The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The World's Best Hangover

"Cleo" cried Jen as the young girl arrived home from school on Monday afternoon and dived into her wide open arms for a giant hug. "Oh honey, I'm so glad I get to see you again before I head home. I'm really happy your mom let you stay here tonight."

"Yeah she was fine about it. I think it helped her out actually. She's got this big exhibition coming up and she reckons she's way behind schedule so she'll be working most of the night. She always says that though and still manages to pull it off. If you ask me, I think she just enjoys being dramatic."

"Your mom being dramatic? Well, there's a first" laughed David as he walked into the room, smiling at his two girls who were still locked together, Jen's arm draped easily around Cleo's shoulders and hers around Jen's waist, in a kind of role reversal to the way he and Jen frequently found themselves stood. "You're absolutely right though, she does always pull it off and her work is something she should be rightly proud of." He paused, internally switching his brain into dad mode. "Right, what homework do you have tonight?

"None actually. It's so close to the end of the year that we're hardly getting any homework now which is pretty cool."

"Oh well in that case, how about we play some games and then maybe watch a movie with dinner" David suggested, "I thought we could have enchiladas tonight." He got approving nods and smiles from both of them.

"Can we play Jenga?" Cleo asked with great enthusiasm, wondering why her dad and Jen suddenly looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I'd love to play Jenga" Jen answered though her giggles, "your dad and I played the other night and I'm pretty sure I was the winner" she continued as she flashed her eyes at him and licked her lips seductively.

"No, I can guarantee you that I won" he grinned, winking back at Jen over Cleo's head.

"Well, I am going to beat both of you today" said Cleo with great determination, leading to more laughter from all of them.

She did actually beat them both a couple of times, but it was Jen whose hands proved the steadiest winning five out of their nine games before David had left them deciding what movie they wanted to watch as he went to make dinner.

"I knew Dad liked you long before he admitted it to me" Cleo suddenly announced as she was sat on the sofa with the remote, flicking through the long list of film choices. "He watched so many of your movies before you guys filmed the reunion show."

"He did, did he?" said Jen, genuinely surprised by this little nugget of information.

"I used to hear you guys chatting sometimes, not that I was listening or anything but just when I was like getting a soda from the fridge or something, and he sounded different when he talked to you than anyone else. I made a wish that you'd like him back and look, it came true." Cleo flashed a wide smile at Jen as she made a choice about what to watch and a very familiar theme tune began to play. "Do you mind?" she asked.

Jen laughed as she tried to process everything she'd just been told, "honey I don't mind at all. These were the best ten years of my life... well until now, I have a feeling the next ten years might be even better."

Jen had a sudden flashback to waking up beside him this morning. Both of them had struggled to get to sleep after their wonderful and slightly wild evening, mostly thanks to the stimulation from the wine and then the multiple trips to the bathroom to pee it all out again. They had still been lay, face to face, bodies happily entwined, chatting about all the possibilities that the future could hold for them until long after 3am, enjoying the comfort and closeness of simply having this time together. As she'd opened her eyes at 8.48am, squinting at her phone just long enough to see what time it was, she had turned to look at the man still snoring softly next to her. His arm was draped protectively over her stomach, and she felt an absolute rush of deep, all-consuming love. She could have happily lay and watched him sleep like that forever, feeling totally and utterly safe and content and like she was absolutely where she was destined to be. Sadly, her bladder had other ideas and she'd gingerly slipped from his grasp, careful not to waken him as she did so. By the time she returned from the bathroom he was stirring, his brown eyes flickering open as she slid back in beside him. He lifted his head from the pillow to greet her then quickly sunk it back down again. "Urgh, how can you look so good when I feel so rough" he said gruffly, "it's not fair."