Silver Lining

twenty nine.

CW: conversations and slight details of suicide and mental health problems. if you wish to skip this chapter, I will happily send you an overview of the chapter. 

Nathan Fields.

When my eyes flicker open, I'm greeted with the sharp, burning pain in my left shoulder that I've become quite familiar with in the past three days.

Eventually, the sharp pain will dull into a subtle ache, but unfortunately, for now, until I recover more, I won't get that pleasure.

"You okay, baby?" Iris mumbles in a sleepy daze.

"Just sore, don't you worry," I clench my jaw as I sit up in bed, "The girls will be home in an hour, I'm going to run the bath; would you like to join me?"

"I, um, yeah," she blinks her eyes open, leaning on her elbow to lift herself, "Is there enough room?"

"More than enough; we could fit Bailey in there with us if he were here," I joke, knowing he would jump in without an invitation anyway.

"Oh, I'm so excited to have him back; it's been so weird without him and the girls."

"It has," I agree; the house doesn't feel the same.

"You stay in bed; I'll run the bath," she offers, going to stand, but I shake my head.

"I may need assistance getting into it, but I'm more than capable of turning on the tap," I assure her before adding, "And unless you can pee for me, I need to go in there anyway."

She sits back against the headboard, putting her hand on her bump with a sigh, "I look like a balloon."

"You do not; you look incredible," I insist, putting my hand beside hers, "Good morning, babies."

Within seconds, I feel a kick against my hand coming from baby A in Iris' lower bump, which makes her giggle, "This baby particularly loves you, they always kick when you speak to them. Baby B however is still asleep, I think."

"Lazy baby," I hum, rubbing over the top of her bump, receiving nothing in response, "So stubborn."

"Go run the bath for us, I need to pee too," she looks up at me, batting her lashes, "You love me."

"I do," I quickly peck her lips before finally getting out of bed, clenching my jaw at the radiating pain throughout my shoulder.

Fingers crossed I should be healed by the time the twins make their appearance, so I'm able to help Iris with them how a father should. For now, I have to cope with a needy toddler who's reliant on me and isn't going to understand that daddy can't pick her up, nor can Iris because of the babies. I've been mentally preparing for the tantrums since the second I got injured.

Once I've peed, I twist the tap and the water begins to fill, slowly but surely. My bathtub is without a doubt my favourite thing about this house. Due to the high-intensity sport I play, lying in a bath after a game is a necessity. There are different jet settings that I usually play around with, but because Iris is joining me, we need to have it plain and simple to keep her safe.

"I still can't believe you never showed me in here; not only do you have a double closet, but you have two sinks in here, as well as a hot tub," Iris walks into the bathroom, and I laugh, turning in her direction as she takes a seat on the toilet.

"I can only apologise," I should have shown her in here sooner, but despite what she promised, she wasn't at all ready at the beginning.

My girl spooks like a horse, but I have the most patience in the world, especially when it comes to her.