Roomies - The Baby Years

Chapter 18

A couple of weeks passed and not much changed. I found myself sitting with my laptop in a small cafe not far from the house doing some writing. I suddenly got a strong urge to look through some old photographs and videos that I had saved on my c-disk years prior. It was pictures of all of us. Keli, Liam, Ethan, Tin, Louis and Niall. Even some of that policeman I dated a while but couldn't remember the name of. And then there was a picture in a folder I had named "not appropriate" of Niall. He was sitting in our old flat by the kitchen table, feeding Carly with a bottle. The gaze in his eyes had so much love in them, that I somehow understood how he was able to bring both Carly and Emily back into his life. He had loved that little girl and when she left him, she had also left a small hole in his heart which not even his own child had been able to fill.

I never doubted Niall's love for Benjamin, he loved him and would lie down his life for his son. But Carly was the first time Niall had loved someone that didn't hold his past against him and I understood his paternal feelings for her.

As I was sat there in the cafe with my headphones in, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder that startled me. I took my headphones out and looked up to see Eli. He was so beautiful just standing there, I could hardly take my eyes off of him.

"Hi you!" I said and stood up to hug him, to which he hugged me back then sat down next to me.

"What are you looking at?" He asked and I went back to my word document.
"Oh nothing, just some old pictures. But before that, I was actually writing. I'm thinking about starting a third book."
"Well you should start a third book, I want to know what happens to the girl's mother after she enters the door to Hades."
"Yeah...you and me both. So, how was work?" Eli had gotten a new job since he had been back to Watford. He was now working as an assistant at a lawfirm. He hadn't finished his years in law school so whilst he was doing that, he was also working to gain some first hand experience.

"It was great actually. They listened to one of my ideas today and the client was really pleased."
"Oh that's great!" I looked at the man in front of me and saw that even though things were going alright in most aspects of his life, he still missed his daughter.

"So I was thinking. Niall asked me earlier if I would mind having Benji during the night because he's got a gig, how about if we make it a slumberparty?"
"I don't know if he'd like a slumberparty with his mum..."
"No, I mean with Sophie. Do you think Willa'd mind if Sophie slept over?"
"Not at all, I think she'd probably kiss our feet. I'll call and ask her, later."
"Why later?"
"Because I just got here and I want to have cup of tea, kiss my girl and listen to what she's done today."

I smiled. Every day I had spent with Eli these last couple of weeks had been better than the one before. He leaned over the table and gazed into my eyes before his lips met mine in a kiss that made me feel overwhelmed.

It wasn't just the two of us in the cafe, but at that moment if felt like it was just the two of us in this state.

 We had picked up Sophie from a stressed out Willa, and was now on our way to pick up Benjamin. Sophie was sitting in the back with a doll, singing some song she must have learned at kindergarden. I looked over at Eli as he was driving and I smiled,

"Your daughter looks so much like you." I said and he laughed,

"Yeah, you think I'd look great in long blonde hair?"
"Please, you would look great in anything. You've got the same nose."
"It's my grandpa's nose, it goes in generations." I couldn't help but laugh, then I put my hand in his and he squeezed it.