"Johnny, for the love of fucking god." Holly said exasperated. "Darling I'm just trying to help..." "Well don't!" Holly snapped, they were coming down the stairs to the living area, on an obscenely warm day for the second of May. "I'm sorry but please just leave me be, I'm hot, I'm tired and I'm in pain but I'm not disabled. I can make it down the stairs without you hovering." She said closing her eyes and sighing, she felt guilty for snapping at him. "It's ok darling, I know it's hard. Jack!!! Where the fuck is that fan???" He shouted the last sentence back up the stairs. "Why the hell did we not buy a house with AC??" He complained as they made it to the living area and sat on the couch. "Because it's London not the Caribbean. This weather comes once in a blue moon." Holly said moving a cushion behind her. "Well it seems more and more we are getting the fans out the attic and I for one can't be doing with it. I mean look how hot you are." "Yes thank you." She said wiping her face. It was true, the last few days had been incredibly sticky and she was hardly comfortable unless standing under a cold shower. "Mumma!!! We are ready!!!" Lottie said proudly as her and Pippa came down the stairs hand in hand in their matching bathing suits. "Ok.. woah hang on Lottie, can you do Mummy a big big favour? Go back up and get Lily to get the sunscreen out the bathroom cabinet please. There's no way you girls are going in the garden without sunscreen." "Ok.." Lottie jumped back up the stairs and ran off. "Pip come here so I can do your hair.." Holly said as the youngest ran down and sat on her mother's lap. "Baby ready yet?" She asked her father who smirked. "Not yet..." he said ruffling her curls as Holly said "I bloody wish." Under her breath before she began plaiting her daughter's hair.
"I want Mummy to do it." Lottie said with a very similar stubborn look on her face to her mother. "Mummy is busy." Johnny said calmly as he took the sunscreen bottle and began pouring some into his hands. "But daddy your hands are cold!!!" Lottie said pouting. "Cold???" He asked confused baring in mind the temperature was high. "Yes." She said stomping her foot. "The rings." Holly said nudging him as she finished one pigtail on Pippa and began the other. "Ohhh" Johnny said smiling. "Help Daddy then..." he said to Lottie holding out his hands. "Take the rings off.." Lottie did so gently pulling each ring off his finger with great fascination and care. The sunscreen helping slide them off with ease, she soon got to his left hand and his wedding ring. "Ahh that stays on I'm afraid." Johnny said and Lottie scrunched her face. "Why is that so special!" She asked loudly. "That's Daddy's wedding ring." "You got a ring for a wedding?" She said tilting her head. "Yes.. see when a Mummy and a Daddy love each other very much sometimes they get married and have a wedding... and at that wedding you get wedding rings, to remind you always how loved you are and how much you love the other person." Lottie nodded slowly understanding. "I thought they gave you babies at weddings?? That's where I came from??" She said skeptically. Johnny's jaw dropped open. "Ummm sort of Angel. What happens is...." He said looking at Holly biting his lip, she herself was struggling to hide her giggles. "Well, Yes we got married and then we loved each other so much that we decided we wanted to have you little love monkeys, so that's where you, Pip and baby came from." "In there??" Lottie said pointing to Holly's large tummy. "Yes from in there..." Johnny said. "Anyway... who's ready to swim? And splash and make us much mess OUTSIDE as they want?" He said loudly in the hope of distracting the children.
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"Remember what Mummy said.. this isn't like America, or France or the island. This pool isn't that deep so no jumping ok.. you've got to be careful." Johnny said lifting the girls in and avoiding the long winded option of using the ladder with two small children. Holly had managed to settle under a large pergola in the shade on one of the few loungers and was rubbing her bump. "Please be careful." She yelled as the girls began splashing their father whilst laughing and giggling with him.
Johnny soon retreated and sat down beside her. "We should definitely get a pool built in." "Johnny this is a London home, we don't have acres of space." "But there is definitely room for something down the end.." "what and we would use it once or twice a year?" "Something to think about.." he said shrugging before Lily and Jack left the house. Jack was just in board sheets with a towel over his shoulder and Lily donned a cute two piece. "If you two occupy them for the afternoon I'll double any allowance I've ever promised you." Johnny smirked. "I'll triple it." Holly giggled as Jack laughed and agreed already making his way to the large paddling pool. "Jacky!!! Look!!" Lottie said diving under the water and retrieving a toy. "Still uncomfortable Hols?" Lily asked and her step mother nodded. "Your sibling seems to think my ribs are punchbags." "Niceeee remind me to never get pregnant." "Woah. What??" Johnny said with wide eyes. "Joking Dad Jeeeez"
