Families and Trouble

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

Liked the interaction between Brax and Heath in the Diner

Update soon please xx

[TelephotoMarigold]

 

Chapter Four

 

Roman walked into the diner and for once he sat at a table and waited until one of their waitresses came over to him before he ordered food. He’d been at the restaurant all morning, double checking his measurements and ordering supplies.  It had been a busy week since Ella had found him sitting on the beach in one of his favourite places and although they seemed okay he felt her distance from him. 

Looking up he saw the door open and a harassed looking Danni striding in ahead of a tattooed guy. He caught a snippet of conversation as she turned and spoke to the guy telling him to back off. Immediately he felt himself getting mad and sucked in a sharp breath to quell those feelings.

“I don’t care what you think you can offer me, Heath Braxton or whatever your name is, I’m married. I have a kid. I’m not interested. Take no for an answer before I tell my husband,” Danni muttered loudly.

“Or her father,” Roman said with a note of menace in his voice.

He placed his cup back on the saucer and heard people around him stop conversations in mid-sentence. Obviously these were the people who knew his reputation.

“You?” Heath turned towards him.

“Not sure where you come from mate, because if you were from the Bay you’d know better than to bug me or my family. Danni doesn’t want a bar of you so take a hint and walk away,” Roman murmured and saw Danni flash him a grateful smile.

“Why should we be scared of you?” Heath said pushing out his chest  as he spoke.

Roman heard a gasp coming from their other service staff as he stood up slowly from the table and stepped over to Danni’s side.  “Because people with any common sense are. I have a bit of a reputation here for, well, let’s say dealing with problems.”

Heath laughed in his face as he folded his arms across his chest and took half-a step towards him.

“Mate,” Heath drawled, “I’m not sure who or what you’ve dealt with in the past but now you’re dealing with the River Boys. There are more of us than you. Our average age combined probably equals yours old man.”

“Maybe you should go get those River Boys here, make it a fair fight,” Danni said smirking.

“Danni,” Roman cautioned.

She sniggered, “Sorry couldn’t resist. Just wait until Aden hears about this. Can’t believe he didn’t walk in through the door when you got called old man…”

Roman felt his lips twitch before he adopted a neutral expression again as he faced the interloper.

“My coffee is getting cold so perhaps you should see yourself out,” Roman pointed to the door behind Heath.

“You can’t kick me out…”

Danni laughed. “Management have the right to refuse service,” she murmured darting behind the counter and pulling on her apron.

“So you going to assist me on my way out darling?” Heath turned to Danni with a smirk on his face.

“Oh, no, not at all.”  Danni shot Roman a look, “I’m going to leave that to the part owner.”

Heath had an expression of dawning horror on his face when he turned and looked at Roman. “You own this place?”

“Yup,” Roman confirmed. “Don’t hassle my waitresses, and especially don’t mess with my family. We’re pretty relaxed about things in this town but we don’t like people coming here and messing with us. Take this as your only warning.”

Heath glared at him before turning around and slamming out the door.

“Got a feeling he’ll be back,” Leah murmured from beside Danni having come in to witness half the scene with the other man.

“He called Roman old,” Danni filled her in.

The diminutive Greek woman gave a slow smile, “What? Really?”

“Leah..” Roman said warningly as he moved back to reclaim his coffee.

“What? I have to tell Ella that happened. I mean, someone calling you old.”

“And still breathing,” Danni and Leah murmured together.

Roman raised his eyebrow as he glared at them before the corners of his lips lifted and he smiled.  He took a drink of his now luke-warm coffee and looked around seeing the people resuming what they were doing. The scene they’d witnessed would be talked about for a while before they forgot all about it, just as they had Mark being here and William, and before that Alexi. His eyes strayed to the spot where Alexi’s body had lain after their fight and he sighed loudly.

