"Morning" Maddy smiled as Ruby woke with a slight wail, she'd been laid watching her daughter sleep for almost half an hour, "What shall we do today?" she asked, lifting Ruby from the crib and laying her on the bed, running her fingers lightly over her daughter's stomach, smiling as Ruby waved her arms, trying to grab her mother's fingers. "We could go for a walk?" she suggested, placing her index finger in the palm of Ruby's hand, or we could just stay here all day and sleep" she laughed as Ruby yawned. "We'll start with a bath" Maddy placed Ruby back in her crib, winding up the mobile to entertain the young girl before beginning to run a bath, placing the required toiletries on the side of the bath, before placing a large bath towel for herself, and a smaller hooded towel for Ruby on the radiator to warm.

Maddy sighed as she slipped into the warm water, her daughter lying on her chest, "I suppose we should tell your Daddy you've made an appearance shouldn't we? See what happens, I've had nearly a week to get to know you". Maddy reached for the sponge, dipping it in the water and squeezing it out, allowing the warm water to run down Ruby's back, Amy had loved water, Maddy had first taken her swimming when she was 7 weeks old, something that turned into a weekly activity. Maddy smiled and felt her eyes fill with tears as she thought about Amy's tantrums when she was told she had to get out of the pool, "come on" she sighed, kissing Ruby's head, let's get you clean before you get cold. She washed Ruby before reaching for the hooded towel, wrapping Ruby up tightly and laying her in the bouncer chair on the floor by the bath. She washed herself quickly before rinsing her hair with the shower head and stepping from the bath, she dried quickly before pulling her dressing gown from the back of the door, wrapping it around herself and taking Ruby into the nursery. "What shall we dress you in?" she asked, once Ruby was dried and dressed in a vest, "are we going out? Cos if we are I'll put you in something nice, if not you can just wear a sleepsuit and I'll put my pyjamas back on." She carried Ruby over to the wardrobe, "on second thoughts, you can wear something nice, or you'll never get to wear all these" before she had chance to choose something for Ruby she noticed the large gift bag on the top shelf of the wardrobe, the present Linden had given her for Ruby, she'd forgotten all about it. She'd opened the gift he'd bought her, to find some toiletries for mums to be, and a silver photo frame inscribed with the words "mummy and me", in which she'd placed the very first photo Sam had taken of her and Ruby. She laid Ruby in the cot before peeling the selotape from the bag ,pulling out the first of many gifts wrapped in pink tissue paper, clothes, Maddy guessed after giving it a squeeze. "Look at this Ruby" she smiled, holding up the pink summer dress, complete with floppy hat and frilly knickers, "You can wear this to Grace's party" she told Ruby, hanging the dress on the end of the cot and taking another parcel from the bag, a white sleepsuit with 'i love mummy' printed all over it. Another sheet of pink tissue paper was removed to reveal a small brown rabbit, which was placed in the cot beside Ruby, and the final gift was a small silver cross on a chain. "You'll have to give Linden a big cuddle when you see him". Maddy stood infront of Ruby's wardrobe or awhile before pushing the doors shut, "forget it" she laughed, "I can't be bothered, you can wear a sleep suit, I'll put my pyjamas on and we can mong out" she told Ruby, running her hands through her hair as she glanced in the mirror.

Maddy left Ruby in her cot whilst she dressed herself in loose tracksuit bottoms and a pale blue vest top, before returning to the nursery, changing her mind yet again and dressing Ruby in a thin cotton dress, white with pink flowers, "you can wear this" she said, as Ruby curled into her chest, "and we'll go and sit in the garden, get us both some fresh air without having to leave the house". Maddy took a blanket and a large floppy hat from the chest of drawers and carried Ruby into the garden. She laid the blanket on the grass the shade from a large tree protecting Ruby's delicate skin from the sun, she laid Ruby on the blanket and pulled the hat onto her head, before laying down herself, lifting Ruby to lie on her chest. She lifted Ruby into the air, laughing as she pulled the young girl down to blow raspberries on her stomach. Half an hour later Ruby had fallen asleep, her hands curled into fists by her head as she slept on Maddy's chest. Kissing her head Maddy laid Ruby on the blanket, before moving to lie in the sun.

Maddy closed her eyes as she felt the sun's warm rays on her skin. She was woken by the ringing of the phone just over half an hour later, and quickly moved to answer it. "Ready for some adult conversation yet?" Maddy smiled, since Sam had dropped them home from the hospital Maddy had just had Ruby for company. "I could do with some yes" she laughed, Linden smiled, "I could come round after my shift if you're not doing anything?" "I'll check my diary, what time were you thinking?" Linden chuckled, "I finish in half an hour" Maddy tutted, "Mmm, could be difficult, Ruby will probably be asleep, and Jeremy Kyle's on". Linden laughed, "well if you don't want me to come and see you" he joked. Maddy smiled, she'd missed Linden's company, "Come round when you want" she told him, "we'll be in all day".

Maddy was quick to answer the door later that afternoon, Linden pulling her into a hug and kissing her on both cheeks before passing her a large bunch of flowers, "how are you?" he asked as she led him into the living room, "I'm fine" she smiled, gesturing to where Ruby was asleep on the sofa, "and so's Ruby". The pair talked happily for almost an hour and half before Ruby woke on the sofa between them with a wail and a wave of her fists. "Shh, it's okay" Maddy smiled, lifting Ruby onto her chest and rubbing her back softly, "I think she's ready for a feed" Maddy told Linden, he blushed as she reached for the blanket on the coffee table and he realised what she was about to do. "Relax" Maddy laughed getting Ruby settled at her breast, "you won't see a thing".

Over the next few weeks Maddy and Ruby began to receive more visitors, Maria and Sam usually managed to coincide their visits, and although both denied it, Maddy was sure something was going on between the two of them. Maddy glanced at her phone, it was the first afternoon she'd had alone with Ruby in a while, "I suppose we should tell Tom shouldn't we?" she reached for her phone, dialing his number before she had chance to change her mind. The call went straight to voicemail, and she decided to leave a message, "Tom, it's Maddy, I thought you'd want to know, you've got a daughter, her name's Ruby and she was born on the 7th, erm, you've got my number so if you want to be a dad to her give me a ring and we'll sort something out. Okay, bye". Maddy threw her phone on the side and turned her attention to Ruby, "fingers crossed he's either a changed man, or he's changed his number and doesn't get the message" she said to Ruby, only half joking.