Generations: The Long Game

Four Nights with the Knights - First Night

Reece was just arriving home from the restaurant when his phone rang. He looked at the display. Marjorie? "Hey, gorgeous, what's up? Well actually I am right outside the door. Okay, I'll run to the shop and be right back." The adjustment from one child to two children had been smooth sailing in some regards and quite the journey in others.

He pulled into the car park at the shop and meant to just run in quick for the nappies and maybe a few odds and ends that would make tonight's dinner a bit more exciting for Marjorie. In the month since Rory was born her appetite really hadn't returned and he was hoping to entice her.

He grabbed the nappies and everything he would need to make the chocolate tart that had become quite popular at the restaurant, and he was nearly out the door when he ran into Winter and Lili. Winter looked extremely frazzled, and Reece nearly zoomed right past them when Winter called out.

"Reece!"

He went into an entire story that Reece found hard to follow, but the gist of it was that Autumn was ill and she had sent him for the ginger they had used since they were children. It was more of a treat than medicine, but it helped to settle the stomach, and Autumn had always loved it.

"Look, Winter, you can't get them here. Let me take Lili home with me, and you head over to the little shop. It is around the corner from ours. When Autumn is feeling better, you can come and get Lili. That way you can just focus on Aut for right now. I will stop by and get some of her things on my way home."

Reece saw a look of relief wash over Winter's face as he took Lili from his arms and patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Wint, just go take care of Aut. Lili and Emery will have a blast." Truthfully, he wasn't sure how Marj was gonna feel when he brought another toddler home, but at least there was two of them to handle it, and he was all too aware of how his sister could be when she was ill.

He made the quick stop for Liliana's things and made it home nearly two hours after their phone call. He walked in cautiously.

She came around the corner from the lounge. "Where have you been, Reece! Oh, why do you have Lili?" He explained the situation, but she still looked puzzled. "You mean to tell me that a man who takes care of children all day long couldn't take care of one sick woman and one child?"

"Gorgeous, you are severely underestimating how Aut can be when she is sick, and she is pregnant to boot." To be fair, he realized she had probably never shown that side to Marjorie. He saw it when they were growing up and Winter would definitely get needy, sick Aut. In front of others she would behave differently.

He gave her a quick kiss and settled Lili with her cousin before heading to the kitchen. An hour later he emerged with their supper already plated up. He got Lili and Emery in their highchairs while Marjorie got Rory settled.

As they ate, they chatted about their days. She reminded him of Rory's one month checkup for tomorrow. He was barely listening because he was too focused on how she was moving her food around the plate but not really eating much.

"Reece!"

He looked up. "Sorry, gorgeous, I was just thinking. What did you say?"

"Are you going to call Mia and let her know she will have Liliana as well as Emery tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes, I will text her now. Are you ready for dessert?" She nodded and he pulled his phone out to write the text as he made his way back to the kitchen. When he returned, he slid a piece of the chocolate tart in front of her and watched as her eyes lit up. "I thought you might like a bit of a treat tonight."

She smiled back at him. "I love you, Reece." She could tell he was worried about something. He always furrowed his eyebrows a certain way when he was worried. "We're all okay, my love."

He wasn't as sure.