Sophie took a picture a few days later when she came home from school to see Connie asleep with the small puppy on her lap.
Jacob smiled, opening his laptop and beckoning Sophie over.
"This is one of my favourite pictures of your mum," he smiled, "you were only a few days old here,"
Sophie smiled at the screensaver on his laptop. Connie lay curled up on the sofa asleep with a sleeping Sophie on her chest. Betty lay snuggled the other side of them and Jacob had remembered being so happy that he was able to come home to them.
"Oh... Betty was so small too," Sophie smiled, "she must have been a year old here."
"Dogs always like your mum," he smiled, "Betty took to her straight away, like Rosie really,"
"Have you always loved mum, dad?" Sophie asked, smiling as Grace jogged in and jumped up onto the work surface,
Jacob made them both a mug of hot chocolate and moved Grace onto a chair before he sat down.
He smiled, "it's a long story girls,"
"Please tell us," Grace smiled, "our assembly was about love and family today,"
Jacob told them about their lives before they were married, surprised at how interested his daughters were, "so yes, I knew I loved her the first time I met her," he laughed, "it's sounds ridiculous... But I'd never felt like that about someone before..."
"Do you love her as much now as you do then," Sophie asked as a happy Grace leaned against her.
Connie stood in the doorway unseen, her eyes watching how their girls watched Jacob so closely,
"I didn't think it was possible at the time... But I love her even more now than I did then girls... She's a wonderful woman your mother... She's the most wonderful woman I've ever known,"
Connie smiled, cuddling Rosie into her chest before she kissed her girls gently and handed them a now wriggling puppy.
Jacob smiled and she wrapped her arms around his waist, cuddling into him before kissing his cheek firmly,
"I knew it," Connie smiled, "you're such a softie,"
Sophie and Grace laughed, handing Connie back the puppy that was wriggling to get back over to her,
"Although I think you're wonderful too," she smiled.
He handed her a hot chocolate and she placed it on the side, "you know girls, she did this with Betty... The dog never left her side and then even when she got big she still wanted to be lifted,"
"Don't start Jacob Masters, you let us get this dog..."
She checked the girls were in bed that night and smiled as Grace beckoned her over, "dad really loves you mum," she whispered,
Connie sat on the bed and ran her hand through her daughters hair, "I know sweetheart and we love you and Soph too,"
"Don't forget Rosie," Sophie smiled as she got in the bed, the girls either side of Connie. "Don't let that dog in your bed," Connie told them and they both laughed.
Jacob finished his paper work and was surprised that the house was so quiet. He walked upstairs to see both girls fast asleep, Connie in the middle of them with her arms around them gently.
"Jacob," she smiled, holding up her hands, "I can't escape without waking them,"
"Good job I came up," he smiled, slipping his hand underneath her knees and lifting her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Let's go and sit out on the decking," she smiled as she curled into him as he carried her down the stairs. He handed her a jumper and a glass of wine, before curling himself around her and smiling as Rosie jumped up onto his lap.
"She reminds me of our Betty," he spoke quietly against her hair. She watched as he stroked the puppy gently and they smiled at how her tail wagged as she watched Connie. "You're alright there with him," she smiled, "he will look after you too,"
The dog settled back down and Connie smiled, "I like her temperament," Connie admitted, before smiling gently, "We should get an R charm for this bracelet in town tomorrow,"
He pressed his lips to her nose gently, "whatever you want princess,"
"The girls loved your story telling earlier," she told him, resting her chin on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face.
"I didn't go into the affairs and Bex's pregnancy," he laughed, "I don't think they needed to hear all of that too,"
"I never thought life could be like this... Happy and routine and fun," she told him,
"You told me that it could, I should have believed you back then,"
He kissed her head as he pulled her closer to him under the blanket.
"Are you admitted I was right Mrs. Masters?" he teased, his hand slipping beneath her top and running along her flat stomach,
She placed her hands gently on his cheeks and kissed him gently, "shut up and take me to bed,"
He jumped up, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him making her laugh. She stood on the stairs waiting as he settled Rosie, before he pushed her hard against the wall.
"Come on sweet cheeks," he smiled, making her laugh against his skin as he pulled her gently up the stairs.
"Hey Soph... What's the matter?" Connie asked as she sat beside her eldest daughter as they watched Grace and Jacob kick a football whilst Rosie ran between them.
Sophie shrugged, "she's cute mum, but she's not Betty,"
Connie ran her hand through her daughters hair, "what do you mean?"
"Betty knew when I was tired, or sad or needed a cuddle," She sighed, "and she came back when we called her straight away and she didn't jump,"
Connie smiled, "she's a puppy sweetheart... Think of her like a new friend, she doesn't know the stuff an old friend knows, but you'll make new memories that are fun too,"
Sophie nodded, "I do love her mum..."
Connie smiled, "well that's a relief,"
Jacob and Grace laughed as Rosie ran over to Connie and jumped up neatly onto the bench beside them. She nestled into Connie, her tail wagging as she closed her eyes,
"She wants picking up Connie," Jacob laughed, "see girls... Look at the bad habits your mum has taught her already,"
"She's still small and she gets easily tired," Connie glared at him, "you leave her alone,"
Jacob threw Sophie the ball before taking her seat and wrapping an arm around his wife, "what are you thinking?" He asked as he saw the far away look on her face,
She shrugged, "you're going to think I'm going mad,"
He shook his head, "try me,"
She ran her hands through the now sleeping dogs fur, "I wish I'd met you earlier you know... Maybe we could have had more children..."
"You want more sweetheart?"
"Told you you'd think I was crazy?"
He shook his head, "keep talking to me..."
She sighed, "I love our girls... I love our family... Our family is like nothing I've ever experienced before and I..." She shrugged, "if we'd met sooner I wouldn't be so old and we could have had more children,"
"You're 46... You're not old... And if you want a bigger family we could think about other options... Talk to the girls... See what they think..."
She squeezed his hand, "Jacob believe me when I say I'm happy as we are... I'm more than happy as we are... I don't want you to agree because you want to make sure I'm happy,"
"Would I do that?" He smiled and she squeezed his hand, "yes, you would,"
He pressed his lips to her forehead, "let's talk about this later... We have plenty of room... And plenty of time now you're part time... There's are things we can think about."
