'Mammy where am I going?' Caden asked as he clutched Cheryl's hand in his own as they stepped off the stairs and walked through the hall, he mentally noted that he'd got ready to go out but Cheryl was still only clad in a small pair of leopard print pyjamas with a pair of old mismatching pink fluffy slippers stuffed on her feet.
'You're going to the zoo with daddy,' she informed him with an incredibly false smile that she knew he wouldn't see as fake, eager for him to spend time with his dad and appreciate it how he should as well as ensuring that Ashley would follow through with their agreement. A small frown spread across Caden's face as he stared upwards at Cheryl,
'Why not you?' He questioned, tugging downwards on her hand, demanding a fast response as they approached the kitchen where Ashley was leant against a kitchen work surface.
'Because you need to spend some time with your dad and you like the zoo, you'll see the big animals.' Cheryl encouraged him and released his hand to allow him to go towards Ashley as she opened the cupboard and observed the cereals that were on offer for her breakfast, avoiding Ashley's eye contact at all available costs as the justified nerves trembled throughout her. Caden shook himself out of the cuddling clinch that Ashley had grabbed him into and glanced upwards at one of the shelves before pointing towards it. Ashley followed his fingers direction to a lollipop and smirked,
'What do you say if you want one?' He quizzed, desperately trying to impress Cheryl as he knew she would be intently listening and judging his parenting skills as she pretended to root through the cupboard. Caden shuffled from one foot to the other slightly as he thought carefully about his words before breaking into a heart-warming grin,
'Can you pass us me lolly please daddy?' He asked as Cheryl walked behind him and ruffled her hand in his hair,
'Good boy,' she muttered lightly as she made her way to the fridge to retrieve the milk to go with the cereal. Ashley furrowed his brow heavily and scoffed,
'Cheryl! Don't praise him for saying that. Us and me is hardly valuable English skills, he's not in Newcastle now you know.' He spat and Cheryl spun around back to face him and shook her head at him in disgust,
'Ashley. He's three; he's going to copy his Mam.' She defended and threw a glance downwards to where Caden was clambering at Ashley's legs, his set expression showing his true confusion at what he had done wrong as Ashley repeated the word 'no' to him. Cheryl spun away from Ashley so that she had her back turned to him and busied herself tearing open a letter that had arrived in the morning mail a few minutes earlier and allowing herself to scan over it quickly. Cheryl blocked out the sound of Caden's whines as Ashley repeatedly told him no, she breathed deeply as she heard Caden let out a small whimper as he stamped his feet in protest, her heart telling her to intervene but her head deciding for her that she needed to allow his father to have some control, knowing it would also be for the best if she had as little communication with Ashley as possible. Her eyes skimmed further down the letter before she tossed it to the side and picked up another, seeing Simon out the corner of her eye and smiling slightly, finally happy that she had some form of back up for the argument that was undoubtedly brewing within the suddenly tense atmosphere. Ashley shot a disgusted look towards Simon before being snapped back to reality as Caden tugged gently on the bottom of his shirt as his bottom lip quivered,
'Daddy, lolly!' He murmured, his eyes filling up as he flashed his gaze from Ashley, to Cheryl, to Simon who was now leaning against the doorframe, confused as to who he should ask. Ashley looked down with a frustrated groan and batted Caden's hands away from him as he frowned at his young son,
'I said no.' He harshly stated as Cheryl let out a loud sigh and brushed her hand through her tangled hair as she spooned sugar into a mug of coffee, deciding it was too early for tantrums. She spun around as she heard Caden begin to cry and watched him run a few metres to where Simon was observing and raise his arms up to him. Simon glimpsed at Cheryl as though asking permission if he was right to comfort him and she gave him a brief nod with a lift of her shoulders before sending a glare in the direction of her soon to be ex-husband.
'Don't look at me like that. You do it on purpose Cheryl. Just to make sure he's nothing like me.' Ashley argued and Cheryl rolled her eyes in disbelief at his ludicrous accusations,
'Ashley do you know nothing about children? He's going to copy the way I speak.' She informed, turning slightly to the side and stirring a teaspoon in circular motions around her cup to avoid the confrontation that Ashley was demanding. She carefully peered over at Simon who had Caden balanced under one arm as he lifted the lollipop off the side.
'What lollipop did you want?' Simon asked as he closed his palm, containing the lollipop in his hand so that it was out of view and Caden laughed loudly,
'The one in your hand silly!' Simon gave him a playful scowl and showed him his other empty hand,
'No, I don't have anything in my hand?' He jested further as Caden grasped his closed fingers and tried to prise them open, a pout equal to his mothers beginning to form as Simon refused to give in, a smile attached to his face. Caden pawed at his hand once more before emitting a frustrated squeal and looking over Simon's shoulder for Cheryl,
'Mammy!' He whined and Cheryl dropped her hold on her teaspoon, allowing it to fall into her mug with a clatter as coffee over spilled the mug and she slammed her hand on the top of the work surface,
'For ...' she trailed off and exhaled deeply before raising a hand to her forehead and rubbing it softly, 'just give him the lolly.' She instructed as she gestured blindly towards them and watched as Simon released the lollipop from his closed fist and set Caden on the floor with his lollipop, ordering him gently to go and find his shoes.
'Ashley just take him to the zoo please.' Cheryl told him, a strict no-nonsense tone airing over her voice as she took her mug of coffee in her hands and wrapped her fingers around the heat.
'Well I doubt he even wants to go anywhere with me now, he's going to be in a foul mood all day.' Ashley complained and Cheryl squinted at him slightly before shaking her head,
'And that's my fault why?' She demanded, lifting her steaming mug to her lips and softly blowing over it before daring to take a sip of the hot liquid, quickly moving it away from her lips afterwards and flicking her freshly scolded tongue as Ashley threw his hands in the air in exasperation.
