Puppet Master

Epilogue

Nate pulled up outside of the cottage, admiring the brickwork on the brand new extension off the garage. Those were the longest weeks of his life. Jayden had demanded it be finished before the baby arrived, pulling up all sorts of information off the internet about how it could psychologically damage a child to disrupt it too much in the earlier stages of its life.

Nate had his suspicions that he’d typed it up himself, just to get his way, but it had worked anyway! Despite the fact that he’d spent two and a half weeks without a decent cup of tea. For all of Tori’s talents, making a decent cup of PG Tips was not one of them, he grimaced with the memory.

The sun was scorching in the sky, illuminating all of the vivid colours in the homely garden on the front lawn. They’d really made a turn around with the place since Jayden had brought it for a ridiculously above the estimated value price from Rory’s aunt earlier in the year.

But Tori had wailed over the loss of her brand new studio once he’d demanded that they move in together before the new baby came, so instead of moving her out, he’d moved in.

And promptly taken over, of course, but he wouldn’t be Jayden if he handled it any other way.

He did look rather at odds with the scenery though, shirtless in the dark shade of the open garage, sparring at a rapid pace with a heavy punch bag that hung from the high beams, amidst all the pink rose bushes and wild tulips that bloomed across the pathway leading up to the front of the house.

He’d always been an amazing fighter – watching him dance with grace and agility around his target was a gift of the highest order. He snapped out his wrists like the strike of a Cobra, each one completely understated, and yet positively deadly. The light rippled across the new ink he’d just had that spanned his back completely. It was Tori’s design, a beautiful shaded image of their two hands cupping the tiny feet of a newborn. Although completely understated, it was a perfect image, with the words Ava Adora scripted beautifully underneath Tori’s name, and the entire design danced along with his movements as he circled the bag.

A piercing wail from his adorable newborn niece shook him from his admiration, as he watched Tori glide out of the front door towards the garage.

She was nearly always doing that these days, even in the late stages of pregnancy when she was as big as a whale she was moving as if she was floating on air.

Maybe that’s what happens when you get everything you ever wanted?

Jayden pulled back his fist mid strike, wheeling around to the sound, and Nate watched his face melt – literally melt – into the effervescent glow he got every time he looked at his young family.

As ever, he recognised the pang of jealousy for exactly what it was. It was cutting him up that things between him and Shannon were as strained and awkward as ever, while things between Shannon and Rory were just fucking fabulous.

“Sorry, babe,” she smiled up at him – complete and utter devotion pouring from her as she looked up, “But I can’t settle her, I think she wants her daddy.”