Halcyon

2-year-old + Silence = trouble?

Later on, Nikki and Jack have arrived home after collecting Poppy from the nursery, Jack carries Poppy into the house and places her down in the hallway as she had taken her shoes off in the car and the floor outside is wet from the recent rain shower. Nikki comes in with her handbag and Poppy's bag from the nursery on her shoulder.

She kicks the front door shut and turns the lock before placing the stuff down on the staircase and removing her heeled boots, Nikki sits on the staircase as she can't find her balance. Jack stands there and watches her with a smile. "What?" Nikki asks as she kicks her boots off.

"Nothing, can't I just admire you?" Jack smirks watching his partner, his eyes flick to her stomach and he can't help but grin openly as a warm sensation fills his chest.

Nikki puts her boots on the shoe rack and looks at Jack, "Jack are you having a stroke? what is going on with your face... on a Monday... after work?" Nikki asks curiously with a smile almost breaking the corners of her lips.

Jack walks over to her and smiles at Nikki before placing his hand on her stomach, "This is the reason I am smiling" Jack replies and steals a kiss from Nikki's lips.

She can't help but break a smile, Jack strokes her stomach with his thumb and moves his other hand to the back on her neck, Nikki giggles and kisses him again before going up onto her tip-toes so she can reach Jack properly.
"Hmm this is lovely, must continue later... but it's too quiet what is Poppy doing?" Jack questions as they are forced to break away from each other.

"Lord help us all, that child" Nikki huffs as she walks into the lounge to see Poppy sprawled out across the wooden floor, her head resting on the edge of the rug. "Oh look" Nikki smiles her heart melting as she sees her daughter half asleep on the floor, sucking her thumb and just her one eye attempting to remain open.
"Poppy?" Nikki speaks softly as she leans over the sofa and watches Poppy attempt to react to Nikki calling her name but she is too tired to even reply.

Jack laughs as he comes to where Nikki is and watches Poppy too, Nikki then walks around the sofa and crouches beside Poppy, "Looks like someone needs an early night!" Nikki smiles.

"Nursery must have worn her out... just what we wanted" Jack winks and comes around to the front of the sofa and sits down. "Leave her there" Jack smiles.

Nikki shakes her head and carefully scoops Poppy up into her arms, Jack jolts forwards to the edge of the sofa and looks at Nikki, "You shouldn't be doing that in your condition" Jack says and Nikki rolls her eyes.

"Jack, don't be an arse, I am completely fine!" Nikki huffs as she carries Poppy to the sofa and lies her down on it as she carefully removes Poppy's jacket and rolls her onto her side to check her nappy.

Nikki then walks off to put Poppy's jacket in the hallway and looks through Poppy's bag, she finds a few pieces of paper one is the nursery's newsletter and the other is a different letter she reads it and smiles to herself. "Jack, look at his... this is from Rachael, Poppy's key-worker... she said Poppy has had a dry day today, she only had her nappy put on at 5 pm, just before we collected her" Nikki smiles proudly as she hands Jack the letter.

"Why didn't she tell us in person when we collected her?" Jack quizzes.
"I couldn't see here it was that other nursery nurse in Poppy's room, oh what's her name... Alison... I think" Nikki replies.

Jack nods and looks back down at the letter and smiles proudly too, "Our baby is growing up" Jack says sighing slightly.
"She needs to stop growing up so fast now" Nikki smiles as she looks over at her daughter snoring softly on the sofa opposite. "I just want to hold my tiny baby Poppy again," Nikki says the emotion changing in her voice as she speaks, Nikki cuddles up to Jack and sighs.

He nods in agreement and places his arm around her small frame and smiles, "I would give anything to go back there too, but don't worry we get to do it all again in six or so months" Jack smiles as he snakes his arm down her body and rests it on her stomach.

"I can't wait, but nothing beats that first sight love for your baby, the image is fresh in my mind the moment I finally saw her as the midwife lifted her onto my chest" Nikki smiles humbly.

Jack smiles lovingly at her, "I can't wait to be present for the birth, although I remember seeing Poppy for the first time, that rush inside of me nothing compares to it. Our work of art" Jack mumbles against Nikki's head as he plants a few stray kisses in her hair line.