Chapter 47

I notice Dougie craning his neck to look at the newborn. I let go of his hand and he finally realises. He looks at me. I nod. He grins, kissing me on the forehead, before moving to where mum is.

It's not long before I feel that familiar pain again.
Here goes round two.

"You're doing great." Dad whispered in my ear.
I've got my eyes shut now.
Scrunched tightly shut.

I can just hear my own crying, Dad whispering comforting words and soothing noises, and mum giving me scary pep talks you might expect to receive off of a personal trainer.

Where's Dougie gone?

I open my eyes, wide with panic.

"He went to clean him up." Mum said. It annoys me that she's so calm in this situation.
"Him?" I grimaced with pain.
She nodded with a smile.

"It's a boy?" I gasped for air, pushing at the same time.
She didn't need to answer. I knew the answer. I mean..
Wow.

"Sh|t!" I exclaimed.

I just realised.
I don't particularly like pain.
It's not all that pleasant.

"Brenna?" I see Dougie walking in to the room again, holding a small bundle of towels. Of course, it's not just towels. No, I'm a lot more intuitive than that. "He's beautiful." He whispered kneeling down beside me again as a more permanent sensation of relief seems to flood through me.

"It's a baby!" Dougie yelled.
"It's a girl." Mum sounded rather choked up.

"A baby girl!" Dougie sighed sounding rather content.

Now, why can't I keep my eyes open?

"Shh." I heard. I stirred a little. Trying to open my eyes. Wow, where did the energy go? "Come on. Please be quiet. Mommy's sleeping."

I smile, my eyes focusing on Dougie, stood beside my hospital bed, walking and bobbing up and down with one of the babies in his arms. The infant, wriggling and whimpering, on the verge of wailing. I groan as I move, feeling slightly sore. Slightly being a little bit of an understatement.

I yawn, grinning when Dougie's gaze meets mine. You know, one of those stupid, dopey, 'I've just given birth to your children' kind of grin. He returns it, with ease of course.

"He hasn't stopped crying yet. He just won't sleep." He whispers moving closer. He see's me crane my neck to look at the bundle in his arms. I panic a little. I've not seen my children yet. I…

Dougie seems to get the idea. He knows what's going on in my head.
"This is big brother." He smiles, offering me the bundle. "I'll get little sister."
I chuckle lightly as I take the baby boy from him.
My baby boy.
This sounds so strange to me.
So surreal.

I pull the blanket away slightly, revealing a tiny scrunched up face. Closed eyes, a small trademark 'Poynter' nose already forming, and a mouth that seemed to be just a small crease in his face. I sniff a little when I feel a lump in my throat. I watch as Dougie moves around the bed again. 'Little Sister', as he called her, in his arms.

I allowed him to sit on the edge of the bed, shuffling closer to me. I let my head rest on his shoulder, tears streaming down my face.
"What's wrong?" Dougie asked quietly, nudging me a little.
"They're beautiful." I giggle with a sob attached. "There's nothing wrong, Doug. I've never cried from being happy before."

I yawn.
Waking up from a long sleep is the best feeling in the world. However, when you've been lying funny on one side, with your head resting on the arm of the sofa, it's not so amazingly comfortable. Makes you wonder how you managed to sleep through the pain to be perfectly honest.

I yawn again.
A week I've been home now. A week, and I've barely slept. Not that I'm complaining. The late nights and early morning feeds are worth it. I have two children, who rely on me. And Dougie, of course. Totally dependant on the two of us.

Yawning is becoming an annoying habit.
I notice I'm alone in the living room. And I can hear a slight humming sound from upstairs. Is he…?
No.
He's singing!
This, I've got to see.

"Rock-a-bye Baby, La Di Di Da, I forgot the words, so I'll make them all up." Came Dougie's quiet singing. The nursery door slightly ajar, I pushed it open. "…And down will come baby, mushroom and all."
"Doug." I whispered, making myself known. "Everything okay?"
"Everything is amazing." He grinned, looking back at me, beckoning with one hand to come closer. "Ollie gurgled at me. And Shannon's been… she's an angel."
"You're going soft, aren't you?" I stated, leaning over one of the cots, seeing Shannon staring back up at me.
"Not soft as such." He bounced up and down on the spot before placing Ollie back in to his own crib.

I felt his arms slide around me and I turned to face him.
"How does it feel?" I asked. "Knowing you have to wipe someone else's bum other than your own."
"Awesome." He smiled broadly. "Cause I'm like totally a dad now."
"I noticed." I laughed.

I let my head rest against his chest as his fingers entwined with my own.
"Brenna?"
"Hmm?"
"I said a while a go I wanted to grow up with you."
"And…"
"I just did it."

"Okay." I mumbled, muffled as I spoke in to his t-shirt.
"Seriously. I feel a whole lot more… grown up. I'm a dad. I have responsibility. I am Daddy Doug. I'm the man." He held me closer.
"Okay. Now I'm tired. Sleepy. Bed." I stated.

"No chance of a shag then?"

The ENNDD

A/N: That's all folks! Sorry I kept you waiting for so long. Hope you enjoyed the (slow) ride! It's been 6/7 years since I finished this story the first time around and I'm working on a complete overhaul of this so maybe one day in the future there will be more to add, but for now that's it.

Thanks for the lovely reviews and comments. You have no idea how much this story meant to me.

Sam x