Leah and Ella had arranged things so the diner was given a fresh coat of paint and the tables and chairs were rearranged to make the place look and feel different, but every now and again he would be here and close his eyes for a second then when he opened them again he’d see it as it was that day.  Alexi’s men subdued and Alexi dead.

Blinking quickly he consigned that image to the back of his memories where it belonged and focused instead on the burger that was brought over to him by the other waitress they employed. He smiled at her trying to adopt a friendlier expression before his memories made him look like the grouchy old man he felt like sometimes. 

 

 

 *****

Ella moved the large frame by herself to the end wall feeling the tug on her muscles. Where was Roman when she had to lift stuff, she asked herself grumbling about it.  A smile hovered on her lips because even if he was there she’d still have moved the frame by herself anyway.

She was so proud of the gallery and the local artists that she was able to showcase. Belle was planning to put up some of her photos in a display until the weekend when the next showing was due to start. A young aboriginal artist from Yabbie Creek that Miles had told her about. He’d attending Summer Bay High and although his teachers had recommended that he go on to Art School his personal circumstances hadn’t allowed it. 

“Hey,” Belle called walking in through the door.

“Just in time for coffee,” Ella called back moving through to the office at the back of the gallery.  She put the kettle on to boil as Belle joined her.

“I’ve got my prints in the car, just collected them.”

Ella looked at the expression on her daughter-in-law’s face, “Not having second thoughts are you?”

“No, maybe, I don’t know. Are you sure I’m good enough?”

“Do we need to go over it again? All the reasons why your work should be on display…” Ella gave a smile as she made the drinks.

“I’ve only had my work on display a couple of times and each time was due to you in some way, that’s why!”

Ella gestured to a seat and they both sat down with their drinks.

“I know what self-doubt does to us Belle, and I can’t do anything to alleviate that except to say that if I didn’t like your stuff I certainly would have recommended you to my agent. The very first time I met you I told you I liked your stuff, remember? You, Aden and the kids had stopped near the lighthouse, and they were asleep in the car whilst you got out and took a few snaps. ”

“Oh my god, that was the day we came back to the Bay,” Belle gasped out, “I totally fangirled over you and Aden didn’t have a clue who you were.”

Ella blushed even as she laughed at Belle’s comment.

“Yeah well…”

“You need to get back to doing shoots again El, you are so amazingly good.”

“I love taking pictures but I’m not as good as I used to be.” She finally said after a pause. It was true she still had the eye for the perfect shot but not the patience or stamina. There were so many up and coming photographers who would be better than her. Even Georgie had the knack for lining up perfect shots, although he wasn’t ever going to follow in her footsteps considering his interest in the army and also his artwork.

“I don’t believe that, when you did your exhibition here people were raving over your work. Don’t be held back by the kids or Roman anymore, we’re here we’ll help. “

Ella felt floored by Belle’s words. The two women had never had an easy relationship, first there was the whole Aden business and then what happened with Amy-Belle a few years ago, when the young girl had been determined to keep her pregnancy secret and had resorted to blackmail to do so.

“We’ll see,” she murmured drinking from her cup.

“I’m sure translated from Ella speak that means no.”

Ella’s mouth dropped open in shock before her eyes narrowed as she glared at the other woman, “Roman has a lot to answer for!”

Belle sucked in a deep breath before releasing it in a long sigh, “Roman isn’t the only one who loves you El, we all do. We’re worried sick right now. Separate bedrooms?”

“I’m not planning on another divorce,” Ella said quickly.

“But you are separated? You and Roman, neither of you looked totally happy either the other night or at the Bbq. Even when you were divorced you would still find excuses to reach out to each other. That touching fingers thing you both do, and you putting your hand on his back. If we’ve noticed it don’t you think the kids have?”

“I… i…” Ella found herself speechless.

“So if being here is not making you happy then you need to do something that will. Your photography.”

