Acting Royal #Wattys2017

Chapter 55

JENNY

Suddenly, Jenny felt like she was looking at her world through a tiny pinhole and all she could see was Zayn cradling their baby in his arms. In that moment, as he looked at him looking at Abi with absolute wonder, she realized that she loved him even more than she had before. It wasn't as if she wanted to love him. She didn't! But looking at the father of her child, looking down at their baby with such awe and adoration stirred something so basic and primal in her that she couldn't stop it.

Zayn looked up and his green eyes sought hers out immediately. She'd imagined this moment so many times before. All the anger, rage, hurt and betrayal she felt towards him would coalesce and culminate in her giving him a look that killed on the stop. A tirade of words would fly from her lips like bullets and cut him to shreds in seconds. Only that didn't happen. Because without wanting to, she realized she was smiling at him.

"Ok, well..." Emma was nervously scuttling up and down like a crab now. "I'm just going to... uh, I'll take Maddie and leave you guys to... Hi, I'm Emma and you, your majesty, whatever, sheik, um... I'll just shut up now. Sorry."

Emma pushed past Zayn, almost tripping over his foot as she went, took Maddie out the playpen, then disappeared into the house at breakneck speed.

Zayn looked after her and smiled. "She seems nice."

God, his voice! She'd heard that voice so many times in her dreams. "She is. She's been very helpful, with Abi, and the girls are best friends."

"Abi. Abigail. Abi." Zayn looked down at his daughter and repeated the words out loud as if he was relishing the sound of them. "It's a beautiful name." He reached down and touched Abi on her cheek. She immediately wrapped her chubby fingers around his thumb and Jenny thought her heart was about to explode out of her chest at the sight of it.

A noise coming from the house made them both turn just in time to see Emma's head popping out from behind a pillar and then quickly disappearing again.

"Looks like we have an audience." Zayn smiled up at the house.

"I'm sure she's just concerned about me, but it's okay..." Jenny turned her head in the direction of the house and raised her voice, "Abi and I will be just fine out here!"

The head popped around the pillar once more, gave a coy giggle, a little head nod and then disappeared into the house again.

"It's great that you've had someone to help you. " Abi made a cooing sound and then pulled Zayn's thumb into her mouth and started chewing on it.

"Don't worry, they put everything into their mouths at this age." Jenny took some strands of hair between her fingers and held them up, "Hence the sticky bits of hair I always seem to have."

Zayn's eyes widened and his whole face lit up as he watched his daughter attack his thumb with relish. He was looking at it all as if this was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen, like some new invention that would save the planet and the whole human race. "She's perfect, Jenny!" His voice sounded like it was cracking. He looked up at her once more and a small tear escaped his eye and started to roll down his cheek. "You've brought the most perfect little thing into the world. And you did it all on your own. You're amazing, Jenny. You blow me away."

Jenny felt herself blush, but as she did Abi opened her mouth and shattered the sound barrier with the cry that came out of it. The look that washed over Zayn's face was the same panicked look she'd had seven month ago when she'd heard Abi cry for the first time. How could such a loud noise come out of such a tiny thing?

"Have I done something?" He looked at her, fear burning in his eyes now. "Is there something wrong. Have I hurt her?" He pulled her away and looked at her as if he was desperately trying to locate an injury.