Behind The Church

XL

Kate

I'm starting to think that seeing Christina a few days ago was a mistake. I'm going through a withdrawal. A Christina withdrawal.

I miss her so much. Her touch, her smell, the sound of her laugh and the sight of her smile. I miss sleeping next to her and her arms around me. I feel like I've lost everything, when I know that's not true because I still have my kids. But I'm not complete because I need Christina to function properly. The kids can't function without her.

We need her.

So naturally, Ruth has been misbehaving and it's causing Zoey to act out too. They refuse to get dressed when I tell them to and they've started answering back. A lot. It shocked me the first time because I'm used to them being little angles, and now there is a whole box of cereal on the floor because Zoey climbed up on the counter and threw it across the room.

"Zoey!" I whine, simply because I am so done, "Why?" I shrug at her.

She shrugs back, "I don't like this cereal."

"Well, tell me that instead of throwing it across the room."

She shrugs again and jumps off of the counter. Probably to cause havoc somewhere else.

I sigh as I begin to clean it up. It's exhausting. I'm tired and frustrated. And I'm upset. They're not normally like this.

I'm just so done. But I can't be done because I need to look after my kids.

As I finish sweeping, I hear laughter coming from Esther and Marley's room. It sounds like Ruth. As long as she's occupied.

I sit at the breakfast bar and hold my head in my hands.

It's been hard without Christina. She's my everything. I can barely function without her. I miss her so much.

I hear a car door slam outside. Probably the neighbours.

I've been tossing and turning all night because Christina is not here. It's torture.

I am so confused when the front door opens. My head lifts from my hands and I meet the eyes of a blonde that I've been dying to see.

A smile instantly takes my face as I rush off of the stool to greet Christina. I wrap my arms around her neck as her's go around my waist.

"I missed you so much!" I laugh-cry into her shoulder.

"I missed you, too." she says back, squeezing me tight in her hold.

"Oh my god. I can't believe you're home." I pull back and wipe my tears.

"It was a surprise for me, too." she grinned as her hands hold my cheeks. She brings me closer to take my lips in hers. I savour the taste while it lasts.

Eventually, we pull away and just look at each other. So much joy and love flowing between us.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

I pull her back in for a kiss. This time, more desperate and aggressive. Tongue included. But she pulls away for air and nuzzles her face into my neck. I feel her inhale deeply and groan.

"I missed your smell."

I do the same back before replying, "I missed yours, too."

"Where are the kids?" she asks, pulling away again.

"Ruth is with Esther and Marley and Zoey is probably downstairs." I shrug.

"Okay, I'm gonna summon them." she chuckles.

"Wait, before you do." I say, before I pull her back in for a kiss, "Okay, now you can summon them."

She nods and calls the girls. Ruth came bounding out of Esther's room and Zoey scrambled up the stairs in a heartbeat.

"Mama!" they both shriek. They both tackle her legs in a hug and Christina bends down to hug their little bodies to her.

"Hey, babies." she chuckles. "Have you been good for your Mom?"

Ah, that question.

"Yeah!" Ruth answered.

"No!" Zoey countered.

"What?" Tina questioned.

"We weren't good because we missed you." Zoey mumbled.

"What did you do that wasn't good?"

Zoey will definatley be honest. So, I watch Ruth's face drop as Zoey spills the beans on every little piece of havoc they caused. Tina seemed to grow more concerned by the second. She knows that this wasn't how they were raised. She raised them herself.

"You need to apologise to your Mommy. Now." My fiancé grits. The girls look upset and disappointed.

Zoey came to me first. She wrapped me in a hug and kissed me.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm so sorry." she apologised.

"It's okay baby. I know that you were frustrated and upset that Mama wasn't home." I say.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Ruth came over and essentially did the same thing. I hugged and kissed her and now that we were all okay again, we cuddled on the sofa as Esther and Marley came out.

"Oh my god." Esther grinned. She then joined in on the hug, followed by Marley.

Eventually, everyone in the house was cuddled up on the sofa together, one happy family again.