Handprints ( #2 BOOK IN SERIES )

April (Part Two)

Spring really has begun to sprung outside. Blossom covers all the paths and roads as it gently falls off of trees in the wind. Birds have started tweeting louder in the early morning waking me up on the few occasions where Erin doesn't. The sun's rays are warmer leading to weather where you know longer feel like you need a coat with you anymore.

The days are looking beautiful.

But they're not.

In school the main focus is now on the exams that are starting in only a couple of weeks' time. I've been getting into school earlier than what I normally would do in order to be able to revise for my exams. Each day I have a different focus and I actually manage to get quite lot of work done.

When I'm not studying for my exams I'm either looking after Erin or calming Laura down who is beginning to panic about the fashion show. Every day there is always a new problem; there are not enough costumes for the models, the lights aren't working correctly, what if nobody shows up? All week I've been trying to convince her, along with the help from others, that nothing will go wrong. No matter what we say, nothing convinces her.

After having a hectic week like that, I decide that it would actually be nice to spend some time outside, away from the stuffy indoors. I change Erin into a denim dress that has yellow ducks along the bottom of it and some white tights before putting a jacket on her. It is a lot harder to change her now than before because she is constantly wiggling around everywhere even though she still hasn't started crawling.

Once she is changed, I put her in her pushchair and leave the house. I push the pushchair in the direction of the park, knowing that it will look beautiful at this time of the year.

When the two of us arrive I am not disappointed. Some of the trees have already full of green leaves where as some are pink with blossom. Flowers have started to bloom again, lighting the park up in array of colours. Even Erin seems impressed with it all because her eyes widen as she sees all of the colours.

"Do you like it?" I bend down and ask her which only causes her to laugh in response. "I'll take that as a yes," I say before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"It is you," I then hear a voice behind me say so I stand up to see who it is.

"Do you live here?" I ask Jack who is now stood facing me with his head cocked to one side.

"No, do you?" he asks me back.

"What are you doing here?" I question him, wondering briefly if I was supposed to meet him and forgot.

"Came out to enjoy the sun. I saw you walking through the clearing but I wasn't actually sure if it was you. I only saw you from behind," he comments as if I am supposed to care.

"That is a great story. Is there anything you want?" I snap at him.

Instantly afterwards I feel bad because there is no reason for me to be acting this way. I try and shake it off and start again.

"Sorry for being rude. You just caught me off-guard. Let's sit down," I say to him and we both sit down on a bench.

I take Erin out of her seat before saying anything else to Jack. I wrap a thin blanket around her to make sure she stays warm.

"I'm guessing she's your baby?" Jack asks me as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"How did you figure that one out?" I joke back with him.

Erin studies Jack with her eyes, unsure of what she thinks of him. There are moments where she leans forward as if she is trying to get a better look at him but then quickly she leans back against me.