With Me Through Troubled Times (With Me - book 2)

Chapter 46

5 YEARS LATER (2025) (38-years-old)

It's been five years since my family found out the I had a miscarriage at the age of 18. I don't know if I'd have been able to handle having a child at that age. If we did have that child, they'd have been 20-years-old and it's a scary thought. 

I haven't spoken to Anna and I don't even know what she had since she was pregnant again. My parents have begged me on several occasions to forgive her and Louisa, but I don't care. I have my own family to think about. 

Joe and I have been trying for another baby but we've had no luck. Five years of trying for another and nothing. We've came to the point that this is what we get for almost becoming parents at the age of 18.

I stand in the kitchen making dinner when I feel Joe's hands creep round my waist. 

"Hello sexy," he whispers into my ear. 

I feel his teeth graze my ear and smile. "Don't start because your children have all got friends over." 

"And? They don't own the house," he respinds, moving to stand closer behind me. "Come up the stairs and we can have some fun." 

"Joe...no." I smutter as Connor comes into the kitchen with his three friends. 

"When's dinner going to be ready?" He asks, sitting on a bar stool across from me. 

"Five minutes. So go get your brother and sister," I answer. 

I walk away from Joe and get the plates out the cupboard. 

"Okay," I hear connor mutter as he leaves the kitchen with his friends. 

Connor's POV 

I walk out the room and head towards the cinema room with my friends. 

"Connor, you do realise that your mum's hot." One of my friends, Steven, comments as we walk down the hall. 

"Shut up!" I tell him as I knock the cinema room door. "Matthew, dinner's nearly ready!" 

"We'll be there soon," Matthew shouts through the closed door. 

"I mean, smoking hot. Capital H O T!" Steven continues as the others laugh and agree with him. 

"Do you want me to hit you?" I snarl. 

"N-no," he stutters. 

"Then shut up!" I shout before walking past him and heading towards the gym.

I walk into the gym and down the stairs to the pool. I look over at Odette as she swims about in the swimming pool with her friends. 

"Odette, mum said dinner's nearly ready." I inform her from the bottom of the stairs. 

She stops swimming and turns to me. "I'm not hungry." 

"Tough, you've to have dinner before tonight." 

"Hi, Odette." My other friend, Thomas, smiles while looking at my sister. 

"Hi," she smiles, winking at him in return. 

"Hell no! I don't think so," I shout, looking over at Thomas. 

"What? Your sister takes after your mum. She's..." He starts. 

"If you say 'hot', I'll not me happy." 

"But she is," he shrugs, walking over to Odette as she gets out the pool. 

"Your towel my dear," Thomas smiles, passing Odette her towel. 

"Thank you." 

"She has a boyfriend, Thomas." I call to him. 

He turns and looks at me before starting to walk over to where I stand. "I was just being nice." 

"Kiss ass more like it," Fraser comments as we begin to walk back up the stairs. 

"Desperate is what I would call it," I laugh. 

Normal POV 

I sit the last plate of food down on the dining room table as everyone comes into the room for dinner. They all sit down and began to eat as I walk over to where Joe was seated and kiss his cheek. "I'll see you later." 

He looked up at me, "Are you not having dinner before you go?" 

"No because they put on a lot of food for everyone involved in the event," I explain before walking out the room. "Bye." 

"Love you," Joe shouts. 

"Love you too," I shout back before walking out the house. 

Joe's POV 

I hear the front door close over and start to eat my dinner. 

"Dad, must you and mum do that?" Odette asks me. 

"Deal with it," I mutter before taking a sip of my drink. She shakes her head and gets back to eating. "I hope you're going to do your hair for tonight." 

"I am. William's coming to do it for me," she smiles. 

"I don't think so. William's your mums hairdresser, not yours." 

"But no one else goes near my hair but him. He has to do my hair," she moans. 

"Not even Callum?" Connor butts in, looking at her. 

"Leave him out of this," Odette snaps, looking back at her oldest brother. 

"Who's Callum?" I ask. 

"Her boyfriend," Matthew answers with a smirk on his face. 

"Your what!?!" I choke. 

"Been going out for a while now. Three months," Connor explains, while eating. 

"Odette..." 

"Leave it, dad!" She snaps, standing up and taking her plate to the sink. "I'm away to get ready." 

Her friends follow her lead and stand up and put their plates in the sink before following Odette out the room. 

"Awkward," Connor draws out. 

"Shut it, Connor." I instrust. 

My daughter has a boyfriend but she's only 14!

4 hours later

Normal POV 

I was getting changed into my black juicy couture tracksuit after such an amazing charity auction I helped host with my brothers. We were raising money for a few chosen cancer charities that everyone in my family held close to them as there's a total of five of our family members been diagnosed with cancer over the years. 

I had just put my tacksuit jacket on when I saw Joe come into the room. 

"Hey," I smile as he comes over and pulls me into his arms. 

"You were amazing," he comments, pulling away to kiss me. 

I smile and look at the children and their friends standing by the door. "Well?" 

"I had no idea you were so comfortable in front of big crowds. I don't think I'd be able to do that," Odette gushes. 

"You were amazing," Matthew and Connor say at the same time. 

"I'm glad you think so...it was a good to get back in the family fold after so long of being out of it." I sigh as I rest against Joe's side. 

"Do you think this is a way back into the Halliwell family fold?" Connor said. 

"I have no idea but it was good to be asked to host the event." 

"Oh..." 

"Why don't we get these guys dropped off home so we can go home," Joe suggests. 

"That sounds like a good idea," I nod before we walk out the room to go home.