by Ciara Shayee
“Sorry, Aunt Indie,” Carl-Roman murmured bashfully.
“Sorry, Mummy. We didn't mean to make you jump,” Marley added.
They were both kneeling on the foot of the bed, abashed smiles on their faces as she sucked in deep breaths to calm herself. Seeing that she was fine and in no danger, she managed to soothe herself with a sigh.
“It's okay, don't worry. What're you two monkeys up to?”
“Pawpaw said to come see if you're awake.”
Indie’s lips edged towards a smile. “So you thought you'd jump on my bed?”
“Yeah!” They cheered in unison, bouncing up on the bed to settle on either side of Indie.
“Pawpaw said we have to wait for you to have breakfast before we can go swimmin’, Mummy.”
The forlorn look on Marley's face was comical; Indie wished she had her phone closer to hand, but she had no idea which bag it had been left in after she used it to snap a photo of the airport the previous evening.
“All right, well, you two go tell Pawpaw that I'm on my way, okay? I'll just grab Bodhi—”
“Bodhi’s with Aunt Gracie, Aunt Indie,” Carl-Roman interjected helpfully. “Me and Aunt Gracie came to get Marley when I woke up, and baby Bodhi was awake, so we took him, too.”
Well, that explains the lay-in, then, Indie thought as she stretched leisurely before placing a kiss on each of the children's heads. Usually, one or both of her kids woke her.
“We’ll go get some breakfast ready for you, Aunt Indie. C’mon, Mars, let's go. Hurry, Aunt Indie! We wanna go swimming!”
Before Indie knew it, she was alone again, the children running from the room calling out to their Pawpaw.
By the time she’d washed, dressed, and found everyone, locating them by listening for the children's laughter, Carl-Roman and Marley had her breakfast waiting. They'd heaped fruit salad and fresh, still-warm pancakes onto a plate along with a boatload of syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.
“Morning, everyone,” she murmured as she stepped out onto the patio.
Archie, Ryan, and Laker were missing, as were Andy, Sarah, and Bodhi. Everyone else chorused their “good morning’s”.
“Here you go, Mummy!” Marley sang, patting the seat beside her at the long picnic table with a beaming grin. “Come sit with me.”
Indie grinned, taking the seat beside her daughter, and began tucking in as her family chorused their ‘good mornings’.
It was only March, so it wasn't hot by any means, but Indie was still comfortable only wearing a pair of light jogging bottoms and a t-shirt. A quick glance around showed her that the others were dressed similarly.
“Aw, you're up!”
Indie swallowed her mouthful of food, twisting a little. Laker was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a disappointed tilt to his features as he spotted her. “Umm, sorry?”
He chuckled, the sound pleasingly husky to Indie’s ears. It gave away the fact that he hadn't been up long, himself.
“No, don't be sorry. I figured you needed the rest is all, that's why I bribed Grace to steal the kids.”
“Ah, I see. Well, two very eager little monkeys came to fetch me so they could get on with their day. Something about swimming?”
Laker’s face lit up—as did Marley's and Carl-Roman’s. “Yes, as soon as everybody’s had a chance to digest breakfast.” He crossed the patio to lean down and whisper in Indie’s ear. “I've got a surprise for the kids. Do you trust me?”
Though there were a lot of things Indie couldn't bring herself to do—leave the kids with someone who wasn't family, be idle for longer than a few minutes, beat her fear of sudden, loud noises—trusting Laker wasn't one of them.
“Of course,” she replied simply, turning to smile at him. His face was closer than anticipated so she could smell the citrus-scented shampoo he'd used that morning and the woodsy aftershave he favoured. Her stomach fluttered, so she quickly resumed eating, trying not to mind when Laker disappeared back into the kitchen with a wide, double-dimpled grin.
True to his promise, once everyone had a chance to digest their food, Laker sent them off to change into their swimming clothes. Archie, Ryan, Andy, and Sarah had resurfaced mid-breakfast, and the latter walked with Indie and Marley to their room, carrying Bodhi. He babbled the entire way, chubby fists each holding a cheesy puff. He was wiping orange dust all over Sarah, but she repeatedly waved off Indie’s attempts to take him.
“He's fine, Indie. Laker got me far messier as a child, trust me.”
Indie smiled, remembering all the stories Sarah had told her while they waited for Laker to wake up from his coma. He'd been a wild toddler.
Marley ran ahead into the bedroom once they reached it, but Sarah paused in the doorway.
