Always - Sequel to Stay Together For The Kids

Just friends.

"You promise me you'll call me tomorrow?" Ash asks Mitch, doing up his coat in the dark cold.

I've already dropped Ruby off to stay at Mali's for the evening, and it's now time for Ashton to say goodbye to his children. It hurts to watch, honestly. And it doesn't help having Chantelle hovering over us all.

"Stay." Casey whines.

Ash looks broken. "I can't, Case. We have to go to dinner with Uncle Luke." He explains.

"Why are you going?" Chantelle says scathingly to me.

"I have these things called friends." I spit quietly, my eyes narrowing.

The children and Ashton haven't heard me, but from the contemptuous glance from Chantelle, I can tell she has.

"I love you." I hear Ash murmur, a group hug ensuing from the twins and himself.

After many murmurs from Chantelle, half agreeing for Ash to see his children again sometime soon, we are on our way to Luke's. We had stayed with the children as long as we possibly could, but we couldn't put it off any longer.

Ashton stays quiet on the drive.

"You did amazing today." I tell him.

"Why don't I feel it?" He mutters.

"Because you're a good dad. A bad father would be able to drop their children off and not feel a thing. A good dad couldn't bear the pain."

"I don't know." Ashton says shaking his head. "Maybe I should of stayed with Chantelle."

"What?" I splutter. Was I hearing things right?

"Look, I despise Chantelle. Even if she is the mother of my children. But I would put up with her if it meant the kids had their father." He says.

I purse my lips. "You're doing the best you can, Ash. Don't doubt yourself now."

Ashton just shrugs, and I can't help but worry as I turn into Luke's driveway.

Luke and Sophie are positively beaming as we step through their door. They seem over excited to have us over, and it cheers me up too. Ashton even manages to smile a little.

"We've put together a little dinner for us tonight." Sophie explains, leading us into their dining room.

I had always loved their house. It hadn't been elaborate. It was homey and family like. They were my relationship goals, to be honest.

I see the table and my face drops. There is a long buffet line in the middle of the table, stacked with mouth watering food.

"We're having baked salmon tarts for entree and then for main we have Cape Grim Sirloin Steak." Sophie adds.

"Do you have any idea what a cape grim is?" Ashton says in my ear.

"Is it like the brothers grim?" I whisper back to him, sitting down at the table with him. I watch Ashton struggle to keep a straight face.

"Did you make this all yourself?" I ask in awe, looking over the food.

Sophie nods, looking proud. Luke sits next to her, looking equally proud. This puts my microwave jacket potatoes to shame.

"So what have you been up to?" Ashton asks, starting to pick at the food at the table. I can't help but follow him all too eagerly.

Luke and Sophie glance at each other for a second.

"Uh, not much." Luke says, his voice raising several octaves.

I frown at Luke, who shifts uncomfortably.