JJ rocked back on her heels as she looked up at the large door. She had walked through many times whilst laughing, holding hands with Neil or even chasing after Lara. Inhaling sharply, she pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer the door. When no one opened the door, she closed her eyes tightly, listening to the kids laughing from the garden.
"Jay..." Neil breathed out. To say he was in shock was an understatement. He hadn't seen her for the last two days and she barely responded to his messages. But he knew she needed space so he left her a note last night reminding her that he loved her and to talk to him whenever she was ready. "Not that I'm not excited...but Kevin was going to pick up the cake."
She gently placed the box down on the floor and before Neil could ask what she was doing, he was pulled into a hug. He sighed softly as he wrapped his arms around her listening to her rapid breaths.
"Cara, I got you. I got you. Just calm down and breathe in slowly." After a few seconds, she looked up at him.
"I love you." He smiled softly, tracing his thumb over her lips. Her vaseline rubbed onto his skin. "Can I just ask you to sit down with me for two minutes before I go in?"
"Of course we can. Let me just put the cake into the fridge yeah?" She nodded her head and watched him walk away. When she tried stepping in, she felt her body freeze and tears burned her eyes.
Neil shut the fridge door as his mother stepped in. "Oh, Kevin said JJ told him she will pick up the cake. Where is she?"
"She's just going through something right now Mama. Can you just hold the fort while I talk to her for five, ten minutes?" Audrey frowned.
"Of course I will. Just make sure she's okay."
When Neil walked out, he scanned round the driveway for JJ until he found her near the flower bed. He jogged over to her and then sat down. After taking her hand and her resting her head on his shoulder, they sat in silence for a few minutes.
"I know," she said, "that coming here today on his birthday doesn't mean that I have forgotten him. It doesn't mean that I don't think about him when I wake up or go to sleep. It doesn't mean I'm replacing him." He let her continue. "But you guys are my family too. I class Lara as my own and you know that."
"I do."
"I really do want to go in. Believe me."
"Jay, I will never force you do anything you don't want to. If sitting here for an hour or two gets you ready then so be it. If you want to sit here for five minutes and then decide to go home then that's okay too. I just want you to do what you feel is best. I will never hold that against you so don't that that you owe it to me and Lara to go in."
"But I do! Lara cried when I told her I wouldn't be able to come and-"
"JJ, your mental health is more important. Lara will undrtsand once you spend some time with her and explain things to her."
JJ looked at him, watching as his eyes scanned over her face. "I'm going in," she whispered. She slowly rose to her feet. "And I'm not doing it because I feel like I have to. I'm doing it because I want to and Lara is our daughter." As much as Neil tried to hide it, he broke out into a grin when he heard her say that. JJ saw his teeth peek through and put a hand out to him.
"I love you so much, cara. You are the best thing to happen to Lara and I and I promise you, you make me the happiest man when I hear you say Lara is yours." He cupped her cheeks before leaning down to kiss her. Her fingers grazed the back of his neck and he felt her pull her into the kiss more. "I missed you so much," he panted against her lips. "It feels so wrong to go to sleep with you not beside me. To not have you in my arms. I can't wait to go sleep next to you every night from now."
YOU ARE READING
The Deal
Random"Promise me," he whispered before he looked at her. His eyes were searching her light brown eyes and was once again lost in the beauty. "Let's make a deal. That we stay together. That we stay a family." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not crazy...
