The One Shot Chapters (18+)

Andy Barber - Live Again

"Does anyone even know how old Lillian is?" I ask as Nora is busy stacking the dishwasher.

"Nope, she's never told anyone - town's best kept secret apparently" she shrugs.

"But surely you know? You're her nurse?"

She grins and taps her nose, "confidentiality Mr Barber, plus I wouldn't have put it past her to lie about her birth date on the forms".

Everyone knows the date of Lillian's birthday, just not the year - and as the towns most notable (and probably oldest) resident, we're all turning out this weekend to throw her a party in town. Doc is manning the barbecue, Nora and I are on decoration duty apparently so we've roped in Jake and Leah to help as well.

"How would she feel about party poppers?" I now ask

Nora grins, "we can't kill her off at her own party, otherwise we'll be holding a funeral instead".

I snort, "don't be stupid, that woman's gonna live forever with the way she's going".

I swear she still checks out my ass whenever we meet in the store or just in general. She has a 'no fucks' attitude though so I suppose that's something.

"Someone mention party poppers?" Jake asks, emerging from the cave that is his room and into the kitchen, helping himself to a soda.

"Your dad wants to kill Lillian" Nora smirks

Jake just grins back, "I think at some point everyone has felt that way".

"Jake!"

"What? She's great but you know she knows literally everything that people get up to". He states, and he's not wrong either.

Nora looks to me and I shrug, "he's got a point Nor"

"You two are terrible". She shakes her head but is still smiling. She knows the old woman better than anyone else."no party poppers, I want a day away from nursely duties". She threatens with the spatula in her hand, pointing it to us accusingly.

We hear the noise from upstairs and Jake is out the kitchen immediately. "I'll go!"

I smirk and help clear some more bits from lunch away, Jake now coming down with his grizzling one year old sister in his arms. "I think she's hungry".

I take her from him and pop her pacifier into her mouth. "You chose to miss lunch kiddo..." she continues to grizzle a little more and Nora takes her.

"Daddy is the same in the morning". She smirks.

"Hey!"

"What? Sometimes it's hard to tell who's more annoyed at being awake, you, Jake, or Ottilie?"

Otillie (or Ottie as we call her) has certainly brought us all together even more so as a family. Jake loves her and now she's started walking, she's always following him around the house. His favourite pastime is to get her hyped before bed.

Nora takes the food she's kept in the fridge for her and pops it on her high chair tray.

"No." Her sweet little voice now cuts through the air as she shakes her head. "No". That's the new word. No. But she says it in such a cute way it's hard to not love it.

"Dada!" She holds out the little square of sandwich to me and offers it up.

I pretend to eat it and she gives a toothy grin, "Num num, Ottie do it?" I ask and offer her a sandwich and she now eats it". "See? Daddy always can keep the peace".

God this kid is gorgeous with her hair in the tiniest bunches and big blue eyes. She's always getting compliments from everyone when we go out.

Just like her mom.

"Because daddy has a way with his girls" Nora's arm slides around my waist and she rests her head on my shoulder. "Just like I have mine with my boys".

I kiss her hair, leaning into her ear and muttering my next words to her so Jake can't get all cringy about it. "You certainly do Mrs Barber, you certainly do"