Generations: The Long Game

And So It Begins

Reece stood in the kitchen of the restaurant staring at the worktop in front of him. His mind had been elsewhere all morning, and he was trying to remember what he had intended to do next. He slapped his palm to his forehead before pulling a tray of vegetables from the fridge. As he started slicing carrots, he heard her heels clicking against the tile floor. "Siobhan?" He didn't look up from his work. He knew by the tone of her voice when she called him that this wasn't meant to be a social visit.

Her petite figure barely gave away that she had a baby just months ago as she stood in the doorway of his kitchen with her hands on her hips. "Reece, I am coming to get Marjorie and take her out tomorrow." His head snapped up. "Siobhan she isn't ready. She hasn't got the strength. She pushes through when we go out for an hour with the children, but you don't know how much it really takes out of her. What if something happened? You wouldn't be strong enough to help her up let alone if you had to carry her. You've just had a baby! What about CJ? She is so young, she still needs so much of your attention, but Marjorie would as well. How would you make that choice if CJ were crying and something were to happen to Marjorie? I cannot allow it."

Her eyes went wide as she moved closer to the blond. As he towered over her, she looked directly at him not wavering for a second. "You cannot allow it? Allow it, Reece? You do know she is a grown woman, right?" He looked at her sheepishly. "That isn't what I meant, and you know it. She just isn't ready. I couldn't protect her from the cancer, but I will be damned if I don't do everything in my power to protect her now." She looked at him with a sad determination in her eyes. "Reece you have to let go at some point. You're smothering her. She can't breathe in that damn house all day everyday." His eyes went wide. She saw the recognition. "She wants to go out. She wants to spend time with CJ. We are going out tomorrow. I will be there to pick her up at ten in the morning." He nodded in understanding. "Okay. Okay, alright. We will see you tomorrow. He turned his attention back to the carrots. She stood there for a few moments watching him before turning to leave. As she reached the doorway, she turned back to face him. "I wouldn't let anything happen to her Reece." As she turned and walked out the door, he looked up and stared at the spot where she had just stood. He picked up his phone and tapped in a message before hitting send.

Mia, Aut the Goblin
Brunch tomorrow at mine? 11AM I'll cook.

He woke to an empty bed. He rubbed his eyes as his senses came alive. The en suite shower was running. Just as he sat at the edge of the bed, he heard the tap stop. Moments later she emerged in her robe with a towel still wrapped around her head. "Good morning my love. How did you sleep?" She was in high spirits, and he couldn't help but smile as she moved around their room. "Good morning Gorgeous. You're up early. Excited about your day out?" He knew she was. He had been quite unsettled all night and only managed to pass out a few hours before. "I really am. We are going to try that new place in town. They are supposed to have amazing waffles. I am not sure either of us will be impressed after how you and Mia have spoiled us but is worth a try with all the hype they've received."

She couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she finished her makeup at the vanity and finally let her hair down from the towel. "I thought about bringing Rory along as well, but I knew you would worry. Do you have anything planned while I'm gone?" He looked away as he pulled the jumper over his head. "Nothing much. Just a relaxing Saturday with the kids, I think. Aut and Mia might stop by later just to get away from it all. I think they are going somewhere after." He hoped that sounded as casual as he had meant it to. She didn't seem to suspect anything as she sat at the end of their bed and slipped on her flats.

He scooched himself up alongside her before placing a kiss on her lips. "I'm going to go check on the kids. Meet you downstairs?" She nodded as he walked out the doorway and turned into the hallway. She checked herself one more time in the mirror before descending the stairs. Emery's blond curls bounced as he made a beeline for her. "Mummy!" She lifted him and placed him on her hip as she made her way into the kitchen.

"He was in the foyer again. There really is no keeping him in the kitchen with us anymore." He looked over as she was securing the little boy in his highchair. "He was probably just looking for you. We may have to change the hinges, so they don't swing. I'll research it." He looked up just in time to see the smile spread across her face. "What?" She crossed the room to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. As he bent to kiss her the doorbell sounded. "That will be Siobhan. I'm off." She stopped to kiss both children on the head and grabbed her bag before stopping in the foyer to put her coat on.

As she settled into the passenger seat, she couldn't help but notice how the blond was smiling. "What?" Siobhan turned away and fastened her own seatbelt. "A few months ago, I thought we'd never have another day like this again. You look good. Much better than you did at Christmas and New Years. You look almost like ... you."

As they settled at the table and made their orders, Marjorie somewhat impatiently waited for CJ to wake. They chatted easily as they waited. Once their waffles came CJ woke. Siobhan whisked her away for a change. When she returned she placed the little blond right into the brunette's arms. Marjorie took in the little girl. She had her mother's ocean blue eyes, but her blonde hair was closer to Reece's than Siobhan's and smelled of lavender. "She didn't really have a chance with this blond hair, did she?" Siobhan smiled and shook her head. "She is already getting so big. I've missed out on so much already." She played with the baby a little while longer before setting her on her lap and resuming her meal. Siobhan looked up and then back down at her plate. Her gaze returning to Marjorie a few more times before she spoke. "Jorie I am just glad you didn't miss the whole thing. Her whole life. They kept telling us that you could hear us but..." She trailed off not wanting to say more.

"I heard you. I heard all of you. I wanted more too, Shib. More time. More friendship. Just more. I didn't want you to have to tell her about me and I didn't want to miss this." She leant down to kiss the little girls head. "I'm here now. Let's just make the most of it. I did hear that you helped out at the nursery a few times. That must have been odd after all these years." The blonde chuckled. "I suppose it was a bit odd. How about you? When do you think you might go back?"

Marjorie stared blankly for a few moments leaving Siobhan unsure of what she was thinking. "I think I would like to go back soon, but I still have some more work to do. Maybe early March. Easing Reece into it might be harder than preparing myself to go back. Sorscha will be graduating soon there after it would be nice to have a few more months with her. Maybe choose a new deputy together. I would love to bring Winter in but he is content to stay in the rooms. It will be interesting to see what a newcomer might bring to the table. We haven't really had one in a while."

They continued to chat animatedly throughout the rest of their meal. As they moved to leave Siobhan's phone buzzed and the screen illuminated. "Can you keep her out a little longer. I will explain later. - R" She rolled her eyes and followed behind Marjorie. She had no idea what he was up to, but after the fuss he gave her yesterday he was definitely going to be explaining later.