10 years later [Tayvin AU]

Part 22

17TH JAUNARY 2017

ADAM POV

I had been away from my girls for just over a week and was so excited to see them again. Adding to the fact I got to see them, it was also my birthday today. It seemed like a common thing in our household that we all loved birthdays. This meant that I was likely to get home to a birthday lunch fit for royalty and my adorable little girl and gorgeous fiancé singing to me.

I called home as soon as I got off the plane and through security to let them know when I might be there.

"Hello?" Lottie answered the phone.

"Hey baby!" I replied

"DADDY! Are you almost home? Happy Birthday!" She said in quick succession.

"I'll be home in about 30 minutes....Can I talk to Taylor, hun?" I asked.

"Ummmmm......she's busy?" Lottie replied, with a small amount of questioning in her voice.

"Ok? Well....can you tell her I'll be there in 30 minutes?" I asked, quite confused about what was going on.

"Yup! See you soon daddy! Love you!" She replied, hanging up the phone before I could say goodbye.

This was starting off as a rather odd morning.

TAYLOR POV

I heard the phone ring and Lottie answer it, but was unfortunately unable to speak to Adam considering I was sitting on the bathroom floor again. This time it was the macaroni cheese I was making for his birthday lunch that did it for me.

"Taytay? Daddy will be home in 30 minutes....." Lottie told me from the other side of the door.

"Okay hun. I'll be out in two seconds.....why don't you go get dressed? Remember to wear a sweater over that t-shirt, ok?" I told her.

"Yup! I remember!" She replied.

Yesterday afternoon we made a t-shirt transfer that said 'THE MOST AWESOME BIG SISTER AROUND' on it, which we then ironed onto a plain white t-shirt. The plan was that we were going to give Adam a bunch of small clues and then just as he opened the last one, she would take off her sweater, which would have been covering the t-shirt.

We decided that, since Adam would be back late morning, we would do presents before lunch. This meant that I didn't have to hide my small-but-not-so-small surprise for too long.

"How do I look?" Lottie asked, wandering into the master bedroom where I was finishing doing my hair. She was wearing a dark red skater skirt with black tights, her special t-shirt, and a black sweatshirt.

"Perfect darling!" I replied, smiling at her. I was wearing black jeans and a baby blue drifter sweater. "Let's get this show on the road!"

ADAM POV

As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted by hugs and kisses from my favourite girls and a very tuneful rendition of Happy Birthday.

"Thank you my lovely ladies! I feel so special!!" I told them when they finished.

"Can we open presents now?" Lottie asked, bouncing up and down.

I looked at Taylor, who nodded and smiled at me, letting me know that it was time for presents.

"Presents and then lunch, right Lottie-bug?" Taylor asked, wrapping her arm around me and leaning on me as we walked to the living room.

There were streamers and banners everywhere and a small, neat, stack of presents on the coffee table.

"Okay, so....they are numbered in the order you have to open them. 1 to 5." Taylor explained as I eyed the presents. She seemed slightly nervous so I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, making her smile a little.

"Come on daddy! Open them!" Lottie begged.

"Okay, okay....hold your horses little one!" I teased.

So present number 1 was from Lottie. It was a small album with photos she had taken over the last year with her little camera, as well as some drawing she had made.

Present number 2 was from Taylor. It was a new camera bag for the DSLR camera I usually had with me. Definitely a useful present.

The rest of the gifts said they were from 'all of us', which I guessed was from Taylor and Lottie.

TAYLOR POV

My nervousness was increasing as he opened each present.

The sequence of presents we had for him, not counting the first two main presents, were a t-shirt that said 'MOST AWESOME DADDY' (obviously not giving it away since he was already a daddy), a bag of blue and pink M&Ms that had little pacifier all over them (which he didn't look at that closely, just thinking they were M&Ms), and finally a box that said 'tiny trouble' with a little bunny shaped soft rattle in it. I also had the pregnancy tests I took in plastic baggie in my pocket to give him when he finally got it.

Before he opened the last box I subtlety asked Lottie to take off her sweatshirt.

"Hey bug, aren't you a little hot in that?" I asked her.

"I'm boiling!" She said, dramatically as she took off the sweater.

Adam didn't seem to register the t-shirt at first.

He looked slightly confused as he say the box lid and even more so when he saw the rattle....but then something clicked and he looked up and saw Lottie's t-shirt.

"Wait....what? Is this? Um....Taylor? What is going on?" He asked, grin forming on his lips, obviously aware of what was going on.

"Congratulations Adam, you are going to be a daddy again!" I said with happy tears in my eyes, pulling out the tests from my pocket.

"I GET TO BE A BIG SISTER!" Lottie screamed, obviously having wanted to say that all morning.

The screams and squeals that followed probably made all our neighbours wonder what exactly was happening. Adam wrapped me and Lottie in a huge hug, somehow managing to stand up and start spinning us both around at the same time.

"Best birthday ever!" He said, grinning like a little kid as he put us both down, with identical smiles forming on Lottie and my faces.

ADAM POV

While Taylor was sorting out the last few bits of lunch I sat and talked to Lottie about what she had been up to this week.

"Did I keep my pinkie promise good?" Lottie suddenly asked me.

"What pinkie promise buddy?" I asked her, confused slightly as to what she was talking about.

"I pinkie promised Taylor that I wouldn't tell you about the alien monster or that I was going to be a big sister till you got your present." Lottie said, looking up from her colouring page at the dining room table.

I was really confused now.

"What alien monster?" I asked her.

"Well....my little brother or sister was making Taylor not feel good and we decided it was an alien monster growing in her tummy." Lottie explained.

It started making sense....but that meant Taylor hadn't been well while I was away.

"But I looked after her good. We watched movies and I talked to her through the bathroom door and sat with her next to the toilet." Lottie continued, grinning proudly.

"Well I am very glad you were here my darling girl. I am very proud of you for being so kind and helpful. And keeping your promise too." I told her, kissing her head and going to help my beautiful fiancé and mother of my unborn child bring lunch to the table.