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24. Excitement

For the first time in a long time, they watched Jack punch the air and scream excitedly. It felt like nothing could stop him. The Banks couldn't help but laugh as Mary Poppins watched him in bewilderment. Holding onto her hands, Jack smothered her in one big hug. It almost felt like she was getting suffocated but she didn't care. He was back in her arms, safe and sound. What more could she want? After all, this reaction was a first she had ever seen.

"I'm going to be a father!" He shouted before pausing "Oh my I'm going to be a father!" He muttered quietly in almost a slight panic "that's... I never thought it would happen... I... oh my goodness"

"You're going to be an amazing father, Jack!" Jane comforted "you and Mary Poppins will be great parents! I know it!"

The couple smiled in gratitude but knew parenting was going to be hard. Despite being good with children, they never thought of ever having their own. It was a new concept to them and in all honesty, they were scared. Worried they weren't going to do it right, worried that they were going to fail. Regardless of the fact, Jack couldn't help but grin widely. He was going to have a child with the woman of his dreams, nothing could be better than that. A concept that had seemed so far fetched was now becoming their reality and he couldn't welcome it with wider arms.

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" He asked

"No not yet..." Mary Poppins replied, rubbing her belly slightly

"What do wish it is?" Georgie asked

"Me? Well... I wouldn't mind really! Girl or boy, I'll be satisfied with either!"

"You too?" Georgie turned to Mary Poppins who nodded in response

"At the end of the day, they're still going to be my child."

"I can't wait!" Jack held her hands "how long has it been?"

"Well, it's nearing around 17 weeks now"

"Wow!" Jack wasn't able to contain his happiness anymore and before they could stop him, he was on two feet jumping about.

"Jack!" They all exclaimed in shock

The shock was only temporary because soon, smiled spread on their faces as he shouted out the window.

"I'm going to be a father!"

Turning around, he helped Mary Poppins up and kissed her forehead.

"Aww..." Annabel giggled

"Should we leave?" Michael teased

"Stop it, Jack" Mary Poppins rolled her eyes "rest."

"I can't! Every part of my body is tingling I feel like bursting into song!"

"Don't you dare! You need to rest if you want to leave the hospital sooner"

Unable to argue with her since she won anyways, he made his way back into his bed. It seemed as if time was going by slowly but the sun began to set.

From that day, Mary Poppins frequently visited Jack. Continuously giving him updates and helping him recover quicker. While she was there, she could see Jack begin to look brighter. His color and life came back to him and he was beginning to look much healthier than when she first found him lying in the hospital bed. It was definitely a relief to see him act so lively even if it was against her wishes.

His excitement still couldn't be contained as he found himself trying to think of names for the child. His list varied in styles, ranging from traditional, English, foreign and even rare.

"What do you think about Victoria?" He asked Mary Poppins who didn't seem to have the slightest care in the world

"Quite lovely"

"How about Thomas?"

"That's very adorable"

"Right? You can nickname him Tommy"

"Indeed so"

"As I'm thinking, I'm beginning to think that the name should be meaningful" he said "a name that we both agree on that's symbolic to us both"

"I agree" she smiled

"I was thinking of possibly naming after people we're close too? Or something similar"

"Ah, what a nice idea"

"There are many people so this might take a while to think of"

"I guess the name will come to us when we see the baby."

"I'm really so excited" he held her hands

"I know you are, Jack. I can see it, from your body gestures, your way of speaking and the glint in your eyes whenever the subject comes up." Mary Poppins leaned onto his shoulder while he kissed the top of her head

For once, it felt absolutely perfect.

"There may be struggles along the way but we've got this, we can overcome it. That's just how one grows stronger" he said. He had sensed a feeling of nervousness and worry around her and he wanted to reassure her, wanted to tell her that he was going to be there the whole step of the way.

Days passed and it was soon time for them to depart. Goodbyes were never easy even if you do it multiple times. Jack was finally allowed to leave the hospital once he remained safe at home.

With her signature bag and umbrella in hand, the three Banks children held onto her as they waved goodbye to their family members. They were going to see each other again, whether that was going to be soon or not, it was a promise they were willing to never break.