When the skyfalls

Chapter one: morning sickness

Once again, the morning started with the Aussie redhead, launching from the shared bed and dashing to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. This had become a regular occurrence as of the last six weeks and was evidently taking its tole on the dancer, who was now resting her head against the cool tiles on the bathroom wall, waiting for the wave of nausea to pass her. "You okay my love? Did It happen again? Oh little one, come here," Armed with a glass of water and a pillow, Joe settles beside her on the floor, placing the pillow behind her back, knowing it had been bothering her recently. Dianne sighed, taking the glass of water from her boyfriend and sipping it slowly, hoping to calm her otherwise unsettled stomach and cuddling into his side, enjoying the relief of knowing he was beside her, like always. This has become sort of like a morning routine for the couple, Dianne hovering over the toilet, Joseph hovering beside her and both exhausted by it. "Thank you Joseph, I love you." She mutters against him, as he runs one hand through her hair softly, knowing better than to try and rub her back or stomach in times like this.

Sickness having past, he lifts his wife to her feet and the pair brush their teeth, in sync, in their "his and hers" bathroom- a wonderful addition to their Brighton family home. Both feeling considerably fresher, they pad back towards their unmade bed, planning to enjoy a few more minutes of blissful peace in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Married life had changed them, both of them, in ways they would never have expected; the little things became more important, words less, so in the moment, where Joe pulled Dianne against his chest, his fingers tracing careless love-hearts over her delicate skin, causing her to shiver lightly, no words needed to be said, both knew the other was offering a silent "I love you". The quiet mood was quickly interrupted by the gentle pitter-patter of little feet, making their way onto the couple's bed, sneaking in-between them for morning cuddles. "Mama! Mama! Are you awake? It's morning!" Poking her mothers face repeatedly, the energetic four-year-old bounced on her dad's chest, attempting to wake them both up with her actions. Whilst distracted, her focus being on Mum, Joe took the opportunity to open his eyes, wriggle his arms free from the covers and launch a surprise attack on his daughter, tickling her sides and tossing her down the bed.

"Morning my little monkey! Leave mama be for a bit, she's not very well baby. How are you this morning Charlotte?" Joe smiles, bringing his daughter up his chest for a hug, desperate to enjoy her younger years before she begins to slowly slip out of his grasp, finding her comfort in her friends and...well not boyfriends. None of those until at least 25. Her small frame fits comfortably between Dianne and himself, her head resting under her mothers but still over her father's heartbeat- her favourite place in the world at the moment. Noticing that her "Mama" had slept through all the previous excitement, Charlotte turns her attention back to her Dad, who had wrapped his arm over both her and her mum once again. "Umm, Daddy? Why's mama still asleep? Doesn't she know its morning time, which means breakfast and play time?" Those honey coloured eyes never failed to amaze Joe...they were identical to those honey coloured eyes he fell in love with in the first place, he would always be forever glad she inherited her mother's eyes and natural chocolate coloured hair. Tickling her back gently, similar to how he did when she was a baby, he presses a loving kiss to her forehead, " Mama's tummy isn't very happy today, remember like the other morning when mama was sick? Well, it's the same today so we have to be nice to her, alright baby-girl? You can wake her but only if you are gentle, okay?" he reasoned, reaching over his daughter to caress his wife, aiming to bring her into consciousness before Charlotte had her ways.

"Mama, Dad says your tummy is sad but please can I have a cuddle? I'll even kiss your poorly tummy better Mama look!" and with that, she dived under the covers, throwing them to the side and lifting her mothers top delicately, running her hand over the smooth skin and placing sloppy kisses near her belly button. The rush of maternal love, fluttering in her stomach, hormones and generally overwhelming emotions took over and the tears began to fall freely down Dianne's face as she met her husbands gaze and carefully stroked her daughter's hair- how is it possible for one woman to feel so much love?! "Oh mama! You have tears! I hurted you! I'm sorry mama!" lip quivering dangerously, Charlotte sat back, her head hung low and if possible, looking even cuter than ever. "No baby, oh no! Don't cry princess, you didn't hurt me at all, these are happy tears because I love you so much! You've made me feel so much better already! Oh mama's angel, come here!" Reaching to wipe her daughter's tears, the redheaded woman pulled the small child tight to her body, showering her with kisses and motherly affection whilst Joe just observed the interaction between his wife and his only child. Dianne was good at so many things, being a professional dancer had taught her to diversify her talents, but Dianne as a mother? That was a whole other level. From the moment they had discovered she was expecting, she had taken absolutely everything in her stride; the uncomfortableness, the changes in her body, the late night kicks and when labour came, she had been wonder woman. Literally. She had shocked both Joe and the midwives by her lack of morning sickness, how well she laboured and how effortless her delivery had seemed. Dianne is many things but most importantly, she is a natural mother.

Following a morning of snuggles in mama and daddy's bed, mama's famous pancakes for breakfast and a quick shower with dad, Charlotte had settled in her playroom for a while, dressing up her babies and creating wonderful, imaginative scenarios for them, allowing her parents to tidy up quickly, before relaxing in the loveseat, which currently overlooked rolling fields, dotted with horses and the odd cow. "How you feeling now, my Dot? Better?" He whisper to his sleepy wife, who once again had found her way onto his chest again and was resting her eyes. "I'm much better now Joseph, its weird, it always eases when I get up, eat something and move around a bit." she yawns, cuddling just that little bit closer to her husband, her hands slipping under his sweater to trace his abs. "Dot your hands are FREEZING! But yeah, I noticed that the other day too, you get sick in the morning but then it passes and you're fine until the next morning...weird." Not even pausing to think about it, he reaches above them and drags the furry blanket over both of them.

Yeah.

Weird.