More than this / Solby ✔

#16

5 Years Later

“Colby!”

Colby turned away from where he was preparing lunch, eyes going to the doorway of the kitchen where a tiny girl with a mess of brown curls stood.

She was nibbling gently on the tip of her pointer finger before removing it, uttering another loud, “Colby!” The brunette patted his hands on his jeans, stepping away from the food for a moment to crouch down to the little girl’s height.

“What's up, Em? Cartoons go off?”

“Mm, nuh-uh,” she shook her head and tugged on his sleeve, “Come watch.”

“Just let me finish making your sandwich, alright? Go back into the lounge and I'll be there in a moment.” He stood back up, returning to the simple work. He felt little hands on his leg, as Emma had refused to go back into the lounge. Of course. She was a two year old with a defiant behavior.

He prepared the colorful paper plate with a sandwich and a sneaky small amount of crisps (she deserved a little junk, she'd behaved today), “Alright, all done. Back to the lounge so you can have lunch.”

She let go of his jeans and bounded off the other room loudly, letting out a garbled exclamation of excitement. Colby followed her with a not so tiny grin.

Emma had decided to sit in front of the television on the floor, and once again, Colby decided to be a little lenient and not make her sit at the table. He put the plate in front of her, sitting himself in the plush chair just opposite of where she sat.

Emma ate happily and loudly, and Colby chuckled knowing he'd have to sweep anyway. She finished with a mutter of ‘all done’ and he'd cleaned up after her, making sure she washed her sticky hands before inviting her to sit with him on the sofa. He'd ended up showing her how to play a simple iPhone game until she fell asleep across the place he'd claimed his sofa crease so long ago.

It wasn't until an hour into her imprompt nap that the door below wriggled open, and chattery voices filled the room vaguely. Colby smiled in delight, standing to make his way towards the source before two people bustled into the hall. They were much too loud and Emma was awake, grumpily whining until she saw a familiar face coming into the longue.

“Mummy!”

She climbed off the sofa, running into her mum’s open arms, allowing herself to be picked up and coddled. “Emmy, did you have a good day?”

She nodded gently, and Colby laughed softly. “Hi Kat, where's Sam?”

It'd been about two years after the incident before Katrina even tried to contact them. They'd gratefully accepted her invite and Colby ended up apologizing profusely. It'd ended up in tears, but at least things were getting better.

She’d also revealed that one of her closest friends who'd been there for her after breaking up with Sam ended up asking her out, and they'd been together for a year already. Sam sighed happily, congratulating her on her newly found love.

After that they didn't speak again much until she’d shown up on their doorstep nearly another year later, sobbing something incoherent. It turned out she’d accidentally gotten pregnant, and wasn't sure how her boyfriend would react.

It’d taken awhile for the two to calm her down and assure her things would work out not matter what because we’re here for you and she finally told her boyfriend, Andrew. Fortunately, and unsurprisingly to Sam and Colby, he'd be completely supportive and borderline ecstatic. In the few months following, Emma was born and she was loved by everyone.

Sam and Colby had become Katrina’s best friends again, and they took every opportunity to babysit little Emma. She may as well be part of their family, too.