Science and faith

~Chapter 120~

Amy's pov:

We were still lying on our bed, none of us saying anything. My head was still resting on his chest while his arms were tightly wrapped around me. We were both too occupied by our own thoughts to really talk to each other, but it felt right for now. Lying in his arms. I felt safe. I knew that not everything was going to be easy for a while and we both had to deal with grief, I just hoped with all my heart that we would get through it together.

After a while I felt Dan's steady breath on the top of my head and when I turned my head slightly to look up at him I saw that he had fallen asleep. I carefully untangled myself from his arms and pulled the duvet over us both. Once I'd covered Dan without waking him up, I lay down again, with my head on his chest. His arms wrapped automatically around me as soon as I lay down. I lay listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat for a little longer until I eventually fell asleep as well.

Danny's pov:

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly chilly. I opened my eyes and realized that Am had rolled away from me, taking all the covers with her. I shifted over to her and tried to loosen the covers from around her so I could cover myself with it as well. But almost as soon as I started to unwrap the duvet from around her, she -unconsciously- wrapped it even tighter around her.

Chuckling to myself, I tried to loosen the duvet from around her once again. But this time she rolled away from me, lying dangerously close on the edge of the bed. I sat on my knees and lifted her up, lying her back down in the middle of our bed. I lay down next to her and covered myself with the duvet that came loose when I lifted her up. I cuddled close to her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against my chest.

I lay like that for half an hour when I heard Ava waking up in her room, chatting to herself while doing so. She remained lying in her bed for another fifteen minutes until I heard her light footsteps padding over the landing before she made her way downstairs, like she does every morning, where she'll play with her toys.

It was a little after 8 AM when I decided to get up as well and go downstairs to Ava, knowing she'll come upstairs and wake us up if we take too long for her liking. And now when Am's still sleeping peacefully, I decide to let her sleep for a little longer.

I put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before I made my way downstairs. I walked into the living room expecting to find Ava there, but I found it empty, apart from Lola. It was obvious that she had been here though, cause her toys lay scattered all around.

I quickly walked to the kitchen praying to god she would be there but she wasn't there either. I tried the backdoor to the garden but it was still locked, so she couldn't have gone into the garden. I felt the panic rise but told myself to stay calm. She can't be that far cause all the doors are locked and she can't unlock them on her own.

"Ava?" I asked, walking back into the hall.

"Here daddy!" I heard her high pitched voice coming from the toilet. I sighed in relief and opened the door to the toilet. She'd obviously tried to go to the toilet by herself which didn't go down very well, cause the toilet is too high for her to get on by herself, so now her pjs are wet and a puddle is lying on the floor.

I quickly realized she wasn't done yet so I lifted her up and sat her down on the toilet.

"No daddy!" She complained, trying to push my arms away from her. I didn't react and lifted her off the toilet once she was done.

"Shall we put some dry clothes on, sweetheart?" I asked once she was done. She nodded in reply so I helped her out of her pjs. As soon as her pjs came off, she ran off in her underwear. I followed her upstairs to her bedroom where I helped her into something dry. After that, we went back downstairs where she settled on the couch watching some TV, while I cleaned the mess in the toilet.

It was 9.30 AM when I saw a car pull up in front of our house and seconds later Jess and Rachel came out. I walked to the front door and opened it before they could even ring the doorbell.

"Morning Dan." Jess said kissing me on my cheek before Rachel greeted me with a hug.

"Hey." I replied, letting them in.

"We are taking Ava and Liz to the zoo today, cause you and Am need some quality time." Jess announced. I guessed Am must've called Jess last night after I walked out on her and has been filled in about everything that has happened.

I agreed and barely half an hour later they were gone again. I decided to go and get breakfast for me and Am and left a note in case she'd wake up before I left the house.

Amy's pov:

I woke up from the front door falling shut with a loud bang. A few seconds later I heard footsteps coming up the stairs before the bedroom door opened and Dan came walking in.

"Morning babe, I got us breakfast." He said and leaned down, pressing a kiss on the top of my head.

"Thanks." I said and sat up, leaning against the headboard. He got in next to me and handed me my breakfast. He told me about Jess and Rachel taking both Ava and Liz to the zoo before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm really sorry about last night..." He said once we'd finished our breakfast.

"It's OK." I said, placing my hand on his thigh.

"It's not, I was a complete dick for walking out on you like that." He replied, placing his own hand on top of mine.

"What did you do when you left?" I asked, looking down at our intertwined fingers.

"I spent a long time sitting on a bench in the park until I went to a bar..." He replied, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

"With Mark?" I guessed.

"No, alone... There was a girl there I started talking with, though..." He replied, looking down at our hands as well.

"Just talked...?" I asked, deciding to just bluntly ask him.

"When she left she forgot her phone so I ran after her to give it to her. I don't know how but suddenly I had her pressed up against the wall, but then you crossed my mind and I immediately went back home to you. Nothing happened, I swear Am." He said, looking me in my eyes when he said his last sentence. I looked him in his eyes for a little longer until I nodded slowly.

"I believe you." I told him.

He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine, giving me a heartfelt kiss.