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[15:24] Charlie
Have we enough gin for tomorrow?
[15:38] Charlie
Nick?
[15:41] Charlie
Let me know when you can, I’m still in Sainsburys xx
[15:57] Nick
Ahhh sorry
Was breaking up the usual war between Theo and Floss
[15:58] Charlie
Fucks sake 🙄🙄
TV remote?
(Nick reacted: 💯)
[15:58] Nick
Obviously
They’re getting worse
(Charlie reacted: 🙄)
[15:59] Charlie
Bloody annoying kids
(Nick reacted: 🤭)
I’m finished here
I just need to grab the gin
If we need any
Can you check?
[16:02] Nick
Yeah, there’s a bit
But I’d grab some more
Just in case
(Charlie reacted: 👍)
[16:02] Charlie
Okay, that’s me then
I’ll be home soon xx
[16:02] Nick
WAIT!!!
Don’t leave yet
[16:03] Charlie
What’s wrong?!
[16:03] Nick
Nothing
Did you get everything for the tradition?
(Charlie reacted: 🤣)
[16:04] Charlie
Obviously 🤣
We’d never be forgiven if we forgot
[16:04] Nick
Okay
That’s fair
Did you get that jam I like?
[16:04] Charlie
Yes Nicholas
[16:05] Nick
Nutella?
[16:05] Charlie
Yes Nicholas 🙄
[16:06] Nick
Butter?
[16:08] Charlie
No
But we have a new Lurpak in the fridge
[16:09] Nick
Okay
That’s everything then
[16:10] Charlie
Told you, it’s all sorted
Oh, and Darcy is bringing homemade jam
Something with vodka in it?
Im sure itll be delightful
😬
(Nick reacted: 🤣)
[16:11] Nick
Oh no 🤣🤣
(Charlie reacted: 💯)
[16:12] Charlie
Correct response 🤣
It’ll be fine (Right?!)
We’ll just keep it away from the kids
[16:13] Nick
ABSOLUTELY!! 😬
(Charlie reacted: 🤣)
I can’t believe there’s going to be NINE children here this year
Pure fucking chaos
[16:14] Charlie
I know, it’s getting ridiculous
(Nick reacted: 💯)
Walking to car
Be 10 minutes
Btw, Floss is very excited about staying up tonight
Now that she’s big three
She keeps telling me about it
[16:16] Nick
😍😍😍
Same age Meelie was
The year the tradition started
😭
[16:19] Charlie
Oh ffs don’t get all maudlin!!
🙄🙄🙄
[16:19] Nick
Twat
🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕
(Charlie reacted: 🤣)
[16:21] Charlie
I know what you mean though
(Nick reacted: ♥️)
Can’t believe it’s been five years since it started
5 years previously…
Fuck! Charlie pocketed his phone and walked to the foot of the stairs to deliver the bad news.
“Nick?” he called out.
“Yeah?” Nick’s face appeared over the bannister, Theo in his arms.
“I just had a WhatsApp from Imogen. She, uhhh… she and Sai can’t make it, they’ve had to cancel,” Charlie said tentatively, knowing Nick would be disappointed his childhood friend wouldn’t be coming to the party tonight; it had been a few months since they’d all seen each other and they’d been looking forward to a good catch up.
True to form, Nick looked crushed. “Awww what?!”
“I knew you’d be disappointed, I’m sorry baby,” Charlie said, starting to climb the stairs. “She’s gutted, but Seth has had some awful stomach bug and he’s still feeling poorly. Immy says she doesn’t want to risk it as the girls haven’t had it yet but she reckons they will…you know what kids are like!”
“Yeah,” Nick said. “I know, I know. It’s just frustrating, I was excited to see her is all.”
“I was too. Immy and Sai,” Charlie added. “But they’ve said they’ll call us tomorrow, and we can maybe organise something for the second weekend in January? She asked if we wanted to come stay at theirs?”
A smile popped on Nick’s face. “Okay, actually, that sounds fun. It’s been a while since we went on a little weekend trip.”
“AND we still have Tao and Elle coming tonight, and Isaac,” Charlie said, placing his hands on Nick’s upper arms and rubbing comfortingly.
“And Tara and Darcy, too,” Nick smiled. “I wonder how much little Frankie has grown?”
Charlie smiled at him, leaning in for a quick kiss. “See? It’ll still be great, I promise.”
“Thanks, Char,” Nick whispered back, pulling Charlie in close by his right arm while juggling Theo in his left. “So uhh…question? A teeny, tiny one?”
