Michelle and Carla handed out everybody's drinks and after picking up their own drink sat down.

"Lily will be back from her friends any minute now." Michelle said breaking the comfortable silence.

"Ah, I can't wait to meet her and see what she looks like" Carla said beaming.

"Carla you know what she looks like,I've shown you photos" Michelle said laughing.

"Yeah but that's hardly the same as meeting face to face is it Chelle?" She said.

"No I guess not. I tell you what though. I can't wait for my Lily and your Casey to meet! I really hope they get on." Michelle said hopefully.

"I'm sure they will, if there anything like us" Carla joked.

"Well I hope not! We hated eachother to begin with" Michelle said laughing again.

"Yeah... But just look at us now. Two peas in a pod we are." Carla said nudging Michelle with her elbow.

Michelle was just about to reply when Johnny came through the door with Lily.

"Carla! I didn't expect to see you here" Johnny said bursting through the door as he ran straight over to his daughter.

"it's nice to see you too dad." Carla said laughing holding her arms out for a hug. She'd survived so long without him but now she couldn't imagine him not being a part of his life.

"You should have told us you were coming down! I would have booked a table for a meal or something and we could have all had a catch up." Johnny told Carla and Nick.

"He only told me we were coming down this morning." Carla said pointing at Nick.

"Ah, how long are you down here for then?" Johnny asked hoping that they were down for a while.

"Until Boxing Day." Carla told him.

"Boxing day! That means your only here for 3 days!" Johnny moaned.

"We don't live here Johnny.. We live in Devon that's where our life is." Carla said whilst looking around for something she could change the subject with.

"Lily! Come here and give your auntie Carla a huge cuddle" Carla said crouching down slightly to her level.

"Hi auntie Carla." Lily spoke in a cute little voice.

"Hi sweetheart. Here there's someone I want you to meet." Carla said pulling away from the hug and turning around to fetch her daughter.

"Casey come and see your cousin" Carla shouted.

"Hi." Lily said quietly.

"Hello Lily! My name is Casey. Your mummy is my auntie Chelle and she said that we are going to be best friends" Casey said loudly before yanking lily in for a hug.

"It's like looking in a mirror" Michelle said laughing.

"Is she shy?" Carla asked quietly.

"Only until she gets used to you. She's as talkative as anything when she's in her comfort zone." Michelle replied.

"Mummy guess what. Uncle Johnny came and picked me up late from dance class again! I looked really silly on my own." Lily said as she came stomping over to Michelle.

"Oh my word. We can't have that can we. We will just have to kick uncle Johnny's bum won't we." Michelle said dramatically.

Casey was over the other side of the room talking to her grandad Johnny when Lily came over and practically yanked her arm off.

"Come on best friend. Let's go play I have lots of Barbies." Lily said whilst dragging her out of the door to both of their mums.

"Mummy, Can I bring my new best friend Casey up to my room to show her my Barbies?" Lily asked very politely.

"Of course you can sweetheart but don't make too much mess." Michelle replied.

"we won't!" Lily said as she raced for the door.

"Do you have any with black hair?" Casey asked as she was walking out of the door. The whole room was laughing with that comment from Casey.

"She's actually a double of you Carla." Michelle said still laughing.

"What?" Carla said also laughing.

"Have you got any with black hair? That's something you'd say." She told her.

...…

George hadn't said a work since he came in the room and was still sat on his dad's knee in the corner of the room.

"He doesn't talk very much does he?" Michelle asked her best friend.

"No not really. He's really placid, and polite." Carla told Michelle as she turned to look at her little boy.

"He's so adorable." Michelle said in awe of him.

"he really is. When he plays with his bricks at home he spends hours trying to get them all in a straight line and when he tidies them away he had to do it brick by brick. Proper little OCD freak like his dad" Carla said chuckling.

"Aww. Try and get him to talk to us" Michelle said urging to see abit of his personality.

"George. Can mummy have a cuddle?" Carla asked her son to which he slowly climbed of his fathers knee and walked over to his mother.

"Big squeezes" George whispered in his mummy's ear.

"I love you georgie" Carla said still hugging one of the most important things in her life.

"I love you too mummy." George said lifting his head up.

