In My Life I Love You More

Chapter Fifty Eight

Unedited.

  ⚠️Warning this chapter contains subjects that may be triggering for some readers. Reader desecration is advised. ⚠️

     December 8th, 1980

     The Dakota, 6:25 AM

    With a stretch, John exited his bathroom adjoined to the master bedroom. His wife was absent from bed, but she was always an early riser (when John himself couldn't prevent her from leaving him yet).

  Expecting to see her in the kitchen, he was oddly surprised to find it vacant, not even the coffee pot was turned on. Furrowing his brows, he made his way back towards the hall, checking Grayson's bedroom first, (his son was sound asleep, Alice the cat curled above his head, purring loudly).

   He than moved on to Emmy's, where he could hear familiar voices speaking in hushed tones. Smiling, he looked through the crack of the door at his wife, who was already dressed for the day, sitting next to their daughter, looking at Emmy with as much adoration as she had five years ago on the day their little girl had been born.

   "And how are my two beauties this morning?" He approached them, sitting on Emmy's left side, leaning over the girl to kiss his wife in greeting.

  "Ewwww, Daddy....." Emmy scrunched up her nose at the sight, even as John looked down at her fondly.

   "What? You don't like it when I kiss your Mummy?" He teased, the girl nodding vigorously, "well that's too bad....Because I haven't given you you're kisses yet!" Scooping her in his arms, he kissed his daughter's forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, all the tickling her, causing her to erupt with high pitch giggles as she tried to escape her father's grasp.

   "Alright, alright, break it up......It's too early to wake the sleeping prince next door." Josephina smoothed Emmy's hair that had gotten messy during her tickle battle with her father, "got any plans this morning babe before the interview?" Josephina continued to brush Emmy's hair unconsciously, the girl surrendering to the action and played with her father's hand, comparing the size of John's hand to hers.

They had been trying for three months to get pregnant again, but with no success. Researchers had found it takes up to five times as long for a man over 45 to get a woman pregnant than if he was under 25. 'I've got five years before that so let's get going' John had joked.

"Was thinking of going out an early breakfast, should we make it a family affair?" John shrugged but Josephina shook her head, an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Can't. Have to drop the kids off at school, than I'm going to pick up some clothes I had ordered."

"Daddy can't I skip school and go with you to breakfast? Please, just this once?" Emmy pulled herself from your mother's arms, looking up at John with pleading brown eyes.

"No can do lovey. If you don't go to school, how're you supposed to get a job so you can take care of me in me old age eh?" John squeezed her hand, pulling her onto his lap,"or you can stay young, and never leave me." Emmy giggled at her father who squeezed her.

  "I might as well wake that boy of ours or he'll never be on time for the bus." Climbing out of the bed, Josephina made her way to the room next door.

  "So, tell me. Why're you up so early?" John turned back towards his youngest child, a eyebrow rising as her previously happy little face fell.

  "I had a bad dream. A really bad dream." She admitted and John smiled fondly, stroking back her hair from her eyes.