Isla POV
After leaving Callum's house I couldn't face going home, I couldn't face Joe. I knew he'd be mad at me for going there and God knows how he would react to what he's asking for. I couldn't pay him and I certainly was going to sleep with him but at the same time I didn't want to lose my little girl.
Maddie and Joe are my whole world and there is no way I could live without either of them. After walking around aimlessly I found myself outside the care home my dad is staying in. Deciding to delay the inevitable row with Joe I head inside hoping he can give me advice or rather tell me what to do.
"Isla? What are you doing here honey?" He asks as I walk into his room
"Hey dad, I uh, I need some advice" I say fighting the urge to cry
"Come her and tell me what's happened" he says patting the bed
"Callum is refusing to give consent for Joe to adopt Maddie" I sigh "even though Joe told me not to I went to see him and he said he would give consent if I either paid him $10,000 or sleep with him"
"First of all you should have listened to Joe" he says taking my hand "and second of all your not going to do either of those things, think about what you stand to lose, is it worth it?"
"No of course not, I can't live without Joe but I can't live without Maddie either, I don't want to lose her" I say as he gently cups my cheek
"You won't, he can't win, they will never see in his favour" he says "you are an amazing mother and I'm so proud of you, of course I can't take credit for how well you turned out that goes to the man who took care of you when we were too busy fighting to pay attention"
"You really think so?" I ask and he nods
"Joe has been a sort of guardian angel for you and I owe him a debt of gratitude, I didn't even have to think about it when he came to see me to ask for my permission to marry you?" He smiles
"He did what?" I ask my eyes widening
"He came to see me and asked for my permission" he says "he told me all about how he was going to do it, something about recreating the moment he knew he loved you"
"Oh my god" I gasp "now I feel even worse about that row, sometimes I really think I don't deserve him" I say glancing down at my ring
"But you do" he says "and the two of you are building a future together, I may not get to see all of it but I can leave this world knowing you are in good hands, speaking of future have you told him yet?" He asks
"No not yet" I say "I have it all planned out, I was going to tell him once he had officially adopted Maddie but that's gone out of the window and if I don't say something soon he will notice"
"Then why are you sat here with me?" He chuckles "go home and tell him, give the boy something to smile about"
"He's going to be so mad at me when he finds out where I've been tonight may not be the best time" I sigh "but I will tell him I promise"
Joe POV
I had been sat on the couch, head down looking at my feet ever since she left the house. She had been gone so long I was beginning to get worried. Right now I would give anything to just hold her but everytime I try she stops me and now with her saying she wanted to be alone I was worried that maybe she had started to change her mind about me, that I was losing her.
At the sound of the door opening my head snaps up and I'm straight up onto my feet. She offers me a half smile before heading up the stairs without saying a word. I follow her desperate to know that everything between us is ok.
When I get to our room I find the en suite bathroom door locked, I knock gently before resting my head against the door "butterfly talk to me please" I plead and I hear the door unlock.
I step back and she emerges in her nightwear, she looks like she's been crying and she can't even look at me.
"I know you told me not to but I went to see Callum" she says looking down at her feet
"Please tell me you have not made things worse" I say running my hands through my hair
"No but I know what he wants" she says "he gave me two options but I can't do either"
"What does he want Isla?" I ask and she looks up at
"$10,000 or me to sleep with him" she says and I can't believe what I'm hearing, as I take in her words she walks over to the bed and gets in almost hiding herself under the covers.
I get in beside her and place a hand gently on her arm as I lay soft kisses along the back of her shoulder
"He's going to take her Joe, and I can't stop him" she says, in an effort to comfort her I begin to snake my arm around her but she immediately stops me just like so many times before
"Butterfly, I don't want to ask this becuase I'm afraid of the answer but do you still love me?" I ask nervously
"Of course I do" she says turning to face me "I will never stop loving you Joe"
"Then why won't you let me hold you?" I ask "everytime I try you stop me, it's driving me crazy"
"It's not what you think" she smiles "I wanted to suprise you on the day you adopt Maddie and I wasn't going to tell you tonight becuase I thought you'd be mad at me for going to see Callum"
"I'm not mad just disappointed" I say "I'm mad at him though, how dare he treat her like a possession and to ask you to pretty much prostitute yourself to keep her, I should kill him for even suggesting it, now what do you want to tell me butterfly"
"Well" She says laying on her back "I didn't want you to put your arms around me becuase you would have noticed this and spoiled the suprise" she says slowly lifting up her pjama top and my jaw damn near hits the mattress.
"Are you?.......Are we?.......Is that?" I stutter not taking my eyes off her stomach
"Yes, yes, and yes" she chuckles "I'm 12 weeks, which means in 6 months your going to be daddy to three little ones"
"Three.......wait a second......there's two in there?" I gasp and she laughs "this is real right? You ain't playing with me?" I ask
"Yes it's real" she says and within seconds my lips are on hers as I kiss her lovingly
"I love you, all of you" I whisper before shifting myself to place a soft kiss on her stomach
"Here" she says opening her bedside drawer and handing me a rectangular piece of paper "that's our babies"
"Wow they're really in there" I smile "I can't tell you how happy this has made me, this is everything, thank you butterfly" I say giving her another kiss
"No thank you for coming back to me" she smiles "I love you superstar"
YOU ARE READING
Forever & Always
FanfictionIt's been years since Isla has seen Joe. He was her best friend once upon a time, the one person she could count on to always be there for her. Since he left she's had no one to turn to, but when she sees him again for the first time she's not prepa...
