Mistakes of our past | Rhekker

Chpater 71-Mess

"I want breakfast!" Sophia shouted.
"Inside voice Sofie" Ava scolded her, bouncing Amelia in her arms.
Amelia wailed in her arms, well recovered from the reactions of mango.
The smoke alarm blared behind her, and Ava shot around.
"What happened!"
Connor waved a towel in front of the smoke alarm. "Noting, nothing, it just got to warm"
The alarm went off again and Ava let her head fall back against a pillow.

The doorbell chimed and Ava rolled her head against the sofa.
"I'll go"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, get Sophia some breakfast before she turns on us all"
Ava patted Connor's back, heading to the front door.
She unlocked the door and looked out.
"Carlota?" She said in confusion.
"Ava" she smiled, wrapping an arm around her side.
"And hello sweetheart" Carlota smiled to the baby in Ava's arms.
Carlota closed the door behind her, letting herself into the house. Ava sleepily followed behind her, not really questions what was happening.
"Connor!" She smiled, wrapping her arms around him.
"Carlota? What are you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her.
"You weren't responding to my messages, I thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth" she patted his back.

Connor scooped some porridge into a bowl for Sophia, half of which was burnt black. Carlota took the bowl and dumped the contents into the bin.
"I brought breakfast" she smiled, pulling out a box of Eggo waffles.
"Woooah" Sophia cheered, remembering the last time Carlota gave her them.
Amelia slowly began to settle into Ava's arms, calming down.
Carlota heated up the waffles in the toaster while Connor loaded up the dishwasher. When they were done she gave two to Sophia and one each to Connor and Ava.
"Thank you" Ava smiled graciously.
"Connor used to eat these by the packet when he was a boy" Carlota said, nodding to him.
Connor shook his head and smiled.

"Tannie Carlota are you staying with us again?" Sophia asked with a mouth full of waffle.
"Sophia don't talk with food in your mouth" Ava reminded her.
Sophia swallowed with a big gulp, "Tannie can you stay with us again"
"Tannie?" Carlota questioned, looking to Ava.
"Auntie in Afrikaans"
"Ahh" Carlota smiled, happy that Sophia thought of her as family.
"Not quite angel, but I'm hear for today. And we're going to have a great day while your mummy and daddy rest" she told her, taking some colouring books out of her bag.
"Carlota you don't have to, honestly" Connor told her.
"Please, I've been waiting years for you to have a baby so I can have a little one to look after. You two need rest as well"
"Yeah, we had a rough night with Mel. She had a bad reaction to a mango I ate" Ava frowned.
"Aww the poor thing" Carlota stroked her cheek, "she seems right as rain now"
"May I?"
Ava nodded and let Carlota take Amelia from her arms.
"So this is little Amelia Elizabeth Bekker-Rhodes" she held her up.
"Did you hear her name from a paper?" Connor asked.
"Yes, eighteen years I helped raise you and you didn't even ring to tell me the baby's name" Carlota shook her head, bouncing Amelia on her hip.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you but we've just been so busy"
"Well that's what I'm here for" she smiled to Amelia.
"You two go sleep while you can" she motioned for them to leave.
"Okey, but if she needs anything come get us. Her blankie's in her portable crib and all her changing stuff is in her nursery"
Carlota nodded and took in the information.
"C'mon, we should sleep and she'll be just downstairs, Avey" he helped Ava up the staircase and into their room.

Ava wasn't quite sitting up or losing down in Connors arms. As the days went by she could get more and more into an upright position but still couldn't fully sit for another few weeks.
Connor had his arm around her just under her breast to avoid hurting them or her scar.
"You know how much I love you but I think Carlota might me my favourite person on the planet right now" Ava said softly, tracings Connors tattoo on his arm with her fingers.
"Same" Connor kissed the back of her head.

"Who'd have thought me going out drinking with the girls from med would have such a happy ending" Ava muttered tilting her  head with a smile to the side.
"Mhm, "Connor hummed, resting his head in the curve of her neck.
Connor ran his finger up and down Ava's side, feeling her shiver at his touch.
"When did we, you know, with Sophia?" Connor asked, trying to think back.
"Conceive?" Ava said flatly.
"Yes, Dr Bekker" Connor tolled his eyes.
"It was either the night before, or the morning of the Gala. I could never quite figure it out. My OB gave me such a disturbed look when I had to explain that to her" Ava shocked her head the memory, remembering how horrified she had looked, prompting Ava to clarify that it was all with the same man, which she still didn't seem to impressed with.

Connor chuckled, imagining what her face must have looked like. Ava leaned her head back, resting it against Connors.
"I found out the gender the day I told you to rot in hell, I had the ultrasound in my jean pocket" Ava whispered.
"I never apologised for that, or what I said about your mother" Ava frowned, unhappily remembering her words.
"It's okey" Connor kissed her temple, if Ava could forgive him after everything, he could forgive her for a few harsh words.
"I see why you said that now, I was being an ungrateful prick." He admitted.
"Little did I know I met our little princess years before I thought I did"
"That's what all the ruffled blouses were for, wearing an extra scrub size up. I had to leave, it was getting to hard to hide" Ava sighed.
"You came back to me in the end, that's all that matters" Connor held her closer.
"I'll always come back to you, Connor" she breathed sleepily, squeezing his hand. Both of them falling asleep at ease in their arms.

Ava's head tilted forward and she woke with a start, still in Connors arms. Connor was still snoring slighting, his exhales tickling Ava's shoulder. Ava cautiously slid of the bed, careful not to wake Connor. Ava pulled a house robe over herself and made her way down the stairs slowly.
"Hello Ava" Carlota greeted her as she entered the kitchen.
"Hi, Carlota"
Ava got herself a glass of water, noticing how much cleaner kitchen and living room were.
"You didn't have to do that" Ava shook her head.
"I wanted to, you're family, Ava" she guided her to the sofa.
"Amelia's asleep in her room, I have the monitor there"
Ava pulled a blanket over self as they sat together.
"I make you uncomfortable don't I" Carlota said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"No" Ava shook her head, "Well yes, yes you do. I'm not used to having someone clean after me, it's unsettling"
"You didn't have many maids in South Africa then?" Carlota laughs.
"No, I was the maid, on the summer holidays at lest. I washed people's windows, floors and pools before school let out for the summer holidays"
"I do like you, Carlota, as a person. And I thankful to you for raising Connor so well"
"How about I come over again and not clean?"
"That would be nice" Ava smiled.

"Why are you being so nice to me, you've only just met me?" Ava questioned softly.
"Because I see how you make my Connor happy. Which makes me happy" Carlota put a hand on Ava's knee.
"Thank you" Ava smiled, tears starting to spill from her eyes.
Carlota wrapped her arms around her,
"I'm sorry, It's the hormones" Ava apologised, sniffling back the last of her tears.
"Don't apologise for having emotions" Carlota patted her back.
Ava closed her eyes and smiled, the more she got to know Carlota, the more she saw of her in Connor.

"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good, yeah" Ava nodded.
"Ava, it's just us here"
"I feel like I had a baby" Ava laughed and Carlota draped an arm over her shoulders.
Ava rested her head on Carlota's shoulder, "Thank you for being so kind"
Carlota and Ava chatted for a while before feed can treading down the stairs.
"Look who came to snuggle with me in bed" Connor smiled, carrying Sophia on his shoulders.
"Is everything okey?" Connor asked quilt, noticing avas redened eyes.
She smiled to her fiancé across the room, "Everything's perfect"