Raura's Daughter

forty five.

Ross' POV

Rydel and Isabella were sat together on the wooden floorboards playing with flash cards. We'd all been desperately trying to teach Isabella new words and various short sentences to try and extend her vocabulary a little bit more but despite our best efforts, nothing was really working.

"Lion." An exhausted Rydel said as she lamely lifted up her arm to reveal the flash card to Isabella who was gurgling with excitement and rolling herself around on the floor. I let out a quiet chuckle and my older sister snapped her head in my direction. "I thought she had Laura's brains, not yours!"

"Hey!" I scolded with a side smirk. "Come on, take a break for a little while. I think little miss trouble maker over there could use a nap anyway."

Rydel thanked me and quickly scooped the flash cards up into her arms before taking a seat on the couch beside me. I held my arms out for Isabella and smiled at her. "Do you want to have a nap baby girl?"

"No, no, no!" She shrieked, throwing her toy unicorn onto the floor beneath her. She looked down and her chocolate brown eyes began to fill up with tears as she scooped her unicorn back up into her arms and held it close to her chest. "Sowwy."

Rydel giggled and wrapped her arms around herself before wiping the tears away from Isabella's cheeks. "Don't worry Bella, unicorns are magical they can't feel any pain."

I chuckled and lifted Isabella up into my arms. "Come on sleepy head. You've had a busy morning."

I pushed open her bedroom door with the heel of my foot and walked inside. Her nursery was painted a beautiful colour of baby pink and gold and her crib was cream coloured and made out of wood. I laid her down in her little crib and smiled at her before turning her disney princess nightlight on and pressing my lips to her forehead. "Get some sleep okay?"

"Dada."

I smiled at her and tickled her cheek with my finger. "Yes baby?"

She handed me her unicorn and with a gentle sigh she closed her eyes and fell asleep. I placed her unicorn amongst the rest of her toys and with one last check to make sure she was okay, I closed her bedroom door and made my way back out to Rydel who was frantically texting and sighing to herself.

"Del, is everything okay?" I asked curiously as I sat back down again beside her. She put her phone down and slumped up against her elbow, shaking her head slowly. "Hey... talk to me, what's going on?"

"Agh... it's nothing." She murmured, fumbling with her fingers and anxiously picking her bright pink nail varnish off. "I just... well... I don't know."

She took a deep breath in and glanced at me with confusion in her eyes. "Since we've left school I've had a lot of time to think about what I want in my future... and who I want."

I furrowed my eyebrows slightly but allowed her to continue. "I love Ratliff. I really, really do. But maybe dad was right, Ross... maybe I did rush into the marriage too soon. I haven't had time to find myself or explore the endless opportunities that my life has in store for me yet. I don't think I'm ready to settle down."

I bit my lip. Although I was her younger brother, at the best of times I definitely felt like her older brother. "When is anyone truly ready to settle down though, Delly?"

She didn't answer me. She kept her head hung low. "I mean... I wasn't and I'm still not. But I know that I love Laura and I know that I can experience all of the great things my life has to offer with her and Isabella by my side."