My Bijou! A Maylor Love Story

Future Management...Part 4

18 May 1976

London

Roger's POV

Brian has no idea about our baby plans and I am glad.  When we told him about Clare taking a well deserved trip with her best friend Alli he was in complete agreement that she needed a break and was excited for their plans to visit Paris.  Brian had contacted the travel agent he used for our Tenerife trip and helped get the arrangements made.  Clare was beyond excited and shopped for some new clothes using the bank account I had opened for her.  Alli was soon on her way to London from Truro on the train.  I drove to pick her up at the station and delivered her to our home.  They were flying out tomorrow morning and Brian and I would be full time parents for the time she is gone. I would also be finding the right time to reveal our baby idea to Brian.  I was still trying to find the perfect way to tell him.  It was strange to have Alli in our home where it was clear that Brian and I are together.  She knows about us but it was the first time she was facing it directly.  We both found ourselves being conscious of our behavior with each other as we had dinner and tried to be good hosts.  Luckily Alli was occupied with her impending trip and playing with Tiger Lily.  The night went by and her and Clare turned in early.  I was driving them to the airport so we decided to go to bed as well.  We smiled at each other as we got settled into bed and anticipated the coming days of being real parents to our daughter.  Morning arrived and Brian got up with Tigs and I drove the girls to the airport after their goodbyes with us and the baby.  I came back to find Brian and Tiger Lily both dressed, fed and ready for a day out as a family.  With no rain in the forecast we had decided on the zoo and we packed up the necessities for Tigs in her baby bag and took off towards Regent's Park in the family car.

It was a nice sunny day and we parked and got the stroller from the boot of the car and got Tiger Lily settled in it as we walked to the entrance.  Brian got a map and we headed inside.  We had considered having Brian wear a baseball cap to hide his hair and give us a bit of a disguise but we couldn't fit his hair in the hat.  It was too bulky.  We laughed and decided to just say we were two friends hanging out and that my sister was away on holiday if we were recognized.  It was the truth so it felt easy enough.  It felt nice to be ourselves and we strolled past the entrance and first stopped to see the owls.  I got Tigs out of the stroller and we walked around to see the different species.  She was not entirely captivated by the dark places where the owls perched but was curious about pretty much everything else.  Brian got his camera ready as we headed off to see the otters.   They were much more animated and she watched them excitedly as they swam and played about in their habitat.  It was so much fun watching her experience these animals for the first time.  Brian isn't big on zoos and captive creatures but he was swept up in her enchantment with the place.  We crossed into the main section of the zoo and visited the apes and monkeys next.  There was a lot of energy in the monkey house and we all adored watching a mother with her newborn chimp.  Despite the hyper chaos around her the new mother sat quietly in a corner and tended to her little one with a gentle touch.  Tiger Lily had watched with an opened mouth wonder as the baby was held gently by it's mother and carefully groomed.

"Awww....it's a baby...just like you.."  I told her.  She kept watch on the maternal encounter and Brian took a wonderful picture of her completely absorbed in the moment.  I felt sad for a moment as I thought about Tigs not having her mother but shook it off as I remembered how much she is loved by us and by Clare.  By everyone in her life.

'Awww...baby..."  she repeated to us and we both melted a little watching her.  We stepped away from the primate area and made our way to the polar bear exhibit.  We were thrilled to find yet another baby animal on display.  There were three polar bears and the mother and child were so cute.