Us Against The World

Coming Home

Everything in the house was done, I had emptied three florists of their yellow roses for my girl. She had to have her favourite flowers, the symbol of our love for one another wherever she was. I wanted her to know how much I loved her, that I would kill anyone who made her cry again. These roses stood for so much, Chloe was my best friend, my lover, my rock, my future… the woman who had let me live again. Most importantly, she was the mother of my children, something I had never dreamed I would be so lucky to become.

I looked around our front room, the furniture was all new, the walls painted, if you were coming into the room for the first time, you would never have known that a few weeks previously there'd been blood and broken furniture everywhere. You would never have known how close I had come to losing everything I held so dear. I was waiting for the phone to go, it had been over two hours since I left Chloe and I was missing her, knowing she was coming home made the feeling being alone so much stronger because this would be the last time I'd let that happen. I looked around the room once more, smiling, convinced now that the surprise I had got her would make my wonderful girl smile. My mobile rang… Dimitri, which meant that my little princess was getting unsettled.

"Mate, what's up? Was just going to head up to the hospital, getting impatient waiting to hear from Chloe. Been too long as it is, she should be home with me, back where she belongs."

Then I heard her, Aeryn was crying again, and my heart sank. I was struggling to get her to settle without Chloe here, so god knows what she must've been like for Dimitri. Emma, Chloe's mother had offered to look after her whilst I was at the hospital or 'if I wanted to be useful, and go back to work.' I'd growled at her for that before kindly refusing her offer on the grounds that Aeryn barely knew her. Strangely, that hadn't gone down well, not that I cared.

"She's been like this for the last hour Lucas, I can't get her to calm down and I've tried everything I can think of, tried singing to her, took her out to see the ducks about four times and she just got worse. I think it's time to get this wonderful little girl back to her Mummy and Daddy. I'll drop her off at your house, and if you need anything doing whilst you're with Chloe let me know."

I thanked him, and sat there staring at my phone willing it to ring again, my foot tapping with impatience on the floor. Soon, I tried to convince myself, soon she'd be home. I mean how long did it take to put some tablets in a bottle and make some phone calls? Fifteen minutes later, it still hadn't rung but my baby girl was happily playing with me on the floor, toys strewn all over the place as I made them talk to her. I was tickling and blowing raspberries on her soft tummy when I hear d my phone ring, looking at the screen I saw her name… this had to be it.

"Baby, I'm ready when you are… the doctor has organised everything. I'm just waiting on my prescriptions, come take me home Lucas?"

Aeryn was up into my arms and buckled into the car as fast as I could move, the little goblin tucked safely in her chubby hands, her beautiful blue eyes looking at me as she sucked on her dummy. She was so content, I swear she knew we were going to bring Chloe home.

"We're going to get your Mummy little one, yes we are, so you keep smiling there my angel. Mummy is going to be so pleased to be home with you again, how could she not look at you Miss Aeryn, you're as perfect as her. Your Daddy loves your Mummy and you very much and I love your new baby brother or sister very much too, you're going to be a wonderful big sister I know it."

It was easy enough to get Chloe into the car to go home although she moved slowly, the pain still very much evident on her face as she winced at every movement she took. My beautiful girl was more fragile than ever before, but I knew not to coddle her too much, although she was quiet most of the time, I'd borne the brunt of her strong, independent and damn right stubborn side when she'd been pregnant with Aeryn. I was not going to make that mistake again, I knew if she needed me, she'd ask for me. I could see though even as she kissed and smiled at me the fear in her eyes, the waver in her voice as she spoke also said volumes about what she felt about going home. I only hoped that my gentle reassurance would suffice, otherwise we'd be moving from the home we'd built together.

Pulling up outside the house , I saw her knuckles were white and she was shaking.

"We don't have to go in, we can go stay somewhere get a hotel and look for a new place to live if that makes you happy. Chloe, baby I'll do whatever you want to do. Just please, trust me, you're safe now. Nothing and no one will hurt you again, I promise. I can just go in there and get stuff for Aeryn and we can go anywhere you want. Even, if you really want, your Mothers."

She took a deep breath and opened the car door, her eyes never leaving the house, pushing herself up and out of the car she stood tall. My eyes never left her, watching the determination to not be beaten by all this cross her face. I gently lifted out our sleeping daughter and cradled her in my arms, waiting patiently to see what Chloe would do, or want me to do. I had every confidence in my incredible fiancée but I wasn't sure she did, the one thing my girl lacked was confidence in her beauty and talent, it broke me every time she refused to believe what I saw in her. Then, I noticed the small movement, she was walking towards the house, taking her time as she adjusted to walking with the stick again, her jaw set in grim determination. We stood at the front door together, I moved Aeryn into one arm and held onto Chloe's hand, stroking her tiny fingers with mine.

"When you're ready, we'll go in together. There's nothing to fear, not anymore it's just our house… our home we made together, the one you have covered with your wonderful photographs, where we brought our baby girl too. In there is our beautiful bed room you decorated, and I am planning on lying in our warm bed and holding you tightly in my arms. I have missed you so much Chloe and I am so sorry for what happened, it was my entire fault baby…"

There was a small nod from her, and I opened the door gently leading her into the room, my fear hidden well, I waited to see how she would react. Aeryn slept softly in my arms, her tiny body moving gently as she snuffled in her sleep, as I watched her mother touch the furniture that hadn't been destroyed that day. I heard her gasp suddenly as she looked over towards the sofa – I held my breath.

"The vase… I remember throwing it at him, it broken. How did you get another one, and why? I know you hated it and only bought it for me because I told you I loved it…"

I smiled softly at her, seeing the confusion but also the joy on her face on seeing something she loved returned to her albeit by having to be replaced. Which had been a challenge in itself, I'd had to visit pretty much every dealer in the area to see if they could track one down, taking the remnants of our old one with me.

"Chloe, baby, you loved that vase… and yes, I hated the thing but, I wanted there to be one thing in the room you loved back where it belonged, so I found you one. I know it's not the same one but it is identical. I wanted to see you smile."

I left her to just walk around and settle in, to see that it was just our house and she – we were safe here again. I took Aeryn up to her nursery, settling her into her sleeping bag I gently lay her down in her cot, looking around the Winnie the Pooh themed room with its shelves filled with books and soft toys I found myself praying again. I prayed that I could keep the women in my life safe and that I would find the strength to continue being the man they loved. I prayed that I would be a good father to my unborn baby and I would make my family proud of me.

I prayed for my life to be what I deserved it to be, what I wanted it to be… I wanted a life filled with love and happiness.