"Oh, let me hold her!" Rhiannon reached out, a bit demanding, but Jack was getting better about this and handed the baby over for her auntie to cuddle.
"And happy Christmas to you, too," Ianto said, pushing gently past her and Jack on the front step. "If you let us bring her inside, you can fuss over her as much as you want."
"Pull 'er in," Johnny suggested, taking the packages from Ianto's arms before shaking his hand. "She'll stay right there if you let her. She's been yammering about the baby non-stop for days."
Jack took this as the cue to push both Rhiannon and baby through the door so he could close it. The pair of them took off their coats and boots whilst Rhiannon fussed with removing the over-sized snow sleeper and extra blanket. She also, Ianto noticed, kept scrutinising the child's face.
He sighed.
Coats doffed and presents set under the tree, Johnny fetched Ianto a beer while Jack begged off, saying he needed to drive later. David and Mica barely looked up from the new video game Father Christmas had brought Mica, and that was just fine. One child was more than enough for Ianto.
Rhiannon had other ideas. "Come see your cousin." She looked at Ianto. "Speaking of cousins, Etta is coming by later with that man she married."
Jack's eyebrows went up in question. Ianto explained, "His name is Kasper, at the wedding he said something about Wales National, now he's 'that man' and Etta isn't invited to dinner with most of the family anymore."
"Right. What?"
"Don't worry about it."
"So whose is she, then?" Johnny asked, less circuitous than Rhiannon. He gestured at the baby.
Ianto really wanted to say, "Ours. Both. It turns out Jack forgot to mention he can get pregnant, and we've been hiding him until her birth. Our friend Martha is despondent because she says she could get three papers at least out of his prenatal care alone. He's just glad he's not lactating."
Jack said, "As of last week, she's ours. The adoption papers went through from the surrogate."
"What was she like? Spend a lot of time with her?"
"A bit," Ianto said. "She had kids of her own, this was really a big favour she did for us."
Jack said, a little testily, "But since you asked, the answer is, we don't know. The process meant she could have been from either of us, which is how we wanted it." The baby started to fuss and Jack took her from Rhiannon to walk around with her.
Ianto watched him. Jack had daughters. Jack always had daughters. This afternoon, they'd go visit Jack's older daughter, who wasn't pleased at having a new little sister, but was adjusting to the idea.
The phone rang. Rhiannon answered, and told the rest of them Etta was on her way over. They'd be here in about twenty minutes, and fighting within an hour.
From the TV, Ianto heard David and Mica arguing over the game. Johnny made a pre-emptive crack about Kasper. Jack kissed their daughter on her soft head as he paced.
Family was never dull.
"And happy Christmas to you, too," Ianto said, pushing gently past her and Jack on the front step. "If you let us bring her inside, you can fuss over her as much as you want."
"Pull 'er in," Johnny suggested, taking the packages from Ianto's arms before shaking his hand. "She'll stay right there if you let her. She's been yammering about the baby non-stop for days."
Jack took this as the cue to push both Rhiannon and baby through the door so he could close it. The pair of them took off their coats and boots whilst Rhiannon fussed with removing the over-sized snow sleeper and extra blanket. She also, Ianto noticed, kept scrutinising the child's face.
He sighed.
Coats doffed and presents set under the tree, Johnny fetched Ianto a beer while Jack begged off, saying he needed to drive later. David and Mica barely looked up from the new video game Father Christmas had brought Mica, and that was just fine. One child was more than enough for Ianto.
Rhiannon had other ideas. "Come see your cousin." She looked at Ianto. "Speaking of cousins, Etta is coming by later with that man she married."
Jack's eyebrows went up in question. Ianto explained, "His name is Kasper, at the wedding he said something about Wales National, now he's 'that man' and Etta isn't invited to dinner with most of the family anymore."
"Right. What?"
"Don't worry about it."
"So whose is she, then?" Johnny asked, less circuitous than Rhiannon. He gestured at the baby.
Ianto really wanted to say, "Ours. Both. It turns out Jack forgot to mention he can get pregnant, and we've been hiding him until her birth. Our friend Martha is despondent because she says she could get three papers at least out of his prenatal care alone. He's just glad he's not lactating."
Jack said, "As of last week, she's ours. The adoption papers went through from the surrogate."
"What was she like? Spend a lot of time with her?"
"A bit," Ianto said. "She had kids of her own, this was really a big favour she did for us."
Jack said, a little testily, "But since you asked, the answer is, we don't know. The process meant she could have been from either of us, which is how we wanted it." The baby started to fuss and Jack took her from Rhiannon to walk around with her.
Ianto watched him. Jack had daughters. Jack always had daughters. This afternoon, they'd go visit Jack's older daughter, who wasn't pleased at having a new little sister, but was adjusting to the idea.
The phone rang. Rhiannon answered, and told the rest of them Etta was on her way over. They'd be here in about twenty minutes, and fighting within an hour.
From the TV, Ianto heard David and Mica arguing over the game. Johnny made a pre-emptive crack about Kasper. Jack kissed their daughter on her soft head as he paced.
Family was never dull.