Pictures that tell 1000 words

The scare

28th February 2034

"Is he asleep?" Joe questioned softly as he looked out onto the motorway. The high voltage lights of the opposing cars forcing him to strain his eyes slightly. 

Dianne swivelled her head round the back of her seat to find both Lily and Alex completely passed out. Alex's soft blond hair covering the large potion of his forehead, whilst Lily's mousy brown locks fell completely over her face. Obscuring her soft sleeping features, as her head rolled gently across her shoulder.

Dianne couldn't help the way that her heart swooned at the sight. Both her son and her daughter had the ability to surprise her on the daily. Even after 13 years of motherhood, Dianne still found herself being constantly kept on her toes by the things they would both say and do. 

Individually, both Lily and Alex were two very different people. Lily, with her naturally darker hair and big eyes was unmistakably like Dianne. The crooked smile and admittedly sassy attitude having been brought out by the Italian qualities which were embedded into her genes.

Alex on the other hand, with his soft blonde hair and small physique, even for a six year old, was definitely all Joe. His quirky, goofy side being something which the little boy had clearly picked up from his father, along with his seemingly natural talent for jokes and impressions.

Together, they didn't look like siblings. The noticeable differences between the two of them were clearer whenever when they stood next to each other. But at a closer look, it was the smaller features that brought the two individuals together. They both had bright blue eyes, and an incredible sense of humour. They were both missing the top joints of their thumbs, and both of them had one dimple set into their right cheeks only.

So despite their differences, quirks, and individual qualities, Dianne couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Her two children sleeping peacefully, as her husband drove them home together. As a family.  

"Yeah, both of them are actually." Dianne whispered softly as she took out her phone to capture the moment.

"Wait really?" Joe questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, Alex is completely conked out with a box of raisins on his stomach, and Lily is flopped over like a Quokka."

Joe couldn't help but laugh at his wife's analogy. 

Once the laughter subsided, a gentle silence was washed over the four of them. The only sound being the gentle rumble of the tires skipping across the uneven surfaces of the M25. 

Dianne swivelled slightly so that she was back to facing the windshield of the car. Her breaths were soft and dainty as she revelled in the gentle buzz she had coursing through her brain at her previous thoughts.

Noting her silence, Joe took a hand off of the steering wheel and rested it gently onto her thigh. Squeezing the top of her knee gently, through the thick fabric of her jeans. 

"You alright my love?" He questioned in concern. His Wiltshire accent coming out thicker than usual, causing Dianne to smile.

Resting her hand gently on top of his, and interlocking her fingers with his, Dianne nodded gently. "Yeah... I am, I was just thinking." She whispered tentatively.

"About what?"

"The kids... You... life in general."

Joe reassuringly squeezed her leg once again. "Dianne this isn't the career thing again is it?" He questioned tentatively.