Releasing her hold of Maddie, Ava motions for me to go to her, and as soon as I’m in touching distance, she pulls me in and I surround them all with my arms. My wife and my children. My world, all bundled safely in my arms. I have to swallow repeatedly to keep myself together.
The twins, usually allergic to any kind of affection from me unless they want something, stay put, uncomplaining, until Ava and I are ready to release them. It’s a job and a half, but I finally find the will to pull out, letting them all breathe again. Though my breath is still short, my heart still thumping. Overwhelmed. I’m so fucking overwhelmed.
Ava’s mother and father move in only once I’ve broken up our cluster of bodies, and Elizabeth nods at me as she takes Ava in a hug. ‘How are you, darling?’
‘The doctor’s very happy with my progress,’ she replies, because that is all there is to say. ‘I’m just glad the kids are back and we can try to get on with things.’
Joseph moves in and shakes my hand as the kids stand close by, their faces eager for some information. What to tell them has my mind twisting. ‘Good to see you, Jesse,’ Joseph says, following up his handshake with a firm slap to my shoulder.
‘How were the kids?’
‘Terrible,’ he mutters, though his tone is joking. ‘Disobedient, no manners, and constantly moaning.’
‘Oh, Joseph,’ Elizabeth laughs, giving my arm a little rub as she passes me. ‘I noticed you had nothing in the cupboards so I popped to the supermarket.’ She starts emptying bags, stocking up the fridge. ‘Milk, bread.’
‘Thanks, Mum.’ I point Ava to a stool. ‘Sit.’
She settles at the island while I help Elizabeth unload the groceries, and I listen as Ava walks the kids through everything the doctor just told us. She smiles the whole time, telling them she’s happy and they should be, too. ‘And now I have you two back, we can do exactly that,’ she chirps. ‘Get back to normal.’
‘What about your memories?’ Jacob asks, reclaiming his peanut butter. ‘Will they ever come back?’
‘The doctor is very positive,’ Ava replies, looking up at me. ‘And if they don’t, then we make new ones.’
I smile, despite myself, feeling Elizabeth’s hand on my arm. I look at my mother-in-law and see encouragement reflecting back at me. ‘Thank you for having them,’ I say sincerely.
To which she smacks my arm before taking the empty carrier bag from my hand. ‘Shut up,’ she orders, stuffing it in the bin.
I roll my eyes, wandering over to my wife and kids and getting in on the excited conversation. I put myself behind Ava and curl my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder. Her hands land on mine, and she cranes her neck to get me in her sights.
‘Oh, Dad, please,’ Maddie sighs, losing all interest in the conversation and going back to her iPad. Whereas Jacob looks completely and utterly thrilled by my public display of affection. Of course he is. It’s normal for Dad to be all over Mum. He grins around his peanut-butter-covered finger, his attention set firmly on us.
Ava sighs, leaning back into me a little. ‘It feels right already,’ she says, looking a little sad, like she now appreciates how much she’s missed them.
‘Because it is right.’ I kiss her hair before breaking away. ‘Now, what am I doing for dinner?’
I get three different menu choices thrown at me all at once. And I smile. Because this is us.
Chapter 44
It takes me one second flat to figure out what’s not right when my brain wakes the next morning. Ava’s not in bed with me. Then another second to break into a panic. Where is she? And another second to get myself out of bed and out of the bedroom. I sprint around the landing and down the stairs like a loon, skidding into the kitchen.
I find Maddie at the island eating her breakfast. ‘Oh my God!’ Her horrified screech pierces my ears, her spoon halfway to her mouth. Her eyes are wide for the brief moment I see them before she swings back around on her stool, away from me. ‘Seriously, Dad!’
For a moment, I’m confused. Then I register the reason for her alarm. On a cringe, I look down my front. My naked front. Shit!
‘Where’s your mum?’ I ask, taking my hands to my groin and cupping myself. I die a little on the inside, though I don’t beat a hasty retreat. I’m too worried.
Her arm shoots out towards the utility room, just as Ava appears with a basket of washing in her hands. I get the same reaction from my wife as I do my daughter. The basket full of washing hits the ground, followed by a shriek. ‘Jesse, what the hell?’ Ava snatches a tea towel off the counter and rushes over, making quick work of covering me up.
‘You weren’t in bed,’ I snap, letting loose an unhappy scowl. ‘I was worried.’
Dark chocolate strands of hair frame her face as she gives me a tired look. ‘The kids are back at school today. I needed a head start.’
‘You should have woken me up. I just had twenty heart attacks between here and the bedroom, Ava.’
‘You were tired.’
‘I’m not tired,’ I retort, while she continues to arrange the small square of cloth over my nether regions. ‘Never leave our bed without telling me. You’ll kill me off.’
‘Stop being so dramatic.’ While she’s down there determinedly trying to conceal my dignity, her hand brushes the underside of my cock, waking the frisky fucker up. I inhale sharply, as does Ava, watching as the material moves with the help of my growing erection. Biting her lip furiously, she shakes her head. And here we are, back to that blessed thing called self-control.
‘For fuck’s sake,’ I mumble under my breath. ‘Are there any shorts in that basket?’
Snapping to life, Ava darts across to where she abandoned the washing and rifles through. ‘Here!’ She pulls out a black pair and chucks them across to me. Making sure Maddie remains facing away from me, I replace the pathetic towel with the shorts. ‘I’m decent, baby girl,’ I tell her.
‘You’re sooooo embarrassing.’
I plonk myself on the stool next to her and chuck the tea towel at Ava. It hits her in the chest and falls to the floor, her hands not even coming up to try to catch it. Because she’s too busy indulging in my chest. I pout and look down my fine front, peeking up at her through my lashes. ‘Breakfast?’ I ask, my question bringing her eyes to mine.
They roll as she picks up the basket, before warily flicking to our daughter. ‘Behave,’ she mouths, disappearing back into the utility room.
I laugh under my breath. Behave? Never. ‘How long have you been up?’ I call, searching the island for a pot of coffee. No coffee.
‘Six thirty,’ Ava replies as I make my way to the coffee machine and fire it up, not allowing the fact that it’s not prepared already bother me. ‘But Maddie was down here before me.’
She was? I look back at my daughter on a raised brow, and she shrugs around her mouthful of cereal. She usually needs a rocket up her arse to get her out of bed.
‘Thought I could get my own breakfast this morning.’
I smile fondly, flipping her a wink. ‘Good girl.’ She’s trying to help, anything to lessen the pressure on Ava’s shoulders. I’m about to switch on the coffeemaker when I hear cursing from the utility room. I sigh and look up at the ceiling. Lord, give me strength. ‘Ava,’ I warn. My day isn’t getting off to the best start. Heart attacks. Swearing.
‘Shit, it can’t be that hard,’ I hear her grumble as I head her way, finding her staring at the washing machine.
‘I won’t tell you again, watch your damn mouth,’ I hiss, resting my shoulder on the door as she stares at the buttons embellishing the front, completely ignoring me. ‘What’s up?’
She sighs. ‘I don’t know how to use the washing machine.’ She proceeds to smack buttons on the front and twist knobs randomly, getting increasingly annoyed. ‘How hard can it be?’
I join her by the machine and take her hand gently before she breaks the damn thing. ‘Take it easy,’ I say, all soothingly. ‘We’ll figure it out together.’ I bend and scan the millions of buttons on the front, Ava joining me. Jesus, what do they all do? What’s all this rinse and spin business? I bite the corner of my lip, wondering where the manual might be.