Threes a crowd. - Now Complete.

Part 34

Jane came downstairs to find Paul and Mary giggling together over a game they were playing. She couldn't help but smile....she hadn't seen Mary look so happy for sometime.

"Thanks for letting me sleep in Paul."

He looked up. "No problem. You needed the rest after yesterday. And me and Mary have been having fun, haven't we love?"

He hugged Mary closer to him. 

"Hello Mary." said Jane, smiling at them both, "Can mummy have a hug?"

"No daddy hug!" The little girl clung to Paul.

"You can share a hug with mummy too!" said Paul.

"Three hug!" Mary cried, holding one arm out to her mother. "Mummy three hug!"

Paul stood up and carried Mary over to Jane. Mary reached over with one arm and wrapped it around her mum's neck whilst still holding on to Paul.

"Daddy and mummy hug too!" Mary instructed to her somewhat awkwardly embarrassed parents.

The threesome hugged, Mary holding Paul and Jane tight, refusing to let any of them go until she was happy with their 'threehug.' She scrambled down from Paul's arms.

"Mary play." she announced then sat in a corner of the kitchen playing with some toy cars long forgotten after a visit from Julian Lennon.

Jane moved away from Paul and put the kettle on.

"Drink Paul?"

"Yes. Thanks." He hesitated. "Would be OK to have a shower please Jane?"

"Of course!" She looked thoughtful, "I think there's still some clothes in the wardrobe too."

He nodded.

Jane was still in the kitchen when he came down. Mary was now sat at the table drawing and chatting about her picture. 

"Feel better?"Jane asked as he appeared.

"Yes thanks."

"Fancy that brew now?"

Paul looked pleased. "Oh, thanks."

She placed a pot of tea and a plate of fresh toast on the table.

"Help yourself." she told him. "Mary, do you want some toast like daddy?"

"Pwease mummy."

The three sat together,munching toast in a relaxed and comfortable silence. Mary placed her half eaten toast on her plate and returned to her picture.

"What are you drawing Mary?" Paul asked.

"That's mummy and that's daddy," she told him, pointing to the squiggles of lines and circles on her paper, " and that's Mary. We're all in the park daddy."

"That's lovely. I like the park." Paul smiled at his daughter.

Mary nodded. "That's Martha. Look!"

Paul looked at the extra scribbles she had added to the paper. He turned to Jane and laughed. "She's got Martha's shaggy coat perfectly. Look?"

Jane chuckled too. "Well Martha does tend to look like an explosion in a fur factory most of the time!"

A few hours later, whilst Mary was napping, Jane followed Paul into the living room.

"You OK Paul?"

He nodded. "I'm fine. You?"

She nodded back. "Paul, I wan to say thank you for last night and today. It's made such a difference to Mary....and me. Thank you."