Symphony

Hard Work

"Do you think she's autistic" Nikki speaks softly as she leans against the countertop cupping a mug of coffee as she watches Freya attempt to her to get feed in the kitchen. Jack who is sat at the kitchen table helping Poppy with some reading looks up from the book.
"I'm not sure, I've never really dealt with it," Jack responds.
"She wasn't playing with the other children in the nursery Jack, what if there is something wrong with her?" Nikki quizzes as she looks across at Maddison who is clearly harassing Milly the cat.

Jack looks at Maddison too and chuckles as Milly runs away from Maddison and she gets up from her knelt position and sits in the cat basket, "She may be a little bit strange, but she plays with the girls doesn't she?" Jack responds.
"Daddy! Help me! what's that word?" Poppy explains.

Jack looks back down at the book in front of her and looks at the word she is pointing at, "Sound it out like Miss Broughton told you," Jack smiles.
"O-p-e-n-e-d... openged?" Poppy smiles as she looks up at her father giving a familiar look to what Nikki gives him sometimes.
"Close, opened..." Jack smiles.
"They opened... the ... box... and... look-ed... in...side..." Poppy reads.

Nikki smiles and sips her mug, "But you know she may be forced into playing with the girls," Nikki responds.
"Madam here may have something to do with that" Jack smirks indicating to Poppy.
"Daddy stop talking, help me!" Poppy huffs.
"Poppy Mae!" Nikki warns and raises an eyebrow.
"We'll talk later," Jack responds before giving Poppy his undivided attention. Nikki sighs before placing her mug down and making a start on the dinner and also goes to check on Orla who is in her bouncer.

She scoops Orla out the bouncer and sits down on the sofa with her before unclipping her nursing bra and rolling up her top for her and allows Orla to feed as her breasts are starting to ache and she needs to get rid of some of the built-up milk.
While feeding her in toddles Freya who takes nine clumsy steps before reverting back to crawling, She holds her arms up to Nikki, "Do you want to come for a cuddle baby?" Nikki smiles as she manages to scoop Freya up onto the sofa beside her.

As Nikki sets back to feeding Orla, Freya stands up beside her on the sofa and looks down at Orla before poking her in the eye, she then attempts to push Orla away, "No, Freya, that is naughty," Nikki speaks as she moves Freya's hands away.

Freya is persistent in pushing Orla out the way, "No Freya, you don't have Mummy's milk anymore!" Nikki warns before maneuvering Freya off the sofa and down onto the floor.

As she places Freya down on the floor, Freya instantly throws herself to the floor and starts to scream, kicking her legs frantically at Nikki. In a moment of frustration, the eleven-month-old grabs her ears managing to pull both her hearing aids free of her ears and launching them across the lounge. As Nikki goes to get up to sort Freya out Jack walks in and looks at Freya, "What's her issue?" Jack smirks as he finds Freya's tantrums rather cute as she doesn't really know how to throw a full-blown tantrum like Poppy and Maddison are capable of.

"She thinks she can have my milk," Nikki responds as she manages to reach for the hearing aid which landed by her foot as she continues to feed Orla.
Jack looks down at Freya and then scoops her up, "Come on, I think it's bedtime for Miss Freya, you're a tired wee girl aren't ya?" Jack smiles as she holds her against his hip.

Freya snuggles into her father and he carries her through to the kitchen and makes her a bottle of warm milk for bed, he then carries her upstairs, changing her into her pyjamas and settling her down in her cot.

Meanwhile, Nikki turns the heat down on the stove carefully not to burn herself and Jack's dinner, she then collects Poppy and Maddison and takes them upstairs ready for their bedtime routine. As she sits reading to Poppy and Maddison in their room Jack pops his head around the door and smiles as he listens to Nikki reading to the girls, he smirks as he hears Poppy respond it a small voice telling her Mum she is doing all the voices wrong, from that he knew it was her favourite bedtime story Nikki was reading to them, 'Llama Llama Red Pajama'.

Jack then leaves Nikki to settle the girls and heads downstairs checking on Orla who is in her bouncer asleep, He walks into the kitchen and begins to dish up his and Nikki's dinner, since they have four children the pair find it much easier to eat their dinner when they are all asleep in bed. Soon Nikki appears from downstairs and walks into the kitchen to see her dinner set out for her at the dinner table. "They all down?" Jack asks.

Nikki nods and sits opposite him, "Finally, I bloody hate having four kids," Nikki smirks as she tucks into her dinner.
"I know, but some days are so blessed and you see how much you love them," Jack responds.
"I know... and Poppy is clearly a chip off the old Hodgson block, I mean where has this newfound sarcasm come from? She isn't even six yet," Nikki sighs as she takes a mouthful of food.

"So you wanted to talk about Maddie?" Jack quizzes.
Nikki nods as she quickly chews her food, "I've agreed to the inhouse health visitor to assess Maddison and see what the issue could be, but I saw her spreadsheet, shes's declining in certain areas such as emotional and social, as Poppy at that age was excelling," Nikki explains and Jack nods as they begin their conversation about Maddison and what route is best taken to get to the bottom of her behavioural and social issues.