Acquiesce

Chapter 32

As December was fast approaching I started getting excited for Christmas once again. I wanted to get everyone to get together for Poppy and Quinn's first Christmas.

I had no idea if the band would come back to London, if they were able or even willing to. I tried to put it off so they couldn't say no but I ended up on the phone anyway.

"Hello, someone from the outside world!" Alan answered.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Good, I'll shout him for you."

"No, no I want to talk to you." More than I wanted to talk to Liam or Noel.

"Me? Over the fiance?"

"Yeah, it's not all about him."

"What is there to talk to me about?"

"Christmas?"

"What about it?"

"Will you all be back for it?"

"Liam's got his hearing thing, erm, let me ask Noel..."

He still had the sentencing hanging over his head. They could send him to prison for the night of the Q Awards, I was worried even if no one else was.

"No, don't!"

"He said fuck off so that's probably a no." he told me reluctantly.

"Don't man." I heard him say before Noel apparently took over the phone. "What the fuck d'you want us back at the end of next month for?"

"It's the twins' first Christmas."

"We're working."

"I know but it's nice to have a break and it's Christmas."

"Christmas is shite. If you wanna buy people shit do it when you want not when it's fucking money for the man."

"It's about family, not presents!"

"So you're not gonna be spoiling Poppy and Quinn?"

"Yeah but..."

"There ya go then, might as well say it's tomorrow."

I realised I wasn't going to argue him into seeing my point. "I was actually talking to Alan..."

"Well I want a word with you. A little birdie told me you nearly left a bun in the oven." he said, thinking he was funny.

I thought that incident was kept between me and Meg and long forgotten about.

"I may have thought so for a while but nothing's cooking, I'm not pregnant. What's your point?"

"Thought you'd know to be more careful after the twins."

"Well when it's Liam..."

"Was it though?"

"Get back to pretending you're in charge and that you know rock." I hung up forgetting I was cutting out talking to Alan and the others.

I was so annoyed Noel had ruined my conversation with Alan but I wouldn't ring back in case Noel answered. I hadn't even managed to ask about Liam or the others.

...

Me and Mum went Christmas shopping and went back to mine to set up the new tree.

"I still can't believe my daughter lives here. She commented as we decided where the tree was going to be.

"Yeah. I said, not really listening, she said that kind of thing all the time so I didn't really take notice anymore..

"When's he coming back?"

"I don't know if he is." I said quietly. "Noel wasn't too keen on a Christmas break."

"Liam's got to be back, he can't miss their first Christmas!"

"I know. He'll be here, I just don't know when."

We put the tree together and decorated it while the babies played with the baubles. They were getting so excited over the shiny new things.

It was so much fun but I missed Enzo's cynicism to it, I wondered how he would be around the kids at Christmas, what kind of dad he'd be in general. I wondered what he was doing with his life now too since I hadn't seen him since we broke up.

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh, just last Christmas trying to make Enzo have fun out of decorating the tree."

"Though he said you were in no mood last year with carrying the twins."

"Yeah, I mean the other year, last year existing was too exhausting never mind trying to do all this."

Once we were done with the tree we wrapped the presents we'd bought. It was a struggle because Poppy and Quinn loved the wrapping paper and tried to grab it every two seconds.

"You know they're only going to care about the paper and the boxes on the day, don't you?" Mum commented.

"I know but they'll like their presents once all the wrapping is gone, won't they?"

. "As long as you're not spoiling them because of who their Dad is."

"We'd just have worked loads to afford it if he didn't have the money." I pointed out, feeling annoyed that she couldn't accept neither of us were going to turn into snobs and raise spoilt brats.

"Have you set a date for the wedding yet?"

"How can I when I've got no idea when they'll be back from Surrey?"

I wished Liam was here. I didn't know what he was like at Christmas but he couldn't miss out on all of this, not for some stupid album.

...

Liam walked in late the day before Christmas Eve, I didn't realise until he was upstairs calling for me. "Hey! I'm back, Haileigh, where are ya?"

"Sleeping." I answered too quiet for him to hear as I got out of bed to find him. "You don't do quiet, do you?"

"Nope." he smirked at me and we hugged. "Were ya asleep?"

I wished he'd come back a little earlier so I could look happy to see him, not annoyed at being woken up. I'd really missed him and I was relieved to see he made it home for Christmas but it was late and I was tired.

"Yeah, your babies are too..."

"S'can I not see 'em?"

"You can be the first to go to them in the morning."

He gave me a look, claiming that wasn't fair but I wasn't risking him waking them up and having to spend so long getting them back to sleep.

"You didn't mind not seeing them before so you can wait a little longer." I told him.

"Wasn't me who chose to go off."

"It was you who created the media storm that drove you out of town."

"Wasn't my fault, I'm not arguing." He grabbed my hand and took me back to bed.

We got in bed and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Didn't think you were coming back." I admitted quietly.

"Miss the twins open their presents and that, I don't think so."

Author Note- I realised I left you hanging with the pregnancy test for ages but I wanted this chapter to be all Christmas but it was/ is July so I struggled to try to have that Christmasy excitement. I can't wait for it this year though cos it's Godkid's first but it is still ages away. I went to see them the other day so my they're gonna cut me out their lives feeling is satisfied for a while.

The other day I called a bride a bird and my Dad sort of told me off and I was like well I'm clearly spending too much time writing Oasis stuff (but also not enough time cos I've been lazy with it)