A Matter of Perspective

Chapter 6 - Alfie

Happy birthday! How are ya?" Alfie shouted from over the hedge line on a sunny May morning in Brighton as Dianne and Joe pulled up and started to exit the car.

"Good!" Dianne yelled back, and Alfie thought he could hear Joe grumbling about being left alone with a child. Quirking an eyebrow up as he came around the bushes, he leaned in to give the bright redhead a big birthday hug, before pulling back.

"Did you two have a baby in the last five months, and not tell us?" he teased as Joe was still blabbering on about a child in the backseat.

Dianne grinned, "Sort of, go look!"

Alfie made his way over to the car, giving Joe a quick hug before fixing his attention toward the large cardboard box Joe had just unbuckled in the backseat.

"Oh no," he heard Joe murmur, before repeating himself loudly, "Oh noooo."

Alfie peered into the box, a brightly colored two tiered birthday cake coming into view - completely slanted and fallen over against the side of the box.

"Oh nooo," Alfie mimicked, as he heard Dianne approach from behind him.

"See, it's like a baby, all buckled in..." Dianne cooed, coming up beside the pair.

"Erm...not quite like a baby," Alfie stifled a laugh as Dianne's eyes widened in shock.

"Joe!" she exclaimed and Alfie could no longer hold in the chuckles as Joe spluttered out a response, denying his driving was the reason why the cake had been destroyed. 

A few minutes later, after heading inside and pranking Zoe with the cake, vlogging cameras had been turned off and Alfie leaned up against the countertop, watching in amusement as Dianne ragged on Joe mercilessly about his driving.

"Are you going to drive like that when our kids are in the backseat?" she demanded.

"I drove sensibly, Dianne!" Joe retorted, opening the fridge and making himself at home. "I always drive sensibly! I'm a sensible boy."

"Clearly not that sensible, our child has been beheaded!" Dianne gestured toward the top tier of the cake that was leaning precariously against a spatula that had been shoved in between the layers.

Alfie looked over at Zoe who was practically beaming at this exchange, a wide smile on her face. Alfie knew his girlfriend was over the moon about the fact that her brother had a girlfriend - and even happier that it was Dianne. They had immediately clicked, all the way back when they first met at Strictly rehearsals, their friendship growing after a few shared weekends in Chewton Glen and Brighton. Alfie hadn't realized how much he had worried about Joe finding someone that fit in their small, somewhat unconventional family, until he felt that huge wave of relief once he saw his girlfriend getting on so well with the girl Joe had chosen. He knew Zoe didn't open up to people super easily, so the fact that she and Dianne had become fast friends was proof that Joe had found someone special.

"The baby is not beheaded, it's just a little wonky," Joe exclaimed, finding the drink he wanted and cracking open the can loudly, before gesturing wildly in the air. "Are you saying you won't love our child if it's a little wonky?"

"Oh, I already know they'll be wonky," Dianne shot back, "They'll have your bird legs, won't they?"

"Well it's not all my fault, they'll also have your squadge nose!" Joe shouted, running out of the room as Dianne launched herself forward, a giggle escaping her lips as she chased him through the house and into the sitting room, tackling him onto the sofa.

Alfie turned back to Zoe, shaking his head and chuckling to himself, "They're on another level today."

Zoe clasped her hands up near her heart and sighed happily, "Big birthday energy. I just love them. It's like watching a romantic movie play out in front of you, I don't know how they're always so bloody happy."