"Mark" Hannah complained as he walked with her out of the cinema on the Saturday night after they had been shopping for something for the baby shower "I'm fine…honest"
"You seem to be handling it all well" Mark observed and Hannah simply snorted, taking his hand into hers as they walked off to the car park
"I think I've been enough to learn how to cope with things" she mused "And I'm not letting him get to me"
"You're a brave girl Hannah" Mark whistled and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders so her arm went across her body as she refused to let go of his hand.
"No…I'm really not" Hannah chuckled
"Yes. You are" Mark said, kissing her on the top of her head "so do you want me to drive you home or do you want to come back to mine for a bit? I have no work to finish off tonight"
"It's Saturday…so I don't have college…I'll stay at yours for a bit" she said and smile lightly as he opened the car door for her.
"Of course, you could stay over?" Mark suggested and Hannah smirked at him
"That would mean I would be there for the Sunday morning…and I think there is some form of event taking place then" Hannah said as he started his car and chuckled to himself
"I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd have forgotten" he assured her and she rolled her eyes at him in mock annoyance
"As if I could forget my own boyfriend's birthday" she said "but I'm not ready…for that…yet…"
"I get it" Mark assured her "whenever you're ready"
"Thank you" Hannah said "just after everything that has happened…I still need time"
"And you can have as much time as you need…because I love you Hannah" he said
"I love you too"
…
"Jessica Flack" Don snapped "what do you think you're doing?" he asked, seeing his wife on a ladder leading into the attic. He quickly held it as she climbed down, after closing the loft off.
"I had to put some stuff away" she said "no big one"
"Yes" Don replied "it is a big one…just…nothing strenuous okay? The slightest thing could hurt you or the baby"
"Donnie" Jess replied "I'm fine, okay?"
"So was my daughter Jess until she slipped on the ice" Don reminded her and Jess winced, seeing where he was coming from
"Okay" she said "I get it"
"Good" Don said and placed the ladders away whilst Jess stood in the hallway, looking out of the window in the upstairs hallway onto the street.
"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" Jess randomly asked and Don undid his tie, following his wife back down the staircase and into the kitchen.
"I don't know" Don shrugged "the way it kicks I'd say a boy…but Hannah kicked pretty hard too"
"And you're really not fussed?" Jess asked, stirring the pasta which was on the boil
"No" Don said, pouring her a drink "I mean a boy would be nice…someone to shoot hoops with instead of beating Messer's arse every week…but a girl would be nice too…treat her like I did Hannah"
"You've done an amazing job with Hannah" Jess said "she's such a brilliant person"
"You know…that…well…I didn't actually raise Hannah, Jess" Don whispered and Jess simply just looked at him, raising a brow.
"What do you mean? I know she's mentioned that she had been to boarding school but she never said anymore…I just thought maybe you saw her in the holidays and weekends" Jess said and Don shook his head.
"After my wife died…whoever murdered her was still out in NY somewhere…my dad told me the best thing to do would be to send my daughter to a boarding school…in another country" Don said and Jess went wide eyes, wondering if she knew anything of Don and Hannah's past.
"Where?" she asked him
"England" Don said "in London…I visited her once a year…but eventually we caught the man who murdered my wife…but I didn't bring Hannah home still. Stella had to be the one to make me realise I needed my daughter. She was sixteen Jess…sixteen and growing up"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jess asked "I didn't ask…I mean I never thought about it…you seem so close"
"Not a lot of people know Jess. It isn't something I'm proud of and it isn't something which Hannah likes to talk about, as in ever" Don said
"I don't know what to say Donnie" Jess admitted
"You don't need to say anything" Don shrugged "it's in the past and me and Hannah are good now…we're better than good anyway…"
"I know" Jess agreed "But I still think the way she is, is down to you and Emily…as long as our child is as good as Hannah then I will be happy"
"You're modelling our child on my daughter?" Don smirked slightly and Jess nodded
"As long as it doesn't make the same mistake Hannah and Mark made then I shall be happy" Jess muttered and Don nodded
"Agreed" he said and then heard the slamming of the front door and shouting;
"If he can't manage to just go away and leave us be then I swear to God I will find my dad's gun and shoot his arse!" Hannah roared and Don and Jess left the cooking and went into the hallway where Hannah and Mark were stood.
"What is it?" Don asked them and Hannah showed him a number on her cell
"Guess what Daniel did with his call today?" she asked sarcastically "the creep memorised my number and called me! Going on about how he is sorry and loves me! I mean…oh…uh!" Hannah stomped her foot as Mark hung her and his coat onto the coat stand.
"I'll get you a new number tomorrow" Don sighed "that should sort the problem out…I thought you was staying over with Mark?"
"We was having a nice night" Mark said "and then someone informed there is a gas leak in the apartment building and we had to be evacuated"
"Well we haven't made enough food for four of us" Jess worried a little and Hannah shook her head
"Don't worry" she said "we just came back to tell you all this and we're off out for a Chinese"
"Okay then" Don said "leave me your phone and if I need you I have Mark's number" Don looked the kid up and down and Mark nodded
"Yes Mr Flack" he said under his scrutinising gaze before following his girlfriend up to her room where she was off to find her gloves before going back out.
"You still make that kid nervous" Jess observed
"I have that effect on people" he shrugged