I kept my eye on the clock above the door of La Petite as the big hand inched closer to the hour. Now that Seraphina was over a week old, Lottie was starting to become more and more comfortable with taking the baby out into the real world and of all the places to take Sera on her first outing, Lottie decided that coming to her shop was ideal. She said it was because she wanted to show Sera off to her colleagues but we both knew that she was headed there to check up on Nate. 

However, the real test today was in us getting ready to take Sera out. As it happens, our daughter isn't a fan of being put into her buggy, Lottie went overboard in a number of nappies that she packed and I didn't load the boot of the car in one go. We kept driving away only to return so I could pick up another item I'd left behind. When we finally had it down pat, I took a photo of the full boot so we wouldn't be in the same situation again. 

Sera, naturally, screamed all the way to La Petite. Lottie tried her best to calm Sera down, waving her kangaroo teddy in front of her face, singing some French lullabies, and wiggling her fingers in front of the baby's face but nothing satisfied Sera. Seraphina Eve Fletcher is a little madam. It wasn't until we were out of the car, unloading everything, that I finally managed to get the crying to stop. Who knew that being in Daddy's arms was the answer to the problem?

Naturally, everyone cooed over Sera just as soon as we walked through the door. Forget customer service, a newborn was everyone's top priority. Even Arnaud, Lottie's maître pâtissier, came out of the kitchen to see Sera. He made a comment, something about belle, and then returned to the kitchen to continue with his job. 

Customers still came through and while the regular staff were too busy arguing over whose turn it was to hold Sera, I decided to help out a little. Lottie disappeared while I was busy making coffee and plating up sweet treats, heading up tot he office to look over 'the books'. I had hoped she'd take a back seat in the running of the business but once her maternity leave 'officially', Lottie became more and more obsessed with getting back into work. Her OCD when it came to handing over the reins was starting to show. 

"You're new," a woman observed when I took her order. Nodding in response, I took the twenty-pound note from the customer and presented her with her change before I stepped aside to start making the drink she had ordered. "Are you a permanent addition?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm not. I'm just helping out for the afternoon."

"That's a shame," the woman said. Hearing the intonation in her voice, I realise a little too late that she's flirting with me. "If you were here every day, so would I."

Not knowing what more to say, I simply give the woman a faint smile and hand over the mug of coffee. Going through the motions, I serve the early afternoon rush single-handedly, until I become bored and decide that I'd very much like to spend the last few remaining days of my parental leave with Sera. And Lottie, if she could tear herself away from the computer.

"OK, that's it," I said in my most authoritative voice. I was stood over Aimee, Lauren and Joanne, hoping that I wouldn't have to fight for Sera. I'd win, but I'm sure it would get messy. Forcing my way into their group, I reach out my hands towards Sera. Lauren begrudgingly handed her over. "Hello, darling. Shall we go and get Mummy?"

Getting Mummy was easier said than done. It took ten minutes of constant pleading, another five minutes of Sera screaming and Nate banishing Lottie from work for the next fifty and a half weeks to eventually get us into a position where we were ready to go back to the car. Getting back to the car was a marathon and then strapping Sera in was a near-impossible task, meaning that, in total, we'd been out of the house for at least three hours. This didn't really bode well for us because just as soon as we stepped over the threshold, Sera dropped a stink bomb which Daddy needed to clean up. 

While I set about changing Sera- not only needing a new nappy, but also a new outfit- Lottie jumped in the shower, getting ready for our date tonight. Since our talk on Sunday, I've been determined not to let the fact that we have a baby stop us from focusing on our relationship, which is why I had planned to take Lottie out tonight. Plus, I had something that I needed to give her. 

I had arranged a babysitter and everything. Granted, the sitter wasn't the most reliable and once Lottie sees who it is, she may back out from the date, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Just as soon as I've sorted Sera out, jumped in the shower and put on my suit. Then we're a go for tonight. 

Of course, Lottie looked amazing when she was dressed and ready to leave. Her dress was draped around her midsection, hiding what she affectionally called her 'mummy tummy', and she bravely wore a pair of heels that I hadn't seen her wear since the very, very early days of her pregnancy. I think the last time she was this tall, it was when I flew out to Paris to declare that I would very much be involved in our child's life. She wore her hair in loose curls that cascaded down her back, her make up was minimal to show off her post-baby glow, and a pair of white gold studs adorned her ears. Walking down the stairs to be greeted by such a sight was surely every man's dream. 

"When's the sitter arriving?" Lottie asked as she walked into the family room ahead of me. My eyes lingered to her backside. In my defence, the way her hips swayed made it practically impossible not to stare. "Isaac, if that's where you think my eyes are, then you really need to go back to anatomy classes. As I was saying, if the sitter isn't here soon, we'll-"

The sound of the doorbell drowned out the rest of Lottie's sentence. Holding up a finger to shush her, I ran to the door and pulled it open, revealing our babysitter. "Great, you're here. The girls are in the family room."

When Lottie saw who was at the door, she nearly pitched a fit. I could see the cogs of her mind whirling as she planned an exit strategy, formulating excuses so that we couldn't go out. When it seemed as if she had hit on one, Sera decided to make her presence known, clearly unimpressed that our visitor hadn't made a fuss over her already. 