“You might be right,” Ella drained her cup and moved to put it in the sink before she turned and looked at Belle again.  “Catherine came into Roman’s parents restaurant and tried to kill me. She spiked the food I was eating. What if it was one of the kids she got instead? What if it were Lily or Liam or the twins?” she found her voice breaking as she spoke the words she couldn’t say to her husband. His guilt was crippling him and she knew he couldn’t handle her fears too.

“She planned it carefully Ella, getting the waitressing job, adopting the disguise. I am very sure that she knew exactly what she was doing. Besides, as Aden told me, the first dose of barbiturates was to knock you out long enough that she could do the second attack in the hospital. Something made Roman turn up at just that moment, remember? Just in time to stop her.”

Ella wiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

“I am happy with Roman,” she protested weakly with a lack of conviction to her words. When she thought of her husband she didn’t see the man who’d do anything for her, she didn’t see the man who rocked her world, she didn’t see the incredible father to her kids, no she only saw someone she was sharing her house with.

A man she was lying to every day she was still with him, she thought with another loud sigh, and if Belle and the others had picked up on it then it was only a matter of time before Roman did.

“Okay,” Belle said slowly and placed her empty cup next to Ella’s.

“Right, let’s get to work on this photos.”

She led Belle out to her car and they set about carrying the large prints into the gallery and arranging them on the walls. It kept her occupied until it was time to go collect the children, first Fleur and August and then Lily, Liam, and Marcus. The older children coming home with Mike as per usual. Once home she organised snacks and drinks and settled the children around the table to do their homework like normal before retreating into her study and it was there Roman found her a good hour later surrounded by piles of her books and photo albums.  Assorted pictures scattered around her.

“Hey,” he greeted.

She looked up in surprise before gasping as she glanced at her watch. She’d been wrapped up in her own world for over an hour.

“Er… hey,” she murmured pushing things away quickly in her hurry to try and stand up.  Her muscles protested and she felt numbness in her legs from being tucked under her.

“Steady,” he reached out to help her guiding her over to the sofa.

Ella sank on to the cushions and offered him a grateful smile. “Thanks,” she murmured.

She found she had to resist pulling her hands away from him and forced herself not to grimace knowing he would pick up on that.

“So…” he paused and looked at the chaos she’d made on the floor.

“Belle told me I should be out doing my photography. I was just seeing if I still had the eye for it.”

She didn’t look at him because she knew she’d see that ‘I told you so’ look on his face remembering all the times he’d said similar to her. She also remembered all the times she accused him of holding her back. 

“What did you decide?”

“I was looking at the light and shade in my pictures, the way they were framed and comparing the originals to the ones published. Seeing just how much touching up I had to do digitally.” She said in a rush.

“I love your work El, always have.”

She tilted her head to one side and peered at him.  “Which picture….” She began to ask.

“The repatriation of the coffins on the C17, the one you won the award for back in Afghanistan . That sunset one over the mountains, the black and white version although the colour one is just as good. Then when we were staying with your Dad and I took you out to capture the sunrise, remember that one?” he murmured slowly.  “ And a tonne of candid shots you’ve done of the kids over the years.”

Ella found she’d reached for and held his hand as he spoke.

“But the one I love the most was the one you took of me, you, and Michael,  and we’d been so careful around the men and your brother not to flaunt our relationship but as I looked at you I couldn’t resist kissing you. “

Once again that day she was in tears but this time she didn’t rush to wipe them away feeling the need to let them fall. 

“You love me,” she whispered.

“Always and forever, even when it’s been bad between us I know that underneath all the complex stuff, all the hurt, the anger I still love you deeply and passionately.  Yes Ella, you need to pick up your camera and go,”  he said slowly.

Pulling her hand out of his grasp she missed the look of pain the fluttered across his face, interpreting her action as another rejection until she  lifted it and touched his cheek. “Can I photograph you?” she asked him. 

He gave her a shocked look before nodding and the gasped as she leaned forward and kissed him. 

