Love story

31

"I can't believe you're moving Spence! what are we going to do without you!?" Aria smiled folding one of my blazers and putting it into a big cardboard box. The girls had come over to help me pack, I'd packed away all of Poppy's stuff during the week whilst she was at the childminders and Toby had packed all of his things the night before.

"You girls hungry?" Toby poked his head round the door, and Poppy ran into the room. She jumped on to my lap and I hugged her tight.
"I'm alright at the moment, we're going out for lunch," I looked down at my watch, "Actually we better get going!" I said, jumping up, "and you," I touched the tip of Poppy's pink nose "you're gonna go to the park with daddy today,"
Poppy cheered and ran out of the room.

Lunch was great, it was so nice to have a long chat with the four girls who mean the most in the world to me. We laughed, a lot, and then we cried a lot too. Reminiscing over the last 15 years was hilarious, but also painful and my heart ached at the thought of not seeing those girls every day.

When we got back to the house Toby had loaded up the car and there were two removal vans parked outside of our house. I looked at mine and Toby's empty house, tears prickled in my eyes and, sensing my upset, Aria wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug.
"Boy are we going to miss you Spence!" Hanna smiled, and all four of them enclosed me in a comforting, friendly group hug.

"Mummy come on, we're going!" I heard Poppy's high pitched voice from across the garden,
"Call us when you get there," Ali smiled, I nodded.

Then I walked into mine and Toby's small, terraced house for one last time. I entered through the front door and went into the kitchen. I ran my finger along the bare kitchen counter, remembering all of those times when I'd woken up to Toby standing there holding a delicious homemade breakfast, I could almost smell the fresh bacon and eggs. I walked up the stairs and remembered the time when Toby carried me up them on our wedding night. Then, I walked into our bedroom and stood in the spot where Toby proposed to me. I just had to close my eyes and I could see the candlelight message, and Toby down on one knee beside me. Finally, I walked into Poppy's room remembering the first time we brought her home from the hospital and all of the times I'd sat there with her in the early hours of the morning after she'd had a nightmare. I ran my fingers along the pale pink walls. I felt the soft white carpet on my bare feet. I sat down, my back against the wall. Hot salty tears burned in my eyes.

I heard someone shouting my name, then I heard footsteps.
"Spencer," I heard a surprised and concerned whisper coming from the doorway and I felt someone sit down next to me and put their arm around me, "shhhhh," they said, rocking me back and forth gently, "Please don't cry Spence, I can't bear to see you like this." I felt their tears on the top of my head.

Toby.

"I love you Spencer," He said, again and again. I felt safe in his arms and my tears slowly subsided. "Spencer I had no idea how upset you were about this," his voice was shaking, "I'm so sorry. Let's call off the move. Let's call it off. Spencer I can't bear it when you're this upset, I just can't." I shook my head and looked into his cornflour blue eyes,
"I can do this Toby. We can do this." We stood up, his fingers laced in mine, and we walked down the stairs together and out into the front garden where all of our friends were standing, Caleb and Ezra had made a 'Bon voyage' banner which they were holding above their heads. We climbed into the car where Poppy was waiting and rolled down the windows to wave at all of the people who had come to say goodbye.

I looked at Toby and then out of the window onto the road.
"Let's do this," I breathed, and Toby started the engine.