Page 113 of Spiralling Skywards: Fading
“Dad.”
“Daddy.”
“Missed you, Daddy.”
I hear the calls from each of my kids as they jump, dive, and splash around in the water, and there’s nothing in this world that can stop the smile that pulls at my lips.
“Hey, boys, missed all of you, too. Not tonight, bud, but I promise we’ll take it out on the weekend.” He nods and dives back under the water to continue swimming circles around Lucas.
I keep moving towards Sarah, who’s lowered her sunnies down her nose and is watching my approach. Her smile is almost as big as mine, her one dimple on show.
“Hey, pretty girl, I couldn’t help but notice you from across the way over there and just wondered if you’d like to have a drink with me?”
I hold out one of the bottles, about to join her on the lounger.
“Don’t sit down.”
I stop in my tracks and look down at her.
“No? You don’t want my company?”
“Yeah, but walk over there first.”
“Where?” I look over my shoulder to where she’s pointing. “The pool fence?”
“Yep. All the way, and then I want you to lean over and grab Lucas’s truck.”
I look down at my wife and wonder what she’s up to before passing her both the beers and doing as she asked.
She says nothing as I take the twelve steps required to meet the glass pool fencing. I lean over it, retrieve the yellow truck, and head back towards her.
She licks her lips and looks up at me. “Your arse looks fucking amazing in those suit trousers.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You’re looking at my arse? You sent me all the way over there, just so that you could check out my arse?”
“Damn fucking straight I did.”
“Whatever happened to my non sweary pretty girl?”
“You turned her into a gutter-mouth sweary pretty girl.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You love it.”
Jesus. I do. I love this woman so fucking much, and it hurts my heart that she has to deal with the shit that she does.
I lean down and lift her up, then sit down behind her. Leaning against the lounger, I open my legs and pull her back into my front.
She puts one of the beers down on the ground and passes the other to me, before leaning her head back against my chest.
I slide my hand to the side of her face and cup her jaw, angling it so that my mouth can reach hers.
My tongue invades her mouth, seeking out hers.
This is us. Her and me.
“Woohoo. Look at Dad kissing Mum like that,” Cater calls out.