"Can mummy have a kiss?" She asked him to which he gave her a small peck on the lips and then stood up to go and sit on his daddy's knee again.

"he is so polite its unreal. I think Gail will like him" Michelle said chuckling.

"Oh my god Gail. I forgot all about her. Nick were gonna have to go and see her now for an hour or so!" Carla said to her husband.

"Oh yeah. You go and get Casey." Nick said picking his son up and helped him to put on his coat as Michelle and Carla headed upstairs to get their daughters. As they opened the door their hearts were touched as both girls were sat on the carpet with a doll in each hand, playing. When suddenly they both stopped.

"I think we should be best friends forever." Lily said to Casey as she held out her pinky for them to make a deal.

"Yeah we should. I wish my mummy would move to this town though. I don't like it in Devon." Casey admitted to her "friend for life" that she had known for barley 2 hours. Carla was shocked by this revelation as she thought her daughter loved where they lived.

"I thought Devon was nice. My mummy's always saying how jealous she is of you all." Lily replied putting an arm around Casey for support.

"Yeah. It's nice but I don't have any friends there. We live in the middle of nowhere and the only person I have to play with is George. And all my family is here like you, auntie Chelle and grandad Johnny. I miss them." The little 5 year old said as she broke down in tears.

"Hey.. Don't cry Case. I'm sure your mummy just wants what's best for you." Lily said trying to be supportive.

"Thankyou" Casey told Lily.

Carla stood at the door touched by the little girls bonding but also heartbroken that her daughter didn't share any of this with her. Michelle decided it would be best to knock on the door so it looked like they hadn't been listening.

"Who is it?" Lily shouted.

"It's mummy. Can I come in?" Michelle shouted back even though the door was partly open.

"Yes!" Lily replied.

"Casey, we have to go for an hour or so to see Grandma Gail and uncle David but we will be back soon okay?" Carla explained to her daughter.

"Okay mummy." Casey said picking up her bag as she gave Lily a hug and walked towards the door.

"Come on then beautiful." Carla said taking hold of Caseys hand and bag as they walked down the stairs.

"Are we all ready?" Nick asked as he opened the back door to the rovers.

"Yeah. I think so" Carla said as she took a deep breath in. This was the first time she had seen her mother-in-law since their marriage and everyone found out about Robert. Carla didn't think Gail would ever forgive her but they still agreed to stay on good terms for the sake of Nick and the children. As they knocked on the door of number 8 Carla felt sick and almost chickened out but couldn't as Gail opened the door.

"NICK! Oh my god what are you doing back!" Gail said astonished as to who was standing on her doorstep.

"Carla! It's lovely to see you. And you two must be Casey and George." Gail said bending down a little so she was their size.

"Hi mum." Nick said smiling as her stepped inside her house.

"Does anybody want a drink?" Gail asked as she shut the door.

"Orange juice please" both of the children said in unison.

"Coming right up. Do you want anything Carla?" Gail said.

"No I'm fine thanks." Carla responded politely.

"Are you alright Carla? You look abit peaky if you don't mind me saying." Gail said concerned for the mother of her grandchildren.

"I fee abit icky actually. Where's the bathroom?" Carla said standing up.

"Third door on the left upstairs." Gail said pointing to the staircase.

"What's wrong with her?" Gail asked her son curiously.

"I don't know mum. Will you watch the kids while I go and find out?" Nick asked.

"Of course" Gail said smiling as Nick bounded up the stairs to see what was wrong with his wife.

"Carla..." Nick said as he knocked on the bathroom door.

"Nick? Is that you?" Carla said opening the bathroom door and allowing him in, locking it behind her. Eying up the sick in the toilet Nick rubbed his hand up and down Carla's back for comfort.

"What's wrong baby." Nick said looking into her eyes.

"Nick I need to tell you something. I was waiting for the perfect time to tell you but I think I might as well tell you now" Carla admitted.

"What do you need to tell me? Are you Ill?" Nick questioned as he was getting more and more worried.

"I'm pregnant.." Carla confessed.

** A HUGE THANKYOU TO ANYONE WHO IS READING/REVIEWING THIS. I am going to mainly concentrate on this fic for a while and may go back to my other one later on. Please review if you have time and leave suggestions. Thankyou xxxx*