Past Hurts

-Six-

Two years later

Alfie would never tire of hearing those soft gasps coming from her lips. Nor would he ever tire of seeing her writhing beneath him, her hair spread out across the pillow and her hands clutching at him desperately as he brought them both closer and closer to release. Evelyn's breathy moans echoed around the room which was almost silent apart from the slapping of their intimate flesh and their heavy breathing. The soft bedside lamp cast a warm glow on their sweaty skin and Alfie's mouth captured Evelyn's, swallowing down the sounds of her release as he chased his own. Tearing his mouth from Evelyn's, his hips bucked and he spilled himself inside of her with a groan, and fisted the pillow next to her head, biting on her shoulder as he continued to move until he had milked the last of his release.

"And there was you complaining about that sciatica of yours not an hour ago," Evelyn commented amusedly, brushing Alfie's sweaty hair back from his forehead and giggling against the grin of his mouth when he kissed her languidly, their tongues entwining as his now flaccid member slipped out of her and they just held each other in post coital glow.

A sound from the next room made Alfie look towards the door and when a familiar crying started, he got up with a sigh, wishing he could lay with Ev for just a little while longer but feeling unable to be truly annoyed. Pulling on his pyjama bottoms, he winked at Evelyn before padding along the hallway to the little nursery where their three month old son, Caleb, was awake and crying angrily.

"Now that's a lot of noise, young man," Alfie peered down at him for a moment with a frown before scooping the infant up in his arms. "Your mum only fed you an hour and a bit ago so don't be makin' out that you're starvin, you little bugger. Just wanted some attention, didn't you? Good job there aint nothin' I love more than givin' you all the attention you want, eh?"

Sitting down in the rocking chair close to the window, Alfie lay Caleb against his bare chest and began to rock gently while one of his hands rubbed up and down the baby's back soothingly. Closing his eyes, Alfie breathed in his indescribable baby scent and just listened to the quiet gurgles that were interspersed amongst Caleb's calm breathing.

"Never thought about havin' little ones before your mum told me we was havin' you," he murmured. "I swear to this day she only reckons I asked her to marry me 'cause she accidentally got caught with you, but I reckon I'd better thank you for that little man, hadn't I? 'Cause I might never have plucked up the courage to ask her otherwise. Reckon I was too worried she would have said no but then you made sure she couldn't, eh? She wouldn't say no 'cause she wanted you to be raised in a proper family with a mum and dad what were married, so thanks for that little man."

"She wouldn't have said no because she loves you, you idiot," Evelyn spoke quietly from the doorway where she was watching them both with such adoration on her face that it brought a lump to Alfie's throat because he always felt wholly undeserving of her love. "And not just because you saved her life or because you keep her stocked up with chocolate bourbons, but because you're funny and you're kind and you're lovely."

"I aint lovely," he scoffed.

"Yeah you are," Evelyn smiled, walking towards them so that she could sit down on Alfie's knee, careful not to squash the baby. She kissed Alfie's cheek and rubbed her hand over Caleb's soft baby hair. "You're my lovely big teddy bear, and I love you so much that sometimes I get scared I'll wake up and this, this life we have together, will be nothing but a dream."

"Nah, it's definitely real love," he kissed the top of her head where it rested against his shoulder. "Me, you and Caleb; a proper little family, aint we? And we aint goin' anywhere."

"Promise?"

"Until the day I die, love."

The End.