“I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of getting this for you,” she said softly, her hazel eyes kind and warm as she held out a carrier bag.
Frowning, Indie took the bag and peered in. “What is it?”
“Grace mentioned that you were worried about your scars? Sorry, I hope I'm not overstepping. She was worried about you, but she wasn't sure what to do. It's nothing fancy, just a tankini style two-piece. It has shorts, so I thought you might be more comfortable.”
In the months since her return to England, Indie had slowly gotten used to having Sarah around—to the point that she looked forward to her popping in and her company during shopping trips or visits to the park with the kids. Often, she sold her visits by saying that she was bored or just wanted to see the children, but Indie knew Sarah was doing those things to help her. She knew Indie couldn’t go to the park or the grocery store alone, so she made sure to stop in once or twice a week to accompany Indie on her errands. That’s just how she was; kind, helpful, and unfailingly loving.
Indie’s eyes prickled with the threat of oncoming tears as she held the carrier bag to her stomach, giving Sarah a watery smile. “Thank you, Sarah. I…this means a lot. Really, thank you.”
She smiled and gave Bodhi a quick kiss before handing him over to his mother. “No need to thank me, Indie. I hope you know that I love you; you and the children, and I’ll always be here for you, be it to rant, cry, or help you with something like this. Okay?”
Unable to speak through the lump in her throat, Indie nodded jerkily and shuffled into her bedroom. Judging by the look on Sarah’s face, she understood.
“Mummy, please can you help me? I’m stuck.”
Indie pulled herself from her stupor, turning to face Marley. She couldn’t help but laugh aloud when she spotted her daughter. Marley had taken off her t-shirt and cardigan and was halfway into her swim shirt. In her excitement, she hadn’t noticed it was zip-up, so she’d pulled it over her head and gotten her arm stuck in the air, unable to figure out where the head hole was.
“Hang on, baby. Let me put your brother down.”
Bodhi grinned gummily as Indie plonked him on his back in the centre of the bed, quickly penning him in with a cluster of cushions before turning to his sister. All it took was a quick downward swipe with the zip and Marley was free.
She blinked a few times, then a wide smile spread across her face. “Thank you, Mummy. That was scary!”
Indie giggled, crouching to give her baby girl an Eskimo kiss. She was getting so big and growing up so quickly; Indie could barely stand it. “Do you need more help or can you do the rest, baby girl?”
Marley quickly shoved her other arm into the spare arm of her rash vest, then zipped it up with a proud smirk. “I can do it! Do I need undies under my shorts?”
“No, baby, just the shorts are okay.”
“All right. C’mon, get baby Bodhi so we can go swimming! Laker said he’s gonna teach me!”
With a proud but wistful smile, Indie nodded and stood, setting about stuffing Bodhi’s chubby, flailing appendages into the arms and legs of his swim romper. It was white with turquoise and navy sharks all over, and Indie couldn’t help but sigh at the adorable sight he made once he was all zipped up.
“Aw, he looks like a little surfer dude,” Marley commented, leaning over to blow raspberries on her brother’s feet. “You know…like in Surf’s Up?” She’d tugged on her blue and white swim shorts, shoved her feet into a pair of pink flip-flops with a huge bow at the front, and had her tropical print poncho towel ready to go on the dresser next to the door.
She’d definitely picked up on Sarah’s organizational skills.
“Cute, huh? Do you remember where I put my phone, Marley? I want to take a picture of my two cutie-patooties.”
“Sure, Mummy. S’in baby Bodhi’s bag. Wait right here…”
While Marley rummaged through Bodhi’s baby bag, Indie leaned down to kiss her sweet boy’s face, delighting in his resulting belly chuckles.
“Here it is! C’mere, baby Bodhi.”
When Grace tapped on the door a few minutes later, Indie was just snapping a photo of Marley and Bodhi on the bed—Marley sitting with Bodhi atop her crossed legs, both grinning wide for the camera.
“Oh my God, how cute do you guys look?” she exclaimed, whipping out her own phone to take a photo before either of them could move.
“Aunt Gracie, we’re going swimming!”
“I know, Mars,” Grace laughed. “You told me at breakfast. And you didn’t stop talking about it all day yesterday, remember?”
Marley sighed, a dreamy smile on her face. “Yeah. Can we go now, Mummy?”
Before taking photos of the children, Indie had quickly changed into the navy and white tankini with matching swim shorts, and pulled a blue patterned kaftan over her head, so once she’d slipped her feet into a pair of white flip-flops, she was ready.
