The Heartbreak Factor - Part Four

Chapter Eighteen.

Stood beside Katy's cot as she slept softly, I peered over and watched her as she breathed in and out, causing her tiny chest to rise up and down to a soothing rhythm. Her hands were clasped around her teddy's neck as her eyes flickered, deep in dream. Breaking away my stare, I looked at the clock on the wall. Counting down the seconds until the clock struck twelve, I held onto the side of the cot. "Five.. four.. three.. two.." As the clock struck midnight, I looked down at Katy as she continued to sleep. "One."

“Happy birthday princess,” I smiled as I leant over the side of the cot carefully and gently kissed her cheek as she continued to sleep.

Creeping back down the corridor, I made sure I didn't make the slightest sound that could have possibly awoken Katy. As soon as I got into mine and George's bedroom, I shut the bedroom door behind me and ran over to sit on the bed as George laid on his side of the bed, smiling at me. "Can you believe it's been a year since she was born?" George asked me. 

I shook my head. "It hasn't been the greatest year, but it's been perfect," I smiled.

"I'm sorry," George said, taking hold of my hand as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"What for?" I laughed, looking up at him in confusion as I didn’t quite get why he was apologising. 

"I know I haven't been the best.."

I interrupted him. "Shut up," I giggled, turning around and kissing him. "Just shut up."

“No,” he argued as he pulled away from the kiss. “I’m gonna say it. I know I haven’t been the best boyfriend this year and I know I haven’t been completely supportive of you and we’ve had a few bad times, but I’m not lying when I say I would kill for you and Katy.”

“Kill?” I laughed, snorting as I did so. “George, you’re scared of moths. You couldn’t even kill a fly.” 

“Fine,” George sighed as I ruined his cute moment. “I’d die for you both.”

“I love you,” I grinned. “But wanna know what I’d die for?” 

“What?”

“A cup of tea,” I hinted, fluttering my eyelashes. 

“It’s midnight,” George paused. 

“Hey, I didn’t argue when I had to endure hours of painful labour to bring your child into this world a year ago today, did I?”

*

Mixing all the ingredients into a bowl, I looked over at the recipe book that I’d borrowed off mum that was lying on the kitchen counter in front of me. Covered from head to toe in flour, it looked like there was more ingredients on me than there was in the bowl. Putting the mixture into the cake tin, I sighed a satisfied sigh. Katy, who was sat in her bouncing seat in the middle of the kitchen, looked at me, giggling as I dusted myself off, creating a huge cloud of flour around me. 

“Is mummy failing at making you a cake?” I grinned to my daughter.

“Yes, mummy is failing,” George joked as he walked in, carrying a roll of ‘Happy First Birthday’ banners that he was putting up around the house.