Sing For Me

Presents and Pampering

Ben's Point of View

Christmas with my little family was going to be perfect. College had finished for the holiday's so I got to spend time with Riley and Ellie it seemed silly sending then to nursery when I was at home. Hearing them call me Daddy was still a new thing it took getting used to but I loved it. I loved them and I loved their mother so very much, once we'd agreed to try for a baby Lisa had a check up with the doctor who said all was well and that with patience she could soon be pregnant. Lisa initially seemed nervous I was worried that she didn't really want it. I made her talk to me and she opened up about when she'd had Ellie, Matt wasn't pleased she was pregnant and made her life hell yet another reason I had to despise him, when she went into labour he was out getting drunk and she had to do it alone too afraid to tell her family or friends how useless he was. It broke my heart just knowing how he had treated her and the children.

I worked hard to reassure her that it would be different this time, I so wanted us to have a child together and would be there for her every step of the way, wrap her up in cotton wool if I had to. If we were doing this then we would do it together. My darling girl if I had to compliment her every day for the rest of her life to make her realize how much she was worth then I would.

"Daddy what are we going to do today?" Riley asks me. Lisa had left for work early for the store delivery she'd looked tired when she left I think a pampering was in order when she got home.

"Shall we go and buy Mummy some Christmas presents today?" I suggest

"Yeah and a card too" he thinks of everything.

We head into town it was heaving being the day before Christmas eve, Ellie's in her pushchair and I keep Riley close to me while he stands on the buggy board cruising quite happily . We come across a card shop that's reasonably quiet so head on in they have Christmas songs playing in the back round and Riley starts singing around the shop making the shop assistant laugh

"Hello young man" she says to him "Are you helping your Daddy today" she says and I smile inside thinking that people see me as their Daddy

"Yes we are looking for a card for Mummy" he tells the lady

"Well the Mummy cards are just down here" she says pointing them out to Riley

"Right let's find something nice for Mummy shall we" I say. Riley studies the cards very carefully he makes me laugh his concentrating face is a picture, I discover little things about him every day I can't wait to introduce him and Ellie to Dad and Gran we'd decided to go down early heading down there on boxing day to stay the week. Lisa was a little apprehensive about it but I knew Dad would love her and Gran would make a ridiculous fuss of her.

"This one Daddy" says Riley he's picked a lovely one, he helped pick one from Ellie too. I flicked through the cards to my girlfriend, for my wonderful girlfriend all sorts,

"The wife cards are just on here my love so you know" the assistant tells me and I smile not able to respond

"Uh thank you" I say to her and I look at them "To my wonderful wife" if only I thought, nothing would make me happier than to make her mine to give her the life she deserved, to make her happy I so wanted to make her happy. But I'd asked a lot of her with the baby and we had plenty of time. "Right Riley lets go and pay for these" as we take them to the till. We are served by a different lady this time

"Why thank you" she says to Riley as he puts them on the counter the cashier looks at Ellie too "Oh what a lovely family you have" she says to me

"Thank you" I reply smiling at her as she gives me my change