Together

Chapter 24

Connie came home from work collapsing through the front door. It had been a tiring day as she began to finish up with being clinical lead. All she had to do was make sure everything was in order for the new lead to take over but that was seeming more difficult than she'd assumed.

As she leant her head back against the door Jacob appeared before her with a smile. "Evening beautiful." Connie lifted her head with a smile as she pushed off the door and wandered towards him allowing his arms to wrap around her, encasing her in a hug. "How was work?" He mumbled against her hair pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Horrible." Jacob smiled placing a kiss to the top of her head before letting her head rest to his chest for a while. When she finally relaxed she realised there wasn't a sound coming from anywhere in the house. "It's so quiet..." "Well, Grace is still with Sam and Charlie offered to take Mia for the night."

Connie stood up looking to him a little panicked. "What? Jacob she's never had a night away from us. Why did you let him take her?" She pulled away from his embrace beginning to pull her coat on. "Connie. Hey, Con listen to me for a minute yeah?" He held onto her wrist stopping her from moving around.

"You're beyond exhausted and he offered, it's not illegal to accept some help." "No but I don't want my baby growing up being raised by everyone except me." Jacob sighed rubbing a hand to his forehead. "One night is not going to matter Connie. I thought you could do with a night to yourself, alright. Despite what you think I am her father and have a right to make decisions too."

Connie stopped what she was doing when Jacob walked back through the house. She dropped her eyes to the floor before leaning forwards and resting her head against the cool wall. Taking a deep breath she took her arms back out of her coat and hung it up.

The sound of her heels across the wooden floor was the only sound as she moved into the doorway of the living room. She watched as Jacob sat on the sofa looking at nothing in particular, fiddling with his hands. Surrendering she walked into the room stopping at the edge of the sofa before sitting down carefully.

Not once did Jacob look up as Connie sat awkwardly beside him. She watched him for a few moments before glancing away. Connie moved back on the sofa before seeing him move his arm to the back of the chair. She shuffled over leaning down into his side resting her head to his chest. Automatically Jacob dropped his hand to her side gently caressing her waist.

Placing a hand to his chest she took a deep breath becoming comfortable. "I didn't mean to make you feel like that." "I know." Connie watched as Jacob lifted his other hand to hers entwining his fingers through hers. "I love you-" "I love you too sweet cheeks." He leaned forwards kissing her head before dropping his head backwards.

"Have you eaten anything?" "I'm not really hungry, all I want is to just lie here." Jacob sat forwards causing Connie to move before he lay back across the couch. "Come here then." She smiled kicking her heels off bringing her feet up onto the sofa as she lay her head across his arm looking up at him.

He spread a blanket over them as they lay quietly with one another undisturbed for the first time in months. "Admit it... It is nice not having to jump up to a screaming child." Connie smirked burying her head into his chest. "Okay, it is quite a nice feeling." They remained on the sofa together for hours just talking about little things every now and then.

It wasn't until he looked down that he realised Connie had fallen asleep. Jacob smiled to himself with a small chuckle. He carefully sat up letting her head fall to the sofa below as he moved into the kitchen. Jacob made himself a drink before wandering upstairs to Mia's room.

He began cleaning the mess of toys from the floor that he'd had out earlier with her. After putting everything back in its place he closed the door and crossed the landing to their room. Jacob smiled looking to the bathroom where several candles had almost burnt out. He pulled the plug on the cold bath draining the water.

"You could have told me you'd done this, it wouldn't have gone to waste then." Jacob turned his head sideways seeing a sleepy Connie wandering inside. "Don't worry about it, you were tired. I wasn't about to guilt you into anything." Connie laughed wrapping her arms around Jacob. "Urm, I'm Connie Beauchamp and nobody guilts me into anything Staff Nurse Masters."

Jacob watched as she raised an eyebrow looking up to him. "Now... Are you going to take me to bed or do I have to do everything around here?" Jacob shook his head laughing as Connie moved out of his arms and into the bedroom. "You've gotta be kidding me... Babe you just fell asleep downstairs and now you're-" "Do I look like I'm joking? I mean if you don't want to fine, but it's the first night we've had alone... COMPLETELY alone in 4 months."

Connie continued to turn away from him as she slipped her arms out of her blouse feeling his arms snake around her waist. His lips appeared at the side of her neck as she rest her head to his shoulder. "You drive me insane." "Oh I know." Jacob smiled against her skin as he kissed her neck before lifting her up and moving towards the bed with her laughing.