TIFFIN 3

85

"I thought a couple of hyenas were fighting over their last meal!"

I was shocked by the laughter reverberating off the walls.

We were all now gathered around the living room, munching on some Little Ceasers pizza. The past few days had been eventful enough and I could have cared less what the men considered food.
 
"You really could hear?" I asked, feeling my face heat up. 

"Yes!" Emma squawked, now Eleanor free, who was now resting in her crib. "I had to cover my poor granddaughters ears. You may have scarred her for life!" 

Dear god. Not only had my daughter heard what we'd been up to but my mother had been a witness to... oh no. 

I knew if I had heard her and Archie rocking the boat, I would bleach my insides. 

"Mom... I'm sorry. You don't know how ashamed I am-" 

Emma merely giggled. 

"Oh, please. Don't fret. I was young once. Just... take it easy once in awhile." 

Before I could think of a million different ways I could apologize, she went on. 

"Dear, keep your chin up. Yes, you could have been a bit more discreet about your romp, but remember that I'm not Elouise. I won't make you feel inferior." 

This made my head snap up. Was that how I'd been feeling? Afraid that she'd shame me for embarrassing my friends and family? 

Perhaps there were more deep rooted issues I still needed to deal with. 

I was shocked when Josephine erupted into a fit of giggles amidst all this. 

Okay?

"What?" I demanded, upset at her response.

She peeked up at me from where her face had been buried in Niall's shirt. 

"Oh, sorry. I know that was an innapropriate time to laugh, but I just thought about how Tawnee and Garrick would have handled this. I also thought about how guilty I felt that they weren't here to celebrate here with us."

I blanched at this. Yes, they hadn't been present for anything anymore. That was crappy considering how much they had helped with. 

"Yeah. Hope they aren't mad at me." I frowned. "Ever since my meltdown and having left their business... well..." 

Hero instantly set a hand on my shoulder. 

"You can't feel bad for any of that. You only met them recently. They will understand what you've been going through. If anyone has a reason to feel guilty, it's me. Niall's my best friend."

I buried my face in his chest, knowing that we had come full circle. Since the beginning, the universe had seemed to test us. 

Even in the past few weeks, my friends had gone through their trails and errors, but now were all safe and sound as could be. 

We were all our own support system and it was bliss. 

"Well, come on," Ezekiel's mother began, "let's finish up so we can give Kristina and Hero some sleep. That precious baby of theirs will wake soon enough."

"Ah, yes," Jo's mother enveloped her in a hug. "Your dad and I need to get back."

As everyone bid their goodbyes and made quick plans to catch up with us in a few days, the house was soon empty once more. 

It felt utterly empty without all our friends and family inhabiting it. I grinned. That just proved how much they meant to us. 

"So..." Hero trailed off, eyeing me from my head to my toes. "We should get to bed and sleep, huh?" 

I raised an eyebrow. 

"Is your plan really to sleep?" 

To make my point clear, I smoothed both my hands up my stomach, to fondle both my large breasts in my hands, flicking the nipples. 

He groaned, biting his lip.

"Absolutely not. You know what your presence does to me, wife. Get your ass on that bed so I can claim you again."