Every Breath She Takes [CURRENTLY ON HOLD]

Chapter 21: Time Flies

All three of them grew quickly, and the twins kept us all on our toes. I called Nanna and Grandpa as soon as I could, telling them the good news. As expected, they were over the moon, and flew over to pay a visit. Cam couldn’t get enough of them, trailing them everywhere. The twins weren’t yet crawling at that point, but they had numerous games of pass-the-baby. To my relief, Mrs Trump came back, helping me out in the bookshop until the twins were at day-care. Cam began school, and he loved it, always racing home to the bookstore to tell me how his day had been. I loved to listen to his accounts, and more often than not, he had a drawing of something that had happened. Even at the age of five, he had talent. The walls of his room became covered in his drawings, and we could all see the progress he’d made. Jack wrote another bestseller, the one with the red head main character, and I was relieved to find that there was nothing in it suggesting anything about me. I knew that he wouldn’t, but it was still a relief. Again, we expanded the house, and I was glad that he had bought the house on such a big lot. It gave the children plenty of room to run around and get messy, and I often just stood at the back door, listening to their laughter.

Mark grew into a heartbreakingly handsome little boy. He had Jack’s dark hair and my grey eyes, and a smile that melted hearts. Not many people saw his deeply sensitive side, because he only kept that for his family. I knew that when he got into high school, there could be trouble. Emma, too, grew beautiful. Her hair was more blonde than mine, but in the sun, the red was obvious to all. She had inherited Jack’s dark blue eyes, and her cheeky nature sometimes rivalled Cam’s. As Cam grew older, he began to spend more time in his room, reading and drawing. Often, I would go past late at night to find him still up, engrossed in his latest book. It wasn’t until we bought him his own puppy that he got outside more, and his laughter became common about the house, as did the puppy’s muddy footprints. I never minded. As long as my family was happy, they could do what they wanted.

A few weeks after Cam’s eighth birthday, I lay wakeful. Jack had yet to come to bed. He was in the middle of a particularly gripping scene in his latest book, and wanted to finish it. It didn’t bother me. I knew he would come when he was finished. After a while, though, I grew uncomfortable, and rose, crossing to the window. The night sky was hidden from view by dark clouds, heavy with the threat of snow. I leant against the window sill, knowing that snow would come soon. It would be a wonderful winter, I could tell. I heard a sound behind me, and turned my head to see Jack coming in. I smiled at him.

“Finished?”

He jumped, startled. Clearly, he hadn’t seen me. He came over to me, sliding his arms around my waist. “Why aren’t you in bed, darling?” His voice tickled my ear, and I leant back into him.

“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I couldn’t sleep. Did you finish?”

He nodded, and moved away to get undressed. I watched him, liking the way the fleeting moonlight played on his body.

“Is everything alright?”

He grinned at me. “Not for a few of them,” he said quietly. Cam was in the room next to us, and neither of wanted to wake him. “They’re in for a bit of trouble.”

I smiled, and walked over to him. He gathered me in close, kissing his way down my neck. “So beautiful,” he murmured, and I shivered, goosebumps rippling over my skin. I pulled away, and drew him over to the bed, wanting his warmth.

Later, I snuggled in close to him, and took his hand. Moving slowly, I placed it on my stomach, hoping he would remember. He did, and held me close.

“You’re sure?” he murmured.

I nodded. “Yes,” I replied. “Two and a half months.”

His hug was as fierce as his kiss, and I found myself responding in kind. When we paused for breath, I brushed his hair away from his face.

“I love you, Jack,” I murmured.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he replied, just as softly. He kissed me again, gently, and I melted against him. I closed my eyes as his lips moved down my throat, enjoying the sensation. Nothing had changed between us, and I hoped that nothing ever would.