Page 18 of The Happy Family

‘Here he is,’ I say as Arthur and Ruby walk in with me and see their brother for the first time. Or at least they see the tiny part of him that is not bundled up in his first outfit and his blanket.

I smile at Luna, who beams at me, Arthur and Ruby and then at the child she is cradling in her arms. My darling partner looks exhausted but thrilled, drained but delighted with this new chapter for us, and I couldn’t be more proud or thankful for her.

‘Hi,’ Arthur says as he confidently approaches the bed and waves at the baby, who is currently fast asleep. ‘Why won’t he open his eyes?’

‘He’s just resting,’ Luna tells him.

‘Can we wake him up?’

‘He’ll wake up in a moment, I’m sure.’

I smile as it starts to dawn on Arthur that his brother won’t be the feisty, fighting, football fanatic that he envisioned just yet. Then I look down at Ruby, who is still holding my hand and still looking unsure.

‘Are you going to say hello?’ I ask her.

She shakes her head.

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m sad.’

‘Why are you sad?’

‘Because I want Mummy.’

I share an awkward glance with Luna, although it’s nothing the two of us haven’t heard before. Ruby has spent most of the time since Sadie’s accident saying that she wants her mummy, she misses her mummy, or that she doesn’t want to do something unless her mummy is doing it too. That’s obviously been difficult for us all to have to listen to for so many months, but not as difficult as it has been for poor Ruby as she struggles to process life right now.

‘I have an idea,’ I say. ‘How about we tell you what your little brother’s name is going to be?’

‘Yeah!’ Arthur cries, excited to hear it.

Luna and I share a smile, pleased that we are about to share the details of the name that the two of us finally settled on after much debate and discussion.

‘Shall you say it, or shall I?’ Luna asks me.

‘I think you should do the honours,’ I reply, figuring this gesture is the least I could do after what Luna’s body has just been through in childbirth.

‘We have decided to call him Jude,’ Luna says, which instantly causes Arthur to frown.

‘June?’ he asks.

‘No, Jude. With a D,’ Luna clarifies.

‘Is it a girl’s name?’

‘No, it’s not,’ she tells him whilst I laugh. My now eldest son is getting funnier by the day, although the funniest part of it all is that he isn’t even trying to be.

‘Can he be called something else?’ Arthur wonders.

‘I think we’ll stick with our first choice,’ I say with a smile as Luna looks down at our sleeping son in her arms.

‘What do you think, Ruby?’ I ask my daughter. ‘Do you like your brother’s name?’

She shrugs. Then she lets go of my hand and walks out of the room.

‘I’ll go and check on her,’ I say to Luna, who understands.

I expect to find Ruby languishing in the corridor, but when she sees that I have followed her, she starts running.