Three men and three babies

Babies born on the cobbles often enter the world by means of various complications. The current 3 babies - Zack, Oliver and Susie were being looked after by their dads in Friday’s episodes but, simple statement though that seems, it’s nowhere near as simple as that.

Susie, Eva and Aidan’s biological baby, is now Toyah and Peter’s baby. Toyah knows Susie is Eva’s baby, but Peter doesn’t. Peter believes that Susie is the result of the surrogate Jackie’s pregnancy, but there’s something else he doesn’t know and that is that Jackie miscarried, but Toyah never told him. So, Peter is under the impression that Susie is straightforwardly his and Toyah’s baby and a half-sister to Simon. Oh dear – this is soap and it will all come out…

Baby Oliver is the biological child of Leanne and Steve. At the time of his conception, Steve was married to Michelle, who, just a short while before Oliver’s birth, had lost her baby. Michelle was absolutely devastated by the loss, understandably, only to discover that in fact her husband Steve was also the father of Leanne’s baby.

And so to Zack – who is the result of a one-night stand for Nicola and Gary, and is also Phelan’s grandson. How Nicola and Gary will deal with that particular difficulty, remains to be seen. Anna Windass is the grandmother of baby Zack so Anna and Phelan, those two great enemies, are inextricably linked, by blood, to each other. Eileen is the honorary grandmother of baby Zack and seems deeply attached to him.

The three fathers were gathered together last week with their respective babies. Sounds simple enough but Gary was with Zack, despite the fact that Nicola has banned Gary from seeing Zack. Gary is not perfect and does get into some difficult situations, but to me, Nicola is being unreasonable, selfish and thoughtless, not to allow Gary to see his son.

Liz jokes that Steve is now ‘Daddy Day Care’ as she bumps in to Eileen and Nicola on their way to pick up Zack. As Liz opens the door for them, we see Gary holding baby Zack and Steve and Peter watching the racing on TV. In my book, that’s no big deal. The babies are clearly fine and yes, maybe the men are a little loud with excitement, but the children are in no danger at all. I felt annoyed and irritated by the 3 women standing in judgement. So the men told a little lie, but was it really all that bad? Nicola went straight over to Gary and wrested Zack from his arms where the baby was sleeping safely and peacefully. Steve defends Gary and says, ‘He has a right to see him – he is his father.’ Well said, Steve. And surely, the more people a baby can have in its life, who love it, the better. This doesn’t wash with Nicola and she refuses to even talk.

A short while later, Gary goes to see Nicola, who tells him that he has only gained entry to Eileen’s house because she doesn’t want to air her dirty laundry in public. Nicola tells Gary that wherever he is ‘stuff happens and I don’t want my son…’ Gary cuts in with ‘Our son! He’s our son and that stuff was mainly down to your dad!’ He adds, ‘This beautiful kid, my flesh and blood, who I can’t have a relationship with him – how can that be right? Whatever you think of me, I am a good person, a good dad. All I want is to have some sort of contact with him, so he knows who I am. Is that so bad?’ To which, Nicola replies that he’s right. Gary’s face lights up with joy.  

I’m pleased about this development– it is too easy a weapon for women to use when they refuse access to the fathers. Obviously, if there is some doubt, some danger, then perhaps social services should be contacted.  But we know that Gary is besotted with his son Jake and also little Zack and as far as is humanly possible, Zack will come to no harm in his care.

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