Baby on Board

15 Weeks

Travelling from London to my family's home in Surrey was daunting but Sophie and I have found a way to make the drive more enjoyable- put Sera and Léa in a car with the guys while us girls go in a separate car, childless for the hour that the trip was going to take. In our defence, both my sister and I had made sure that our little cherubs were well fed, burped, and had enough distractions so that the men wouldn't need to do much except make sure that the babies got there in one piece, preferably alive.  

Isaac hadn't grumbled when I announced our plan; I think on some level he was happier not having to be in the same car as Martha and me, but Daniel hadn't taken the news well. He was fuming, Sophie had said, especially because Léa had another ear infection and was irritable. I bit down on my tongue before I could say, With you two as parents, did you expect anything less? While the comment would be true, I think Sophie and Daniel would kill me for pointing that out to them. 

Nevertheless, Daniel's grumbling hadn't changed the order of the day and as I packed the boot of my car, making sure that Roo was with Sera, I watched as the men jumped inside. Isaac was driving, Daniel in the passenger seat while Adam was squashed between the two baby seats. I dread to think how Adam had upset the other and drawn the short straw but I wasn't about to start asking questions. Closing the boot, I walk around to the driver's side and tap on the window. 

"What's up, buttercup?" Isaac beams at me. He was weirdly excited about going to Mum and Dad's for Christmas but then again, it's his first time. Next year, he'll look at mournful as Daniel and Adam. 

"Drive safe and if Sera starts crying and Adam can't deal with it, pull over and give her a huge hug, alright?" I instruct him. My words were met with a blank stare followed by a roll of the eyes. He was right, of course- I was being overly dramatic. Isaac didn't say that out loud but his face said it all. "We're just waiting for Martha to get her arse in gear and then we'll be on the road, too. Tell Mum that we didn't forget the champagne, either."

Isaac laughs. "Mhm, and what time are you picking that case up, again?" Reaching through the window, I playfully punch his shoulder. Grabbing my hand, he tugs me closer and leans out the window slightly to plant a kiss on my lips. "I love you. See you there in about an hour. If you have to kill Sophie on the way, I have no objections to that. Daniel, do you object?"

"Nope," my brother-in-law answers. "I'll defend you in the courts, Charlotte, should the CPS decide to bring charges, although, they should see that you've done the public a service and drop the allegations."

Isaac gave me a surprised grin and once again told me he loved me before starting the car and moving from the street and into the heavy flow of London traffic. From behind me, I heard both my sisters yell into the house for Martha to hurry up, grumbling about how the teenager doesn't understand the traditions associated with Christmas in our family. Sophie and Emma both loved this time of year and they wanted to uphold all those idiosyncracies that made the festive period their happiest memories. I wasn't so fussed on it all but this year, I wanted to make an effort for Sera's sake. I have packed my Ebenezer Grinch t-shirt away for this year, replacing it with an evening dress for Le Réveillon and making sure that I had a church friendly outfit for midnight mass. The holiday season is a marathon, not a sprint. 

"I'm here, I'm ready, let's go," Martha announced as she threw the dress bag on top of all the luggage in the boot of Sophie's car. Slamming the tailgate shut, Martha gets in the car and says, "Hustle people. You were the ones that wanted to leave."

Without further delay, we all bundled into Sophie's Chelsea tractor and started to make our way out to Surrey. We generally chit-chatted for most of the journey until we had to stop off at a wine merchant to pick up the three bottles of Piper-Heidsieck Rare Rosé and five bottles of Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé that Lucas ordered. Sophie was supposed to have ordered it but she forgot and it fell on Lucas to save the day. Unfortunately, he's been at Mum and Dad's since Thursday night and it had fallen on us to pick it up. It was a dangerous ask, really, because just as soon as we pulled up outside, Sophie was rushing inside. Five minutes later, she not only returned with the order Lucas had made but with a few bottles of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, as well.