Halcyon

Growing up Quick

"... Happy Birthday to Poppy... Happy Birthday too you!" Everyone finishes singing to Poppy around the dinner table in the pub, Nikki is crouched beside Poppy with the Peppa Pig cake in hand with the candles still alight. 

"Make a wish baby" Nikki smiles as she looks at Poppy's face.
Jack takes a few more photos from the other side of the table over a child's head. Poppy takes a deep breath in and she blows the candles out. All the children clap their hands and Nikki places the cake on the table before slowly getting up from the crouched position on the floor, "I shouldn't be doing that now" Nikki chuckles as she finally stands up and carries the cake back over to a spare table and takes the candles out before placing it back in the box.

Nikki sits herself down on a chair and grabs her drink from earlier, Jack walks over to her and smiles. "You okay?" Jack asks. 
"Yeah I'm fine, ankles are killing me again" Nikki laughs.
Another parent sits down in the chair besides Nikki and smiles at her, "So how long until your maternity leave?" She smiles. 

Nikki looks at the parent and smiles, "another 7 weeks until that" She chuckles happily.
"I'm Sarah, Melissa's Mum" She smiles introducing herself. 
"Hi," Nikki smiles awkwardly.
"Melissa was telling me that Poppy's parents are Doctors, are you? you know the mids of three-year-olds"  Sarah chuckles happily. 

"Yes, I am a Doctor, just me not him" She laughs rolling her eyes looking at Jack who is happily keeping the children entertained with his disappearing money magic trick. 
"I'm a nurse at the Royal London... " Sarah replies. 
"Lovely... Unfortunately, I've not one of those doctors... I'm a Forensic Pathologist working for the home office, and my partner Jack is a Forensic Scientist... also working for the home office" Nikki smiles as she watches her daughter jump off her chair and walk towards Nikki. 

Poppy walks straight to Nikki and smiles at her, "Mummy I need a wee-wee" She says with a look of urgency on her face. 
Nikki stands up and holds her hand out to Poppy, "Come along Pops, we better hurry" Nikki smiles and takes Poppy to the toilet. 

Five minutes later Nikki arrives back and most of the children have gone back to the soft play, "Poppy I think you need to tell Daddy how much of a big girl you have been" Nikki smiles as she walks Poppy back to the table. 

Jack turns and looks at his daughter, "Daddy!" She giggles as she runs to him.
"Hey trouble... what have you got to tell me then squirt?" He says lifting his daughter onto his lap and tickling her causing Poppy to squirm. 

"I've been a big girl..." She giggles and Jack looks up at Nikki. 
"Has she now Mummy?" Jack smirks and Nikki nods. 
"I did a wee-wee, Daddy," The three-year-old says proudly. 
"Yes she did, and she told me before she had an accident. that is what five days dry" Nikki smiles proudly down at her fair-haired daughter. 
"Woah, that's amazing Poppy!" Jack smiles giving Poppy a hug and then let her go play again. 

Nikki watches Poppy walk back to her friends and she sighs contently. "Where did our Tiny baby go?" She smiles as Jack pulls her down onto his lap. 
"She's growing up too quickly, but we get to do it all again in a few months" Jack smiles resting his chin on Nikki's shoulder. 

Jack wraps his arms around Nikki and strokes her bump absent-mindedly, "Have you felt the baby hiccup yet?" Jack questions randomly. 
She laughs slightly and leans back into him, "Not yet, all in good time, Poppy had extreme hiccups the once she had them for over an hour, it was so weird," She replies placing her hand on top of Jack's with a smile.

They both sit there watching Poppy play with her friends and she repetitively runs up the steps and down the slide. "Someone will sleep tonight," Jack smiles stroking her back as she leans forward and grabs Poppy's fruit shoot off the table and takes a sip of it.