For Life

Part 40

As planned,Ant did the journey in a day,meeting Buzz,the guy who owned the amazing dogsitting service at Dover,ready to hand the girls over.

As he opened the door to his hatchback car,Ant couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear as Melachi and Amira jumped down and bounded towards him.

"Oh my God" he gushed as he fell to his knees and grabbed the dogs,practically rolling around on the floor with them as they licked his face joyfully "I've missed you both so much,its been so long"

"They've missed you too" Buzz laughed "they've been a pleasure to look after"

"Good" Ant beamed as he got to his feet "fancy a coffee?"

Ant had some time to kill before he had to board the return ferry to Calais and Buzz was eager for a break before he drove back to Sussex,so the two men had a welcome catch up.

As they chatted,Ant got Buzz to take a picture of him with the girls to send to Dec with the caption 'on our way home'

"What are you smiling about?" Anne asked Dec as he looked at his phone.

Dec had barely left Anne's side since they had arrived in Paris the previous day.

He showed Anne the photo.

"They're leaving Dover soon" he informed her.

"Just a few more hours then?" Anne smiled "and you'll be reunited with your girls"

"Yeah" Dec nodded and gently rested his head on his mum's shoulder "then we have to head back to Athens in a couple of days"

"What?" Anne asked surprised "already?"

"Yeah" Dec nodded "got a couple of things I have to attend,I did say I'd have to come and go"

"I just didn't think it would be soon" Anne replied quietly "you've only just got here"

"I'm sorry Mum" Dec sighed "but I'll be back as soon as I can and you've always said you want me to work"

"Yeah,I do" Anne smiled "it's just hard after being away from you for so long and now you have to shoot off again"

"Not for a couple of days" Dec pointed out "I'll be driving you nuts by then"

"Can't argue with that" Anne laughed.

"And anyway" Dec smiled "Pat and Camelia are cooped up in their hotel room,desperate to see you,so you won't even need to give me a second thought"

"I'm glad you're here" Anne beamed "I missed you so much,I hate being away from my kids for so long"

"Yeah,it was awful" Dec agreed "but hopefully we can move on now and I promise I'll be back as soon as I can and me and Ant will be extremely careful where protecting you from all this is concerned,I couldn't live with myself if I was responsible for making you ill"

"I know you'll be careful sweetheart" Anne smiled.

They spent the next few hours just chatting,watching television together and enjoying each other's company,with Fonsey,Martin and Moyra joining them later on.

Finally,the doorbell rang and Dec sprung up from the sofa.

"I'll get it" he announced excitedly "that'll be Ant with the dogs"

"MELACHI...AMIRA" Dec yelled joyfully as he cuddled and stroked his dogs "you're back"

Ant watched on amused as Dec and the girls were reunited,until the dogs quickly got bored and ran off into the living room.

"Guess they've had enough of me already then?" Dec laughed.

"Yeah,me too" Ant smiled "Buzz is obviously a lot more fun than we are"