What Should Have Been

Part 72

After a restless night, Connie had stayed in the hotel for the day leaving Sam and Grace to roam the park. They'd gone round and round on several things, whatever Grace had wanted to do they had done. Sam was happy to follow his little girl wherever she wanted.

As the evening drew in, the skies darkened quicker than they were used to. With the winter approaching fast the chill that came with that was appearing too. Grace was wrapped tightly in her little black coat with gloves and a hat to match. "Daddy when does it start?" "Soon princess."

He smiled down at her excited face as she bounced beside him. "You okay now?" Connie smiled across as she leant her head onto his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her gently. "I think you should be the one to tell her..." Sam frowned moving to look down at Connie slightly. "What-" "I just think it should come from you." "If you're sure."

Connie smiled widely with a nod before lacing her fingers through his. They had come out on their final evening to show Grace the parade that went through the streets of Disney. Grace was eagerly waiting, looking from side to side hoping to see something soon. Sam shared a quick glance with Connie before letting go of her hand.

He lifted her up from the floor placing her onto his shoulders. "Daddy..." She laughed at first before pointing up ahead. "It's starting, it's starting Mummy-" "I know princess." Connie smiled stepping into Sam's embrace as the three of them huddled together watching as the music began to fill the air around them.

They watched the parade march past them, Grace smiling and laughing mesmerised by many characters of whom Connie and Sam didn't recognise. It was a lot longer than Sam had anticipated it being, and Connie could see the pain on his face at hearing the same song play yet again.

She nudged him gently bringing a smile to his face as he caught her watching him. "You know I think I'm really starting to like all this sing-along stuff, maybe we should-" "NO. Whatever suggestion that was about to be, no. Because you and I both know our daughter would get carried away with it and never stop."

Connie couldn't help but laugh as Sam looked up again seeing the parade coming to an end. "Is that it Daddy? Do we go home now?" He pulled Grace from his shoulders but kept hold of her as he looked to her saddened expression. "Actually, I think there's something else... Something special, but we have to stay out here a little longer. Think you could do that?"

Grace nodded happily as Connie smiled taking Sam's hand once again as they wandered across the park following small crowds of other people. Grace's eyes fell to another family wandering along much like there's. They came to a stop beside them and Grace smiled at the other child while Sam turned to Connie.

The pair stood idly chatting while Grace became distracted with the push chair beside her. Connie caught sight of her daughter and smiled with ease. "How do you think she'll react?" Sam glanced over his shoulder seeing Grace pulling faces at the baby before her. "I think she's going to be just fine don't you?"

Before either could say anything else their attention was snapped up to the sky. "Wow Daddy look fireworks!" Sam smiled towards Connie before picking Grace up once again. "I know princess, thought you might like to see these before we went to bed." She nodded with a smile as they stood looking out over the water, the fireworks exploding all kinds of colours overhead.

Connie had taken a seat on the grass while Sam kept hold of Grace. He looked towards Connie whose face was illuminated by the flashes of colour. "Sweetheart?" "Yes Daddy." The young girls eyes were still on the sky before she looked to Sam with a smile. "You're the most important girl in my life-" "I can't be... Mummy is too-" "Well you see, your Mummy is different... I love her in a different way to you, but yes she's important too."

Grace smiled as Sam stroked the hair from her face. "Do you think you and Mummy will ever not be happy?" "What makes you ask that sweetheart?" Grace looked down before Sam gently rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "It's just... Before you came back... Mummy wasn't always happy, she'd cry sometimes and I don't want her to be sad again."

Sam forced a smile reassuring his daughter despite knowing that some of those tears were probably over things he had done. "I promise, me and Mummy will always be happy... Gracie I know I missed a lot with you and your Mummy, but I love you more than you'll ever know." She nodded wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her tightly.

"Do you think you and Mummy will ever have another baby? It's just, sometimes it's really boring and I would be a really good big sister, I wouldn't be naughty." Sam smirked glancing over at Connie whose attention was still on the sky. "Why don't you go and ask your Mummy." Grace slipped from his arms before running across the grass to Connie.

"Hey you-" "Mummy will you and Daddy have another baby? I could be a big sister and I'd be really good and I'd help and I wouldn't be naughty-" "Woah, slow down princess." She looked up at Sam with a raised eyebrow. "I couldn't, not without you." She rolled her eyes as Sam sat down beside her looking to Grace. "Pleeeeease Mummy?"

Connie smiled as Grace sat between her legs. "What if I told you, that Daddy and me were already having another baby." Her eyes widened as she looked towards Connie. "Really?" Her voice became timid as she spoke causing worry to rise within Connie. "It doesn't mean we love you any less baby, you're always going to be my little princess."

They sat, waiting for a brief moment before Grace pointed to Connie's stomach. "So they're in there, right now?" Connie nodded as Grace's face turned into one of amazement. "How'd they get in there?" "Magic." Connie looked to Sam with an unimpressed expression causing him to shrug. "What, did you expect me to give her "that" talk at 4 and scar her for life?"

Connie turned back to Grace who was smiling. "So I'm really going to be a big sister?" "Yes you are sweetie..." Connie was stopped from saying anything else as Grace jumped over into her arms. "I love you Mummy-" "I love you too." "What about me?" Grace looked up to Sam who was pouting with his arms folded against his chest.

"I love you too Daddy, silly..." He smirked as Grace leant over to hug him. "How about, we all go back to the room and watch a film together before going to bed, hmm?" Grace nodded while Connie tried to stifle the yawn beside them. "Someone needs their bed." Sam scoffed with a laugh as his daughter mimicked Connie exactly. "Someone's getting cheeky." Connie poked her daughter who stuck her tongue out with a smile.

Standing up, they began to walk back slowly all wearing smiles. "See, you worry way too much." Connie nodded as she leant into Sam gently. "I guess our princess is more grown up than I'd like to admit." "That she is, I can't believe she starts school in a few days..." Connie took a breath with a nod before looking to him. "But we'll talk about that then, right now lets just enjoy tonight with her."

Settled in bed, Grace lay between them as the movie played on the TV. Sam stole glances at the two of them for the entire evening until he looked over to find them both asleep. Grace's head was resting on Connie's stomach, her hand laying beneath her mothers too. Sam smiled watching them for a little while before switching everything off and leaving them to sleep quietly.