'I swear you plan this to happen just to make me look like the bad guy and 'Uncle Simon' over there to look like Dad of the *Ducking* year.' Ashley argued his voice rising in several levels of volume as Cheryl frowned at him and shrugged her shoulders, attempting not to rise to the argument that was hanging in the atmosphere.
'Ashley. Come on you know that's not true, you're his dad not Simon. Even if I wish it wasn't that way sometimes.' Cheryl shot back, replacing her mug on the kitchen counter and folding her arms across her chest protectively,
'Oh thanks a *Ducking* lot and here I am like the stupid twat I am, taking him to the zoo. Why do I bother?' Ashley shouted, stepping closer to Cheryl as she did the same instinctively, instantly forgetting the previous night's drama and briefly glanced him up and down as the distance between them decreased.
'You bother because you're meant to be his father.' Cheryl replied, her tone and volume mirroring his, unaware of Simon coming closer and protectively stepping across her slightly, his hand resting above her hip under the hem of her pyjama top and stroked his fingers across her exposed flesh unconsciously. His fierce glare firing back towards Ashley,
'I think it's time to go to the zoo don't you?' Simon told him, his firm control becoming apparent as Cheryl loosely placed her opposite hand over his that was resting on her body before Simon turned and gave her a brief smile. Giving her the silent support that required no words that she needed as his instinctive protectiveness made an appearance, which for once, Cheryl was grateful for.
'For god's sake. Get off my wife. Look at you, looking her up and down like some kind of lion looks at a piece of meat. It's revolting.' Ashley spat harshly, his disgusted gaze skimming over them both as jealousy countered his other rational emotions and Simon twitched his eyebrow at him slightly, completely undisturbed by his comments.
'I think you'll find she's only your wife in the eyes of the law and even that isn't for very long. Emotionally and physically she's not been your wife for a long time.' Simon calmly responded, feeling Cheryl giving his hand a gentle yet grateful squeeze that only further massaged his ego as he knew he was winning the argument. A smug smile appearing across his face as Caden returned to the room, his shoes firmly on.
'Mammy look! I did it all by me on the right toes!' He announced, a wide beaming smile being sent towards Cheryl who responded with a large and proud smile herself,
'Well done baby, you ready to go then?' Cheryl praised, flicking a quick look towards Ashley who remained silent as Caden nodded in agreement, 'you best be off then.' Cheryl told Ashley whilst sending a false and friendly smile his way for the sake of their son. He nodded his head in a sharp agreement and took Caden's hand in his own, leading him before him out of the kitchen before swiftly glancing backwards,
'Have fun alone.' He shouted back through from the hallway as Cheryl rolled her eyes,
'Thanks mate,' Simon replied, his voice raised to ensure that he would be heard as he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her closer to him and listened as the front door slammed shut.
Cheryl smirked slightly in an appreciative manner, 'you shouldn't wind him up like that.'
Simon shrugged, 'he deserves it after the way he made you last night. Anyway it's something to do in a morning isn't it?' He replied, a wink flitting across his face as she giggled slightly and leant her head against him in exhaustion after barely only an hour of being awake. 'But it's not the only thing we could be doing in a morning,' Simon hinted indiscreetly, running his hand up the back of her top and rubbing the coolness of his hand against the contrasting heat of her spine, forcing her to wriggle uncomfortably against him yet remaining to be unable to break away from him.
'Simon, don't. I have to be in the recording studio in...' She turned her head to the side and peered at the large clock hung on the wall, 'under an hour.' Cheryl leant forwards and briefly pecked her lips against his and pulled away, disallowing him to get carried away as his already adventurous hands tickled rhythmically against her waist. She grasped his wrists and pulled them away from her, holding them so that they were outwards and giggling softly as she rested her head back against his chest, ensuring that his hands were firmly away from her. He chuckled gently as he nudged her head playfully with his chin, realising that his hands had to stay out of reach.
'Well I have about five hours, you could share my bath?' He offered, a cheeky grin firmly in place as she released his hands and stepped back slightly from him, waving her hands animatedly across her body and gesturing towards him,
'No Simon! I don't have time.' Cheryl insisted, prodding him backwards on his chest playfully with her index finger,
'It has bubbles.' He teased, regaining his close proximity to her and replacing one of his hands on her upper arm and allowing the other to drop lower and trace the lines along her tattooed thigh as he widened his broad gleaming smile ever further in her direction as she shook her head and closed the remaining distance between them that she had previously created. He watched as she sank her teeth into her lower lip and could tell that she was highly tempted by his offer; he pressed his lips against her forehead, attempting to seal the deal but sighed as she snapped back to reality and shook her head,
'No I'm already late.' She declared and a small smile curled at her lips as Simon pouted in a childlike fashion as his final attempt to make her change her mind. She met his pout with a soft press of her own lips and rested an arm across his shoulder, allowing her fingertips to run along the back of his neck.
'I'm sorry,' she apologised with a bat of her eyelashes and an angelic smile that he couldn't bear to pretend to be angry with. 'When you get in I'll make sure Caden's fast asleep and you can show me this bubble bath?' She offered as he shrugged and pulled away from her,
'Well if you don't want me now...' He trailed off as she creased her forehead and leapt back towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle as he laughed,
'No I do want you, I just can't.' She explained, unknowing of his stifled laughter as she snuggled her head into him, he ruffled the top of her hair in his hand and let out a spluttering laugh,
'I know you want me. When do you not?' He taunted, a smug smirk gracing his features as she thumped his chest lightly with her fist and pulled away out of his grip,
'I'm still not getting in your bath.' She joked with an airy laugh as she made a quick and sauntering exit from the kitchen after grabbing her mug off the kitchen counter.
