Missing [ST]

Ninety One

As a child, Steven was told by his mother things always looked better in the morning, and for the first of July that saying remained true, with the focus on his daughter's third birthday and not last night.

He woke up early, well before seven, and got up to get the bag of presents from the car, hoping he hadn't disturbed his girls. It wasn't to be though, because Leah was placing a finger on her lips, pointing to a sleeping Liv snuggled against her.

Steven put down the presents as quietly as he could, crouched down by his girlfriend's side, and felt a warm hand slide behind his neck to pull him close.

"Good morning, my love," he said, taking the hand ruffling up his hair to kiss across her knuckles.

"Your voice is so sexy in the morning."

There were smiles, Steven's pressed into the palm that made its way to hold the side of his face, and every touch was overpowered by a laziness post waking up.

"Come back to bed. It's too early." Leah scratched the top of his hair, because he had buried his nose in the crook of her neck for a deep hum.

Steven didn't need to be told twice, and carefully climbed back into his side that was no longer warm. How Liv was still fast asleep was quite impressive, but it was a blessing to watch her rest after an interrupted night.

"Did you sleep?" Leah asked, turning her head on her pillow.

"A bit, yeah," Steven replied, moving his cheek downwards to rest on the back of his hand. "You?"

"Eventually."

Neither of them had forgotten. Tired eyes blinking at one another provided the words they weren't saying, and it was only a matter of time before the final moments of last night were addressed.

"If I move, do you think she'll wake up?"

"I mean..." Steven pondered, looking between his girls. "We're talking and she's not stirred, so I'm going to say no."

Leah was careful getting out of bed, but as predicted, Liv remained asleep, and Steven pulled Patch down so he could see his daughter's sleeping face.

"You gonna wake up, my baby?" He propped his left elbow on the pillow, fingers buried in the side of his unbrushed hair. "We have a birthday to celebrate."

Liv didn't move. She made the cutest frown like she had heard him, but it relaxed, and she continued to be far away, dreaming.

Arm numbing, Steven was forced to sit up.

"Nothing?" Leah had walked around to his side.

"Nothing," he confirmed, flicking the thin duvet off his legs.

The bed dipped in a way that should wake someone, but the three-year-old stretched out in her new space, pyjamas all twisted across her body, and didn't open her eyes.

Sighing, Steven rested the side of his head on Leah's shoulder, arms hugging her waist in his preferred morning cuddle.

"What's the plan today? Are your parents coming up?"

Steven hummed, sitting back so he was more comfortable.

"Yeah, they should be here for midday and I think my Uncle Ernie is with them. Lynda is driving up with Giovanni, our grandfather, but I expect Trow Rico's guest invite will be free and open just like old times."

Leah was fiddling with his bracelet.

"Ah, so I'm meeting more of the Tallaricos."

"We're Itallians." His chest jumped with a chuckle. "There's a lot of us."