Life is hard 😘

He'd be proud

He managed to get her home, settle her on the sofa, light the fire and order pizza all before she woke up. He'd spoke to Grace and assured her she was fine to spend her weekly Wednesday with her gran, and she was pleased when he said he'd ordered pizza.

He slipped onto the sofa behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and closing his eyes as she snuggled back against him.

A knock on the door woke her first and she took a moment to realise where she was. Her eyes fell onto Jacobs sleeping form and she smiled. She pressed her lips against his forehead, before answering the door, her heart aching as she realised he'd ordered them pizza.

She placed the pizza on the side before resting her arms on the work surface. Jacob and Sam appeared as opposites, but his ability to look after her made her feel warm and safe and she was beginning to realise how much he meant to her.

"She's my friend Lucia... I will not leave her alone because you are pulling a strop... If you can't handle my friendship with Connie, then maybe we can't do this anymore,"

She watched as he threw the phone across onto the opposite sofa and raised his hands above his head.

"Some talent you have there," she smiled, "managing to get me home, light the fire and order us pizza,"

He smiled, "come and sit with me..."

They are in a comfortable silence and before they knew it they'd fallen asleep on the comfortable sofa. She stirred a few hours later and nudged him gently; "it's three o clock in the morning... Let's go up to bed."

She curled into his chest, his hand running up and down her back as he always did.

"Thank you," she told him quietly in the darkness,

"You don't need to thank me," he told her gently, "I'd do anything for you and those girls."

They woke to Tog whining outside the bedroom door and they laughed as she somehow managed to open the door and run in. Connie sat up with her legs over the bed and stroked the puppy gently,

"Sorry Tog... Looks like we slept in didn't we? Go and get your ball,"

Jacob laughed as he dog ran down the stairs in search of her ball,

"Clever dog you've got there, knows how to fetch a ball and open a door,"

She smiled, "fancy a walk with us?" She offered and he nodded, "of course..."

"Your stitches?" She asked, watching how he winced and grabbed his side as he threw the ball,

"I'm fine... Most of the time," he added as she raised her eyebrow.

They walked back in a comfortable silence, she slipped her arm into his and as she leaned against him he kissed her hair softly,

"Sam would be proud... Of you and the girls," he told her as they stopped to place flowers on his grave.

She sighed, "will it always hurt this much?"

He smiled kindly, "I hope not Con,"

She laughed, "he'd hate the fact we have Tog... He hated dogs..."

Jacob laughed, "she's a good dog..."

"That she is," she nodded, "but he still would have hated her."