“I love you too Roman,” she said against his lips.

And for the first time in a long time she felt her love for him, as though it were a living thing and had just received a shot of adrenaline. 

He continued to kiss her for a long time before reluctantly easing away.

“We need to feed the kids before they decide to help themselves to the contents of the fridge.”

“You know Sophie can cook don’t you?” Ella said to him as he stood up and pulled her to her feet. “I’m pretty sure we could disappear and they wouldn’t notice.”

“I’ll run that past Lily should I? She’s probably standing guard outside the study door.”

“I’m not!” Lily called out before murmuring a loud, “Whoops!”

Ella laughed at the expression on Roman’s face as he opened the door to see their younger daughter standing the other side trying to look innocent.

“She’s so like you,” he murmured.

She found herself laughing again as she gave Roman a little push out of the study and they moved over to the kitchen to sort out dinner for their children.

[Helena]

I loved heath in this chapter keep updating

[Inactive User]

Awesome chapter

Aw Roman and Ella are so cute at the end

Update soon please 

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter Five

Roman had placed all the tables and chairs to one side that he planned on keeping. The others had been carted away to the tip in several trips earlier that day.  Now he had space to measure correctly to give him a better sense of the proportions of the restaurant dining room.  He’d also spent some time cleaning windows finding that at some point some of them must have had a smoky tint to them to deflect the full power of the sun.  Although he was internally debating replacing all of them he knew if he could find a way of working with them he’d save some money.

“Ella would know how to dress them,” he muttered aloud although he was only talking to himself.

His next task was to sand down the bar top and he’d hired an industrial sander to do the job. In places the wood was sticky like too many drinks had been spilt on it and in others there was a tackiness to the varnish.  The dark colour of the wood and the background of the bar gave it a dingy feel, and whilst his first task was to strip it back as much as he was able he also planned to rejuvenate it with more up to date lighting.

A stack of trade magazines was piled up in the office behind him, not just fixtures and fittings for restaurants but also decorating magazines, some left over from their changing the house, and he’d been through them a half-a-dozen times already seeking inspiration.  His indecisiveness was down to not talking to Ella about things and he felt isolated from her and, by extension, his family.  He couldn’t see a way through that and so his focus now was on his restaurant. If he made a success of that perhaps his family would be proud of him again after he let them down over the Mark stuff.

Getting down to work he began sanding the bar down, focusing on revealing the original patina and the grain of the wood.  He kept his movements steady despite the powerfulness of the sander and soon saw results under where he was working. The wood was simple panels of Australian pine but the artist in him could see the beauty of the material. He would use a non-staining varnish on it and keep the colour as it was he decided running a hand over the now smooth wood.

The lighter colour made a huge difference and he was shocked when he heard a whistle coming from behind him.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” George’s words haunted him remembering the same phrasing from before when he’d returned from Witness Protection.

As he recalled he’d been working with wood then, shaping a piece to repair a smashed picture frame.

“Hello,” he said cautiously.

George stepped forward towards him, “We need to talk don’t you think?”

“Really? About what George? Having me recalled? Shipping me to Afghanistan again? Breaking me and Ella up?”

Roman cursed his anger because he’d let slip the one thing they were keeping secret the fact that he and his wife were living more like roommates than husband and wife.

“All of that,” George murmured, “But there is also this.”

He stepped forward and placed a file on the bar top Roman had just sanded before stepping back.  Roman could see that it was a military file and in as much as he was curious as to what was in it he felt a shudder of revulsion creep down his spine.  Never before had he not been proud of his military service but now, with the full realisation of all that it had cost him, he found the price he’d paid was just too high.  Ella. 

If he could go back in time and do things different then he would start with going into where the landmines had been instead of Michael.  Ella would have mourned him he knew but she’d have her brother and by extension, their Mike would have had the father he really deserved.

Ella would have told him that was depression talking but seriously after realising all the hurt he’d been the cause of for his beautiful trusting wife he would do anything to make it up to her. 

