Missing in action

Chapter twelve

A/N: I would Love to hear any comments from people who are reading btw xoxo

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One year later 

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Theo, happy birthday to you" we all sang to Theo while he was in my arms, Anna held out a Collin the caterpillar cake with the one single candle in the middle. 

Theo giggled in my arms and reached out to the candle, before he could touch it I blew it out and swung him around. His curls had grown even more and his cheeky personality was starting to shine through. He had taken his first steps alone the other day and now was sure that he could run everywhere. 

Anna cheered and put the cake down on the dining table. It was a small gathering in Anna and my apartment, consisting of Annas parents, Lydia and Richard and one of Anna and my friends from work Mae and her little girl Millie. 

Annas parents had been there so much during Theo's first year, they had helped me so much. My parents had indecently cut me out of their life however Annas parents filled the hole they had left. 

The first few months of being a mother was hard Theodore would cry a lot and I felt so lost sometimes. But Anna was always by my side no questions asked. She was suggesting that maybe it was time to get back into the dating world, however with a one year old and my maternity leave just stopped my life was busy enough as it is. 

The three days a week I did work little mango went to Annas parents, Lydia didn't work anymore and Theo always behaved himself for her. He was extremely greedy when it came to food and could eat way too much possible for a one year old. 

Theo was the light of my life, Annas too, we were a little messed up family but it worked and Theo was always laughing, his smile lit up a room and you couldn't not laugh along with him.

As the months go by I can see more of his father in him, we tried looking for him again, even with the help of Lydia and Richard, but with nothing to go off it came to a dead end. Theo had started saying a few words and Anna had the mouth of a sailor so I dreaded the day that my little mango swore. I might just have a heart attack. 

Mae, was a solicitor too at the same firm Anna and I worked at, she had dark black curls and mocha skin, her honey eyes were such a beautiful contrast to her. She was slightly shy at first however the more time all three of us spent together, she came out of her shell. We connected over both being mothers, she was about ten years older than Anna and I and she had a four year old with her boyfriend. 

"Who wants cake" Lydia asked, cutting into the rich chocolate cake and placing some slices onto the paper plates, decorated with dinosaurs and cars. 

"I want collins head" Anna shouted snatching the first slice from her mother and taking a massive bite. Cake crumbs fell from her mouth as she moaned. 

"Anna you're eating like Theo does you pig" I giggled holding onto mango as he squirmed towards the cake. I sat him down in his high chair and took the bowl with a bit of cake from Lydia. 

"Collin cake is such a classic I can't say no" Richard says after taking a plate from his wife, kissing her cheek. They had been together for about 30 years and still loved each other as much as the day they met. 

"Millie don't throw" Mae said in a stern tone after her little girl had thrown cake over our cream and black rug in the living room. I laughed at the commotion and Anna followed along. 

"Im so sorry, I can buy you guys a new rug" Mae said scooping chocolate from it as her daughter laughed and ran towards the table. 

"Its fine, Theo likes to throw now he knows he can, we probably need to just have no rug at all" Anna laughs, bringing up the time mango threw his tomato pasta on the kitchen floor and Anna had fallen over on it staining her new jumper. 

"You were the same Anna, ruined the porches interior with strawberry ice cream once after promising you would be clean" Richard teases finishing up his cake.

"Why would you give a five year old ice cream in a car though, your fault" Anna said pinching her brows together. Theo had cake smeared all over his face and down his bib, his chocolate fingers reached towards me and smeared on my cheek. 

"Yummy" I said trying to wipe the cake off of his face and the rest of him, he screamed in protest.

"This is why we need a dog" Anna suggested again, she had brought up the idea a few weeks ago but with a one year old in the house already it sounded like chaos. 

"Maybe when mango gets older we can have one" I laugh as Anna comes over and swept Theo into her arms. 

"You can have our new puppy, she's a humper, it's all she does" Lydia says to Anna, Richard looks over in shock. 

"No you can't give my baby up, she's my favourite daughter" he replies grinning at Anna. 

"Nice i'll keep that in mind when i'm looking at care homes for when you're bat shit crazy and old" my best friend retorts as Theo giggles in her arms. 

We carried on laughing and exchanging memories from the past year, wondering what the next year would bring us. Mae and Millie headed home just after dinner time as Millie had preschool the next day.

 I took Theo to the bathroom running him a bath, I put a few bubbles in and some of his bath toys. Anna was cleaning the kitchen with the help of her parents while I started getting mango ready for bed. 

Theo splashed water around in the bath giggling at his bath toys, he had taken a liking to cars and loved watching the movie cars on repeat. I washed him down, getting the last bits of cake from his brown curls. His blue eyes shined up at me, I smiled down at him, no amount of words could describe the joy it felt to be a mother, even if his father isn't around. 

We finished up bath time and I dressed him in his pjs, he had his bottle and I walked to his nursery. The pale white walls had all different zoo animals painted on them, he had a blue crib and white furniture throughout the rest of the room. The floors were carpet which proved hard to keep clean when you have a little boy. 

I put on his nightlight and played the audiobook of cars, it helped him sleep throughout the night and I didn't mind at all especially when I could get a half decent seven hours of sleep. 

I walked out of his room and towards the kitchen. 

"He go down okay" Lydia asked, handing me a cup of coffee. 

"Like a dream, he's good at bed time now thanked" I replied taking a sip and stretching out my back from having to lean over a bath. 

"He's amazing with his food too, loves his milk" Anna said to her parents, she what is the right, he ate anything. He adored his milk, he must have got that trait from his father because I despise it. 

"You're doing amazing you two with bringing him up, he's a little darling" Lydia said giving us a smile.

"I couldn't have done it without Anna or you two I have to say. Thankyou" I reply a tear forming in the corner of my eye. 

"Family hug!" Anna shouts dragging us together. We laugh as were embraced, I felt so much love from these people and couldn't wish for anyone else to be in Theodore's life. He was one special baby. 

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A/N: shorter chapter, was a little bit stuck with this but I want to give outlooks into baby mango growing up before we are rejoined with babydaddy. Everyone excited?