Zac laughs and shakes his head, then patting Gabe on the shoulder says “Solo accettare e funz. Lei `e sempre a destra” And they both start shaking their heads.
Italian. I have two men in my bed talking Italian, no idea what they are saying but it makes me feel like I could just dissolve into a puddle. I need to get Sam and Zac out of here so I can have Gabe to myself for a bit. It doesn’t happen, the boys are on a roll, laughing and joking together and I enjoy watching the banter fly back and forth between them, I hope my children will all grow up to be as close with their siblings, who will be aged between twenty five and zero when the twins arrive. We will make for a very interesting blended family that’s for sure and I actually can’t wait.
I eventually convince everyone to leave the bedroom so that I can take a shower, when I come out to the family room, Gabe and Zac are talking to Cooper on speaker phone.
“Well, I am due some time off, I am supposed to be on holiday this week, I don’t mind flying in for a day for the big meeting on Thursday but that’s it. Me and Zac have carried the load these past couple of months Gabe, I know it’s not your fault and we don’t begrudge you the time you’ve had to take off with the girls but you need to step up now and go to Adelaide, we don’t have the old man to call on any more for this type of thing, it’s just us. It will only be for a few days, it’s not for fucking ever mate.”
Zac looks at Gabe and shrugs. “I went last time. I’m not going again.”
Gabe’s obviously double stressed, he’s raking his hand through his hair and rubbing at his jaw. “Okay, okay, I’ll go, but it won’t be till Wednesday and I want to be back by the weekend. In fact, Friday night at the latest.”
“No worries, I’ll get Stella to book the flight tomorrow. And Gabe?”
“What?”
“Congratulations man, you and Lauren will be amazing parents to those babies; I really am stoked for you both; the ol’ man would be so proud of you. I love ya man.”
I watch as Gabe’s hands stop worrying his hair and his jaw and rest on his hips as he looks down at the tiles; he has his back to me and I just know that he is trying to compose himself before he can reply to Cooper, I go to him and wrap my arms around him from behind, he brings my hands up to his face and kisses each of them.
“Thanks Coop, I love you too.”
He turns around in my arms and looks at me, pushing the heels of his hands into his eyes, he sobs. “I miss my Dad Lauren, our babies will never know him and I’m so fucking angry about that.”
“Baby, please don’t cry, I had this conversation with Zac last night. We will make sure these babies know everything there is to know about both their Pops. And don’t be angry Gabe; your Dad wouldn’t want that, sometimes life is just shit with its timing and the hand we get dealt.”
I’m struggling with what to say to him, I know how angry I felt when my Dad died. “Gabe, Laurens right, the old man would be pissed off at you for carrying this around; what’s the point in being angry at things you can’t change, it’s such a waste of energy mate.” Zac pats him on the shoulder as he speaks.
We enjoy what’s left of Sunday. Gabe’s mood lifts and brightens and eventually, he and Zac end up in the pool with all the other kids and they have a noisy game of volley ball. Its freezing and most of them are a nice shade of blue as they hop out of the pool and into the spa. I use tiredness as an excuse when Ava tries to convince me to get in, I am actually exhausted when we crawl back into bed at just after nine on Sunday night, it’s been a great weekend. I feel like our lives are finally settling into a routine, a pattern of just plain old normal. I hope so.
CHAPTER 25