Chapter 5: Our Little Girl

14th December 2021

Gabriella stood watching Troy, Freddie and Logan play basketball out back. Ella-Grace fast asleep on her hip, her small head rested in the crook of Gabi's neck as she slept calmly. Troy wasn't wrong when he said she was tired, and Gabi had given up trying to feed her when after whining and taking 3 spoonful's of food she fell into a heavy sleep on her lap. Now Gabi was stood, slowly swaying in the window trying to keep her asleep as she watched her eldest children play with their father. She didn't want to interrupt their game. The smile on Logan's face as Troy spun her round, trying to get her to drop the ball, was priceless. And Gabi knew she should let them have these moments with their father.

Ella-Grace shifted and buried her face more into Gabriella's neck, and she gripped tightly onto her mother. Gabi dropped a kiss to the top of her head as she took one last glance at the three playing outside before she turned to get Ella ready for bed.

She walked into Ella and Maebh's pastel pink wallpapered room, quietly settling Ella down on her bed as Gabriella went to pick out a clean pair of pyjama's for her to wear. After changing her into the pyjama's she settled the child underneath the covers before she kissed her forehead and switched on the princess nightlight as she left the room.

Closing the door behind her, Gabi walked into Maebh who was stood in her frozen nightgown, her Elsa doll held firmly within her left hand. She rubbed her eye with her right hand as she smiled up at Gabriella. She stopped rubbing her eyes to reach out to her mother. "Mommy," she said as Gabi bent down and lifted the small girl into her arms.

Maebh dropped her head onto Gabi's shoulder and gripped onto her cardigan. She sighed and closed her eyes as Gabriella began to rubs small circles on her back. Eventually she drifted off to sleep and Gabi re-entered the little girl's room to place Maebh underneath the covers of her bed. After tucking her in she slowly made her way, over all the toys, back to the door. Gabi turned and looked at the two girls. "Look's like both my baby girls were tired today." she whispered quietly as she left, clicking the door behind her.

Going back downstairs, she could hear Logan's laugh from outside. Gabi stood and watched as Troy picked her up and turned her upside down as she begged him to stop. Gabi smiled and thought back to when she found out she was pregnant with Logan...

*Flash Back*

10th August 2010

A 7 month old Freddie squealed down the baby monitor. Troy was downstairs with him, Probably playing peekaboo Gabi guessed.

She was sat on the floor up against the bathroom wall, a pregnancy test held firmly in her hand. She closed her eyes and counted the last 10 seconds. 'Please be negative' she repeated over and over. Troy and her had wanted another child, but not until Freddie was that little bit older. Once she reached 0, she took a sharp intake of breath and opened her eyes. She looked at the test.

Positive.

Dropping the white stick to the ground, she threw her head back against the wall, making a loud thumb that didn't go unheard by Troy.

It couldn't be positive. It was a mistake.

Her and Troy weren't ready for another baby. They had just settled into routine with Freddie. Gabi was taking courses online and Troy wasn't playing as much, just to be with them. She sighed and leant forward to pick the pregnancy test back up. She slowly stood to leave the bathroom when she collided with Troy's chest.

"oof"

She glanced up and looked at Troy. She quickly shoved the test up her sleeve hoping he didn't see it, but he did and he pushed it aside for later.

Troy gathered Gabriella up in his arms and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, all the while moving his hands down her arms to the end of her sleeves. Gabi winced as he pulled the test out. "Brie?" he questioned. "What's this?" He held it to her face. The result staring at her in the face.

Gabi shrugged and looked to the floor, refusing to meet his eye.

Troy turned the test round and looked at the result. Seeing it was positive he quickly glanced up at Gabi in time to see a lone tear rolling down her face. He threw the test back into the bathroom and took Gabi back into his arms. "Brie baby, why are you crying?" he asked as he rubbed her back soothingly. "Brie we wanted this, didn't we?"

Gabi slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess." she mumbled into his chest. "It's just," she sighed. "Well I didn't want, well... think it would happen so quickly."

Troy kissed the top of her head. "Well baby girl, the world has blessed us with another little one. And like Freddie, he or she will be loved with all our hearts." He confirmed his statement with a kiss on Gabi's lips. One she responded enthusiastically too, before they broke apart at the sound of Freddie's cry. He pulled back and gripped at Gabi's upper arms. "You clean yourself up, I'll put him down for a nap and we can finish what we started" he told her before pecking at her lips one last time and leaving the room.

