Page 88 of The English Queen

“Oh, okay. Let’s go with that. You know I love you, right?”

Louis smiled at her. “I know you do. And I love you.”

The Transition Period

“Paul! Paul!”

Robbie heard Vanna screaming as she assembled everyone. The poor woman was at the end of her rope. They were going to The Big House for ice cream with Granny and no one listened.

“Paul! Put on your God damned pants!” Vanna shouted. “Or, so help me!”

Robbie restrained himself from laughing as Paul replied in the most serious way, “God damn it, mother! I am wearing pants!”

Vanna stood in the doorway of the nursery at a loss for words. Robbie left Kiersten for a moment and appeared in the hall.

“Paul, don’t play daft. You know your mother means trousers. Go put on shorts. You cannot wear pants alone to see Granny and Pa, can you?” Robbie said.

“I don’t want to wear trousers!”

“Well, then you will stay home, young man.”

“What if I wore a kilt?”

“You don’t own a kilt. Go put on trousers,” Vanna groaned.

Paul shouted, “My life is so fucking terrible!”

The swearing had a few underlying causes. Robbie spent more time around London due to his transition planning. Robbie’s potty mouth came with. His sister also had a hell of a potty mouth. Natalie was the one Paul idolised. And, as the third child, they gave up on policing Paul too much if he behaved in public.

“Yes, your life is terrible. Do you want to have ice cream or not?” Vanna asked.

That did the trick. Paul ran down the hall.

“Robbie, I swear to God. I…” Vanna couldn’t finish her thought.

Kiersten sidled up, “Mama… opppp.”

Vanna bent to pick up their youngest baby who was now nude. Kiersten was adorably plump and said a few words—Mama, Up, No, and Dog. Dada was not yet on offer. Robbie knew how he ranked. At almost a year old, the baby was darling as ever. Kiersten had walked before any of her siblings had. She had more words, too. Maggie hosted what was a pseudo-birthday for the new princess. With everyone in town, it made sense.

“Where is your diaper?” Vanna asked.

“She took it off. I was getting another nappy, but Hurricane Paul arrived.”

“Thank goodness, you look quite adorable like this,” Vanna cooed. “Most of us couldn’t get away with it.”

“Mummy could,” Robbie joked.

Vanna rolled her eyes. “Is everyone coming?”

Vanna followed Robbie into the nursery and put Kiersten down on the rug. Robbie handed Vanna a nappy and picked an outfit.

He said, “Everyone is coming. Including Rita, Bruno, and the Boys. It will be fine.”

“Fine for me, you mean? Poor Rita. She’s so close now. It’s a travesty. We need little baby Nina, don’t we?”

Kiersten cooed up at her mother, “NO!”

“Oh, you don’t even know what you are saying.” Vanna looked at Robbie’s outfit choice. “God, no. Robert, I swear you’re terrible at this!”

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