Symphony

Birthday Girl

Nikki wakes early morning to Jack sat up in bed with Maddison sat on his lap, she has a bottle of milk and is lounging against Jack, Nikki stretches out and smiles happily as she looks up at Jack. "Morning" Jack smiles.
Nikki smiles happily "Morning Mr." 

She sits herself up and places her pillow against the headboard before looking at Maddison, "She had you up long?" Nikki asks. 
"Half hour, She knows it's her birthday, found her stood up in her cot singing to herself" Jack responds as he leans over and kisses her on the cheek. 

"I can't believe we've had her a whole year now," Nikki smiles as she strokes Maddison's head.
"And she did make quite an appearance into the world, what was that just under two hours in labour" Jack smiles.
"Well, this little one better not have any tricks up his sleeve" Nikki replies as she strokes the slight bump she has formed now and which she is starting to look more pregnant and not just bloated. 

Nikki smiles happily at Jack and he chuckles, "Of course he won't he's going to behave himself and arrive on his due date" Jack smiles happily. 

Nikki kisses Jack on the cheek again before climbing out of bed and heading into the ensuite, Jack also climbs out of bed with Maddison and heads into Poppy's room and wakes her up gently. 

Later on that day Nikki is sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea, while Jack is in the garden with Poppy setting up the paddling pool for Poppy and Maddison as there is due to be a heatwave over the weekend. 
"Daddy why does Maddie get all the presents and I got a bowl of coco pops" Poppy sighs dramatically. 

Jack chuckles to himself at how dramatic Poppy is being. "That's because it's her birthday, Mummy told you earlier," Jack responds looking down at his mini-me, as Poppy had grown up a little more she had started to develop Jack's personality while still looking like a carbon copy of Nikki. 
"Maddie has a birthday?" Poppy quizzes.
"Yes darling, everyone has a birthday, Maddie was born a year ago today" Jack smiles as he turns the hosepipe on but purposely aims it at Poppy. 

Poppy squeals loudly, "Daddy!" 
Jack turns and looks at Poppy as he maneuvers the hosepipe over the garden to the paddling pool. "You're a meany" Poppy whines as she follows Jack across the garden. 

"I'm not you were just in the way, now why don't you go ask Mummy for your swimming costume?" Jack suggests and Poppy nods before skipping to the back door. 

"Mummy!" She yells loudly.
Nikki walks to the backdoor with Maddison on her hip to see Poppy who has one side of her body wet, "What the hell have you been doing?" Nikki chuckles as she stops Poppy from coming into the house. 

"Daddy got me with the water snake!" Poppy says as she points to Jack holding the hosepipe. 

Nikki chuckles to herself and quickly puts Maddison down in the lounge before grabbing Poppy's swimming costume off the work surface and getting her into it. Poppy rushes back out to the garden while Nikki takes a phone call which is work-related.  

Jack finishes filling the paddling pool and heads into the house to see where Nikki is, he finds her sat in their office on her phone with her laptop on and a few notes out from a post-mortem she did before the weekend. He stands in the doorway and looks at him and she holds her hand up indicating she will be five minutes, he sighs as he walks out of the office and gets Maddison ready to go into the garden. 
He puts her into her new swimming costume and a hat to protect her. He takes her into the garden and allows her to play with a few toys as she isn't interested in the paddling pool just yet. 

Five minutes later Nikki finishes on the phone and comes out into the garden, "What was that phone call about?" Jack asks sensing Nikki is stood behind him.
"Just a post-mortem... Jack? did you put sun cream on the girls?" Nikki asks. 
"Erm, no..." He responds. 
"What you are joking, me?" She huffs as she storms back inside and grabs the sun cream off the side and walks back out. "Seriously Jack can't you do anything right?" Nikki hisses as she walks over to Maddison and puts the cream on her. 

"Woah, wait for a wee second, you were busy on the phone so I did what I thought I should do," He defends as he stands up and looks at her. 
"Do you know how many bodies I have in the mortuary who have had skin cancer? that usually means they have had no UV protection," Nikki begins as she fights Maddison to put the sun cream on her face. 

"Nikki, I do work in the same place as you, I do see these things, Anyway they've got their hats on..." Jack stops realizing Poppy has taken hers off. 
"Yeah right, Jack, Poppy's in on the floor..." Nikki huffs as she finishes applying the cream to Maddison and heads over to Poppy. "Are you blind or just plain dump? Can't you see her hat blatantly on the floor" She snaps.

Jack just looks at his wife and shakes his head before rolling his eyes, "Well she has just pulled it off."
Nikki glares at him, "They will catch the sun easily, they do have your Irish genes meaning they're as pale as milk bottles," Nikki huffs. 
"Hey, not my fault. I'm done with this, carry on being pathetic Nikki, I'm not taking your shit!" He spits and walks off into the house leaving Nikki in the garden with the girls.