivia into her arms.
"No" Ah, there it is – Olivia's favourite word at the moment – absolutely everything is a no, doesn't matter what we ask her. Bridget looks at me, eyebrows raised and I step forward so I can look at Olivia.
"Are you not, not looking forward to your party baby?"
"No!" she answers, louder this time.
"Franky!" Bridget scolds.
"What?" I reply.
"You're going to confuse her by using double negatives! She's one year old." She says, shaking her head.
"Well we can't have her saying no to everything, I just thought I'd improvise." Bridget lets out a laugh.
"You're silly, but I love you Franky."
"I love you too Gidge – now let's get our little Princess for the day all sorted and ready for her guests arriving."
We head into the Livingroom, which we decorated last night – balloons, banners, confetti – the place is unbelievably pink – all Bridget's doing, but I'm not complaining, it's going to be the most perfect day.
I busy myself sorting last minute things, and get the cake brought in from the garage, while Bridget keeps Olivia occupied. I get the stepladders out of the hall closet, having noticed the banner Bridget put up last night over the mirror in the Livingroom is coming undone.
"Franky! What do you think you're doing? Let me do that!" Bridget says, entering the room as I go to step on the first rung.
"I've got it babe – the banners just come loose, I'll be two seconds."
"So help me Franky – if you take a step on that ladder, I will not be filling those urges you've been having lately for at least a month!" The anger in my wife's voice takes me aback slightly, nonetheless I do as I'm told and hand Bridget the end of the banner.
Seconds later, the banner is once again perfect – Bridget, however is standing next to me looking at me intently.
"What?" I say, confused.
"You keep doing this Franky – it doesn't seem to matter how many times I say something." She shakes her head as the initial anger dissipates and I see tears fill her eyes.
"Hey – come on babe, it's me that's supposed to be the emotional one. I'm sorry okay, really I am – I promise I'll be more careful and everything from now on." I say, seeming to appease her as a smile forms on her lips.
"Good, because it's not like I want to withhold sex from you or anything."
"I'm pleased to hear that – trust me – I'm getting majorly horny – especially this past week." I say, as she just rolls her eyes.
"Well, that's what this does to you – remember what I was like?" she places her hand on my growing belly – which seems to have popped the last few days.
"Baby, you were insatiable! It really was the best of times." I smile, remembering fondly back to that time, as I put my hand on top of hers.
"I still can't believe we'll have another one in less than six months." Bridget says.
"Me neither, it's crazy – what do you think it is this time – boy or another girl?" I ask my wife.
"As long as it's a healthy baby I don't mind – I guess a boy would be quite nice – then we'd have one of each."
"Hmm I suppose, but part of me does want a little girl who looks exactly like you Gidge – but you're right, healthy is the main thing."
"Do you want to find out this time? Or wait for the surprise again?" she asks.
"I think wait – I mean, we're so lucky with whatever we get anyway – and that adds to the excitement."
"I agree." We share a kiss, which is cut short by the doorbell ringing.
"Let the chaos begin." I say jokingly as we head to answer the door.
Soon enough, the house is filled with all our family and friends, Olivia couldn't be happier with all the attention and presents she's getting. Will and Vera bought her a little toy car that her and Will have been playing with all afternoon – I'm not sure who the present was actually intended for at this point.
We announced our news to everyone a few weeks ago, so we wouldn't take away from Olivia's day by everyone congratulating us. Trying to explain to Olivia what's going on has been hard – she can obviously see the changes, my once flat stomach now has a definite bump – but she doesn't understand much more than 'mummy's getting a fat tummy', hopefully over the next few months she will be excited about the thought of a little brother or sister – but we'll need to wait and see.
"Right everyone, time for the cake! Who has the birthday girl?" Bridget asks, beginning to light the massive number one candle on top of the fairy princess cake she ordered special for the occasion.
"I've got her Bridget; I'll bring her over." Erica calls out from the kitchen. Everyone gathers at the table where the cake is, Olivia gets placed in her highchair so she can blow out her candle, all cameras are on her to catch the moment.
"Okay Olivia, you need to blow out the candle, then we can all have some cake, okay sweetie? Mummy will help you." Bridget says, fussing around an agitated Olivia, clearly not understanding why she has now been put in her highchair, when five minutes ago she was running around playing with her new toys.
"No!" Olivia huffs, hitting her hands off the tray in front of her.
"Olivia – just a minute honey, let's just skip the full song Gidge, or we're going to have a super cranky little girl on our hands." I say.
"Okay – well then after 3, everyone just shout 'Happy Birthday!' – okay 1,2,3."
"Happy Birthday!" the whole room shouts out and cheers, Bridget tries her best to show Olivia how to blow out the candle, but her attempt seems to just involve spitting in the direction of the cake – much to Bridget's horror – so Bridget and I quickly blow it out together instead.
"You realise – this time last year you were just about at the pushing stage?" I say to my wife as she begins to cut the cake and I pick up a wriggling Olivia from her chair.
"Oh – trust me I won't be forgetting that in a hurry – but look at what we got – an entire year though, and so much has happened." Bridget says, smiling fondly.
"Well, if you'd told me that on her first birthday I'd be pregnant with her sibling – I would have told you that you were crazy. Dr Cooper sure can work miracles, huh? I still can't believe it sometimes – but now I just need to look down and it's clear to see it's very real." I rub a hand across my rounded stomach and smile.
"Well 17 weeks, you're doing not too badly, I think I was slightly bigger – but you've always been much more athletic than me." Bridget notes.
"Yeah I suppose, I wonder when we'll movement for the first time, Olivia didn't until like 20 weeks – I hope this one's sooner."
"Ha! You say that now, wait until you're getting punched and kicked in the ribs and lungs – you'll want to take that back."
"It's incredible though – remember how excited we were? I want that feeling all over again."
"Me too baby – I can't wait, you'll feel it before me this time, like the little flutters I had and stuff."
"Yup, so exciting. Right, are you done cutting the cake? The baby really wants that piece there with the extra frosting." I say, as sincerely as possible.
"Oh, so the baby wants it? Uh huh, sure darling – I was going to give you that bit anyway – so the baby comes out all chunky and cute."
"Not too big though Gidge, it still has to fit through a rather small space."
"Yeah, yeah – whatever you say. Now, go hand out cake please, and try and watch Olivia so she doesn't smear it everywhere – I don't want a repeat of your birthday when she was left alone for two minutes."
"Sure thing babe – and don't worry, I think we learned our lesson from when she used the chocolate frosting to paint the hall – I'll not take my eyes off her."