I Do...

Chapter 7

I looked over at the alarm clock; six o’clock. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I hadn’t been able to sleep all night; between Pash whining and Liam snoring. I might as well get up and start tidying up I thought to myself. I walked down the stairs and gazed over the living room. Oh my god. How could one dog make so much mess?

I sighed and went into the kitchen and open the drawer and pulled out a bin bag to clear up some of the mess. I walked back over to the remains of the sofa and started pushing fabric and padding into the bag. Not all the mess was from Pash’s destructive episode. There was still a pile of silver takeaway trays piled up on the coffee table. I started piling them into the black bag as well. After three bin bags it was starting to look less like a landfill site. The sofa on the other hand still looked a sorry state. It looked like one of the sofas you’d imagine to be dumped in alley way or something; looking sorry and unloved.

 I assessed the damage and decided that the majority of it might be salvageable. The cushions themselves were completely destroyed but the frame and the couch itself were okay. There was a spring poking through the fabric but if I sewed a piece of fabric over the patch then it would be ok. I picked up one of the scraps of material of the floor and went upstairs to get my sewing box. I returned with it and began sewing the patch over the spring to hold it in place. After finishing I pushed the remains of the cushions into the bag and stood back to think about what I could use instead. Then I had a thought.

I went into the storeroom and pulled out the deck chair cushions. And placed one down on the sofa and saw that it only covered half so I decided to place two down. The green and white stripy fabric of the cushion hardly suited my natural colour scheme of the living room so I ran back upstairs and took out a cream blanket ad on my return draped it over the sofa hiding the gaudy green deck chair covers.

 I stood back to admire my impressive work. I felt proud of myself. It reminded me of one of those Blue Peter moments when they would show you the before and after models of the children’s craft. I had to say that it was looking a whole lot better than it was an hour ago.

I looked at the clock. I knew it was earlier but I was tired and if I fed Pash now I could possibly go back to bed afterwards. I grabbed my coat of the peg and pulled it around me and unlocked the back door. I walked out to the kennel and I could see Pash sitting there looking up at me with those big sad eyes. I swear she knew that it melted my heart and would instantly get her off the hook. I picked up the two ceramic bowls and took them back into the house. I filled one with water and the other with the meaty dog food. I took them back out to the kennel and placed both on the ground in front of her. She dug in straight away; you would swear that we hadn’t fed her in months. I smiled and shook my head before going back in the house and taking off my coat replacing it on the peg and locking the door.

 I grabbed a damp cloth out of the kitchen and wiped up the curry stains of the coffee table and replaced it before going back upstairs to go back to bed. Both Liam and Pash were seemingly quiet so I jumped at the option of having at least a few hours of peaceful sleep. I climbed into the bed and snuggled up to Liam. It was only when I felt how warm he was that I realised how cold it had been down stairs. I shivered at the temperature difference. As did Liam for that matter. He groaned in his sleep and wriggled away from me but I only followed him because he was too warm to leave. That’s what fiancés are for right?

I closed my eyes and smiled attempting to sleep. Then I heard Liam say something so I opened them again and propped myself up on my elbow to peer over to see what he was saying. It then became apparent that he was in fact mumbling. I shook my head with a smile. He was so cute when he mumbled in his sleep. I was just about to lie back down when I heard him again but this time it was more distinct words. I propped myself up again hoping that he would say something again. I needed something to tease him about when he woke up. I deserved it after not sleeping hardly any and cleaning up the mess downstairs.