Always You

Chapter 8

{Layla}

"We have the living room through there, and through here is the kitchen. I have a calendar set up where I write down my shifts, feel free to add yours on there if you want. For the most part my shifts will follow the two, two, four pattern. So, two days, two nights then four days off. As a result, you might have the house to yourself most of the time." I say a week after my rugby presentation. It had taken us this long to match up our schedules so Meg could come check out the house. We'd been texting all week and I could tell she was trying to get out of living with me. Somehow, I'd finally got her to agree to come over today.

"Are you sure you want us living here? Surely you're going to want to sleep during the day sometimes and of course I'll keep Abby away but..."

"Meg don't worry about it. I've gotten used to sleeping with ear plugs during the day. You wouldn't believe how much noise Jonesy used to make. And snore, I swear the whole house used to rattle."

She chuckles. "You haven't heard Abby yet. For someone so small she doesn't half sound like a bear when she snores."

"That little cutie, I don't believe it."

"You wait."

And just like that I've won her around to staying. I do want to have her as a friend but I would be lying big time if I said I didn't have my sights set on something else. There was a time when I loved the girl and as a woman, I find myself once again equally enthralled. If she needs time, I can give it to her.

--__--__--

I stand in the doorway to what is now Meg's room and watch as she gives Abby a kiss good night. As Meg starts to tip-toe out the room I step back to make space for her to pass. She gently pulls the door closed behind her. It took a further week to finally pack Meg and Abby's meagre belongings and move them into mine. After an eventfully day of unpacking Gracie, Andy and the boys had left and now it was just the three of us.

"She's adorable Meg."

"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without her now."

"Come on, let's go have a drink together to celebrate your first night." I say heading to the stairs.

With a drink in hand each, we settle down on either end of the sofa.

"So how did you come to be a single mum?" I ask. Partly to get the conversation started but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me wondering if a dad was going to turn up one day.

"I didn't choose to be a single mum. I was engaged." She says quietly.

I'm not going to lie; it hurts to think someone other than me planned to spend their life with her.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

She takes a sip of her drink before answering. "I had two girlfriends during uni. The first one was only a short thing towards the end of first year. Then I met Trina in second year. After we graduated, we moved in together. We got engaged a few years later. Trina suggested we try for a baby sooner rather than later. After all, couples try for years before they fall pregnant and we were using sperm from a donor bank." She laughs humourlessly. "Not me. No, I was pregnant within a few months. We put our wedding plans on hold because Abby was due around the time we originally planned. Everything seemed to be going well. Until a week before my due date."

"You don't have to say anymore if it's too hard." I jump in when she pauses.

"No, it's fine. She left me." She smiles wanly. "Apparently it was too much responsibility and pressure happening too quickly."