A couple of weeks later Poppy has now gotten over chickenpox and the same with Maddison who contracted them just days after Nikki took Poppy to the doctors.
Nikki walks down the high street with Maddison in her buggy facing towards her, she has just dropped Poppy off at school and has decided to get herself out of the house as she's due to start back at work soon. Nikki looks down at Maddison who is sat babbling at her, Nikki heads into the chemist with Maddison and coos back at her, "Yes, yes, I hear you Maddie, are you being cheeky" Nikki smiles as she watches her daughter respond back to her by babbling and waving her arms around.
She grabs a set of nappies which she needs and some more wipes before browsing for a second and then heading to the till to pay, the woman on the till scans in the products before she tells Nikki the price and Nikki heads into her handbag, grabbing her purse, "Could I also get the twin pregnancy test please" Nikki smiles awkwardly and the woman on the desk nods and rings that into the till too before giving the final total and Nikki hand over a twenty-pound note. She receives some change and she places it back in her purse before slipping the purse into her handbag and leaving the chemist.
Nikki moves out the way of the door of the chemist outside with Maddison, she grabs her handbag and zips it up before putting it back securely on the buggy. Nikki looks down at Maddison in the buggy and smiles, "Are you being a cheeky girl are you?" Nikki coos as she watches Maddison pull herself forwards and look outside of the pram before grinning cheekily up at her mother.
Nikki glances at her watch before thinking to herself, she looks around and then back at Maddison, "Mummy needs coffee" Nikki smiles as she looks at her daughter who just babbles absent-mindedly.
Nikki picks Maddison's dummy off the foot of the buggy just in case she drops it and passes it back to Maddison. As she strokes Maddison's cheek she hears someone approach her, "I never, Nikki Alexander, as I live and breathe" the voice says.
She looks up and instantly recognizes the person in front of her, "Steph? Stephanie Johnson?" Nikki smiles as she looks up to see an old colleague from her days working in anthropology, "No way!"
Nikki smiles at her friend as they pull each other into a hug, Steph looks down at Maddison who is biting away on the padded bar on her buggy, "How have you been?" Nikki smiles in disbelief.
"Great... just dropping in the area, do you still work at the Lyell?" Steph asks and Nikki nods.
"So..." Nikki speaks in disbelief.
"Are you busy?" Steph asks as she looks down at Nikki's daughter again.
"No, not today... just looking after this one" Nikki smiles.
"Want to go for a coffee and have a catch-up?" Steph asks and Nikki smiles and nods in agreement.
Soon Nikki and Steph are sat down in a coffee shop nearby with coffee to hand. "So... what have you been up too since we last saw each other... what year was it again? 2004?" Nikki speaks first as she lifts Maddison from the buggy and sits her on her lap.
"Nothing special really got Married to Iain, you remember him don't you? he worked on the team for a year when you joined... we have two beautiful sons, Michael and Teddy. Relocated to Brighton, mortgage, three dogs... Parents still strong and kicking... oh and I've recently become an auntie" Steph smiles.
Nikki picks up her coffee with her free hand and sips it, "You defiantly have been busy" Nikki smiles.
"Not as busy as you... what happened to the Dr. Alexander that said no children and is that a diamond I see" Steph smiles as she notices Nikki's engagement ring.
"Yes, it is" Nikki smiles as she shows off her ring to Steph.
"Mrs. Cunningham to be I presume?" Steph smiles with a laugh.
Nikki laughs and looks down at Maddison for a split second, "No, unfortunately, Mrs. Hodgson to be... Harry and I, we never took off" Nikki explains as Maddison babbles away biting her fist.
"Oh is that so? Sorry, I just thought you and Harry would finally see sense" Steph explains as she coos at Maddison who squeals loudly as she leans forwards and attempts to bite on Nikki's hand.
"No, nothing took off unfortunately," She replies back.
Nikki looks down at Maddison and smiles as she kisses her head, "Anyway, Mrs. Hodgson to be...tell me about this lucky man... what's his name, where did you meet him," Steph smiles.
Nikki laughs and rolls her eyes, "His name is Jack... we met at work seven years before we decided to take our relationship further," Nikki smiles happily as she bounces Maddison on her knee.
"How lovely, so a little one, so much for the very young Nikki saying you'll never have children" Steph chuckles as she drinks her coffee.
"Yeah, I have another one, my eldest daughter is at school currently" Nikki smiles as she picks her phone up from the table and shows Steph her lock screen which is of Poppy and Maddison sat on the sofa together.
"Gosh, she's the image of you" Steph smiles.
"Her name is Poppy and this little lady is Maddison" Nikki smiles as she kisses Maddison's head again as she watches Steph get her phone out to show Nikki her sons.
"Michael is on the left and Teddy is the right one, both the image of their dads" She replies.
"Maddie is more like her Dad, even down to her personality she's been gaining recently" Nikki smiles.
YOU ARE READING
Halcyon
General FictionThe Sequal to 'It's nothing personal' Poppy is now two years old. Jack and Nikki are still working on their relationship around their daughter and their work life.
