Family is Forever

Chapter 84- I can't wait to meet you

Friday evening was a struggle. The chat she'd had with her mother had brought back a lot of bad memories and feelings. It took her a long time to eat her dinner. Zosia wanted to tell her it was okay and she didn't need to eat it. It was hard seeing her cousin struggle so much. be she knew that would be counter productive.
Once she'd finally finished dinner Ollie had recorded an England football match on the tv. "Let's watch England." He said "they're playing some qualifier for something. Playing some Eastern European team."
"I hope it's not Poland." Ali said "I can't deal with a National identity crisis on top of everything else today." It was Slovenia and England won. Zosia has a surprise she was planning to give Ali after the football but by the end of the game Ali was nearly asleep on the sofa. So Zosia decided she'd save it for the next day.
Saturday morning came and Ali was feeling a lot more positive. It was Ela's 4th Birthday so they were going to Colette's in the morning.
"Happy Birthday Kotek! Sto Lat!" Ali said as Colette and Ela answered the door. Ela gave Ali a hug "Natala."
"You know what Ela. I think you've grown now your four!" Zosia smiled at the little girl. "I think I did." Ela agreed. They went into the living room and Ollie and Ali both handed Ela a gift. "This is from all three of us- although Natalia got you something else too." Ela ripped the paper of Ollie's gift. I was a set of books. "Thank you" Ela said politely then opened Ali's gift. It was a dress she'd seen at the charity shop near her mothers flat. It was pink and sparkly. "A sparky dress!" She gasped "can I wear it mummy?" She asked Colette.
"Go on then, you'll have to change back later, you don't want it to get dirty or ripped at the play barn!" Ali followed Ela upstairs and helped her into her new dress. She looked around Ela's pink room. On the shelf in Ela's room was the first picture that Colette had ever seen of her future daughter, a terrified little girl with huge saucer eyes. Ali still had the words alone and scared in her mind after having the chat with her mama. "Hey Ela," Ali said sitting on the little girls bed and patted the space next to her so Ela sat. "You know that I love you kotek? And your mummy loves you and Zoshie and Ollie. You're very loved." Ali said slowly.
"I know!" Ela replied quickly in her usual way and ran down the stairs. "I look like a pwincess." She said in her little girl voice twirling around in her dress. "You do," Colette said "the prettiest princess in the world. My little princess." Colette and Ela hugged.

After spending the morning with Colette and Ela. Ali, Zosia and Ollie went home for lunch. After lunch Zosia smiled at Ali. "We have something for you." She passed Ali an envelope that said Natalia on it. She opened the envelope and there was a small card inside that had two tiny golden footprints on it. She opened the card and her face broke into the biggest smile. There was a picture of a baby scan and the words. Hi Natalia. I can't wait to meet you. My mama and daddy think you're really amazing and fun. I'd really like you to be my God Mother. Can't wait for cuddles soon.
Lots of love, your soon to be baby cousin.
"Oh my goodness, is that your baby?" Ali asked "yes!"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"We don't know yet. We do need to have a think about names though." Ollie said.
"If it's a boy can it's middle name be Arthur?" Zosia asked "that would be nice" Ollie replied "I'd like a girls middle name to be Penny or Tara."
"I always wanted to give my daughter a middle name after my mother Anna (pronounced
an-an-a) even before she died" Zosia looked at Ollie.
"I thought your mother was called Ania?" Ollie looked confused.
"In Poland a lot of names have like nicknames, that sound nicer like Ania is easier to say than An-an-a it's spelled like Anna in English." Ali tried to explain. "Natalia is one of the few names that doesn't have one. I doubt Ciocia Ania was called Anna in her life."
"What about Zosia, what's the diminutive of that?" Ollie asked.
"Zosia is already a diminutive for Zofia (pronounced Zof-yah) but I was just called Zosia, my parents didn't want to confuse English people." Zosia answered.
"Our Ciocia Ola's real name is Aleksandra. Ciocia is polish for auntie by the way." Ali added.
"Ola doesn't even sound like Aleksandra." Ollie laughed.
"Asia is Joanna  Karol can be Lolek oh and Małgorzata becomes Gosia. They are some of the oddest I think." Ali said.
"Do boys names have diminutives too?" Ollie asked
"Yeah." Ali answered "Krzysztof can be Krzysiek or Krzyś, Jakub is Kuba or Kubiś. Most Polish names have diminutives, just not mine." Ali answered. They all fell silent looking at the ultrasound picture in Ali's hand "You could always give it two middle names if its a girl, Anna or Ania and Penny or Tara. Or maybe it's first name could be Ania or Penny or Tara?" Ali said always trying to please everyone.
"I don't want that and I don't think Zosia does either." Ollie explained "we want to honour our dead family but if we give them that first name then we will always be expecting them to be like the person who they are named after."
Ali thought for a moment "What about Hania (pronounced- Han-ya) it's got Ania in it like your mama Zosh but it's different and it works in both languages the full name is Hanna but the diminutive is Hania the full name is spelled like the English Hannah but without the extra H on the end so she could be Hannah when she's older if she wants."
"Hania. Hania Penny Valentie" Ollie said looking at Zosia. "I really like that."
"It's perfect for a little girl." Zosia smiled and touched her belly "are you a Hania?" She smiled. "What if it's a boy?" Zosia asked. "Are there names that work in both languages like Hania?" Ollie asked the girls started throwing names at him.
"Aleksander"
"Dawid"
"Patryk"
"Jakub"
"Martyn"
"Oskar"
"Daniel"
"Adam"
"Adam?" Ollie asked "how is that spelled?"
"Same as the English" Zosia smiled.
"The diminutive is Adaś."
"Adam Arthur Valentine." Ollie said "I like that too." He put his hand on Zosia's stomach "are you a Hania or an Adaś hey? We can't wait to find out and meet you!"