The Night Watch ✓

29 / moving on

Gaia was already buzzing around the flat when Bree dragged herself from the comfort of her bed on Saturday morning, having relied on three arms to rouse her from her sleep in time to meet her brother. In approximately one hour, he and Zara would be moving into their new home, and Gaia was as excited as anyone. Bree yawned as she left her room, fingers tangled in her hair as she undid the plait she had worn for the night, and she smiled when she saw her friend flitting about the flat with flustered cheeks.

"Morning," she said, stopping Gaia in her tracks.

"Morning," she said, fluffing the cushions on the sofa as though she really had nothing else to do.

"You alright?" Bree asked. She headed to the kettle, flicking it on and digging a teaspoon of instant coffee granules into the first mug her hand fell on. "You look kinda manic."

Gaia came into the kitchen and pulled out a seat, dropping onto it though her feet continued to tap away. "I don't know what to do with myself," she said. "I've been awake since, like six o'clock. I could hardly sleep, knowing today's the day." A beautiful beam graced her features and her impatient nails tapped on the wood. Bree chuckled and poured a chamomile tea as well as her coffee, passing the mug to Gaia.

"Calm down," she said. "We'll go over soon. I thought we could get there before him, maybe make the place a bit more homely before he and Zara get there." She took a seat opposite Gaia, yawning behind her mug before shutting herself up with a sip of her drink, which was definitely still too hot to drink. Gaia wrapped chilly hands around the warm mug, inhaling the sweet scent of her gentle tea.

"Thanks," she said. "My mind just won't shut off. I can't concentrate on anything when all I can think is that from today onwards, Evan's just down the road." Her eyes sparkled and Bree smiled. She was happy for Gaia, but she still hadn't got her head round the fact that the two were dating. They had always seemed close, but she had never thought about them as a couple, and having never seen them act like one, she was struggling to picture it.

"It'll be weird, yeah," Bree said, and Gaia looked up at her, a sudden solemness in her eyes.

"I really hope you won't be uncomfortable with this," she said, wincing as though she expected Bree to disapprove all of a sudden.

"Of course not," Bree said. "It's just one of those things I need to see to believe, you know? I'm not uncomfortable though. You two are two of the most important people in my life so if you can make each other happy then that's all I need." She smiled and sipped her coffee, and Gaia mirrored her.

"Thanks," she said, her voice small but her smile big.

"I can't help but wonder about one thing though," Bree said, a query that had played on her mind, and Gaia raised her eyebrows in question.

"What?"

"Does it not bother you that he has a twelve-year-old daughter?" she asked. "I know we're different, you and me, and you know how much I adore Zara, but I can't help but think that already having a kid would be a major deal breaker."

Gaia wore a soft smile, her eyes looking as though she was in some faraway land. "No," she said, slowly shaking her head. "Zara is an incredible girl. You know that, of course. She is so smart and funny and bold. She kind of reminds me of you, actually. I think you've influenced her more than you realise." She ran her finger around the rim of her mug, deep in thought. "She reminds me of Stella. They're only a year apart, and Eve's nine. I know how to deal with pre-teen girls."

"You like kids," Bree mused, thinking out loud, and Gaia nodded.

"I love kids," she corrected. She lifted one foot to her chair, wrapping her arm around her knee. The two of them fell into silence, sipping their drinks and each lost in their own worlds of thought before Gaia slipped out of hers. "You and Kit seem really happy," she said, and hearing his name painted a smile on Bree's lips.