Thinking Out Loud

Chapter 6

Dianne woke up to the sound of footsteps in the hallway, just outside their closed door.
"Mia, Billy, what are you doing?" She heard someone whisper.
"We went to see if Santa has been," Mia replied.
"It's half six, go back to bed," said the voice she now recognised to be that of her older brother Brendan. "You can't open anything until everyone is up, Auntie Di and Uncle Joe need to catch up on their jet-lag so let's go back to your bedroom." Her heart throbbed slightly with happiness as she heard the name 'Uncle Joe'. All she had wanted was for her family to approve of him and for Mia and Billy to start calling him Uncle definitely clarified it for her. As she heard the soft footsteps disappear down the hallway, Dianne turned onto her side and cuddled into Joe's shoulder, kissing his bare skin. She lay in the darkened room listening to the chirping of the birds nesting in the tree just outside her bedroom window. Everything in it was quite similar to how she'd left it, the mirror still stood pushed up against the side of the wardrobe, the wardrobe still settled along the back wall, and the dressing table still sat on the opposite wall to the window. The only difference was the bed. When Dianne moved out, her parents sold her old double and replaced it with a kingsize, secretly hoping that one day she would come home with someone else, that someone else being Joe though they had never realised it would be him. Heavy footsteps walked down the hallway and Dianne figured it was Brendan going back to his bedroom for another hour or so of sleep. Bringing the duvet under her chin, Dianne closed her tired eyes and fell back to sleep.

"Dot?" Her eyes opened slowly as the door was gradually pushed open. "Joseph?" Lifting her head up from the pillow, she saw her mum coming into their room with two cups of what she could only presume was tea- they always had tea first thing on Christmas Day. Joe had woken up a while ago and was sat up against the headboard, one arm around Dianne's sleeping form, stroking over her back.
"Morning Rina," he whispered thinking Dianne was still asleep.
"Morning Joseph, did you sleep well?"
"Yes thank you, the jet lag is gradually getting better, not sure I can say the same about this o- oh, you're awake." Joe looked down at her just as she turned onto her back, her eyes wide open. Dianne looked at Joe and giggled softly before she pulled herself up the bed so she was mirroring Joe's position.
"Ah morning Dot." Rina, who was stood at the bottom of the bed, walked around to Dianne's side and passed her her cup and then held Joe's out for him to take. She walked back over to the bedroom door, but turned back with her hand resting on the silver handle. "Don't rush, those two can wait for you." Smiling gently, she opened the door and left the room, closing it behind her.
"How long have you been awake?" Dianne asked as she turned to Joe.
"Not long, ten minutes maybe? I was awake before you for a change!"
"Woah, that never happens. Anyway, I say we get up now."
"Why?"
"Because I feel guilty making them wait so I can drink my tea when I could do that watching them," she explained, sipping on the hot liquid gently.
"You're ridiculous," Joe laughed, "but I feel the same way. Shall we just get up?"
"Yeh." Dianne leaned over the bed and put her cup on the bedside table so she could get out of bed. Slinging the duvet aside, she swung her legs out of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms above her head whilst she yawned. Dianne padded slowly over to the door and grabbed one of the dressing gowns hooked onto the coat hanger, pulling it on and tying it tightly round her waist. She grabbed the second one and got ready to throw it at Joe, but he was only just standing up and Dianne got distracted by him.
"Well, don't you look fit?" She said, her eyes running over his topless chest. Dianne threw the robe onto the bed and walked to Joe, running her hands up and along his chest as she reached him.
"Well, don't you look gorgeous?" He retaliated, hoping his body was keeping the blushing to a minimum. Dianne kissed Joe hungrily, snaking her arms up and around the back of his head, keeping him close to her.
"Come on," Joe said when they broke apart, slightly breathless, "let's go and let Mia and Billy open their presents."
"Okay." Dianne pecked his lips once more before going to the door, waiting for Joe to catch up with his robe wrapped around him. "Hold my hand?"
"Why?"
"Because my brothers'll pretend to gag and it'll make mum mad and that's funny. Now, hold my hand." Joe, shaking his head and laughing, entwined his fingers with Dianne's and followed her lead from the bedroom and into the living room, where everyone was already up drinking their teas, Mia and Billy excitedly kicking their legs from where they were sat on the deepest chair in there.
"Morning you two," Andrew said, "ewwww, they're holding hands. That's yucky, isn't it Bill?" From the other side of the room, Brendan did exactly what Dianne thought he would and pretended to gag, his partner Annabelle hitting his shoulder playfully. Mel, Andrews girlfriend, did the same thing.
"Um no thank you," Rina said, "that's disgusting." Her voice was full of disapproval and it made all three of her children laugh. Dianne led Joe over to the spare seats that had been saved for them, keeping her head turned away from her mum so she couldn't see her laughing. Sitting down first, Joe held his arm out for Dianne to cuddle into his side, which she did happily, snuggling into his shoulder.
"You two can start now," Brendan said. All of the adults sat back, sipping their teas, and watched Mia and Billy excitedly slide off the sofa and run over to their individual piles from Santa, ripping the paper off in desperation to see what was hidden beneath the folds of gold.

"Have you had a good day?" Dianne asked as they climbed into bed that evening.
"I've had the best time, your family is amazing," Joe said softly, a small smile playing on his face as he looked at her, his eyes full of love.
"They love you, like a lot," Dianne smiled, "they all do." Joe couldn't hide the happiness he felt as he let his smile grow wider until he was grinning from ear to ear, Dianne watching him with the same expression. "You're so cute."

•••

"It's been so nice to meet you all," Joe said as he went round shaking Dianne's brothers hands whilst they stood in the airport, "I've had the best time here with you guys."
"It's been a pleasure mate," Andrew smiled.
"We'll look forward to seeing you again," Brendan commented.
"I'll look forward to coming back." Joe turned around to look for Dianne, seeing her laughing and joking with her parents before he turned back to face her brothers, his face showing just how smitten he was; something they both picked up on very quickly. With a shared nod and a smile, Andrew and Brendan knew this was the one for their little sister and they were both excited to see what the future would bring for them.
"She'll talk for hours, you'll miss your flight if you're not careful," Andrew laughed, "that woman can talk for Australia, or England."
"I'd go Australia, it's about thirty times bigger so it's more fitting," Joe said quickly, "she can talk for hours. The amount of times I've been about to fall asleep and she'll start to talk again, bloody hell."
"Tell me about it, she's got too much energy," Brendan agreed, nodding his head. "We're about to get in trouble," he whispered. Joe turned round to see Dianne walking towards them with narrowed eyes.
"Can we help you?" Joe asked as she reached them, "You look awfully suspicious."
"Stop pretending to be so posh," she said, "and you're the suspicious ones. I know you were talking about me, I could hear every word."
"Damn it," Andrew said, "Well boys. Guess our covers been blown and I don't want to have to deal with the consequences so see ya!"
"I'm out." Brendan held up both hands in surrender and backed away with Andrew, laughing quietly to themselves.
"What were you on about then?" Dianne quizzed, focusing her eyes on Joe's.
"Just about how smitten I am," he said without hesitation. Dianne seemed to believe the lie as she smiled softly and turned her back to grab her case. Joe looked to the boys, winked and gave them both a thumbs up, freezing when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"What were you actually talking about?"