Revelation

Bonus Chapter - Unforgettable

"I'm absolutely certain it's your turn."

"Nice try, numpty. Come on, that pooey nappy isn't going to change itself."

Gerry sent me a death stare as he carried our almost six-month old daughter securely but at almost full arm's reach to the change table in front of the window, his nose and mouth twisted in twin expressions of horror and revulsion. I almost choked trying to hold back my chortles. Priceless.

"Not funny, babe," he huffed.

Pretty sure it is. "No, love, not at all."

He huffed again at my failure to hide my sarcasm. "How long is she going to keep making this...disgusting...mess?"

"Till tomorrow, probably. Sarah said hers all got better after forty-eight hours." Sarah, our neighbour, had three small kids who'd all been through this tummy bug in the past week.

He made a gagging sound as he opened the first tab on the nappy, then dry retched when the second was undone and the full effect of the stench hit his nostrils. When his complexion turned green I almost swallowed my tongue.

"Stop laughing at me, woman! God, this is...oh, holy fuck! It's all up her back!"

Oh god, I just...can't. I wrapped my arms around my torso, laughing so hard tears ran down my face and my post-giving-birth lady bits were in serious danger of making me pee my pants, collapsing to my side on the sofa while gasping for breath. "Oh...my...god." As I rolled around Gerry continued grunting and exclaiming profanities while wiping and cleaning, dropping Annabel's soiled clothing and offending nappy into the pails nearby. And all the while she lay placidly, cooing at him in baby speak and occasionally blinking as she gazed up at him with blue eyes an exact match for his own. When he'd put her into a clean sleepsuit and lifted her up to his shoulder, she nuzzled into the spot where it met his neck - a spot I myself was particularly fond of - and I quieted as much as she did, a warm feeling flooding my chest. He turned to look at me, the revulsion of moments before gone as if it had never existed, replaced by a look so tender that my heart spasmed. These two. God. With one hand under her bottom to hold her, the other rubbed small, comforting circles on her back.

"She's so beautiful," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her short brown curls.

"She is," I agreed softly, melting like a marshmallow.

"Thank you, Jo."

"For what?"

"For the gift of Annabel." I sat up and he came to sit beside me, moving her to his lap so I could reach out a finger to be clasped in her tiny, perfect hand. "For giving me the family I never knew I wanted...needed."

A lump appeared in my throat, refusing to be dislodged when I swallowed. Hard. As usual, I attempted to deflect a heartfelt moment with humour. "You can't be expected to know what you need, you're only a man." It came out kind of scratchy and rough, but I managed.

Gerry's mouth tilted at the edges, the knowing glint in his eyes telling me he saw right through me, and my heart melted even more. "You hear that, Annie-bananie?" he murmured, turning to our daughter, "your mummy's ragging on me for being a poor, simple, knuckle-headed numpty of a man."

"Dada."

I blinked, thinking I'd imagined the sound coming from Annabel's mouth.

"Dada," she cooed again.

"Holy fuck!" Gerry gasped.

"Holy fuck!" I echoed.

I turned to him, pretty sure the incredulous look on his face was reflected on my own. We both turned back to stare at our daughter, who now had drool dribbling down the side of the fingers she'd stuck in her mouth after stunning us.

"Do babies usually talk this young?" Gerry asked.

"Um...I don't think so. Pretty sure Maddy didn't talk till she was at least a couple of months older," I told him.

"You know what this means?" he whispered almost reverently. "Our daughter's a genius!"

Nope. Pretty sure it means I'm never going to be allowed to forget that her first word was 'dada' and not 'mama'. Dammit, Annabel, we girls are meant to stick together!

"She gets that from me," I quipped, quick as a flash, just as a loud noise and horribly offensive smell reached my ears and nostrils at the same time and we both cried out, "Ewwww!"

"Your turn," Gerry stated firmly, lifting Annabel toward me and bringing the pong so close I was sure it was burning the hairs in my nose.

"Holy crap, kid," I told her as we rose and made our way to the change table. "The sooner you're over this bug, the better." I laid her down and began the excavation process, my nose wrinkling as each new waft assaulted me.

She looked up at me solemnly then opened her mouth and said, "Dada."

"No, sweetheart, mama. Ma-ma. You can say it, I know you can," I encouraged, ignoring the gleeful chortles from behind me. "Mama."

"Dada."

"That's my girl!" crowed Gerry.

Dammit! I am never going to hear the end of this!