Chapter Forty-Eight

Friday 4th July 2014

Paradise

"Just get some rest," Harry suggested.

Nikki's eyelids felt heavier than ever. Heavier even than during her periods of insomnia. "I can't sleep," she claimed, her eyelids drooping again.

"Yes, you can. Get some rest."

"But what about her?" Nikki asked.

"She's already asleep." Harry assured her. Peeking into the plastic cot at the side of the hospital bed.

"But what if she wakes up?"

"Then you'll wake up too," Harry claimed.

"I shouldn't have had that pethidine."

"Nikki," Harry said sternly. "You're fine, she's fine. You both need a rest. What does it matter what you had?" He rubbed her hand soothingly. "She's beautiful," he added.

"She's not!" Nikki laughed. "She has a squashed head, a purple face and probably a burst blood vessel in her eye."

"She's my daughter and she is beautiful!" Harry stated clearly.

"Just yours?" Nikki asked with a yawn.

"Ours," he said with a smile.

"Sorry," Nikki said weakly.

"Whatever for?"

"She's so early and we won't be able to call her Edward. I was so sure she was a boy. I thought I was reading those scan pictures correctly."

"Nikki! She's healthy, she's perfect, she's ours I'm not bothered about using my father's name. That was your suggestion; although I have to say you're not calling her Leonora, that's not fair on the little thing."

"I'd just kind of got used to calling the baby Eddie."

"It'll be alright," Harry insisted.

"She is a bit on the small side,"

"So she'll grow, We could still call her Eddie if you really liked it. Short for Edith or Edina or something like that."

"I'm not having my daughter named after a Jennifer Saunders character."

"I'll have to agree on that one. We'll think of something, but now you need to get some sleep."

"You will watch her won't you?"

"Nikki you don't have to be so worried. She'll be fine, I'll not take my eyes off her, I promise."

"Thanks Harry."

"Thank you," he said. "Now; know that I love you," he said kissing her forehead "and get some sleep."

As soon as Nikki closed her eyes she drifted straight into a heavy partly drug induced sleep. She needed the rest. Harry was glad the pregnancy part of it was over. It hadn't been easy on her. Now he'd been convinced that they were both well, he was glad the baby had arrived a few weeks early. But was caring for a newborn going to be easier or harder he wondered?

He looked into the cot; his daughter had her hands in tight fists by her ears, a little pink hat on her head and the rest of her wrapped in a tiny pink blanket. Five and a half pounds wasn't much but the paediatrician had been happy with her and she'd scored well on the initial tests. It was going to be alright. He stroked a little fist and watched the tiny fingers uncurl and stretch and then curl back up again the little thumb disappearing under the fingers. He could see a likeness of Nikki across her face, the shape of the eyebrows and eyes maybe. She was still a bit purple and scrunched up it was true, but to Harry she was everything.

He picked up the paper but then remembered his promise to keep an eye on the baby. They wouldn't be able to watch her every second she was sleeping, but she was only a few hours old. He could do a couple of hours now. It would make Nikki happy. The paper had just confirmed the date; July 4th, Independence Day. This one was certainly different to the last two July 4th's he'd had, and a new baby signalled dependence rather than independence but it did seem fitting in a twisted kind of a way. There were some similarities; Nikki did always end up shouting at him and a few hours earlier this morning had made this one no exception.

He texted Jorge with the news, he was pleased that they were still friends despite the distance between them now. He'd been cross initially that Jorge had known about the baby before even he had. But Nikki swore she hadn't told him. He'd just asked her whilst they were dancing at the wedding when he could look forward to being an uncle and then guessed from her reaction. His mother hadn't seemed overly surprised either on reflection…

Jorge and Nikki spoke almost as much as he did. They'd been over to Vegas in late February on a delayed honeymoon. All the things that made Christmas and New Year difficult for so many people actually made it his busy season. Business had been good.

"What are we going to call you?" he asked into the cot. The little girl sneezed four times in a row, each one causing her limbs to extend and contract again in what Harry recognised as the startle reflex. She opened her eyes, a confused expression on her face. Harry watched her mouth open and close and her little fists flail about her head.

"Oh no, you mustn't cry, your mummy's sleeping. She needs a rest." He placed a hand soothingly on the girl's stomach but she continued to wriggle and make bleating noises.

Harry reached in, picked her up and held the tiny bundle against his chest; she curled herself almost back into a ball and pushed her face into his shirt.

He lifted her a bit higher so he could kiss the top of her head and she continued to snuffle and flail her arms around. "Let her sleep a bit more, my love." He whispered to the baby and she seemed to settle.

As soon as he stopped talking he felt her begin to squirm and quiver as if she were ready to howl. Before even thinking what he was doing, he cradled her into his chest and began to sing. She settled instantly again.

'Love me tender,
Love me sweet,
Never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
And I love you so.

Love me tender,
Love me true,
All my dreams fulfilled.
For my darling I love you,
And I always will.'

'Pick your partners carefully,' that's what his mother had said about singing. He hadn't picked this little bundle, she was his. She was HIS. He couldn't help lifting her up and kissing her forehead again.

'Love me tender,
Love me long,
Take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
And we'll never part.'

He lifted his little girl up to his face again, and watched her eyes stare at him. He didn't notice Nikki stirring on the bed beside them. He knew the baby couldn't really see him, her eyes not able to focus yet but he saw the same intense stare that her mother had. He couldn't help but smile.

'Love me tender,
Love me dear,
Tell me you are mine.
I'll be yours through all the years,
Till the end of time.

