What Should Have Been

Part 71

"WOAH look how big it is Mummy." Grace stood looking up into the sky, almost tumbling over as she leaned back. "Careful baby, I don't need a trip to a hospital." Grace laughed holding onto her mother's arms before Sam called out. "Turn around, I'll take a photo for Granddad."

Grace smiled as Connie picked her up, wrapping her arms around her mother as she did so. "Smile baby!" Grace grinned widely as Sam snapped a photo of the two girls beneath the Eiffel Tower.

Placing her daughter back down Grace wrapped her arms around her mother's legs as she laughed. Sam smiled watching them before coming closer and wrapping an arm around Connie's shoulders. His lips pressing against her temple before smiling at her.

"We need to tell her." Sam glanced to Connie who was watching Grace running around ahead of them. "You're sure? I mean, we can do it when we're back." Connie shook her head with a smile. "I want to." Sam smiled back with a nod lacing his fingers through hers as they strolled towards Grace heading for the entrance.

"Mummy are we going up there?" "You want to go up?" Grace nodded with a smile as they continued walking towards the tower. Sam continued watching the girls chatter about the previous day until they got to the front of the queue heading into the small lift.

They bypassed the middle level heading straight up. It was the middle of the day and they would have a clear view of the city below them. Grace gripped her mother's hand as the doors to the lift opened and they stepped outside. "Sweetheart?" "It's really high Mummy."

Connie smiled bending down to face Grace as they stepped to one side out of the way. "It's alright to be scared you know, and you know nothing can happen up here..." Grace turned shyly glancing towards the steps leading up to the viewing platform. "And your Daddy, well he's pretty scared too but don't tell him I told you."

She winked causing Grace to giggle once again before Connie held her hands. "We'll go up together yeah?" Grace nodded quickly with a smile as they wandered over to Sam. "Daddy..." She patted his leg as he looked down at her. "Princess-" "You can hold my hand if you're scared, Mummy says it helps."

Connie stifled her laughter at her daughters offer as Sam flicked his eyes to Connie with his tongue pushed into his cheek. Quickly he looked back to Grace with a smile taking her hand. "Let's do this then." Grace beamed up at him as Connie smirked over her head at Sam who rolled his eyes.

Getting to the top, the cool breeze hit them as they stuck together wandering towards the edge. "Woah... Look how small everyone is." Sam laughed looking down to Grace who had now let go of their hands to look at the world below them.

Moving closer to Connie, Sam snaked an arm around her waist as she leaned into his side settling her head on his shoulder. "It's beautiful up here-" "It's even better at night... Seeing everything alight, especially in winter." She smiled gently as they looked out over Paris. "Well maybe we can come back here sometime." "Definitely." She met his lips gently before paying attention to Grace who was gradually making her way across the platform.

They stayed up there for a while, taking a few photos before Sam lifted Grace up so Connie could get a photo of them. Just as Connie went to take the picture Grace began pulling a face making Connie laugh as she looked back at it. "Would you like a photograph together? Here I'll take one-" "Oh, no it's fine thank-" "Come on Con..."

The older lady taking the phone as Sam pulled on Connie's hand. She smiled falling into his side with her arm wrapped around his front. Grace was still sat on his hip as he held her up, all of them with smiles. "You're a very beautiful family-" "Thank you." Connie took her phone back with a smile as the other woman wandered off.

"Where to next Daddy?" "Well I was thinking we could get some lunch, then I've got something planned for this afternoon." Connie smirked knowing he wasn't going to tell either of them where they were going as they began to descend the stairs from the platform.

After lunch in a cosy little café a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, they walked beside the river with no sense of direction. "Tell me you haven't got us lost in a foreign country Strachan-" "Have faith Beauchamp, I know where we are." She arched a brow watching him suspiciously before they turned their attention to Grace who was skipping ahead of them.

They wandered past several sights that Connie had only ever seen in pictures before coming to a stop. Connie smiled as she noticed the line ahead beginning to make their way onto a large boat. "I wasn't sure if you'd feel alright doing this or not." "I'll be fine, I think someone else will enjoy it."

His eyes wandered to Grace who was looking onto the river at the boat which was docked beside them. "Want to go on it Grace?" "Really?" Sam nodded as the little girl jumped, taking his hand as he led her down the platform with Connie following behind them.

Despite the frosty weather they sat at the top of the boat where it was entirely open, a perfect view all around them. They went the length of the river and back again, taking up a few hours of their afternoon. Grace stood by the railings watching as people went by, other boats some faster than there's.

Evening was drawing in and Grace was beginning to tire. "Daddy are we going home now?" "Almost princess, there's one more place I want to take your Mummy." She nodded with a yawn rubbing a hand over her face. "Come here princess." Grace walked towards him sleepily as he scooped her up from the floor, carrying her as she lay her head to his shoulder half asleep.

"Someone looks like they could use their bed." Connie smiled as Sam laced his fingers through hers, wandering back through the streets of Paris. "There's one more thing I want to show you, it's on the way don't worry." Connie nodded with a smile enjoying the walk and everything they were able to see.

She was oblivious to the direction, and on any other day she would have normally been more switched on. They came to a stop as they crossed a bridge causing a frown to rise on her face. Another moment passed and she released a slow sigh seeing the varying sizes of padlocks hanging from the bridge.

"Oh Sam-" "I figured while in Paris we might as well do the cliché." She laughed dropping her head before watching him pull a pen and lock from his jacket pocket. "Put whatever you like." She smiled taking the items from him while he held onto a sleeping Grace. She thought for a moment before carefully writing something out.

She held the pen between her teeth as she bent down to place the lock onto the fence. Clicking it into place Sam looked past her hands to see what she'd written. 2016 ~ Mr & Mrs Strachan to-be, Grace and baby no 2 x x x

He laughed as she dropped the key over the side of the bridge into the water below. "If you ever leave then you best have a pair of wire cutters handy for that lock." "Never could leave the moment as it was could you?" Connie smirked before pressing a kiss to his lips gently. "I love you Mr Strachan, you're not the person I always thought you were." "And that my beautiful fiancée is definitely a story for another day."

Hand in hand, they walked back to their hotel with Grace sleeping for the entire journey. They all climbed into bed quickly knowing that tomorrow was their last full day in Paris and Grace was sure to run rings around them if they didn't get the sleep they'd need. Sam pulled the covers up as Connie curled into his side, her head resting on his chest immediately falling asleep.