"God, babies are so whiny," Keira grumbled as she peered over at Sera who was in her motion rocker. As Keira inched closer, Sera's cries muted, her eyes scanning Lottie's cousin with distinct interest. Keira did exactly the same in return. "Huh, she stopped screaming. Great. Logan is on his way. He stopped to get us pizza but he's coming. He doesn't really trust me to do this solo. And I cannot believe that Martha ditched us. For a date! Selfish bitch."

Lottie scowled. "Firstly, no swearing in front of the baby."

"Hey, if you don't want a sitter, that's fine with me," Keira rebutted. 

"Secondly," Lottie said, ignoring her cousin's comment. "Do not call Martha a selfish female dog." 

Keira muttered something under her breath but nodded and ushered us to the door. I was slightly scared to leave Sera alone with Keira but really, what's the worst that could happen? Keira wasn't that irresponsible and if Logan was going to be here too, it would be fine. I left her everyone's contact number, including the restaurant's number, reassuring her that we would break every traffic law in the UK to get back to the house if something went wrong. Although, I added, if there was something wrong, Keira and Logan were to take Sera straight to the nearest hospital. 

Despite Keira telling us that she wasn't incompetent, Lottie and I still rang her throughout the night, Lottie on the drive to the restaurant and myself just before we were seated. Whenever I slipped away to the bathroom, which was frequently, I would text Logan to check in, only to receive an FO in reply. FO stands for fuck off, I think. 

"I know what you're up to," Lottie said just as soon as I returned to the table and re-took my seat. I gave her my best innocent look. "I know because I've been doing it as well. How about we turn our phones off and just enjoy each other's company, yes?"

With that decreed, we each turned our phones to silent- neither of us could bring ourselves to turn the things off- and decided to ask each other random questions. We had a habit of talking about work, and more recently the baby, so we needed something fun to talk about which is how we found ourselves trading Game of Thrones related jokes. My favourite was the one Lottie dropped just as our desserts arrived at the table. 

"Why are Lannister beds so big?" Lottie asked. I tried my best to think up an answer but I failed and shook my head. "Because they push two twins together to make a king."

She laughed at her own joke. Usually, in my vast experience of dates, if a woman laughs at her own joke, it's a perfectly valid reason not to call for a second date. Lottie was the exception, though. She always had been and always would be the exception to all my rules. Plus, have you seen how beautiful Lottie is when she laughs? She throws her head back, her lips pull into a big grin and her chest moves up and down as the laughter takes over. 

This was it. Finally, it was time. 

"I heard what you told Sera on Sunday," I let slip to Lottie. Her laughter dies and she frowns at me, waiting for an explanation. "The baby monitor was downstairs and it was on and you were saying that you pretty much full on love me these days. I overheard it."

"Oh, shit," Lottie's lips formed the words, even if her voice was too weak to be heard. Her cheeks flamed red. "Yeah, well... it was nothing."

I smile. "It was everything to me. Um, Charlotte, I have something I want to give you." I reach into the breast pocket of my suit jacket and pull out the black velvet box that I had carefully placed in there earlier this evening. Setting it on the table, I look up to see that Lottie's wide eyes haven't left the ominous box. Opening the box, I say, "Yes, it's a ring. It's not an engagement ring-"

"It's not?" Lottie's voice sounded slightly hurt.

"Not unless you want it to be," I quickly clarify. My heart races as I try to work out if it should be an engagement ring or not. She was the one who was determined that we wouldn't marry in this lifetime or any other lifetime but now she was looking at me like she'd never uttered those words at all. "Do you want it to be? Because I was going to get my great-grandmother's ring if I thought there was the slightest chance that you wanted to get married. Do you want to get married?"

She shakes her head. 

"Oh." I can't hide my disappointment at her answer. I cover it up as much as I can and attempt to draw Lottie's attention back to ring that I'm presenting to her. It's a platinum full circle ring with sapphires and diamonds, the sapphires representing Sera's birthstone. I tell Lottie the meaning in the stones. "It's for your right hand but you can wear it on whichever finger you want. On whichever hand, too."

Pushing the velvet box towards her, Lottie carefully pulls the ring out and holds it up close to her face. She smiles and slips it onto the ring finger of her left hand. "It's not an engagement ring. It's just a ring that will tell the world that I'm no one's but yours and that Sera is the one that links us together. She's more of a commitment that any wedding certificate ever will be. There's just one problem... this ring represents Sera's birthstone but where is the one that represents Martha's? The girls have to be equal."

"The girl's have to be equal, huh?" I laugh. Lottie nods emphatically. "Bullshit. You just want me to buy you more jewellery."

"Damn it, you rumbled my plan," Lottie jokes. Leaning forward in her chair, she reaches across the table and plants a kiss on my lips. "I really do, pretty much, full on love you, you know?"

I nod. "I know. I full on love you, too, Charlotte Louise Clément Delaney."

I told you he'd be giving her a ring! 

That's all. 

Sarah xx