In Waves -Book 3

Chapter 28 - 4.0

It feels like it took forever to get here, and it was oddly underwhelming when I awoke that day I turned 40.

Maybe it was because I had anticipated a much different time than this, or maybe I just daydreamed through my horror story of life during all my trauma and hoped I would have the two-point-four children and the doting husband and maybe some dumb slightly clumsy dog that would trip me up in the morning.

My mind always flew back each time to my 35th birthday, when I was happy in his arms in the back of a van, my bones were broken but in his arm, I felt whole. I didn't know at that point, that we were just weeks away from creating Aera, nor did I notice at that time that the depth of love I had for him meant we didn't even notice we didn't stop for protection because I was just so love drunk on him.

I was hopeful back then that we would beat all the evil, we would outrun it and we would grow old together in London like we planned.

But fate and evil had other ideas and I lost everything and almost lost me.

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'I swear I can hear you in my head baby' I said softly looking at his picture and hearing him whisper 'old lady' in my ear and I would fall into his arms laughing.

'I wish you were here, same as every year, but I am trying baby, I am trying to survive...one of us has to' I spoke softly and lightly smiled, trying to remember the sensation of his fingers on my skin and the safeness I felt.

But as always the morning was going to be broken by the pitter patter of feet flying down the hallway.

'SUUUPPPPPPRRRRRRIIIIISSSSEEEEE' A chorus of voices bellowed through my door causing me to half scream my soul out.

'HOLY....SHHHH...........Um....' I yelled stopping mid-sentence when I saw my fluffy bed-headed little girl looking at me and I didn't want to tarnish her ears with my language this early in the morning.

'What the .....what are you doing here?' I said to everyone gathered in my bedroom doorway.

'Oh come on you are only 40 once !' Charlie snorted holding pink balloons in one hand and some noise-making contraption in the other.

'And that means everyone needs to be in my bedroom right now ?' I laughed, trying to find my composure which I am sure had slid under the bed at this point.

'Well it was Charlie's Idea' Hobi's smiley face popped up and had Yuki in his arms complete with a pink party hat, and that just melted my heart, I mean dogs in hats, come on!

'And I am guessing Ella let you all in!' I said peeking through and seeing Ella laughing behind everyone.

'Go and give them to Mama Gracey Bella' Ella said as she guided Aera through Hobi, Charlie, Yuki, and a mass of party apparatus and it was then I saw, that smile, the same one that smiled and held me as I cried, one of absolute love.

A smile on my daughter's face as she tried to carry a bunch of flowers that rivaled her size and put her slightly off balance.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!' Aera beamed, her cheeks rosy, her hair in all directions, and those beautiful opals she inherited from her Father, just staring at me.

'Oh baby thank you so much' I said as I lifted her and the flowers onto my bed and just hugged the crap out of her and listened to her giggle as she got comfy and sat at my side.

'Oh Hi!' I jumped as I saw a fluffy nose at the side of my bed.

'Mama Yuki wanted to surprise you too!' Aera giggled watching this fluffy ping pong ball with legs just bouncing with excitement hopping up and down beside us.