From now on

Chapter nine

"Are we there yet?"

The drive to Chewton Glen had been in one word...long. They had left the house expecting it to take around one hour and a half to two hours, but it was shaping up to be three after the press started to follow them, thus causing a detour. Emelia had fallen asleep shortly after leaving, but was now awake and getting impatient, like any five year old would be. She had been watching videos on her iPad, belting out all the songs on the radio, talking to Joe and Dianne plenty throughout but there's only so much you can do in the car. She also had just called the iconic phrase 'are we there yet' for what seemed like the hundredth time since they set off earlier that day.

Dianne, who felt herself getting slightly agitated, shook her head, turning around. "No, not yet. We've still got a while to go I'm afraid."

Emelia huffed, slumping back in her chair. "Ugh. I'm bored."

"Hi bored, I'm Joe."

Both girls simultaneously, five and twenty nine, stared at Joe who had just proclaimed the lamest joke in their eyes, Emelia shaking her head and Dianne rolling her eyes. He couldn't help but laugh, focusing on the road ahead.

"Sorry girls, just couldn't resist." Dianne shook her head, seeing Emelia in the rear view mirror put her head in her hands. "Was it that bad, Em?"

"Do you really want her to answer that one, Joseph?" Dianne chuckled, leaning back and seeing him shake his head, staring at the road. Emelia went back to her iPad, watching some YouTube. "Anyway, do you know what time Zoe and Alfie will be arriving?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure, love. She'll most likely be there before us though, we've still got a good while to go. Stupid press." He rolled his eyes, agitated.

"I know." She nodded. "But don't let them get to you, you won't enjoy it otherwise." She put her hand over his, seeing him glance over and smile gratefully.

"I know, and I won't." She smiled back before looking out the window, eventually going into a deep and blissful sleep. While falling asleep, she couldn't help but grin at hearing Emelia's rendition of 'love is an open door' which to Dianne's surprise, Joe knew every word to. Shortly after that, she suspected Emelia went asleep as she was pretty quiet after that.

For the next twenty minutes after Emelia fell asleep, Joe was left to the road and his thoughts, which were almost always of the two ladies in the car with him, every thought endearing. He could see through the rear view mirror Emelia sleeping, Dianne out of the corner of his eye, and just smiled.

He turned down the radio so it was silent, and watched the world pass by, the trees become blurry and the clouds roll and roll.

The first of the two Australians to awake was Emelia. She blinked a few times, waking up to silence. Her first thought was one she voiced aloud, her voice cracking from lack of use.

"Are we there yet?"

Joe rolled his eyes fondly, shaking his head. "No, not yet. It's a long ol drive to Chewton Glen Em, plus traffic. I reckon we've got around half an hour to go."

"Oh." She sulked. "Is mummy still asleep?"

"Yeah, she's still asleep. She's probably still exhausted from all the dancing."

Emelia nodded, taking out her iPad and headphones, searching up some funny videos of cats to watch to cure her boredom, for the next half an hour. Dianne eventually woke up, and her and Joe spent the rest of the journey talking about Strictly memories, already missing everyone and seeing them all every single day. They could have spoken for another three hours, but alas they reached the treehouse site, Chewton Glen.