“Yes, Nicholas?” Charlie giggled, knowing exactly what this question would be - thirteen years worth of new years eve celebrations together meant this was a very familiar routine.
“Who are you kissing at midnight?”
Charlie smirked up at him. “Huh. I don’t know, I’ll have to see.”
“Hmm,” Nick hummed in response. “Not the answer I was looking for, I’m afraid.”
“Well, what did you want me to -”
“Daddy!” Meelie shouted from the playroom, making them jump and interrupting their flirting. “Can I wear my bah-werina skirt to the party?”
Charlie wiggled his eyebrows at Nick and nimbly escaped his clutches, as Nick groaned in frustration.
“Coming, Meelie Moo,” Charlie called out in response. He started to walk down the stairs, glancing up at Nick who was still smirking over the bannister, watching him walk away. “And play your cards right later, Nicholas, and you will be, too.”
Nick snorted with laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You love it,” Charlie replied, blowing him a kiss. He could still hear Nick giggling as he walked down the hall.
“Daddy,” Meelie said excitedly, running up to Charlie as he walked into the playroom. “This bah-werina skirt, I want this one.” She held out a piece of lurid, pink tulle to Charlie who smiled back at her.
“Of course, my darling,” Charlie said. “This is the perfect thing to wear to our party, especially now you’re a big girl and getting to stay up late to see the fireworks.”
“Partee, partee, partee!” Meelie screeched excitedly. “I can’t wait for the partee!”
“I’m excited too,” Charlie told her. “And this is a very special party, because you get to toast to a new year.”
Meelie’s eyes widened. “Oh wow!”
“I know, it’s going to be very fun!” Charlie picked up his small daughter in his arms, carrying her towards the kitchen and continuing to walk. “Now, I’ve to get all the snacks into bowls for later, do you know anyone who could help Daddy with that?”
“Me, me!” Meelie shouted.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
At about half past eleven, the small party was in full swing. Charlie and Tara had chosen not to drink in case they needed to parent, which Nick and Darcy had decided to take full advantage and were currently causing drunken chaos in a game of Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza with Tao and Isaac. Meelie was living her best little life at the grown-up party and was dancing with Auntie Elle and Auntie Tara, the undivided adult attention ensuring she was on her best behaviour. The babies had been put down to sleep a few hours previously; Theo in his crib, with Tara and Darcy’s 10-month-old Frankie in a travel cot in the same room. There had been much cooing over the past few hours, as Nick, Charlie, Tara and Darcy had taken turns to check on their children in pairs, admiring them as they slept.
At one point, Charlie had nipped to the bathroom and had found Tao and Elle standing in the doorway of Theo’s room, with hopeful expressions on their faces as they whispered to each other while watching the sleeping babies.
Huh, maybe someday there will be more of us! Charlie thought happily.
He tiptoed away unseen, deciding not to interrupt the sweet moment between his friends and use the downstairs toilet instead. On his way back to the living room, he stopped to freshen up his glass of gin, before sitting down to talk to Isaac on the sofa.
He felt a tiny hand tap him on the leg.
“Daddy, can we make it now?” she asked sleepily, climbing into his lap.
“What’s that, peanut?” Charlie replied, stroking the sweaty curls off her face from where she’d been dancing with Auntie Elle and Auntie Tara for the last thirty minutes.
“The toast. You said we’d make toast at this party, and I’m hungry,” she said earnestly.
Charlie and Isaac looked at each other in confusion before Charlie realised what she meant and he started to laugh.
“Oh, you thought I meant - when I said earlier - okay, Daddy wasn’t very clear, silly me,” Charlie smiled. He turned to Isaac. “I told her it was exciting getting to stay up to midnight as we get to make a toast to the new year, but she thought I meant toast toast.” Isaac giggled along with Charlie, as he cuddled his adorable daughter in close. “It’s not that kind of toast though, sausage, it’s something different.”
Before Amelie could reply, Isaac piped up, a grin on his face.
“I mean, it could be toast toast? If she wants it to be? Why not, it’s certainly unique AND you could start a new family tradition,” he said.
Charlie looked at one of his oldest friends, and silently, they made a decision together as they got up from the sofa.
“Okay, everyone to the kitchen!” Isaac called over the music. “Amelie Victoria Spring has had a genius idea!”
Meelie giggled as Charlie swung her up onto his back.
“Alright, Princess Moo, let’s go make some toast!” he declared, whinnying before starting a gallop into the kitchen like a horse.
