Baby on Board

13

Aside from that, I don't think I had much planned for today. Just sleeping. And eating. The baby tires me out but not before forcing me to gorge on delicious treats that Arnaud and Nate have been making especially for me. This baby is going to be born with a major sweet tooth, I warn you. 

When I check my watch and see that it's almost five in the afternoon. Isaac was about to finish work so I decided to meet him at the houseboat in order to ask him about Mass. Sophie offered to drive me to wherever it is Isaac lives but I turned her down, insisting that she only wanted to drive me so that she could find out where he lived and sneak there at stupid o'clock one night to spray paint his door. Daniel quirked an eyebrow at this piece of information while my sister tried to play innocent, insisting that she didn't know what I was talking about. 

Thankfully, that lie didn't wash with me, nor did it wash with Daniel. I left them to bicker and walked with Sam to the door. I gave him a big hug and insisted that he really needn't move out. The look he gave me in return was enough confirmation that he was leaving, no matter how much I begged him to stay. Luckily, he wasn't about to move out for another few weeks as he needed to redecorate and get some new furniture, so we had some time before he left. 

Making my way across London, I basked in the spring sunshine, glad to see the back of the wet winter we'd experienced. I didn't mind the rain but since I'd bought some maternity dresses last week, I was more than excited to wear them. My bump hadn't grown that much from what I could tell but whenever Isaac saw me after a few days of him working nights, he would always exclaim that I'd gotten bigger, in the nicest sense of the word. He would then proceed to place his hands against my stomach and speak gibberish to the baby. It made me laugh when he put on that voice but it was also endearing. Isaac insists that babies can hear you while they're in the womb and it was always a good idea to speak to them so that they could get used to your voice. I felt so stupid doing it but Isaac didn't care. 

Turning the corner, I found myself closer to Isaac's houseboat. A few hundred yards later and I was walking down the ramp that led to Isaac's place. It was quiet and calm, but then loud voices from somewhere pierced the serenity. It wasn't until I was on the deck of Isaac's houseboat that I realised that the shouting was coming from inside and the door was wide open, giving me front row seats to an argument that was playing out inside.

A tall blonde- utterly gorgeous- was pacing the living area while a younger woman was sat on the couch, watching the first woman with an unamused glare. Isaac, meanwhile, sat in an armchair with his back to me. From here, I could see his head in his hands, and his shoulders were tense, indicating his frustration. 

"You need to act your age!" The first woman shouted.

"I don't know how to act my age," the younger blonde snarled. "I've never been this age before."

"Do you see what I mean?" The exasperated woman turned to Isaac and threw her arms up in the air. "I cannot keep going on like this, Sac."

The other woman barked out a laugh. "Maybe if you weren't such a bitch, I wouldn't be acting like this."

"Do not insult me," the woman snapped. "Stop being a brat."

"I'm not insulting you," the second woman said with an accompanying eye roll. "I'm describing you. And I'm not being a brat. I'm a sweetheart. I'm honestly the best person you will ever meet. I'm amazing. My future husband doesn't even deserve me. I want a divorce already."

A cry of frustration echoed out from the living room and I couldn't help but wince as the sound hit me. I think I may have given a slight cream as I jumped from the shock of the noise because as soon as I opened my eyes, everyone was watching me. 

"Lottie?" Isaac's voice was filled with questions. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh..." Looking from one person to another to another in the room, I was starting to wonder why I was here myself. "It's not important. I can come back another time."

"Is she another of your one night stands?" The irate woman stood in the centre of the room asked Isaac while a finger was pointed in my direction. "Jesus Christ, Sac. Is this really an appropriate example to set?"

"You're one to talk!" The younger blonde guffawed. Her blue eyes, familiar yet strange, fell on me. She beamed in my direction but I could tell that it wasn't genuine but more for show, like she was deliberately siding with anyone but the other woman. "You've slept with half of Sydney. I have heels higher than your standards, Alyssa. At least Dad has taste."

"That's it!" The older woman- Alyssa?- cried out. Spinning on her heels, she grabbed her handbag from the side table behind her, threw it over her shoulder and stomped towards the door. She paused briefly to turn back to Isaac. "Good luck. You'll need it."

Moving out of the way just in time, I watched the woman leave. Her disappearance had an immediate effect as the tension within the living room dissipated and Isaac let out a long sigh of relief. 

"You and I will be having words later," he threatened the woman that was left. Standing, he made his way over to me and wrapped me into a hug, whispering an apology to me before he led me into the living room. "Charlotte, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Martha Fletcher. Martha, this is Charlotte Delaney, my... uh... friend?"

Martha laughed. Unlike before, it was natural and relaxed. "Friend? If you say so, Dad." Turning to me, Martha smiled politely and came to stand before me, holding out her hand. "I'm sorry if I came across as a... what did she call me? A brat?"

"That's the one," Isaac confirmed.

"I'm not really like that usually," Martha confessed. Her cheeks were flushed. "It's just, Alyssa and I bring out the worst in each other. I'm really a happy little fucker. Usually. On my better days."

Isaac groaned. "Martha!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Martha dismissed his tone. Her eyes roamed across my face, down my body and back up again. She frowned and turned her attention to Isaac. "Hey, Dad? When were you planning on telling me that I was going to be a big sister?"

Happy Sunday! I hope you all had an awesome week.

Ok, so Martha has finally arrived! Thoughts? I know it's a little early to tell but she's going to be fun.

And Alyssa's here, too. What does that mean for Isaac and Charlotte's relationship?

Sam's moving out! 😭 Don't leave, Sam.

And Sam is now single. Is it time to find him a girlfriend?

Have a great week! Oh, and if you know who Manah is and you've been patiently waiting for an update... Keep an eye out this week! 😘

Sarah xx