Like You Did Before

“Is she awake yet?”

Matilda, who was curled up in the chair beside Lola’s crib, shook her head, picking it up slightly to glance over the back of the chair at Iker who was trying his hardest to be quiet as he stepped into the bedroom. She had been expecting him for a little while. Before they had fallen asleep the night before, Matilda had caught Iker adjusting the alarm setting on the clock that sat beside her bed, and when she had asked him why, he had simply shrugged, quipping back something about not wanting to miss a moment of Lola’s first birthday.

It was going to be quiet. After a busy Christmas that had seen both sets of Lola’s grandparents visit, both Iker and Matilda had insisted on something more understated for the little girl’s first birthday, but whilst it was set to be just the three of them for most of the day, both Iker and Matilda were more than excited. It’d been a long year, one that had been filled with ups and downs, but they were in a better place than they had been the morning Lola had entered the world.

“Still sound asleep” Matilda replied “I keep thinking about waking her up” she added.

“Don’t do that” Iker protested teasingly as he stopped beside the chair Matilda sat in, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head “She shouldn’t be grumpy on her birthday” he added, perching on the arm of the chair.

Matilda leant into him instinctively. “She’s not going to have any idea of what’s happening” she mumbled.

“No” Iker agreed “But I will know it’s your fault when she’s screaming the house down because she’s overtired” he teased.

Matilda scoffed, but didn’t say anything, more than content to enjoy the quiet whilst she sat in Iker’s arms.

Iker gently rubbed her arm, causing Matilda to smile up at him softly before Lola stirred, causing them to both spring up. Resting against the side of the crib, they watched as she grumbled and stretched for a moment before she allowed her eyes to flutter open, a soft cry following quickly. “Oh, Lola” Matilda cooed softly “It’s OK, baby” she added, gently lifting the little girl up.

Iker stepped forwards, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Lola’s head, before he wrinkled his nose slightly, something which made Matilda giggle softly. “Can you grab a new nappy?” she mused “I’ll change her, and then we can go downstairs for breakfast. The grandparents are calling mid-morning and I want to make sure I’ve got enough time to get her cleaned up when she inevitably throws her breakfast everywhere” she added.

“She’s messy” Iker quipped as he wandered across the room, retrieving a clean nappy “She gets that from you” he added, grinning impishly.

Matilda scoffed in between the soft noises she was making in an attempt to soothe Lola’s cries, her eyes lifting away from the baby to glare at Iker briefly.

Iker just grinned at her as he stepped close, pressing kisses to both Matilda and Lola’s cheeks. “I’ll go and get breakfast ready” he mused “Happy birthday, little one” he added, tenderly smoothing back Lola’s hair before he stepped away, padding out of the bedroom.

~#~
Quirking a soft smile, Iker leant back slightly, content for a moment to just watch Matilda and Lola as they opened the little girl’s birthday presents. Lola was excited. Despite the fact that she had no idea what was happening around her, the excitement that he and Matilda had shown, as well as all of her grandparents, had appeared contagious, and it meant that she had spent the entire day giggling and grinning, a sight Iker knew he’d never tire of. She had been a surprise. The revelation of Matilda’s pregnancy had come out of the blue, and it’d forced Matilda and Iker to face issues that they thought they’d put behind them when they’d broken up, but he knew that he would have done it all again in a heartbeat. Lola was the best thing that had ever happened to either of them.

“Iker?”

Iker blinked a couple of times, refocussing on Matilda who grinned at him over the top of Lola’s head. “Huh?” he spluttered.

“I asked if you wanted to help her open a couple” Matilda repeated “Where were you?” she prodded.

Iker lifted his shoulders slightly. “It doesn’t matter” he mused.

“Tell me” Matilda prodded “You’ve got the goofy smile on your face you get when you’re being cute” she added.

Iker thought about flirting a little, making a quip about Matilda liking his smile, but he opted against it. Instead, he bashfully shrugged, his fingers scratching at his jaw. “I was thinking about her” he quipped, tipping his head towards Lola slightly “She changed everything” he added.

“Babies do that” Matilda retorted.

Iker offered her a slightly unimpressed look.

Matilda grinned as she placed a kiss on Lola’s head, looking at Iker through her eyelashes.

Iker tried, and failed to stop himself from grinning back at her before he shook his head, diverting his stare down towards his lap. “Do you think about doing it again?” he asked, his tone growing shy.

“About doing what again?” Matilda asked.

“Pregnancy” Iker replied “Do you think about us trying to…?” he trailed off, offering her a slightly significant look.

Matilda smiled a little at his decision not to finish the sentence before she nodded, busying herself with gently brushing Lola’s hair out of her face. “I think about a lot of things” she mused “And, yes, I have thought about giving this one a little brother or sister, but I think there are a few steps I want to take first” she added.

Iker’s head tilted curiously. “Steps?” he asked.

Matilda helped Lola to climb out of her lap before she nodded, watching the little girl as she crawled across the room towards Iker. Smoothing down her shirt, she smiled when Iker picked Lola up, lifting her up above his head. Lola squealed with giggles, earning a doting smile from her father, before he carefully set her down. “We’ve been dancing around something for a while” she mused “Before everything happened with Art, we were on the edge of something, weren’t we?” she asked.

Iker looked back over at Matilda, his eyes searching his for a long moment, before he felt a slow smile brighten his features. “Mattie, are you asking me to move in with you?” he prodded.

“Would you say yes if I was?” Matilda countered.

Iker’s nod came without hesitation. “I absolutely would” he confirmed.

Matilda tried to stifle her smile, but she couldn’t even get close. She was happy, and she had no intention to attempting to hide it, especially since Iker’s face was just as bright and happy. “Then, I guess I am asking” she quipped.