Then, there was her big, beautiful Niall, it had taken a while, but they had gotten there in the end, and now in a couple of months, New Year’s Eve possibly, there would be a little baby in their lives; a little boy whom they were going to call Billy. Charlotte stroked her stomach and felt warm and happy inside. Sometimes she thought that Niall was too good to be true. Oh, they had their rows, after all they were both strong-minded people and wasn’t that what the beginning to their relationship had been based on – arguing. However, it was true what people said the making up was absolutely bloody marvellous, hence the new arrival. It hadn’t been in their immediate plans, but when you were so passionate about each other and made up as often as they did, there was bound to be a little gift at some point. Charlotte adored Niall’s family, and they adored her. Plus her family loved Niall too; there had been a difficult moment at the beginning when Ken gave Niall a piece of his mind for almost breaking Charlotte’s heart, but once they saw how much he loved her everyone knew that he was exactly right for her. The only real fly in the ointment had been when they sneaked off to Mauritius to get married, both mothers were particularly upset, but Niall and Charlotte simply wanted to be married without any fuss, no one there except them and two hotel staff as witnesses. Furthermore, it had only been five months after Niall’s wedding that never was, so a big fancy event just wasn’t what they wanted. However, finding out on Charlotte’s birthday, exactly a year after they’d finally gotten together properly, a baby was on the way meant both mothers finally changed the subject from missing the wedding, to push chairs, cots, baby clothes and the huge party they would have to celebrate the baby and the wedding that they missed out on. Charlotte had been worried when she first found out that she was pregnant because of her promotion at work, she didn’t want Paul to feel as though she’d let him down, but Paul was thrilled for them both and had now even made plans to open a crèche on site as he realised that half his staff had babies and toddlers, so it could only benefit him in the long run. So they’d agreed that Charlotte could return to work four days a week without any guilt. Following his fall from grace at Cathcart’s, Niall had decided the time was now right to set up his own business and was currently running a successful private firm with himself and two partners, and so far they were doing really well. It was the usual domestic stuff, divorces, house moves and deaths but he enjoyed it and loved that he was home every night at a decent hour for a quality life with Charlotte. He was also extremely excited about the baby and he loved Charlotte so much that she often wondered when the shit was going to hit the fan, life couldn’t constantly be this good, could it? When she worried like that Niall would always hold her face in his hands and say, “Angel, you are my darling, and I adore you, but you worry too much. You and I are forever so shut up.” Niall broke Charlotte’s train of thought.

“Are yer alright baby, what are yer thinking about? Not worrying I hope.”

Charlotte shook her head. “No, I was just thinking, do you think Take That was the best band boy band ever?”

Everyone groaned in unison.

“Someone give her glass of wine!”

“No give her a gag!”

“She can have some of my Donner meat if she likes.”

“No I want it!”

Niall took hold of Charlotte’s face into his hands and kissed her nose tenderly.

“Angel you are my darling, and I adore you, but it has to be the Irish boys; Boyzone! Oi, who threw that piece of meat at me, God yer nothing but a bunch of heathens the lot of yer.”

Charlotte laughed and hugging Niall tightly, she kissed him and thanked God for her life, her family and her friends.