More Than a Soldier

Chapter 80 - Cuddles

Y/n's POV:

It's safe to say there were a lot of tears when Scarlett left for Europe. My hormones made it more difficult, and I felt awful as I know it made Scarlett feel worse about leaving. I could tell she was still considering not going as she held Ava and I tight. "Make sure you savour this movie. Enjoy every minute of it you can." I try to encourage her. I want her to enjoy this experience, not be worrying about us back home.

"We are going to be fine, and Lizzie is here to make sure we're all ok. But the three of us are so incredibly proud of you. We can't wait to be able to watch this movie and see how amazing you are and what the final story for Natasha Romanoff holds!" I tell her through a teary smile, my hand cupping her cheek whilst her hands cup my bump. "We love you mama!" Ava shares. Scarlett instantly turns her attention to Ava and lifts her into a hug. "I love you too my little widow." She mumbles into Ava's hair.

She places Ava on the floor and then turns back to me. "Call me if anything is wrong. Even if it's just cramping." She tells me firmly. "I promise. Let me know when you land." I ask her and she nods. "I love you angel." I express and she smiles, leaning in to give me a kiss. "I love you." She responds, reluctantly pulling away. She then bends down and presses a kiss to my stomach. "And I love you too little man." She whispers quiet enough so Lizzie can't hear.

We watch as she gets into the car and George drives her off to the airport. Ava takes my hand once the car is out of view and pulls me back inside. Lizzie is instantly in the kitchen ready to make us a meal to help cheer us up. It's safe to say that we all need it!

The first week of Scarlett being away wasn't as bad as either of us were expecting. She had a couple of days before she began shooting so was using it to get over her jet lag. With the time difference, we would speak in the mornings and evenings. So just as we were waking up, she was getting ready for bed and vice versa.

We speak multiple times a day and I even have called her when I've struggled to sleep at night and our son has decided to practice his kickboxing routine. Scarlett always takes the time to talk to us and I have ended up many times falling asleep as she talks to the baby.

My favourite thing though is that every evening, or morning for her, she reads a book to the baby. I hold the phone near my bump so she can see, and she'll read a whole book to him. Her favourite is Goodnight moon. Ava also joins us, even though she's too old for story books like this now, she enjoys listening to her mama. One time Ava read her own book and Scarlett sat and listened whilst she ate her breakfast.

It's times like that I admire my family and it reiterates how lucky I am to have them. I got the most caring and wonderful wife. My daughter is empathetic and smart, being the best big sister already. We've got a son on the way who we can't wait to dote on and see grow into the boy and man he'll become. I am so lucky, and I will never take for grant the life that I have. I will spend the rest of my life, making sure that my family are happy and healthy.

Lizzie has been taking great care of us and I must admit, it's been nice having her around whilst Scarlett's away. I'm at 29 weeks and our baby is the size of a butternut squash and my bump is at least double the size of that! I can't believe how big I'm getting, especially compared to when I had Ava. It means that I'm starting to struggle with some simple things.

For example, it's becoming more difficult to not only tie Ava's shoes but my own too. With my back ache, I don't like being on my feet too long, so Lizzie has helped me clean and make sure the house is order. Ava has also helped a lot and makes sure that she tidies up after herself and her toys are always put away when she's done.

I'm swimming more as it's really helping with my aching body. It gives me relief for a short while and I love being outside. Though Lizzie has banned me for doing that whilst she's out after a little accident. I may have fallen asleep floating in the water one time and when she came home she panicked seeing my still body in the water. Thinking I was dead, she cried out which startled me so much I ended up dropping under the water and swallowing far too much water. Lizzie then jumped in the pool fully clothed to "save me." It's funny when I look back on it now, but Lizzie doesn't see it that way.