Saturday's were not usually spent in bed. If he wasn't at work he'd be out with mates or doing something he liked. But that had all changed fairly recently.
Steve Arnott was in love. He couldn't deny it. A love that totally consumed him 24/7. He'd never experienced anything like it with any other girl before. From the moment he'd set eyes on her it was complete and utter devotion. Anything she wanted, he'd do it gladly in a heartbeat.
He looked at her as she lay sleeping, draped over his bare chest. It was the deep sleep of someone content. He had done that, he thought proudly. Made sure she felt so safe that she could sleep so peacefully despite the crazy world going on around her. If anything happened, she knew she could rely on him to make everything better and allow her to keep on slumbering.
Her beautiful blue eyes were currently hidden from view whilst she slept, but it gave him the chance to study her eyelashes. He'd never realised they were so long. Absolutely stunning he thought.
His gaze travelled lower, taking in all her facial features. Her nose. Her cheeks. Her rosebud lips that were slightly parted to allow little puffs of air through as she inhaled and exhaled in her sleep. Her dainty fingers tangled in the sparse hairs on his chest.
His hand came to rest on her back between her shoulder blades in a protective gesture. She moved in her sleep and Steve held his breath hoping he hadn't disturbed her too much. He wouldn't forgive himself if he was the cause of her broken sleep.
A slow stroke down her back did the trick and she was soon settled again as Steve's hand came to rest on her backside. It had come to be a familiar resting place in the short time they had been together. He patted it in a reassuring gesture before a steady grip that kept her close to him.
A sound at the front door alerted him to an intruder. He looked at his watch. Shit! He hadn't realised the time. He was going to be in trouble if he was caught in this position with her.
He listened as the intruder made their way to the kitchen, depositing a few bags before he heard footsteps making their way to the living room and then on the stairs.
He was imminently about to be discovered in bed with her. He should really move, but something kept him bound to the mattress. Her.
Footsteps on the landing, past his bedroom door. The creaking of another bedroom door being opened before the footsteps made their way back to his door. Steve held his breath as the bedroom door slowly opened. His hand on her backside tightened in anticipation of their imminent discovery.
"Have you moved at all since I left?" Kate asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest indicating she was a little upset as she caught sight of her partner reclining on the bed in front of her. He had been there two and a half hours ago when she had left the house.
Despite being a little frustrated at the lack of housework that had been promised would be done whilst she was out at the hairdressers before doing some much needed food shopping, she kept her voice low to avoid disturbing their slumbering two week old daughter currently fast asleep on her father's chest.
"Your hair looks nice," Steve complimented his partner instead of answering her question. Kate had been wanting to get her hair done for a little while and Steve had offered to stay home and baby sit and do some housework at the same time whilst Kate enjoyed her little pampering session. She deserved it.
Except he'd been so distracted by his daughter that he hadn't done a thing. He hadn't realised the time passing until he heard Kate returning.
"Don't change the subject, Arnott," she warned as she carefully took her coat off and put it on the back of a chair before joining Steve on the bed. "The dishwasher still hasn't been loaded and the washing machine has got a load of wet clothes in it waiting to be hung up," she gently scolded as she stroked her daughter's head. She wasn't that mad. Steve really was proving to be the best daddy to their child. Any noise she made he was there by her side making sure everything was ok. He was the one who got up in the middle of the night to bring their daughter back to their bed for her feed.
"I tried," Steve said, "but she started squawking," he added in his defence. "You know she prefers sleeping on my chest to being in her cot,".
"Steve," Kate said, "you're going to have to learn to be a bit more strict with her. She's got you completely wrapped around her little finger already,". Two weeks and already he was completely under their daughter's spell. Kate could almost see a very smug look on her daughter's face at knowing she had her daddy exactly where she wanted him.
"I know," Steve said. "I just can't say no to her,".
"How are you going to survive going back to work?" Kate asked.
Steve had been on paternity leave for the last two weeks and was headed back to work in the coming days. She had a feeling the separation was going to be tougher on him than their daughter.
"I don't know," replied Steve forlornly. He was dreading being away from the home for nine hours. Nine seconds away from his daughter was torture enough.
"Maybe I should be the one to go back to work," Kate said.
"Really?" asked Steve hopefully. That would be a good resolution to the problem. Kate had done this before. She'd be fine at work. He on the other hand was a first time father and would struggle.
"Find a way to start lactating by Monday and we'll have a talk," Kate teased and Steve realised rather disappointedly that her offer hadn't been serious.
Her parents chatter finally woke the sleeping baby and she opened her eyes to see both her parents were now beside her. "Did Mummy wake you up, Sweet Pea?" Steve cooed. "Isn't she a naughty Mummy when Daddy has been doing such a good job of letting you get your beauty sleep," he continued. His daughter looked at him as he spoke as if understanding every word he said. "Not that you need much of that," Steve clarified as he gave his daughter's head a nuzzle before he gently kissed it. "You're already the most beautiful baby there ever was," he informed her.
A look passed over his daughter's face.
"She's smiling, Kate!" he said amazed.
"I don't think so," Kate retorted. "It's about six weeks before baby's start to do that," she informed her partner but Steve ignored her.
"You're smiling at Daddy aren't you?" Steve said. "Daddy said some nice things didn't he?" he continued.
"I think it's wind," Kate continued before the loud gurgling of their daughter's stomach was heard followed by the sound of her nappy being filled with something rather unpleasant. "Told you," said Kate somewhat gleefully at having been proved correct.
"On that note I think I'd better get moving," Steve said as he made to hand his daughter over to her mother.
"Where are you going?" Kate asked.
"Well I'd better get round to those jobs you've just reminded me haven't been done," Steve said.
"Oh no!" retorted Kate. "I'll get on with those," she continued. "That sounded and smells like a nappy for Daddy's attention," she said as she handed Steve back the baby, trying to get out of the imminent nasty job.
Steve held his daughter at arms length. Even from that distance he could smell something very pungent meeting his nostrils. How could something so beautiful produce something so hideous?
His daughter stared back at him as she dangled in his hands, a little confused as to why she wasn't tucked up against his chest as per usual. Her face started to contort to show her displeasure.
"No! Don't do any more," Steve said , misinterpreting her facial features again, but it spurred him in to action. He was sure he could see steam rising from her nappy all ready as he made his way to the nursery. "It's ok," he comforted as he walked, his daughter still at arms length. "Daddy will sort it," he said reassuringly, more for himself than anyone else as he thought best about how to face the challenge that lay ahead. He'd die for this little precious thing in his hands so of course he could change a dirty nappy. It wasn't his favourite part of being a parent but he'd do it for love.