A beautiful photographer

Chapter 58 - New Year with and a surprise

*Charlotte pov*

On New Year's Eve day we spend the early afternoon packing overnight bags because we are staying at Diana's tonight.
Both Tom's sisters and Sarah's husband will be there too.
I close my bag as Alex walks in the bedroom
"I'm done mommy"
"Good job...did you follow the list I wrote you?"
"I did"
"Ok, go put your bag near Ellie's so daddy can put it in the car"
He smiles and leaves the room, then Tom comes in
"Everything ready?"
"Yep! Would you take this downstairs?" I say indicating our bag
He kisses me briefly and grabs it exiting the room.
I take a quick shower and fix my hair and make up. We still have to stop on the road there to take a few bottles of wine for dinner.
At four sharp we are in the car and Tom stops quickly at the store to retrieve beverages, then we make our way to his mother house but we get stuck in traffic
"God how much I hate traffic!" Tom says
I put a hand on his leg and squeeze his thigh, he turns and smiles at me but suddenly I take it off and bring it on my tummy
"Ehy! All good?" He asks a bit worried of my sudden movement
"Yeah...we have great kickers in here!"
"Maybe they are going to be soccer players" Ellie says
"Why not" Tom says
Finally after 20 more minutes we are completely out of traffic and proceed our short drive to Diana's house.

After taking our bags in hand Tom opens the door and we all step in
"Hello!" He shouts
Emma comes to us and hugs us all and takes our bags up in our bedrooms and we go straight for the kitchen where we know for sure to find Sarah and Diana.
"Oh my lovely guests are here!" His mom says
"Grandma!" Both Alex and Ellie exclaim and went to hug her, she gives them big kisses.
We approach Sarah and then we swap.
"Kids, Charlotte this is my husband, Yakov!"
"Hello, it's very nice to meet you" he says with a big smile on his face and shakes the kids hands then hugs me.
"My pleasure to finally meet you! " I say once we break the hug
We make small conversation as we all help in the kitchen and start to set the table for later.
Diana decided to make fondue, baked salmon and potatoes and other few things and of course dessert.
The kitchen smelled wonderfully and since I'm pregnant I wanted to taste everything but actually managed to keep my hands to myself.
"Tom can you come with me for a second?" Sarah says touching his shoulder.
"Sure" he says unwrapping his arm from my waist and smiling to me before exiting the room.

*Tom pov*

"Tom can you come with me for a second?" Sarah says touching my shoulder.
"Sure" I say, unwrapping my arm from where it was resting on Charlotte waist and smiling to her before exiting the room.
She brings me in her old room, everything still the same as she left it years ago.
We sit on the bed and she smiles to me.
"What? Why did you bring me up here?"
"Well...I want you to know that you are the first one, except for Yakov of course, that..."
"What?"
She takes my hands and smiles again
"You are going to be an uncle!"
"I am what? Really, an uncle?"
"Shhh, keep you voice down Tommy!" She whispers shouts
"Right...sorry. You are expecting, Sarah oh I'm so happy for you two" I say and hug her
We stay like that for a few minutes and when we part we both have tears on our faces.
"Aww...my little brother is emotional"
"Of course I am, how can I not be" I say pulling her into another hug
After carefully refreshing our faces we go back downstairs and into the living room where everyone is now.
I take my place near Charlotte and she snuggles on my side
"You ok?" She asks looking up
"Yes" I simply say kissing her head and turning my head back on the Telly.

After a couple more hours it was dinner time.
We helped mum get the food on the table and we all sat down.
Each one of us said for what he was thankful for this year and the last two are Charlotte and Sarah.
"I'm very thankful for this beautiful family, thank you for everything you did and still do, to always be present for us. Cheers to a new year full of joy and love, I can't wait to spend more time with you all and to welcome our babies!" Charlotte says
"Cheers!" We all say raising our glasses full of wine or water
"Thank you for all your love and support, is not easy to live so far away from you but I know that you are always with me. Apart from being thankful for the things I already mentioned, I'm so happy to be able to add a new family member at the end of June!" She says
Everyone is shocked except for Yakov and I, my mum and sister immediately crush her into a big hug and then it's Charlotte turn.
"We are going to have a cousin!" Ellie says
"Yay!" Alex chimes in
"Our babies are going to be so close in age, only two and a half months apart!" Charlotte says hugging Sarah again who is sitting on her left, then she turns to me "why are you not surprised?"
"Remember when she asked me to follow her earlier?"
"Mhm"
"She told me"
Emma looked at Sarah with the 'who am I, garbage?' face
"Sorry...I wanted Tommy to know first" Sarah says "ok...now that you all know someone will have to drink my glass of wine, I'll make company to the kids and Charlotte!"

After the quite long, but very delicious dinner we cleaned both kitchen and dining room and sat once again in the living room and chatted a bit more waiting for midnight.
When it was 11.40 Yakov and I placed some sparklers in the yard and got the new bottle of wine and one of juice plus the glasses on the table outside and after getting our coats and scarves on we got out.
"Who has the corkscrew?" My mother asks
"I do!" Says Yakov
"Good...so it's 10..."
"9!
8!
7!
6!
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
Happy New Year!" We say all together
Charlotte and I, Sarah and Yakov share a romantic kiss on the lips as mum Emma and the kids share a big group hug, we then swap places and manage to hug and kiss everybody.
We set the sparklers and watch them.
After drinking a glass of wine or juice, we make our way inside. The kids go to bed and us adults chat a bit more.
When the clocks strikes 2 am Charlotte and I say goodnight.
We change, go to the bathroom and slip under the duvet at the same time.
"Tonight was beautiful, and Sarah's news!" She say as I bring her closer to me and switch the light off
"Indeed it was!"
"It's going to be so cute when they are all going to be born!"
"Oh I bet! By the way if I haven't told you earlier, you looked absolutely stunning in that red dress tonight!" I say looking at her
"Thank you, you looked pretty handsome too"
She leans in and we share another kiss, we linger there a bit and I give her one more peck before getting a bit more comfortable and letting Charlotte rest her head on my chest as usual.
"Happy new year, my beautiful photographer" I whisper
"Happy new year my knight in shining armor" she whispers back.