One Heart

Nathalie's POV

Zacky and Chloe left nearing midnight with Matt an hour or so later, slightly drunk as he squeezed me goodbye and told me to ring if anything should come up since he was flying back to Wales today. He did try to say he could stay for a few days more but I told him to go back- god knows what his girlfriend would do to me if I made him stay longer.

We woke up the next morning with perhaps a few hours sleep at the most, made to get up from Alex dropping Rae back home.

“Mummy!” Rae squealed as soon as Brian opened the front door, running past him and jumping into my arms. “I've missed you!”

“I've missed you too honey,” I replied, propping her up in my arms. “Have you been a good girl for Uncle Alex?”

“She's been a very good girl,” Alex interjected, placing Rae's bunny shaped sleepover bag on the side and walking over. “Haven't you Rae?”

“Sure have!”

“Well I've got to go, I'm taking Mickey to the doctor today, he's got a bit of a cold,” Alex said, swinging his car keys around his finger. “Take care.”

“I hope Mickey feels better soon.”

He smiled. “Thanks,” he replied, walking out the way he came and closing the door behind him.

Soon after Alex left Rae wriggled out of my arms and darted over to Brian, demanding- yet still managing to keep it in the 'cute' region- to be picked up, which she easily achieved with one puppy eyed look. She coughed lightly; something that made me worried as I moved over to her side and felt her forehead. “Honey, are you okay? I hope you haven't picked up Mickey's cold.”

“I'm okay mummy,” she said with a sniff.

I frowned. “Maybe I should take you to the doctor as well.”

“She's a healthy kid, she'll be fine,” Brian said, gently setting her back on the floor. “We don't have the time anyway; we need to be over for lunch for two.”

“What lunch?”

He turned to me. “Didn't I tell you?”

“No.”

“Oh.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Well...”

My eyes narrowed. “Well what?”

“Well...” He laughed nervously, saying very quickly, “I told my Dad we would be coming over for lunch.” He then purposely slowed his voice down. “Everyone is invited, Rae can come too-”

“It sounds nice.”

“It does?”

I nodded. “I wondered when I was ever going to meet the famous Papa Gates.”

–

“You know son, I wondered when you would get your ass back here.”

Brian grinned. “Hey Dad.”

After drawing his son into a hug he moved onto me and kissed me lightly on the cheek. “I'm guessing you must be Brian's wife? Welcome to the family.”

“How did you know we were married? Did Brian tell you?”

At this point Brian leant in, whispering, “Dad said I couldn't bring a girl back to meet him unless I was married to her.”

“Oh.” I smiled. “That explains a lot.”

He crouched down, smiling at Rae who was currently hiding behind my leg. “And who are you, little one?”

“Rae.”

“Nice to meet you Rae. You can call me Papa Gates.” He pointed to her ear. You've got something there.”

She raised her hand to her ear, taking it away confused. “No I don't.”

He reached behind her and produced a lolly and handed it to her. “How did you ever get something like that stuck there?” Giving Rae any form of sweet is an easy way to get her to like you, and sure enough, she let him pick her up and put her on his shoulders. He didn't even mind when she held onto him with her sticky hands. Then again, the sticky hands were his own fault for giving her a lolly in the first place. “Come on in, everyone is already here.”

I looked at Brian after his dad left us, taking Rae with him. “He seems very accepting of everything. He doesn't mind that you are apparently married, or that you have a five year old kid.” He coughed after the last part. “He does know that Rae is your daughter right?”

“It never came up.”

“So who does she think she is? Does he even know she is my daughter?”

“Of course.”

“Just not that she's yours?” No answer. I sighed, taking his hand. “Well I'm not going to tell him. I'm not going to have my father-in-law hate me the first time he'll see me.”

“Hey.” He pulled me back. “Who can hate you?”

“I think you are a little bias.”

He grinned, kissing me softly. “Maybe a little.”