The adventures of Evan and Tia.

Memories and Mr Magic.

"It's a girl!"

Natalie leaned her head back, and breathed out. A flush of emotion flashed up my entire body, and my throat tightened. Shrill crying filled the air, and I laughed.

"Oh God," I whispered, stepping close to Natalie, and the little wailing baby in her arms. "A girl, Natty. Our Tiana."

"Our Tiana." Natalie repeated. Her hair was pasted to her forehead with sweat, and her face was flushed. Glancing down into Tiana's face, my heart clenched with love. A beautiful girl, with my red hair!

"Let me see my granddaughter!" Rosie cried, bustling towards us, her arms outstretched and grin wide. Natalie obligingly raised the bundle of blankets and baby towards Rosie.

"Oh, a little angel! Isn't she, Peter?" Rosie pattered over to Peter, and the two cooed over Tiana with adoration. Natalie breathed out again, and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Proud of you." I whispered.

"Proud of me, too," Natalie echoed. Little Tiana started wailing in her granny Rosie's arms, and the latter was quick to place her back in Natalie's arms. Tiana immediately quietened, and stared up at her mum silently in blue eyed wonder.

A door closed behind me, the doting grandparents giving us some privacy. Natalie sniffed.

"Can you believe it?" She whispered.

Glancing down at Tiana, I couldn't. A beautiful little girl, and she was all ours. There was nothing that could make me happier.

"Hot drinks!" Exclaimed Rosie, bouncing back into the room, with Peter behind her, holding two styrofoam cups. Rosie handed me a steaming tea, and offered one to Natalie. Tiana had fallen asleep in her arms.

"This child is going to have us all wrapped around her finger," Peter said in a matter of fact tone. I gazed down upon Tiana, and silently decided that I didn't mind about that. I would do anything for her.

———————

A wailing cry jolted me awake, and I groaned quietly. Tiana was awake ... again. Natalie mumbled something in her sleep, and rolled over, while I dazedly looked down on Tiana. She had stopped crying now, and was staring up at my shadow.

"What's with all the noise, Tee?" I whispered.

Tiana blinked back at me.

"You want some milk?" I asked her.

Tiana blinked at me.

I nodded. "Well I want some."

With Tiana in my arms, I left Natalie sleeping, and the two of us went downstairs. Tiana was eight months old, and her hair was starting to get longer.

Tiana was trying to grab messy strands of my own hair, and giggling quietly. Her smile was infectious, and as I placed her in her high chair, I was laughing too. I had become an expert on boiling the kettle, and making a bottle simultaneously, and Tiana was watching me do this silently, her big eyes following my every movement.

—————

A sharp noise pierced through my memories, and I jumped awake. My alarm continued ringing.

I groaned softly.

It was morning.

I groped around, smacking my alarm with more force than was due. The photo on my right taunted me with Natalie's post-pregnancy face, and I sighed.