With only five minutes remaining in the year, there was a smorgasbord of toasted bread now sitting on the table: buttered toast, jam toast, nutella toast, cheese toast. Charlie and Isaac had carried it in from the kitchen to much fanfare, including a giddy Amelie who was now suddenly much more awake than she’d been fifteen minutes before, the promise of sugary sweet condiments clearly too exciting to miss out on.
Nick opened up iPlayer so they could count down with the fireworks in London and the chimes of Big Ben. The babies had both been roused by the spirited shenaningans, and were currently downstairs being held in the grown-ups' arms - Theo with Isaac, Frankie with Tara - wearing coordinating sleepsuits and wide-eyed expressions on their tiny faces.
When the countdown started - with everyone gathered in a circle, a triangle of toast in their hand and Meelie grinning so proudly it made Charlie’s heart burst - they all chanted along with the crowd sounds emanating from the television.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
“Fuck I dropped my toast, I need more toast!” Darcy screamed suddenly.
“Eight!”
“Darcy, don’t swear in front of the kids,” Tara gently admonished.
“Seven!”
“Oh fuck, sorry small squad mem -” Darcy started before they were interrupted when a collective “Darcy!!” was shouted in response.
“Six!”
“I did it again, didn’t I?” they looked guiltily at the group, as they picked up a slice of toast with cheese melted on top.
“Five!”
“Yes!” Nick said, looking horrified until Tao quickly retorted “Oi, you’re one to talk Nick!”
“Four!”
Darcy grinned at Charlie. “Oh, whoops!”
“Menace!” Charlie replied, grinning back.
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Happy New Year!”
As the sounds of fireworks began, they all raised their toast slices into the air, before each took a huge bite. Eyes met across the circle as they all dissolved into laughter at the absurdity of this situation.
“Can’t say I’ve ever had a New Year’s toast quite like this,” Isaac declared.
“I agree, it’s the best plan ever, tiny Nelson-Spring,” Darcy agreed, cramming toast into their mouth and patting Amelie on her curls. Everyone murmured in unison, and Charlie had to stifle a giggle at everyone swooning over their toast.
“Dee dee, you’re silly,” Meelie giggled.
“I know, I’m very VERY silly indeed,” Darcy agreed, wiggling their expressive eyebrows before sticking an arm out to Amelie. “Will we get some more toast, my favourite mischief maker?”
“Yes!” she squealed, taking Darcy’s hand. “I want jam!”
“Well, I want Nutella and look, there’s one piece left for me,” Darcy smiled gleefully.
“Nawww, I wanted a piece with Nutella next!” Tao yelled.
He and Darcy made a dive for the table at the same time for the final piece of chocolate spread toast, fighting over it like children while Amelie looked on, her little mouth dropped in an ‘o’ of surprise at the adults' antics. As Tao and Darcy continued to playfully bicker, Charlie watched as Elle and Tara conspiratorially murmured to each other, evil twin grins on their faces; knowing them, they were likely placing bets on which one of their spouses would be the first to get the piece of Nutella toast shoved in their face.
“Char! My Char!” a voice rang out exuberantly over the Nutella squabbles.
Charlie turned to watch Nick drunkenly stumbling over to him from where he’d been hugging Isaac, a piece of copiously buttered toast in each hand.
“Do you want some toast with your butter there, Nicholas?” Charlie laughed.
“Happy New Year Char Char, where ma kiss?” Nick exclaimed loudly, coming up to Charlie to clumsily place an arm around his shoulder, planting his lips onto Charlie’s cheek.
It was a measure of Charlie’s love for the giant rugby idiot who was currently pressed against him that he didn’t recoil at the rather greasy, crumb-covered lips that were currently smushed on his face.
“Just eat your toast, you drunken cretin!” Charlie giggled, attempting to shrug him away gently. “I’ll kiss you later when you’re not all crumby!”
As Nick ignored him and continued to place rather sweet, but definitely buttery, kisses on his face, Charlie looked around the room at his assembled family - both in name and friendship, both big people and their smalls - the sight of everyone hugging and celebrating gave his tummy a warm feeling that he couldn’t quite find the right word to describe. It was a mixture of peace and harmony, of contentment, of love.
“We need do ish next year, s’best!” Nick suddenly whispered in Charlie’s ear.
Oh fuck it, I can handle a few crumbs!
“And I think we will, Nick,” Charlie whispered, turning to catch his husband’s lips in a proper kiss. “We’ll do this New Year’s toast next year.” Kiss. “And the year after that.” Kiss. “And after that.” Kiss. “Cause I’ve got a feeling that we have many more New Year’s toasts in our future.”
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