Capturing Ella

Chapter 57 - Joe

There's your Pepsi,' I whispered, putting down the glass with a straw on the table next to the settee where Ella sat, legs drawn out to the side as she frowned at the TV. 'What exactly are you watching?' I asked, flicking her legs so I could sit down beside her.

'EastEnders – everyone should be in a psychiatric hospital by now.' She simply said, switching the channel to the news. Ella only ever watched the news to see if there was any interesting news reports that would file threw but currently nothing. The time of day meant it was the business section of the news report and we were just watching some shiny faced man reading out the stock reports and what companies made a profit and which ones didn't. 'We mentioned about discussing everything through now?'

'Yeah,' I said, 'I think the main question is where we are going to live. Here or in Colorado?'

'Who said we are even going to live together,' Ella grinned at me avoiding the question.

'If we're not living together, I am very confused about the current living arrangements. And what happened last night, too.' I joked and she rolled her eyes at me.

'I'm not too sure, Joe. I don't want to leave all my family in Colorado. Apart from you and Michael, they're all I have. But I don't want to leave here either and make you leave your family either and we've already settled down here. We'd have to move again, sure, but this is already our home.' She simply explained, her hand running up around down my knee.

'Well, what would be the pro's about staying in Wrickenridge or whatever the hell it was you grew up. In the middle of nowhere. What's the pro's of living in a mountain?' I said and she laughed.

'Jeez, say that when we go there in two weeks and you'd get murdered. Well, it's where I grew up and it's a lovely place, and it's quite small and deserted and my family are there.' Ella explained.

'And what would be the pro's of staying here.'

'Well we could keep our jobs at Maui and we'd be with your family, we wouldn't get snowed in every winter for like 19 weeks and it's better schooling over here and our baby won't grow up calling me Mom which I'd hate entirely and Michael would be here as well. Also if we stay here we'd get free flights to Colorado to visit a lot more than we would vice versa and I think I do want to stay over here... I just don't want to break everyone's hearts family wise by saying I'm flying the nest and then flying the pond and they would hardly ever see their niece or granddaughter.' She explained and I noticed she was tearing up.

'What do you mean they'd hardly ever see their niece slash granddaughter? We'd go over there every few months to visit, and when we get sent out there to work with the FBI we'd of course take the baby with us and you already said everyone comes over to England to visit and work with Maui when they need too. They'd see the baby – and you too - a lot more than you think they would.' I explained to her, my hand playing with her hair.

'Yeah, I guess,' She mumbled. 'I just don't want to upset anyone.'

'You won't upset anyone, hun.' I said to her, putting my arm around her as she leaned into me. 'So you want to stay over here – in England?'

'Yeah, I've always wanted to move back here but I've never knew how to go about it. Maui already wants to take me on full time which we could probably use as well, and now I have the perfect excuse to stay. You,' She whispered and I kissed her gently. 'Still can't get over the ultrasound, though.'

'It's unreal like... that's our kid.' She developed further as I continued to look at her in slight amazement.

'Yeah, it's our baby.' I repeated gently, hugging her tightly as the buzzer rang to our flat. I frowned at her. We weren't expecting anyone but had yet to get changed into night time clothes and were still in jeans and thin shirts as the temperature had increased during the day. I got up and picked up the telecom to the outside panel where someone was ringing the buzzer.