Willa

Chapter Thirty Four: Trying to make it work

Morgan and I returned home to our little house in the burbs, soon returning to our familiar and comfortable groove. The few days we had spent in Maui before we left, they were becoming but a distant sting. I tried my best to forget it.

A couple of weeks passed by before the topic of babies was brought back to the forefront of conversation.

"I love you" Morgan whispered as she nestled into the spot under my arm, her breath upon my chest.

It was a lazy Sunday, when waking up requires a slow coax out of the bed and not a rush about. We had a busy day the day before with Calliope and Teddy, down on the beach with Bob our dog, and now we were freshly tanned, skin warmed, naked and wrapped in each others embrace. We softly pulled away from a lazy love making, one that was just enough to bring pleasure, but not too physically taxing that we were breathing erratically and feeling tired.

"Bob wants breakfast" Morgan observes as a whine began to come from the hallway.

I looked to the closed door "I will go" I say begrudgingly, sitting up as Morgan slips from my chest into my vacant spot. Her fingers run up my bare back as I sit and pull on the clothing thrown to the floor an hour previously.

"Thanks, you know I can't get up on weekends before ten...it's illegal somewhere I'm sure" she says smiling.

I stand and turn around, rolling the white t shirt back over my head. "You are quite the bed hog" I tease, raising an eyebrow tauntingly.

I open the door, allowing Bob the spritely, corgi crossed Jack Russel to run in and jump all over her. She hid her face under the covers and cursed me to an eternity in hell.

"Come on Bob... your work here is done" I say, glancing at Morgan wickedly as she peeked out of the sheets.

"That wasn't nice" she curses, throwing a pillow at me as I dart out of the way.

I bend down and pick Bob up, cuddling him against me like he's a two year old and ruffling his hair.

"You little goober butt" I say, pretending to kiss him, before placing him back down on the kitchen floor where he spun in circles for his kibble.

I empty the biscuits into the bowl and mindlessly place it down with some fresh water, almost jumping out of my skin. Teddy was stood at our large clear patio doors in the back yard, a brown bag lifted up and a cheeky smile on her face.

I slide the door open, hand on heart "I've just lost ten years off of my life Theodora, and that bag doesn't look big enough to house my favourite breakfast sandwich, so you have shortened my life prematurely for absolutely nothing"

"Not nothing" she says teasingly thrusting the bag into my hand "it's for Morgan"

I roll my eyes, peeking in the bag to find Morgan's favourite muffin. "You've just drawn battle lines in the sand Teddy... battle lines" i emphasise.

"I need Morgan's advice" she states, sitting at the breakfast bar.

I pour her a juice and hand it to her from the fridge. "What am I? Chopped liver" I ask.

She laughs "you're too much like my sister... I need advice from someone once removed, with no reason to judge me"

"You mean Morgan is more likely to go along with you ... and not take into account you're too young for most things you want, and most boys you are taking an interest in all of a sudden. I don't have to tell you Theodora, that you are too young for boys" I say, hands on hip.

She points at me "case and point" she says matter of factly. "You see me as the little sister to protect and Morgan sees me as a girl with a dilemma or a question"