The Broken Road (18+)

Chapter 32

'Have you got his milk for bed times?' Laila asked for the third time. 'And his blankie?'

'Yes Laila, we've got everything.' Troy sighed, holding his arms out for Joshua.

'Sorry, I'm just worried about leaving him.' She sighed, looking at her one year old son.

'He'll be fine, Laila. We're just going to be an hour away.' I comforted her. 'We'll be there, my parents will be there, and Jack's parents. Plenty of experienced hands on site.'

'I know. I know. I trust you both with Josh, I'm just going to miss him.' She sighed.

'You're still welcome you join us. Hannah specified the invitation was for you and J.' I offered. It was her 8th birthday, and she wanted to go on a camping trip with everyone. We decided to hire a few caravans rather than camping in tents so that her grandparents could come and be comfortable.

'Thanks Jenny, but this should be a family trip.' She smiled between Troy and I.

'You're family too, you know?' Troy said, as Joshua fiddled with his coat zipper. Laila refused the invite a second time, before saying goodbye to Joshua, as we climbed into the car.

We drove to the campsite, Joshua falling asleep on the car ride. When we arrived, my parents had already set up their caravan and Hannah was running around with Lizzie, her older cousin- Heather's 10 year old daughter.

'Mummy!' Hannah squealed running to the car as we pulled up. 'Where's J?'

'He's in the back, baby.' I replied, opening the door and taking him out of car seat, trying not to wake him.

'Aw, he's sleeping.' She frowned, eager to play with him.

'Go carry on playing with Lizzie, I'll call you over when he's awake.' Troy said, pulling out a travel cot and placing it near my parent's caravan. I laid J down, watching him sleep adoringly.

'He's a cutie.' Anna said as she came out of the caravan. She was staying with my parents in their caravan, while Lizzie and Hannah were sharing with Jack's parents. Troy, J and I were in our own one. Hannah kept changing her mind over who she wanted to stay with, so we were expecting her to switch each night.

'Just like his daddy.' I smiled, sensing Troy coming up behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist and placed his head only shoulder.

'I can't believe he's going to be a big brother.' Troy whispered in my ear. My eye widened suddenly, we hadn't told anyone wait.

'What?' Anna screeched. 'Tell me I didn't just hear that.'

'We weren't going to tell anyone yet, Troy.' I frowned. 'Hannah needs to be the first we tell.'

'Sorry.' He said sheepishly, rubbing circles on my stomach with his thumbs. 'Do you mind keeping this quiet until later in the trip?'

'I can try.' She said, pulling me into a hug. 'Congrats.'

'Thanks Anna.' I smiled.

Jack's parents came over to the caravan and greeted Troy and I with hugs, and we all spent the next few hours catching up. My parents were on bbq duty, while Jack's parents were building a campfire.

'Why don't we go for a quick walk?' Troy suggested, looking at Joshua and Hannah, who were playing together on Joshua's play mat. I nodded, letting my parents know we were going for a walk.

Troy held one of Joshua's hands, as Hannah held the other, helping him toddle down the woodland path.

'Mummy, J is getting so fast now.' Hannah grinned, once we reached a flowery clearing. Troy and J were a few paces away, J inspecting some flowers intensely.