Love Next Door

Chapter Eleven- I don't deserve you

Tahlia was incredibly happy for Jay, and she showed it in the way she called up every week to check on him and organise when he would see her and Kasey. She always made the excuse that she had to come and stay too, he suspected it was because she wanted to see Ash.

Tahlia met Ash only two weeks after they had become 'official', and to say she was excited was an understatement. Jay thought it may have been because she had always wanted to see him happy, but never really had.

Ash was charmingly charismatic as usual and quickly turned Tahlia into a giggling mess. They got on well, talking more of interior design than anything.

To his surprise, Ash had been the one to promote Jay's art when he had started painting again. Tahlia had been the first to buy a piece, despite his embarrassment at the amateur style which he hadn't shaken off yet. She was as supportive as she had always been. He was sure he didn't deserve it.

It was only a week after Jay's breakdown that she decided to visit again, this time citing it as ample cause to make sure he was doing okay. He had called her after the argument with Ash had subsided, thankfully more calm and resigned thanks to him. Before Ash, she had been the only one he could have turned to when something went wrong.

He and Ash had been fooling around on the sofa when she unexpectedly knocked on his door, calling through it, apologising for the impromptu visit. They had both jumped away from each other, mid kiss, to scramble up from their tangled position.

"That's fine!" Jay called out hastily, pulling on his shirt which had been discarded in a heated moment. "I'll be there in a second!"

He quickly pulled his fluffy, tangled mess of a hair into a hurried ponytail, throwing another discarded shirt at Ash to put on. He hoped his face wasn't too flushed as he opened the door to reveal his friend and child. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and one on the forehead for Kasey, who smiled prettily up at him. He let her in and turned, internally praying Ash had put on his shirt.

"Oh, Hi Ash!" Tahlia called out as she walked in to see the man, standing casually by the sofa. He smiled charmingly in her direction and greeted her back. His expression changed when he saw Kasey.

He jumped up and raced towards them, his face and eyes lighting up wonderfully.

"Is this little one the famous Kasey?" he cooed, leaning down to smile at the small girl.

She was shy for a moment, hiding her face towards her mother's chest, but as Ash continued to coo at her in his smooth voice she finally looked up at him and grinned. Jay and Tahlia watched on entranced by the way Ash had quickly dissolved any of the shyness and silence that Kasey usually had initially, even with Jay. Of course he's good with kids, I should have expected as much.

Kasey began reaching out with her impossibly tiny arms towards Ash, whimpering, wanting to get closer. Tahlia laughed and handed the child to him, Jay watching on in awe. Breaking out of his frozen trance, he stood closer to the two of them, floating his fingers towards Kasey, who herself was entranced with the hanging curled strands of Ash's hair which fell to the sides of his face.

"Kasey's really a hair girl," Tahlia laughed. "You've got competition now Jay."

He glared in mock annoyance at his boyfriend, who just stuck his tongue out his mouth in his direction playfully. A shrill and joyful laugh pierced the air, coming from the girl in his arms. The adults froze, staring at the girl, who was oblivious as to how the sound would stop them in their tracks. For her now, life is made of first moments , how is it that I'm also experiencing these first moments even now?

"I still can't believe you have a child," Ash said, still incredulous of the whole situation. They were seated on the sofa again alone, Jay lying in Ash's lap scrolling idly through articles on his phone. "She looks like you." He continued.