Sucking up every bit of courage he still possessed he reached over and opened the file, scanning the words on the page, not just once but twice and then a third time. It was a letter of exoneration in the part he’d played in Mark’s so-called death and not only that but the expunging of his criminal record. 

“Why?” the broken sounding word was ripped from his throat.

“Because it may have seemed like I was just protecting myself but actually Roman, I needed to be in a position where I could do this. Of course, I could have faced charges myself if Bailey decided to bring up the fact I smuggled you into Afghanistan to rescue Mike, but I would have accepted the loss of my pension if I could just do this for you.”

Roman shook his head before looking at his father-in-law.

“Don’t peddle me that bunch of bulldust George, you hate me remember. I’ve brought nothing but misery to Ella. I heard you tell me enough times.”

“Yeah, I have said that. When you came back from Witness Protection. When you and Ella divorced. Even now part of me will never accept how much good you’ve been for my daughter. It was your fault that Catherine came after her.”

“Take that and shove it George, I’m not going to have you blame me for everything that …”

Roman gasped when George reached out and caught hold of his arm. “If I’m not allowed to appoint blame Roman, why are you beating yourself up every day? Irene and me, we live in your home, we see things, hear things. We understand more than you think.”

“You understand nothing!”  Roman tried to shake off the grip of the older man. George was just twenty-two years older than him, but his grip was like iron and he was struck by how this could easily be him and Mike a few years ago, facing off and getting ready to fight.  He didn’t doubt that George would put up a fight if provoked, the man had already floored him with one punch in the past.

“I let Ella down and I regret that so I’m not going to stand back anymore and …”

“Ella is my wife George, I take care of her. You should take Irene and go on a vacation. It’s time…” Whatever else he was going to say stuck in his throat as he looked up and saw Ella standing the other side of the door. He pressed his lips together and shook himself free finally before taking a step back and folded his arms across himself.

He felt ambushed and defensive.

“You gave him the folder?”

“I have,” George murmured. “We were just discussing things,” he added.

“I’m sure,” Ella murmured in that way she had. 

Roman found himself giving her a look before glancing back at George.  She stepped forward and looked around before placing a tray with two takeaway cups of coffee in from the diner on the bar top. 

“Looks good,” she commented smoothing her hand across the surface. “I’ve got this Dad,” she added taking hold of one of the cups and passing that to Roman.

He had no choice except to take the cup and found he was taking a long drink of the hot brew and watching as George left the building. The folder remained on the top where he’d placed it.

“Feel like telling me what this is?” He asked his wife feeling ambushed. 

“I have no idea, just army stuff my Dad said. I didn’t ask for details after that, just stopped off for coffee.”

“And rescue your Dad?”

Her laughter cut through him and he was forced to acknowledge just how tense he was.

“I’m pretty sure that my Dad, even at his age, can take care of himself. He wasn’t always sitting behind a desk you know.”

“Really?” Roman felt as though his masculinity was challenged in that moment and grimaced.

“I didn’t come here for him anyway.  I’ve got a shoot booked for tomorrow. It’s going to be for three days. Do you think you can cope with the kids?”

Roman nodded immediately despite the slow brewing argument simmering between them.  His eyes slipped to the folder on the bar and he moved over and opened the cover.

“You really didn’t know what was in it?”

“No.  I told my Dad that I wasn’t go to act as mediator.”

“But here you are,” Roman sneered at her.

She raised her eyebrow as she gave him a look and he felt a million emotions rush through him.  “I’m here to tell you that I’m heading away for a few days. I also thought you might need a coffee. “

“Say it enough times and I might believe you,” he all but sneered at her.

“Roman flaming Harris. I’m quickly reaching the stage where I won’t put up with this attitude. I’m trying to show my support for you and all you want to do is feel sorry for yourself and pout.  I’m heading home to pack. The children will need picking up from school this afternoon.”