Gabi gave a small smile, maybe it wasn't so bad.

May 12th 2011: 8.30pm

The 6 hour old baby girl kicked about within her swaddle. She was laid on her back in the hospital crib situated by her mother's bed. Her mother being fast asleep after a long day of events. The baby opened her mouth and let out a small cry, only to be swept up into the air, to be cradled by a strong pair of arms and hushed by her fathers voice.

"Logan," Troy cooed. "What you doing pretty girl?"

Logan opened her eyes, her beautiful blue orbs searching Troy's same ones. She then quickly shut them, screwing up her little face as she began to cry again.

Troy bounced her slightly and he shifted her to one arm and walked over to Gabi. He shook her gently and she moaned and rolled over away from him. He chuckled and shook her again, slightly harder. "Gabi," he called softly, as not to disturb the infant quieting in his arms. "Gabi sweetheart, Logan needs feeding."

Gabi moaned again. "She ate like 3 hours ago," she moaned quietly as she slowly opened her eyes and sat up.

Once Troy was certain Gabi was awake he handed Logan over and watched as Gabi prepared to feed her. He smiled and thought back to after she was born and his parents had brought Freddie along to meet her.

*Earlier in the day*

Troy was sat next to Gabi on her hospital bed, after having the all clear and being wheeled back to her room about half an hour ago. Their new-born daughter was swaddled up tightly within a pink blanket and was cradled close to Gabi in her arms. Both of them looking down at her with fascination. A knock on the door brought them both back into the present.

Troy looked up and smiled as his Dad entered the room first, his Mom shortly behind. Freddie hanging off her hip, a big grin passing on his face as he spotted his father. Troy hopped of Gabi's bed and went over to take Freddie of his Mom, smiling as Freddie was already there with his arms outstretched towards him.

"Hi guys," Troy greeted as he took Freddie into his arms, as the toddler hummed his approval. "Thanks for coming."
Lucille pulled her son into a hug. "Congratulations Troy," she said as she pulled away and looked at him. "Now where is my new granddaughter?"
Troy motioned his head towards Gabi. "Over there with Mommy." he said, then he joked. "If your quick you might get a cuddle."

Gabi's head shot up. "Troyy," she whined and everyone in the room chuckled. Lucille made her way over to Gabi's bed as Jack and Troy fell into a conversation about basketball, Freddie playing with the lose string of thread on Troy's t-shirt.

"Hey Gabi," Lucille said. "How you feeling." Gabi smiled.
"I'm good thanks, tired but I'm good." The baby squirmed within the swaddled and both the women turned to look down at her. Gabi used her hand to slightly pull the blanket away from her face, so Lucille could look at her. She gasped.
"Guys" she said softly, becoming a bit emotional. "She's beautiful, what's her name?" she asked as Gabi transferred her across into her arms.

Troy glanced over at Gabi and nodded.

"Lucille, Jack." Gabi said. "May we present to you, born at 2.30pm on May 12th 2011, weighing 5lbs 13oz, little Logan Lucille Bolton."

Lucille looked down at the little girl in her arms and burst into tears. "You, you called her after me?" she asked, happy tears flowing down her face."

Troy handed Freddie off to his Dad, and mindful of Logan, pulled his Mom into his arms. "We did, because you were there so much for us with Freddie that we wanted to name the first daughter after you."

Gabi smiled from the bed, as she watched Lucille and Troy. She then looked over at Freddie who was in Jack's arms. "So," she said, motioning for Jack to put Freddie on the bed.

Freddie was placed in Gabi's lap and he immediately turned and clung onto her. "So," Gabi repeated. "You ready to be a big brother buddy?" she asked him.

The boy gave one small answer that made Gabi smile. "yes mommy."

14th December 2021

Troy could see Gabi in the window, and he turned to Freddie and Logan. "Shall we see if we can get your Mom out here for a quick game?"

Both the children nodded.

"Gabi!" Troy yelled and he laughed as she jumped. "Gabi come out and play for a bit."

They could see her smile then a few moments later she disappeared from the window and appeared outside. She stood next to Troy who snaked his arm round her waist, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

"So how we gonna do this?" Logan asked. The basketball tucked firmly under her arm.

Gabi smiled. She was finally gonna have some 4 of them time, just like the good old times...