The High Life. The final stretch

Chapter 76

Christmas Day 2039

Me and Lilly had spent the last few days sorting out ready for puppies. We had wrapped up a lot of stuff that was needed for them it was just a case of getting them now.

When everyone was up we let the kids open their present, Evie enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper more and kid in the box that Casper's new scooter had come in.

"What this mum?" Jessie asked the present with all the puppy bit had been hiding at the back.

"It's for all of you." I said Lilly smiled and sat back letting the others open it.

"It's dog bits." Casper said looking inside the box

"We getting a dog mum?" Jessie said

"We might be." I said pulling out my phone

"Are we mum?" Blake said

"Come here. Come have a look." I said

I showed them a picture of the puppies.

"Two?" Connor said

"Yeah. That's why Lilly hasn't got many present this year. She's getting one as well and I said I'd put some money towards it for her and a Christmas present." I said

The kids were jumping around excited.

"Calm down." I said

"When can we pick them up?" Grace asked

"Tomorrow." I said

"But grandma will be here." Jessie said

"I know." I said smiling I was rather hoping that having a dog in the house might put Alice off.

"What do you think." I said looking at Connor the kids were looking at him as well.

"Um.....Exciting." Con said

The kids carried on jumping around like idiots.

We enjoyed the day and Christmas dinner and it wasn't until half 9 when Blake, Grace and Evie were all in bed that Alice and Rob arrived.

"Hello Lilly." Alice said Lilly turned up her nose and went to her room

"Lilly come back please." I said

"No thanks mum. I'm tired and we have a busy day tomorrow." Lilly said shutting her door.

"Where's everyone else?" Alice asked

"In bed mum. It's late." Con said

"Bed this early in the holidays." Alice said

"Yeah. Other wise they wake up really early and me and Rhianne don't get to sleep much, so we keep up a routine in the holidays. Jessie and Casper are still up." Con said

Alice muttered something under her breath that I couldn't understand.

"Where are we staying?" Rob asked

"In the spare room." I said

"Okay, I'll take the bags up." He said

"The spare room is cold." Alice said

Muttering under my breathe as I turn away "put a jumper on then"

Connor heard me and smiled. Thankfully Alice did not hear me.

"Want tea mum?" Con asked

"Yes please sweet. It's been a long drive." Alice said

Lilly came down a while later.

"Thought you were in bed sweet?" I said when she came into the kitchen.

"I am. Just thought you should know Evie's awake and crying." She said getting a glass

"Ah thanks babe." I said heading out the kitchen and upstairs to Evie's room where she was indeed crying.

"Oh my little girl. I'm sorry I didn't hear you. The monitor must be off." I said picking her up.

"Mumma bad." She said reaching up for me.

"Did you have a bad dream." I said

"Yeah." She said

"Want some milk sweet?" I said

"Yah." She said I checked the monitor before heading down stairs to get Evie some milk.

"Con babe, will you check the monitor is on please." I said poking my head round the living room door.

"Yeah." A few seconds later he said "it's on babe. Just turned down."

"Umm. Odd I didn't hear Evie crying." I said walking into the living room and sitting down with Evie to give her some milk

"I don't know babe sorry. I've turned it back up now." Connor said

"How old is she now?" Alice asked

"3." I said

"And your still giving her milk?" Alice said

"Yeah, Lilly was 5 before she stopped having milk at night." I said Evie was staring into space and slowly falling asleep.

"Con was 6 months." Alice said

"That's your choice." I said

"Everything okay?" Con said coming into the living room he'd been in the kitchen making tea

"Yeah. Evie's gone back to sleep I'm going to take her back to bed and check on the others. Big day tomorrow." I said smiling at Connor.

"What happening tomorrow?" Alice asked.

I had no idea what Connor said to this as I went up to put Evie back in bed, however I came back down and they were having a rather heated discussion.

"A dog, is that wise?" She said

"Dogs mum two." Connor said

"Your getting two." She said

"Yep, ones for Lilly for when she moves out." Con said

"She's moving out." Alice said

"She wants to." Con said

"She's to young." Alice said

"No she's not." Con said

"Yeah she is." Alice said

"No mum, Lilly is old enough to look after herself and she would be moving in with Ben, speaking of Ben." Con looked at me "He's going to come and get Lilly and puppy tomorrow afternoon"

"She's staying with him." Alice said

"Yeah, mum you have upset her to many times, she doesn't want to be within a hundred yards of you." Connor said

I smiled.

"Come on babe lets go to bed." Rob said he hadn't said very much for most of the night.

Together they went up to bed.

"It's going to be a long week." I said getting into bed 15 minutes later after locking up the house.

"It's going to be fine." Con said putting his arm around me

I glared at him

"The dog might scare my mother off she's not a massive dog person." Con said

"Should have got them today that way she might not have come....." I laughed.

"It will be fine." Con said kissing my cheek.