When at last my dreams come true
Darling this I know
Happiness will follow you
Everywhere you go.'

"You're singing," Nikki said smiling up at him.

"I think she likes Elvis," he said with a grin, surprised she had woken so quickly.

"Uncle Jorge will be very pleased," Nikki replied.

"He's ecstatic, he's already texted back." Harry smiled. "He wants to Skype us later."

"Do I have to get dressed?" Nikki asked.

"Probably."

"I meant your singing though. Jorge will be pleased you're singing again… I like it too. I've not heard you sing for such a long time." Nikki said. "I miss it."

"Jealous?" asked Harry.

"No," she reached out and patted his knee. "Not, if you'll keep singing to both of us."

"I was thinking," Harry began. "What about Eden?"

Nikki wrinkled her nose, but rubbed her eyes, she wasn't sure it was fair to be discussing baby names when she was probably still high on painkillers.

"You could still call her Eddie, or Edie but she wouldn't remind anyone of a badly behaved drunken comedy character."

"So you mean Eden, like the garden of Eden?"

Harry nodded. "I wasn't planning on naming my daughter after possibly the worst prime minister England has ever had. Eden was God's paradise, the perfect garden, the most beautiful place he made on earth, the place he delighted in. It reminds me of what Mrs Finkelstein said at our wedding and Kew and …"

Nikki nodded. "It's a bit religious for you isn't it? Wasn't that where Adam and Eve first went wrong and were cast out forever as a punishment?"

"It was, but Nikki sometimes it seems that my whole life I was getting it wrong and now here with you and her, I finally seem to be getting it right. It's a brand new start, it's a new beginning. It is the most beautiful place on earth."

"I hope you're not referring to this hospital ward," Nikki said with a twinkle.

Harry shrugged. "No, I'm not. We've got six weeks to decide. We only found out she was a girl a few hours ago, I've not read that half of the book for a while!"

The baby started wriggling some more; "Maybe she's not so keen," Harry laughed; handing her carefully back to Nikki. "I think it's your turn now. Jorge might have some ideas later."

He watched her wince as the baby latched on.

"I read it gets easier," he said sympathetically.

"You'd let Jorge name your daughter?" Nikki asked incredulously, the baby now settled on her breast.

"No, but I'd let him make suggestions. We need all the help we can get!"

"Are you happy? This is what you wanted?"

"What to spend July 4th on a hard plastic chair in a hospital?"

Nikki pulled a face at him.

"I've had worse," he smiled, remembering how ill he was at the leaving party, and how she had thumped him and wished him dead twelve months previously. "Yes I'm happy," he agreed thinking back to all the good times of their years together. "All those dreams I had; all those things I wanted and never knew how to get… I've got them Nikki, they're all here; they're all right here in this room."

"So it wasn't impossible?"

"No, it wasn't impossible, but it wasn't easy either."

"Nothing worth having ever is." Nikki replied.

"And now you're sounding like my mother…"

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied. "What?" he asked in response to her intriguing expression.

"Just don't think this gets you out of doing something spectacular for my 40th birthday!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" he replied sincerely, "I think I might be all out of spectacular after that wedding." He wondered whether offering a baby brother or sister for the little bundle in her arms would be appropriate. Probably not wise to mention it now though.

The baby had fallen back to sleep, Nikki passed her back to Harry and yawned again. "Know anymore songs to get us both to sleep?" Nikki asked.

"She's already asleep," Harry pointed out.

"I'm not," Nikki insisted.

"I might do?"

"So?" The baby sneezed again and pushed at the blanket with her feet.

"Sing for us please," she asked.

Harry settled his little girl into his hand, she almost fitted in his palm and fingers she was so tiny, he smiled at his wife and daughter, sat back in his chair and began to sing.

'Whether I'm riding down a highway
Or walkin' down a street
It makes no difference baby doll
Wherever we chance to meet
'Cause holdin' your little hand
Makes me feel so very nice
Anyplace is paradise
When I'm with you'

"Alright! I get the hint," Nikki mumbled.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," Harry replied.

"Do you think I could really call her Eddie?"

"You can do whatever you like," Harry smiled.

"You stopped singing," Nikki said sleepily.

Harry began the next verse, a smile played across his face.

'Whether we're standin' on a doorstep
Or sittin' at a park
Or strollin' down a shady lane
Or dancin' in the dark
Well I can take you in my arms
And look into your pretty eyes
Anyplace is paradise
When I'm with you.'


Love Me Tender: Vera Matson, Elvis Presley

Anyplace is Paradise : Joe Thomas (Elvis)

Had to give Elvis the last word, it was only fair.

Congratulations…You made it to the end, a magnificent feat. 180,000 odd words, I knew it was going to be long, it's why I put off starting it for so long but never once imagined how long. Thank you so much for your support and reviews. I wouldn't have kept going without you and it's been a long haul, nearly a year of publishing and more than that in mental planning and writing. Please be gracious enough to leave one last review, or even one to say you made it this far. Not sure if the SW muse will bite again. This does rather tie up the NY storyline. Who knows maybe they'll give us something new to work with… Special thanks to KiwiSWfan, GreyLostWho and Freya82 for their unfailing support and suggestions.

All recogniseable characters belong to the BBC; I'm keeping Jorge and Beto, the love to hate Candy, Audrey, Mrs Finkelstein and a host of others. I shall miss Jorge and Beto, but I'll have my zumba DVD to remind me, I always saw a bit of Beto Perez (Mr Zumba) in the two of them. It's been a pleasure my lovelies. Thanks, Dinabar