The Maid's Lover.

Chapter 9

As I sleep, I dream. I dream vividly. For the first time I no longer dream about the past, the cold hard reality of my life and the fears of my future. I dream about a future, a real future, one with security and love. One with a life away from fear and pain, one with hope. My dream plays out before me, a beautiful home with the love of my life and Dexter. With Dee. I feel him squirm beside me, it jolts me back to reality. Back to the reality of my life, a thousand miles from my dream. The two are so different, it's like the difference between night and day, just switched. My day is filled with darkness, cold and bleak. My night is filled hope, colour,  depth. I feel more in the night than I do in the day, for the first time my dreams bring emotion.

Dee squirms again, He wakes completely.

I resume stroking his blonde hair trying to soothe him back to sleep, I'm not ready to wake fully, for the life I feel in the night to be replaced by the numbness of the day. But I already know soon the dreams will disappear as will dee and Orla; there is no family life for me. I know my life is best driven my sucess, by business.  I have found my pleasure without becoming attached; every woman has known the score, my business comes first, last and only. Orla is too complicated to fulfil me without completely consuming me. She is already consuming me, that has to only be temporary. I turn to see Orla waking, I quickly snuggle down with Dee again. It may to temporary but I want this moment to last.

Orla

Blinking awake I remember Dee came to sleep with me, just like he does at home. Only this time instead of smuggling down with me he had chosen Brads arms to gently coax him to sleep. Adjusting my eyes to the light thats now pouring into the room, I see them both. Brad has his arms wrapped over and above Dee. Dee is snuggled into Brad so close I know hes listening to Brads soft breathing, he does it with me. The rhythm of my slow breathing always sends Dee off into a deep sleep. This is bliss.

After a while coffee becons me. I slowly lift the covers and begin to get out of bed. "Where are you going?" Brad whispers

"Coffee" I respond looking over to find brads eyes closed and in the same position as before. Clearly he wasn't asleep after all. He lifts his arm and graps at the night stand behind him, without moving his body, opening his eyes or changing his breathing. God he's good at this. Retrieving his phone he opens one eye and text."done" he smirks and closes his eye again. "Now come back to bed, rest with us" I lay back down and find Brads arm has migrated from Dee and is now lazily coaxing me closer before resting his hand on my side. The hand above Dees head now smothes back the hair out of my eyes. "Our plan today is to sleep and visit the school. Coffee will be here in a half hour, now just lay with us, please" "ok" I respond and with that I close my eyes to sleep again, knowing Brad is still stroking my hair and looking at me.

Hey, a very quick update as we have the kids off for the summer and it's playing havoc with my spare time. Thank you for the votes, comments and follows they mean the world to me and spur me on the continue. The next chapter will be a change in direction and I need to plan it out right so it may be a couple of weeks away but I wanted to show you Brads thoughts this far first. Thanks for reading!