“Dya know what, I don’t know why we bothered? We came here because we thought it was the right thing to do but you know what? Fuck ya. You want to fuck with me, then bring it on darling, I’m done being nice. You want to act like a cunt, I’ll show you cunt like you’ve never seen it before.”
I look between her and Gabe, unsure of whose mouth is open the widest, I use two fingers under Gabe’s chin and lift his jaw to close his. Still holding his hand I turn and walk down the hallway where Ava’s bag waits with her dress for tomorrow night covered in plastic hanging from the back of the door. Gabe silently picks them up as I call back to Nina. “By the way darl, you may or may not be interested to know that your daughter has a new half brother and sister on the way. Gabe and I are expecting twins next year, a boy and a girl. That will make us all one big happy family.” I wink at her as I turn towards the now open front door, I want to slam it really hard behind me but I know how much it pisses me off when someone reacts the opposite to what you expect so I leave it wide open and join Gabe at the car, he stands from putting Ava’s stuff in the boot and grabs me around the waist. “Thanks for the back up there Rocky, you could have said something.”
He leans back so he can look me in the eyes but doesn’t let go of my waist. “Well for one, you did just fine on your own and for two, you made me so fucking hard when you went off like that, I couldn’t string a sentence together.” He kisses me on the mouth.
“Let’s go and collect my daughter and tell her she’s going to have to learn to share her kingdom with another Daddy’s little princess.”
“Oh Joy.” Is all I can muster.
We wait till we are home and Ryder has arrived before breaking the news, Sophie is being dropped off tomorrow so we get Ava to ourselves tonight, Gabe called Ryder earlier and told him to come over for a beer after work and we now have Sonny on FaceTime. Ava is sitting on a bar stall at the bench top, she’s sitting next to Ryder whilst staring down at the lap top swooning over Sonny, her and Sophie have told me that they think that he’s hot and she’s blatantly flirting with him now as they banter over which code is harder, AFL or Rugby Union. This is all quite worrying really, seeing as Ava is ten years younger than Sonny and even worse, is holding her own with the argument they’re having.
“Anyway.” Gabe interrupts. “The reason we have got you all here together, is because we have news.”
Ava looks at me straight away. “Have you set a date for the wedding?” I shake my head and smile at her.
I actually haven’t really given the wedding any kind of thought in days. Weeks even, it’s obviously more important to everyone else than it is to me. Gabe pulls me in front of the laptop so we are standing between Ava and Ryder. All of us looking down at Sonny. “We just wanted you all to hear together that we’re pregnant. Your Mum, Lauren’s having twins.”
“No fucking way!” Sonny’s big voice bounces from the laptop and around the room.
“Twins! You’re having twins, you’re pregnant? Oh, my fucking God.”
“Ava.” Gabe and I both say at the same time. She bursts into tears and throws her arms around her Dad’s neck. “I’m sorry. I’m just so fucking happy.”
“Ava!” Even Ryder and Sonny join in the reprimand this time and we all laugh. My eyes travel back to Sonny’s on the screen. “Do you have a problem with this news Sonn?”
“No. No Mum, not if you don’t. But fuck Mum. Me and Jess were only talking about having kids ourselves the other day. Twins, bloody hell mother, do you know what they are?”
“Yeah. One of each.” Gabe and I both say together.
Ava starts to wail louder. “I’m getting a little sister, I’m finally getting a little sister. I’m so Totes Emosh right now. I need to call Sophie.” She heads down the stairs. Her high pitched wail going with her.
I realise Ryder hasn’t said anything but Gabe beats me to it. “Are we okay with this dude?”
Ryder shakes his head. “Man. You knocked up my mother. What the fuck bro? With twins no less. Now I have to share my inheritance with three other kids, probably four in fact, what with the way she treats Ava as her own. Can you just make sure that you cap it at two? Take up knitting or something Mum and stop keep having sex.”