Chenford discovering love

Family of 4

Lucy's first day back at the precinct had been a whirlwind, filled with catching up on cases and adjusting to her routine after months on maternity leave. Though she missed Liv and baby Harry terribly, she felt a familiar sense of purpose being back at work. By the end of her shift, she could hardly wait to pick them up and bring them home.

At the daycare, Lucy's heart swelled as she spotted Liv running toward her with arms wide open and Harry beaming from his caregiver's arms. She hugged Liv tight, then picked up Harry, balancing them both with ease only a mother could master. They chatted as they walked to the car, Lucy listening to Liv's stories about her day while gently soothing Harry's little noises.

During the drive home, Liv was a chatterbox, her words tumbling over each other as she recounted every little detail. Lucy tried to keep up, offering laughs and nods while glancing at Harry, who was blinking sleepily. As they pulled into the driveway, Lucy felt the warmth of coming home settle over her—she was finally back with her family.

Inside, Harry quickly started fussing, clearly hungry. Lucy settled onto the couch, holding Harry close as she began feeding him. Liv, full of energy and eager to keep her mum's attention, bounded over with a toy and a drawing she'd made at daycare.

"Mummy, look! Can we play now?" Liv waved the drawing excitedly, her wide eyes fixed on Lucy.

Lucy smiled gently, though she was focused on feeding Harry. "Just a minute, Liv. I need to feed Harry first, and then we can do something together, okay?"

But that wasn't what Liv wanted to hear. Her face fell, and frustration bubbled over quickly. She stomped her foot, her lower lip trembling. "No! I want you now, Mummy!" she shouted, her voice cracking with the beginnings of a tantrum.

Just then, Tim walked through the door, taking in the scene immediately. He dropped his bag, coming over with a calm, soothing presence. He knelt down to Liv's level, reaching out to her with a gentle smile.

"Hey, Livvy," he said softly. "Mummy's feeding Harry, but guess what? I'm here! Let's go play while Mummy finishes, okay?"

Liv just looked at him, her eyes red and her small fists clenched. She stomped her foot again, her voice rising as she cried, "I want Mummy!"

Lucy glanced over, giving Tim an understanding look, as if to say, I know it's hard, but thank you. Tim nodded, picking up Liv gently. She resisted at first but, eventually, let him carry her over to her toys, still sniffing and pouting. As Lucy started preparing tea in the kitchen, she could hear Tim gently coaxing Liv into a game.

Tim began building a tower with Liv's blocks, stacking them high. "Come on, Liv, can you help me make it even taller?" he asked, his voice playful.

Liv giggled, though her movements were clumsy, a sure sign that exhaustion was creeping in. She wobbled as she knelt down to pick up a block, her small hands fumbling as she tried to fit it on top of the tower. "I did it!" she exclaimed, though her words were slightly slurred.

Tim clapped, making a big show of her achievement. "You did! It's the biggest tower yet!"

Lucy watched them from the kitchen, smiling to herself as she poured boiling water into the teapot. She knew Liv was overtired, her body moving with a sluggish clumsiness, but Tim's patient attention was helping ease her down from the earlier tantrum. She looked over at Harry, now snoozing peacefully in his little rocker, his face serene.

Just as the tea was ready, Liv stumbled again, a little yawn escaping her. Tim caught her in his arms, chuckling. "Looks like someone's a bit tired."

Liv nodded, leaning against Tim, her eyes heavy. "Can we... read a story, Daddy?" she mumbled, her voice soft and sleepy.