Picking Up The Pieces (Working Title)

Dreams

By the time me and the kids got home from their drama club, it was nearing half five, and needless to say the poor babies were starving. So thankfully Eden was nearly done with dinner when we walked through the door. I’d told the kids in the car that Eden was gonna help out with dinner and picking them up from school and stuff, but the last time they’d seen Eden she’d had normal coloured hair, so the bright blue tone of her hair almost scared them half to death. And of course made Lily want her hair bright blue. Eden agreed to dye it blue for her once she was in high school, which I got the feeling neither me or the school would be too pleased about, but if it made Lily happy...

Dinner was... surprisingly more upbeat than usual. I guess it took someone who wasn’t wallowing in depression to make you realise just how bad things were. For the first time in forever, Danny actually went back to his Xbox, and Lily started showing off in that dramatic way of hers she could only have picked up from Maxxie. I smiled as I watched the two of them, ruffling Danny’s hair lightly as I went past the couch. He looked round at me, pausing his game and I flashed him a smile before heading into the kitchen to do the dishes.

Eden got the kids ready for bed, pretty much ordering me to stay on the couch and have some chill out time. She came back down and flopped down next to me once the kids were asleep, smiling at me.

“Thanks for all this” I smiled.

“No problem, Doctor Bunny. Let me know if you need anything else, ‘kay?”

“’Kay”

“See you tomorrow” she smiled and let herself out.

I turned my attention back to the TV, not really listening to the news reporter blabbering on about something unimportant. Well, it could’ve been important for all I knew. I yawned, figuring now was as good a time as any to get up and go to bed. Yeah, I didn’t get very far.

I opened one eye as I felt someone sat next to me, playing with my hair. I smiled, seeing the person sat next to me was Maxxie. He looked like he used to, all healthy and toned instead of pale and skinny. I smiled as he kissed my cheek, returning the smile.

“You didn’t hear me get home, then?” he chuckled and I shook my head, making him laugh slightly. "I made dinner. Hungry?"

"Carbonara?"

"Of course" he grinned.

I got up, smiling when I saw he’d put a lot of effort into dinner. He lit a candle in the middle of the dining table we used for evening meals.

“Sorry I was gone so long. I didn’t mean the business trip to take so long” he said as the two of us sat down.

“I missed you”

“I missed you too”

“Have a good time?” I asked, digging into my food.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can expand my cafe business. They seemed pretty happy with my business plan"

"That's good, then"

"How did you cope without me?"

"I sold the kids for booze money and spent the entire time drunk" I grinned.

"I should hope not" he chuckled.

"Nah, we were fine. The kids missed you too, though”

"Where are they anyway?"

"In bed"

"I chose a good time to come home then" he giggled. "I get lots of time alone with my husband"

"Perv" I laughed and he pulled a fake offended face.

"Me? A perv?"

"Mhm"

"I resent that" he said huffily.

"Poor baby"

"I deserve an apology" he said innocently.

"You're not getting one" I said jokingly, sticking my tongue out.

"I want one"

"Tough"

"But I made dinner"

"You did" I nodded.

"And and I love you and I've been a very good boy" he said, all innocent again.

I ruffled his hair, kissing back as his lips met mine. I hummed as he played with my hair. God, I’d missed that. I looked at him as I felt him nibble on my lip lightly, kissing back as he slid his tongue past my lips sneakily. He pulled me back over to the couch, and the two of us stayed there happy to just snuggle and make out. Eventually we put a move on, the two of us snuggled up on the couch til I fell asleep again.

I looked around for Maxxie when I woke up, and it all started to sink in again. That was just a dream. Maxxie was just as dead as before and I was just as alone. I sighed, looking at the clock and feeling myself start to tear up. I’d been asleep barely an hour, but it’d felt like forever. I could still feel Maxxie’s warmth beside me, but the couch was cold where he’d been lying. I wiped my eyes, standing up and turning the TV off before heading up to bed, hoping I’d see Maxxie again.

I didn’t.