Two Become Three- A Joanne Story

Miss You

Joe gently closed the door to Connie's room, a smile playing on his lips, he had missed doing that. He had missed laying next to her and reading her a book. Missed saying there until she fell asleep holding his t-shirt.

The smile quickly fell though, as he saw the black suitcase by the front door. Unfortunately, back to reality with Connie means that back to reality with Dianne.

She was leaving.

Back to Australia and her family and the sunshine.

He sighed again and walked over to the couch, depositing himself on the sofa next to her. She lifted her arm up for him and he laid his head on her chest. She kissed his forehead and combed her fingertips through his hair.

"You alright little one?" Dianne asked quietly, Joe had seemed so happy putting Connie down but now he was floppy and heavy and sad.

"You're leaving me tomorrow," he sighed, closing his eyes to savour the moment.

"I am, yes," Dianne whispered, tickling his side at his waistband.

"I'll miss you my love," Joe admitted, kissing her soft skin. He walked his fingers across her abdomen and locked their hands together.

"I'll miss you too, you have no idea. If I could take you with me I would," Dianne said bringing his hand up to kiss it. "But you have go give your daughter the best Christmas ever. And I'll be back before you know it, eating all off your food and using your electricity."

"I like it when you eat all of my food and use all of my electricity though. I hope what I say now doesn't sound needy," Joe said, he had been thinking about a remark Connie made when Dianne was at her house packing. He tipped them over so she was now laying on him, wanting to hold her, rather than she hold him.

"Go on darl," Dianne encouraged.

"Can we call you every day?" Joe mumbled into her hair.

"Were you not planning to?" Dianne asked, she had assumed he was going to call her every day, I mean they were together and had spent near enough every day with each other.

"I didn't want to come across as overbearing," Joe explained, putting his hand under her shirt, tickling the skin around her dimples.

"Well you won't be, I bet I'll be calling you more," Dianne said, nuzzling her face as close to him as possible.

"Why don't we make a time, that we'll definitely call, a time that fits for us both so that we know we won't be interrupting or waking each other up. And then if we want to call any other time we can too but then we definitely have one conversation a day," Joe suggested, kissing her parting.

"Erm yeah, we should pick a time when Connie's still awake yeah?" Joe nodded, "so how about," she paused, counting on her fingers for a few seconds, "4pm for me is 9am for you, I'll literally just be chilling so that works and then it means you'll have the day to yourself."

"That won't interrupt your day?"

"Nah, we don't do a lot, Mum and Dad know I'll be calling you. Anyway if something changes I could text you," Dianne pointed out.

"Okay shall we just cudge now?" Joe asked, the conversation was making him feel sad.

"Yeah," Dianne laughed, and snuggled close to him.

~~~

7am looks especially dark in the winter so when the door to Joe's bedroom opened neither he nor Dianne stirred. Connie looked around, bunny dragging in her hand. She had expected her Daddy to be awake, he always was when she woke up. The little girl shuffled around to Dianne's side and stood on her tiptoes, making sure that Dianne was still there. She knew she was going on an aeroplane today and wanted to make sure she could say goodbye. Suddenly, Connie jumped backwards, Dianne had rolled over and scared the life out of her. She fell on the floor and started crying, having bashed her back.