She turned and flounced out of the restaurant, the door snapping shut behind her with a sharp click.   He looked at the space where she’d been standing before grabbing hold of the folder that George had left and paced into the room he was planning to use as his office.  Pulling up a chair he opened the folder and began reading.

Inside the pages listed the results of the court martial from before with the outcome listed in black and white. He read the words feeling the buzz of a headache starting behind his eyes and he grimaced. 

The last thing he needed was any reminder of all the bad choices he’d made in his life including how he’d let guilt eat away at him all these years.  George had in one piece of paper tried to ease that and he should have been grateful but as the black type danced before his eyes he didn’t feel any less guilty for what he’d done over the years.

Losing out on Gabby and Toby, not being there for Ella, not having a life with her.

With another grimace he looked at his watch and stood slowly placing the folder on the seat he’d vacated. The children needed picking up.

“Where’s Mama?” Lily was the first to reach the car and he grinned at her question.

“She’s gone to take some pictures,” he murmured to her as he manoeuvred her into the car. Next was Liam, his son had been talking to another boy as he took his time walking out of the school grounds.

“Why’s he walk so slow?” Lily muttered folding her arms as she glared at her brother through the window.

Roman felt his lips twitching and resisted the urge to laugh. Lily certainly needed no encouragement, he thought with a smirk, their younger daughter having inherited a double-dose of her mother’s sense of humour.

“He’s talking to Fred,” he murmured to her.

“He no-no talk to Fred, we’s don’t like him,” Lily glowered.

“Liam likes him. Be nice Lily.”

She gave him a look as though she was going to say something else and instead just shook her head.

“Hi Dada, me’s go to Fred’s tomorrow please?” Liam asked quickly as soon as he reached the car.

“If that is okay with his Mum,” Roman murmured.

The boy called Fred nodded vigorously “It is. Liam can have his tea, yeah?”

“He can. Tell your mum to give me a call or text to say its okay.”

Fred nodded again before skipping off to where his mum was meeting him. Roman lifted a hand in greeting and saw them talking.  She waved back and mimed picking up a phone and he nodded back.  Fred, Liam, and Kai often had play dates together much to Lily’s disgust because she couldn’t boss her brother around so much. 

When she’d finished glaring at Liam she looked up and back towards the school, “Where is Marcus?”

“He’s coming.”

Roman bit back a sigh. Ella did the school run all the time so his doing it for a few days shouldn’t be a problem but organising timings and kids took a lot of work. More than he thought anyway. Gabby had picked up the youngest twins already when she’d collected Daniella so he was saved one journey.  Looking at his watch he saw he was running late to get to the high school for the older children and debated sending Sophie a text, knowing his daughter was the only one who seemed to have her phone with her at all times.

“Roman,” Marcus ran over to the car. “Where’s Ella?”

He hid a smile at his foster child’s first question. Marcus had an attachment to Ella even before they’d figured out his true parentage.

“She’s gone to take some photos. Hop in the car we need to go get the others.”

With the three kids firmly seated inside the large mini-bus he got behind the wheel and pulled away heading towards the high school. Within a moment he heard his phone ringing and knew it was Sophie before he glanced at the display. He clicked on the controls on the steering wheel to answer the call and heard his daughter’s voice through the speakers of the car.

“Where are you?”

“On my way,” Roman murmured.

“Liam took forevers to come…” Lily shouted out.

Without glancing at his son he knew he’d have that fierce expression on his face that he had when he was annoyed.

“Okay!” Sophie called out quickly as though to forestall an argument. “We’ll be waiting for you…”

“Be another five-ten minutes Soph,” Roman murmured, hearing Liam grumbling behind him.

“I didn’ts!” Liam muttered.

“Dad… “ the call dropped just as Sophie was bout to say something.

“No arguing, “ he called to the kids.

