It takes two

Chapter thirty

Dianne felt the December breeze make itself known that Sunday morning, despite being cuddled up to Joe as she always was. She had even went the length to get an extra blanket in the middle of the night, desperate to crawl back into bed and wrap her arms around him like a koala bear.

She stirred, burying her head into his shoulder a bit more, feeling his arm in turn hold her tighter, cuddling her more. Once her eyes had fully opened, she smiled, his cute morning self being one of the best things to wake up to. 

"Why is it so bloody cold?" she whispered, still baffled as to why she felt as though she was in the Antarctic and not in the comfort of Joe's arms.

He chuckled, hearing her speak although his eyes remained shut. "Good morning to you too, love."

She chuckled. "Sorry, morning cutie pie. Good sleep, despite the cold?" He nodded, opening his eyes and letting them more or less instantly shift to the sleepy red head.

"Yeah, as good as it could get. You?" He wiped his eyes, letting them adjust to the bright morning light for a moment.

"Yeah, same as you. I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed soon." He nodded, kissing her temple softly.

"Me neither, I don't think it's snowed for a good few years. England is weird like that, it's freezing but you don't get any snow." She giggled, seeing him pout. Dianne hadn't actually seen real snow before, so was hoping that maybe it would.

She sat up, looking out the window. "That's a shame. I've never actually seen real snow before, but I've seen it in movies." Joe nodded, although it hadn't taken him by too much surprise, given that she had lived in Australia her entire life.

He sat up too, running a hand through his mop of brown hair, which had gotten quite long to the point where he looked like Arthur Shelby out of peaky blinders. "Oh you haven't, well in that case I really hope it snows, you'd love it."

"Yeah, but a girl can dream. What's the time anyway?" Joe checked the time on his phone, smiling at his screensaver which was a picture of them at pride of Britain.

"Nine. Not too bad at all." She nodded, unfolding the duvet and getting out, quickly putting on her dressing gown before opening the door.

"I'm just going to make us some coffees, and Em a hot chocolate as I'm sure she's feeling the cold too." Joe nodded, smiling over at his girlfriend.

"Alright, I'll be out in a second." With that she left, and left Joe's mind to wander, not through snow but a sea of thoughts, all pleasant.

Six months ago, he was a single lad living with his best friend and hadn't gotten close to a girl since he was fifteen, and he would hardly call that close. He was always working, always finding often stressful ways to distract himself for the underlying loneliness of his life, his life that had been locked away from the world of love from so long. He had begun to lose hope, begun to wonder if maybe he'd ever love, ever find someone to hold at night, to be himself around and to grow old with.

Yet here he was, six months later, with the love of his life and her incredible daughter, both of which meant the absolute world to him. He hadn't felt this way about anyone, and hadn't known what love was or how it could change your life and make you the happiest you've ever been. But when he met Dianne, he instantly knew, as when you know, you know. He knew he loved her, and when she told him about Emelia, it if anything only made her even more lovable, knowing she was this amazing role model to a mini human, one he was prepared to love just as much as he loved Dianne, each in their own unique ways.

He sighed contently, reminiscing over the past, embracing the present and hopeful for the future that was to come, the one he knew was with his two girlies before getting up and wandering into the bathroom where he looked in the mirror, a man who had changed, for the better.