Daddy Niall Series

The flight to Ireland was not nearly as bad as you’d been expecting it to be. Turns out morning sickness did not equate to air sickness. Thank God for that. You and Niall had landed and had already made your way to his dad’s house. Set up in a small bedroom upstairs it felt like home even if a bit cramped. It always had, whenever Niall had brought you here from that first time until now. Bobby just had this innate ability to make everyone feel like family. Sometimes you’d wondered if that’s why sometimes fans took advantage of him but that was a thought for another day. This trip was a trip of celebration.

Everyone was sat down at the kitchen table, eating and drinking, laughing at Niall’s occasionally terrible jokes. When the laughter had died down just a bit you nudged your husband, a bit of gentle encouragement to help get his tongue moving in the right direction.
He cleared his throat, pushing his chair back and standing up slowly.

“I’ve got an announcement to make.” He said slowly, his eyes drifting over the expectant faces of his family before dropping to your smiling face. He smiled softly in return, a look of fondness in his eyes that made you melt inside. “Well, I suppose, we’ve got an announcement.”

His sister in law gasped and her hand flew up to her mouth. She was quick to catch on and you gave her a secret smile.

Niall took a deep breath, suddenly seeming very nervous before the words tumbled out. “Da, you’re gonna have another grandchild!”

Bobby’s face lit up as he stood from his chair and clasped Niall to his chest, hugging him tightly. Afterward, he moved quickly to you enveloping you in the same strong arms. “I’m so happy for you both. What amazing news!”

Greg held his glass up in a toast to Niall and the celebration began fully. It went on for several hours and into the night until finally, you’d had enough of the fun. It was only Niall and his dad left anyway and you thought you’d give them some time to catch up on their own. You stood from your chair, stretching your arms above your head before bending to kiss the top of Niall’s head.

“I’m heading up to bed babe.” He immediately stood as if to join you but you gently pushed him back down. “No, stay and catch up. I’ll be okay.”

He smiled up at you, “I won’t be long, Sunshine.”

When you awoke in the middle of the night you weren’t sure how long you’d been asleep. It felt early still and when you glanced at the clock you knew you were right, only an hour had passed by. Feeling that Niall’s side of the bed was still empty, you decided to grab a glass of water from downstairs.

It was quiet all through the household and only the kitchen light still burned. Niall and his dad sat just where you had left them, a bottle of whiskey between them. You almost stepped into the light but the conversation between them gave you pause.

Bobby laid a hand on Niall’s shoulder. “Son, tell me what it is that’s got ya worried. I can tell by that crease in your forehead that you’re thinking too hard about something.”

Niall ran his hand nervously through his hair, pausing at the back of his neck to scratch at the small soft hairs. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain really. I’m so happy and I’m so excited for this baby but what if…” He paused for a moment trying to make sense of the words in his mind. “What if I fuck everything up?” He finally blurted out in a rush of breath.

Bobby sat quietly. He knew his son well and he knew he wasn’t quite done yet, the need to release all his worry heavy on his chest.

“What if we have this baby and I have no idea what I’m doing? What if I can’t change it’s nappy the right way or feed it? What if I drop her…or him? What if I can’t do this whole fatherhood thing? What if I’m a terrible dad?” Niall finally finished, his misgivings laid out for his father to see. You could tell he felt relieved to finally say it to someone and you were glad that Bobby was here because you knew he would have the right words.

He clapped him on the back and poured him another glass of whiskey. “Niall, that feeling you’ve got right now? That ball of nerves and dread and fear? The one sitting right here?” He balled a fist and pushed it into the middle of his chest. Niall nodded and watched his father hold up his glass to him in a toast. “Well, my boy, that is fatherhood at his finest and you’re welcome to it.”

Niall chuckled a small nervous laugh. “You mean this is normal?”

Bobby outright guffawed. “Normal? If you weren’t feeling like you were about to fail the biggest test of your life then I’d be worried. I was scared shitless until the day you walked out of this house for good and even still years after. You’re bringing a life into the world, it’s expected of you to have no idea what you’re doing.” He turned serious for a moment. “Niall, you will be a wonderful father. No child could ever ask for a better one.”

Niall smiled up at his Dad, thankful that he’d laid his heavy burden onto the back of such a strong man. “Thank you, Da. That means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome. And in all seriousness, if Greg has managed to keep Theo from running into to traffic for these past few years I’m sure you’ll be able to do at least as much.”

You covered your mouth to conceal your laughter as you made your way back up the stairs and back to bed, the water and your thirst having been long forgotten. You curled into bed and let the sounds of laughter from your two favorite men lull you back to sleep. A few hours later Niall’s warm body slid in next to yours, strong arms wrapped around you and held you close. In your haze of sleep, a few words slipped through your consciousness.

“I promise I’m going to be the best man I can be…for both of you…”

Notes