Nick brought up the conversation of where we’re going to live. I had assumed it would be at his apartment but he doesn’t want that.
“I was thinking of buying a house for us.” He announces over dinner. I place my cutlery down on my plate and look at him.
“Why? I thought we were going to live at the penthouse.”
“No. I mean, it’s fine for the time being but I want something new and bigger if you agree.”
“Your place is not exactly small but sure, if that will make you happy, I just want us to be together, I don’t care where that is.” I tell him. He takes a hold of my hand on the table.
“I want us to start fresh in a new home, a house with a backyard where Charlotte can run around and we can make new happy memories. A place where our future children will grow up one day, I want BBQ’s and water balloon fights in our backyard in the summer, maybe even a dog.”
I picture what he just described to me, it sounds like a perfect dream, my heart fills with a hopeful joy and I get glassy eyed.
“I want that too.”
“Are we getting a puppy?” Charlie pipes up, of course that’s all she heard.
“No.” I answer her.
“Maybe.” Nick says.
After some research he found two possible houses for us to move in to which were for sale in the area he wanted. Of the two choices I preferred the one by the water and so did he. We have an appointment next Wednesday evening to go see it with the realtor and I’m super excited. It is a beautiful dark brick two storey home, from the pictures I have seen online the rear of the house has stone steps leading down to a massive yard and an amazing view of the ocean. I’m optimistic the pictures do it justice and when I see it in person I won’t be disappointed.
Another topic of conversation was work. Being with Nick I don’t need to work but I want to. We spoke about it at length and I agreed to wait a couple of months until Charlotte and I are settled in and we’ve moved into the house before looking for work. He has agreed to not interfere and let me do this on my own, I would love nothing more than to go back to Love Designs that I may take him up on his offer about going back. We’ll have to wait and see.
There are packing boxes everywhere, in every room of the house. I have spent at least two hours each day packing things away in them. Nick has already organised for some of them to be shipped off already back to his apartment. You never have any idea of how much crap you actually own until you need to pack it all in boxes.
It’s a beautiful Saturday with the sun shining. Nick and I are standing in the kitchen having finished cleaning up after lunch while Charlotte has gone to play in the backyard. This time next week we’ll be back in Sydney and settling in to the next phase of our life and future.
With my back to him Nick boxes me in against the counter within his arms, kissing the back of my neck causing tingles to run down my spine.
“You know what I’m looking forward to once we move into our house.”
“What?”
“Christening every room and piece of furniture with you.” He breathes against my neck. His words have me clenching my thighs at the delicious images they produce.
“With a child around? Good luck with that.” I tease him.
“She has to sleep sometime.” He replies as his hands wrap around my waist pulling me into his chest where I feel his erection poking my back.
I turn around in his arms taking his face in my hands, bringing his lips to mine. His hands automatically find themselves on my ass, I take a step closer to him as our kiss begins to get heated with our tongues duelling for dominance. His lips release mine as they move lower across my jaw and neck. I tilt my head back letting out a sigh.
The spell however is broken when we hear Charlotte give out a high pitched scream. We both run out the back door down the steps and into the yard, Nick reaching her first.
“Charlie what’s wrong?” He demands falling to his knees beside her. She’s standing there with her cast sticking out whimpering. Has she hurt herself, is she in pain?
“There’s a bug on me. Get it off.” She cries frightened, shaking her arm. I take a closer look at her cast and start laughing. I kneel down and take away the offending insect.
“Sweetie, it’s only a ladybug, they’re harmless and meant to be good luck. Look.” I show her there’s nothing to be afraid of as I let the little thing crawl around my hand.
“No, take it away.”
She shies away shielding herself into her father’s arms who is chuckling at her display and kisses her on the head.
“You know, it probably liked the flower we drew on your cast which is why it landed on there. Don’t be scared, you’re my brave girl remember.” Nick tells her sticking his own hand out. I place the ladybug in his hand watching as he brings it closer. Charlie has tensed up but is staying with her father observing the creature as it moves round.
“Does it tickle?”
“Not at all. Do you want to try holding it?”
“Nope.” She shakes her head. “Okay, get rid of it now.”
With another laugh Nick shakes his hand making it fly away. With that Charlotte is off and playing again.
“She gets that from you Ms Squeamish.”
“Hey, I may freak out at spiders and cockroaches but I can handle a few bugs thank you very much.” I get up off the grass placing my hands on my hips.
“Yeah, remind of that next time you’re screaming for me to kill one of them.”
I’m sitting on the plane, looking at the clouds through the tiny window flying home. Home. It’s a funny word. It has a lot of different meanings to different people, to some it’s where one permanently lives, or where your family is, some people have a deep attachment to a home and early memories of childhood, to me home has always been where I have been the happiest, where my heart feels whole. Years ago that was anywhere Nick was, then it was whenever I held my daughter in my arms. The day Nick showed up again I learned that my heart wasn’t whole and I hated him all over again. But he changed that, with his patience and determination he completed me and Charlotte too, created the family unit we were always meant to be. So here we are almost home, most of our belongings were sent back yesterday, so the only things the three of us have with us are our small carry-on bags.
We said goodbye to my mother and step-father last night, having gone over to their place for dinner. I cried lots of tears like a big baby when I hugged her at the end of the night. I’ll miss seeing her several times a week after being so close to her for so long. Without her to turn to when I was pregnant I have no idea what I would have done. Not that I couldn’t have done it on my own but I would rather not have. Sure I had my dad but I couldn’t burden him like that. He would have taken us in no questions asked but it wouldn’t have been fair to him and I needed to be as far away from Nick at the same time.
Being on the plane feels different this time. There is no time limit on our stay, this is forever. I’m trying to imagine life once our day to day routine sets in. Will things between Nick and I change at all? We need to look at schools for Charlotte. Will she like living here permanently once the novelty of it wears off? No doubt she will love the fact that her parents are together in one place again but what about dealing with security everywhere we go, making new friends. I’m probably worrying over nothing but I can’t help it.