Looking through the windscreen he saw the sky darkening and swore silently under his breath. A summer storm was the last thing he needed as he watched first drops land on the windscreen. 

“It’s raining,” Lily called out.

“I can see that Squeals.”

“We needs to get Sophie,” she added leaning forward in her seat.

“Sit back please, we’re nearly there,” he muttered turning down the street where the high school was. He pulled up outside and saw that the kids must have headed back inside to escape the rain. He reached out to make a call when he saw the door open and Meggy peering out.

“They’s sees us dada?”

“I’m checking,” he murmured as he completed the call to Sophie.

“Hey Dad,  we’re inside.” She answered.

“I noticed. Wait until it eases off and then come out.”

“Can we drop someone off? He doesn’t live too far away.”

“I’m sure we can.”

Roman ended the call and sat back in his seat. The way the rain was falling he could tell it was going to take some time before they came out so he clipped off his seatbelt and looked back at his other kids. Marcus was reading one of his books and Lily and Liam seemed to be having a staring contest obviously Liam hadn’t been forgiven for playing with Fred. It was going to be a long night he decided wondering if he could call Ella and tell her she needed to come back. 

Of course he was joking.  His wife deserved her freedom and leaving the kids was a big thing for her, especially in light of what happened with Mark and William, let alone Catherine.  He should take it as a sign of her trust that she’d leave them with him he supposed, even though he’d been one of the people who’d let her down so badly.

“They’s is coming,” Liam called out.

Roman nodded and quickly climbed out of the car to open the back door. He felt the splash of rain on his shoulders as he waited for them.

“Dad,” Georgie began.

“In the car before you get soaked,” he said and nodded at the newcomer standing behind his son.

“This is Case,” Georgie finished as he climbed into the back of the car.

“Hey,” Roman murmured. Once all the kids were inside he moved back behind the steering wheel.  “Where are we dropping you?” he asked Case.

“It’s Rachel’s old place.” Meggy supplied before ‘Case’ could speak.

“That’s not too far out of our way,” he said meeting the newcomer’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“See I told you it would be okay,” Sammy said quickly.

“I could have called my brothers,” ‘Case’ murmured.

“It’s not a problem,” Roman found himself saying, “Haven’t see you around here before…”

“We’ve just moved here. Me and my brothers, we used to be in Mangrove River before.”

“Thought so,” he said.

“Dad used to work at the diner so he knows everybody,” Sammy announced.

“Not quite everyone Samson,” Roman put in as he pulled up outside Rachel and Tony’s old house. He looked across to the front door and saw it open and someone peer out.

“Thanks,” Case muttered moving to open the door.

“No worries,” Roman said grinning as Meggy shook her head at him a pained expression on her face as his use of the slang term.

Case climbed out of the car and sprinted over to the door where he paused long enough to wave back at them. Meggy reached over and shut the door before resuming her seat and he waited for her to put her seatbelt back on before he started the car.

“Have you got much homework?” He asked them.

“Would you believe we don’t have any?” Meggy piped up.

“Of course I would, if you didn’t have that innocent look on your face,” he told her.

“Oh you,” Meggy groaned as her siblings laughed at her before she chuckled herself.

“I think we should have some hot chocolate when we get in,” he announced, “and you should go get changed.”

He pulled the car into the driveway and eased to a stop. The rain was still coming down but not as fierce as before and he moved quickly to get all the kids inside.  It wasn’t long before they’d changed and were sitting around the dining table with cups of hot chocolate and snacks doing homework.

Sitting with his youngest daughters, August and Fleur, he listened to their reading before filling in their books with their progress.  He looked at Ella’s handwriting interspersed with the teacher’s comments and frowned.  True, Ella handled reading assignments, whilst he did maths, but he still felt guilty about missing out and leaving everything to his wife to do.

Heading over to the kitchen he began to assemble dinner.

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

Liked the interaction between the characters

Looking forwards to the next chapter