Always - Sequel to Stay Together For The Kids

Rehab.

"I told you, child, we aren't getting maple syrup."

Ruby throws the maple syrup back into the cart. I'm pretty sure it's the sixth time so far. I don't even blink.

"Put it back." I tell her, picking the maple syrup out of the cart and handing it back to her.

Looking straight at me, she lifts her hand up slowly, and places the syrup straight back in the cart.

With the instinct that she knows I'm about to tell her off, she squeals and starts running down the aisle. I'm slowly cursing myself for not putting her in the shopping seat.

"Have children, they said. It will be fun, they said." I mutter under my breath, admitting defeat, and pushing the trolley down the aisle to catch up with my Canadian-sugar-obsessed child.

"Lily?" I hear someone call from behind me.

Frowning, I turn to look back.

With hair dangling into his eyes, and holding a bright red shopping basket, Ashton grins back at me, looking surprised but pleased.

"Ash?" I say, stepping forward so I can give him a hug.

I give him a small hug, looking back quickly to check on Ruby, who is now standing next to me. I hold her hand as she looks up to Ashton with vague interest.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

Ashton gives me a weird look. "Shopping, Lil."

I smack my hand to my face. "And hear I was thinking we were golfing." I joke.

Ashton grins, and leans down to say hello to Ruby. He manages to get a coy smile out of her, but she retreats behind my leg.

Ashton chuckles. "Is she always this grumpy?" He asks.

"Yes." I say confidently.

"Well, you and Michael's child, I mean, it was going to have some poor social skills." Ashton laughs.

"At least with my genes Ruby will turn out fabulous. I'm afraid your children might inherit the Irwin gene." I tell him with a smirk.

Ashton frowns. "The Irwin gene?" He asks, looking confused.

I nod. "The inability to reach puberty until you're 20." I laugh.

"Ouch." Ashton puts his hand to his heart as if I had shot him.

"Ashton?" I say suddenly.

"Yeah?" He frowns, looking at me intensely.

I pause, looking at him for a second. "Why do you have cheesy stringers in your basket?" I ask.

Ashton breaks out in a sheepish grin. "Well, it's been a long time since I went shopping for groceries by myself, ok?" He laughs. "This is the food of bachelors."

I lift up the stringers out of the basket. "I'm pretty sure this is the food of diabetics."

"What about you?" Ashton starts digging through my trolley, eventually pulling out the maple syrup Ruby had thrown in there moments earlier. "This is just sugar in a bottle."

"That was all her." I tell him, pointing at Ruby. "You try disagreeing with her. She's the most stubborn person I know." I jokingly scowl at Ruby, who is watching Ashton with her maple syrup like a hawk.

"You do know yourself, right?" Ashton asks.

"Are you calling me stubborn?" I ask, pretending to be offended.

"Damn right, I am." Ashton says under his breath.

I nudge him in the ribs.

"Do you want us to help you shop?" I ask him. "Ruby's terrific at it." I lie.