Love thy Neighbour : Book 2

Chapter 3

Saturday night Zane and I had a quiet dinner over at his work partners Matt's place with his girlfriend Jasmine and their baby son Ashton. The weather was beautiful so Matt cooked a mix of chops, chicken kebabs and sausages on the bbq.
I was having cuddles with a very happy but active little Ashton who kept trying to pull my hair.
Jasmine smiled at me and said a baby suited me.
" oh go no" I told her" babies are a longgg way off for me".
" Don't leave it too late though. The older you get-". She paused.
" I'm only 24 Jaz " I reminded her.
" Shit that's right. Baby brain". She grinned and pointed to her head.
" I wouldn't care what my baby had or didn't have because he or she would be loved no matter what". I paused then added. "however I am not looking to be a mum for a few years yet".
I looked down at Ashton as he succeeded in getting some of my hair in his chubby little fist and tugged on it. It bloody hurt. He was super cute with his red hair, chubby cheeks and big blue eyes but I was definitely in no hurry to become a Mum. If that was even in the cards for Zane and I? To be honest we didn't talk about kids. We talked about us.
Zane was outside talking with Matt so I asked Jasmine if she could help free my hair from Ashton's grip.
" Sorry Maddie, he does have a strong grip once he gets hold of something." She stepped forward and helped pry his fingers off my hair. It instantly felt better but was still abit sore from being stretched.
" Thanks" I smiled as she held out her arms to take Ashton from me.
She put him into his very padded high chair that was snug and did up the straps so he was stable. Then she set about tossing some weird looking organic stuff she called a salad in a big purple bowl. I hoped she had a typical salad too. I liked Jasmine but I wasnt into organic or vegan stuff so it was all weird to me.

Sunday Zane was at work again so I went over and had lunch with my family at Eliza's. Even my brother Nick was there. Eliza looked huge. She had about three months to go before they would be welcoming their son into our family and the world.
Mum was off work today and was busy fussing over Eliza and telling her Maddie and I can do everything. Kayden was at work so Dad was out the back grilling some tandoori chicken pieces on the bbq.
" So can Nick" I pointed out to my more than capable brother who was an adult who was sitting on his arse on the sofa watching crap on his phone. Probably YouTube?.
Mum nodded, telling Nick to get off his phone and take the food from the bench to the outdoor table.
He groaned and did it though, taking the food outside where Dad was.
"Saw Evan yesturday" I told Eliza and Mum.
" Who is Evan again?". Mum asked.
"Craig's brother". Eliza replied.
"Oh that's right". mum nodded, " how is he?".
My family had met Evan when he and Craig came to my birthday dinner and in the whole time I was dating a Craig she never once told us what she said to us next.
"You know I had a cousin with Down syndrome". Mum said as she sliced some carrots into think sticks.
Eliza and I both looked at her wide eyed.
"No. You have never told us this". Eliza said.
"He died when he was about 19. I was about 6 or 7."Mum nodded.
" What did he die from?" Eliza asked.
" What was his name?". I wanted to know.
" They wern't sure but people with Down syndrome died a lot earlier back then than they do today". Mum paused. " His name was Robbie. He was a funny character. I remember he used to push me on the swing and pull funny faces on purpose to make us little ones laugh".
"He might of had a heart defect. Back then they didn't have the capability to know if someone had a hole in their heart". I said sadly. I wished we had gotten to know Robbie.
We were all quiet for a moment or two. Then the older girls came running into the kitchen and asked Mum if she could come outside and watch them in the swimming pool.
" Of course girls". Mum nodded and followed them back up the hallway to get into their swimmers.
" Saw Craig too". I told Eliza as soon as Mum had left the kitchen.
She looked at me hesitantly. " And how did that go?".
" Good. We caught up a few months ago in a cafe to chat and then Zane and I saw him and Evan at Southbank".
She picked up a handful of sliced mushrooms dropping them into the salad bowl.
" He said he has broken up with that girl he was seeing".
Eliza nodded. " I heard about that".
" From Craig?" I asked as sometimes Kayden and Eliza had the staff over for drinks or a meal. That's where I had met him and we had started dating.
She shook her head. " No from Kayden. She was crazy in the end. When he broke it off with her the weekend before last she came into the Restaurant carrying on abusing him and crying".
" What?".
Eliza nodded. " Had to call the cops to get her to leave as the guys got her outside but then she just hung around stalking him all night".
" That's scary". I said. Poor Craig!
"He probably shouldn't have been in so much of a hurry to move on so quickly after you but that's most men for you". Her voice trailed off because Dad walked in telling us lunch was cooked.