Halcyon

Meeting in Secret

Today is the last day of Poppy's time at pre-school as she will be going to the primary school nursery in September. As soon as Jack takes Poppy to nursery he heads to work leaving Nikki at home with Maddison, recently Maddison as been giving her parents more sleep at night and will old wake them around three times in the night compared to six or seven times. 

While Maddison is asleep in the Moses basket, Nikki gets down to her massive pile of laundry she needs to do as it is piling up and Poppy and Maddison are both running out of clothing. She sorts out the clothes and puts a wash on before moving the wet clothes to the dryer and then walking into the kitchen and checking on Maddison, she looks through the refrigerator before grabbing some food out the freezer to defrost ready for later when Jack and Poppy are home. 

Within the hour Nikki gets a text from Jack's Mum Josephine, 'Hi, Nikki, look I've heard that you've had the baby and I wondered if I could come and meet my grandchild? I understand that Jack and I aren't on the best of terms but if he is an at work I would love to come and meet my grandchild x' Nikki sighs as she reads the text and looks at Maddison for a while. 

She knew if she said yes Jack would be mad at her but she wanted Josephine to see her granddaughter because all she wished it that her own mother could have met Poppy and Maddison. 

Nikki clicks the type bar and begins to type, 'Of course, Jack is at work until 5:30 pm today, the address is 120 Stanwick Road, West Kensington, W6 8NG, I am in all day, Nikki'  Nikki finishes her text message and then puts her phone down and continues to tidy up and dress Maddison in the process of everything. 

Around two hours later there is a knock at the door and just in time as she has just finished today laundry and settled Maddison down. She leaves Maddison in the lounge and goes to answer the front door. 
She opens the door to see Josephine stood at the door with a smile on her face, "Thank you so much for this" She smiles and pulls Nikki into a hug. 

Josephine removes her shoes and then her jacket, she hands Nikki a small gift bag and pulls her into a hug again, "What's this?" Nikki asks. 
"Just a little something for my grandchild" Josephine smiles. 

Nikki smiles and then leads her into the lounge, Josephine steps into the lounge and notices the Moses Basket and walks over to it. "Oh... look" She smiles as her heart beats faster. 

"Her name is Maddison" Nikki replies from a few steps behind her, she watches as Josephine looks down at her granddaughter in awe. 
"She is so beautiful..." Josephine mumbles a few tears forming in her eyes. "Another granddaughter" She laughs through her happy tears. 

Nikki chuckles and rolls her eyes, "Would you like a cup of tea? and then you can hold her?" Nikki suggests. 

Josephine nods in agreement and follows Nikki to the kitchen, Nikki makes two cups of tea before they head back into the lounge where Nikki lifts Maddison out the Moses basket and hands her carefully to Josephine. "Gosh she is so tiny, how old did you say she is?" She questions. 

"She's a Month and seven days" Nikki smiles proudly as she watches Josephine cradle her ever so gently. 
"Such a wee thing aren't ya, the complete difference to Jack when he was born, he was a big baby... 8pounds 12 ounces."

Nikki smirks and then cringes at the thought of delivering a baby that size especially considering what a tiny body frame Nikki has. "Both of mine have been in the margin of 5 pounds..." Nikki replies. 

"Gosh that is tiny, I feel for you if you ever have another baby and you have to delivery an 8-pound baby" She replies and Nikki shakes her head as she doesn't want to think about that. 

"Maddison was 5 pounds and 8 ounces... and she was three days overdue... Poppy, on the other hand, was 5 pounds and 3 ounces, although she was a day early, that wouldn't make any difference to her birth weight" Nikki chuckles.

They both sit talking for a couple of hours about the children and how Josephine really wants to break down the walls with Jack and start over with him. 
Around 5 pm, Josephine is about to finish off her drink so she can head off without meeting Jack on the way out as she knows he will kick off and possibly kick her out of the house. 

Suddenly there is a click at the front door followed by two voices, Nikki looks at Josephine with panic written on her face, knowing Jack has gotten off early from work and has collected Poppy. "Shit!" Nikki says as she stands and holds Maddison close against her chest. 

Then the lounge door opens and Jack walks in followed by Poppy, Jack stops dead in his tracks causing Poppy to walk straight into the back of him and fall down, she gathers herself up and walks in and goes to Nikki and hugs her legs while Nikki looks at Jack in shock. 

Jack looks at Nikki and then at Josephine, remaining calm her acknowledges Nikki before walking into the kitchen ignoring his mother completely. "I better go" Josephine speaks and Nikki shows her out.