“All right, come on then. Don’t forget your towel!”
Marley waited until Indie had taken Bodhi, then darted off the bed and took off running, swiping her cover-up on the way out the door. Indie and Grace laughed at her exuberance as they followed behind at a more sedate pace.
“I can’t wait to see her in the pool,” Grace admitted.
“I know, me neither. She’s been looking forward to it ever since Laker told her there’d be a pool.”
“Well, she’s always been a water baby.”
It was true; Marley had always loved water. Right from the start she’d cooed and smiled whenever she was given a bath. And later, as a toddler, she’d often asked for baths in her silent way, even if she’d already had one earlier in the day.
As they reached the fork in the corridor that would take them to the kitchen or to the main entrance of the house, Laker appeared, Marley clinging to his back like a spider monkey.
“Ah, there you are, dawdling along! Don’t you know we’ve got swimming to do?” he teased, jostling Marley on his back just to make her giggle. She didn’t disappoint, resting her chin on his shoulder with a toothy smile.
“Yeah, we’ve got swimming to do!”
Indie laughed and followed Laker when he turned to head back the way he and Marley had come. “Sorry, baby girl. We’ll try to keep up from now on, okay?”
“Okay, Mummy. It’s okay if you’re a bit slower.”
The group of adults were still laughing when they reached the patio where the others were waiting. Marley was visibly pleased to have entertained them, though her cheeks heated a little at the attention.
“All right, gang, are we ready? Do we all have our flip-flops, hats, floaties?” Laker asked with a cheer.
A chorus of agreement rang out, so he grinned and led everyone down the handful of steps at the end of the patio. They followed him across a small lawn, and round to the other side of the house. In the daylight, they’d all realised just how un-villa-like Laker’s home truly was.
Spread over three floors, the house boasted seven bedrooms, as well as two living areas, a large kitchen with a walk-in pantry, several bathrooms and half-baths, and Laker’s music room. There was also a study and a room he used as a spare bedroom if he had a lot of guests. More than once, Indie wondered if it really was all the result of his trust fund, or whether he topped up his earnings with a job—not that she’d ever seen him do anything that appeared to be work.
As she and Grace trailed at the back of the group, Indie marvelled at the beautiful building, unsurprised by Laker’s pride in it now that she’d had the chance to see more of it in all its glory.
When they rounded a corner, Indie immediately knew they’d found the pool. Marley, still on Laker’s back, squealed loud enough that her mother and aunt heard her from twenty feet away. Carl-Roman had been running along beside them, and he too joined in with her excited cheering. When Indie caught up, she realised just what Laker’s surprise was, and why he’d asked her if she trusted him.
The pool was huge; kidney bean-shaped, and boasting two large slides. One was straight and fairly low, most likely intended for young children, and the second was notably taller with a curl—much like the big yellow slide back in Hampden Park. Suddenly, Indie remembered hearing the tail end of a phone call Laker had taken one day shortly before this trip. He’d made a point of getting two slides so that there would be options to choose from for the kids. One taller, and one slightly more child-friendly.
“Ooh, Mummy, look! A slide in the water!” Marley crowed, slipping down from Laker’s back and running to her mother to tug on her kaftan. “Can I try it, Mummy? Please, please, please?”
“Hang on, baby girl. You need your floaties and sunscreen.”
By the time the children had been slathered in sun cream and had their floaties blown up and shoved onto their bodies, Laker had dragged out the inflatables he’d ordered and thrown them into the pool.
Carl-Roman immediately threw himself into the water, clambering onto the back of the crocodile. Marley, despite her eagerness and protests at having to wear a children’s life vest, hesitated at the edge of the pool. Laker crouched beside her, gently tugging her lower lip from between her teeth with his thumb.
“Hey, what’s the matter, Little Sweet?” he crooned softly.
Indie’s eyes were trained on their backs as she rested Bodhi on a blanket beside Chase. The boys were nine months apart in age, but they adored each other. Chase occupied Bodhi with the toys Archie set out for him, so Indie watched her daughter and Laker closely, knowing Bodhi wasn’t going anywhere fast.
“I…I can’t swim, Laker.”
“That’s okay; I’m going to teach you. You’ve got your floaties on, so you won’t sink. And besides,” he nudged her playfully, reaching up to tickle the shell of her ear with his fingertip to make her smile before continuing. “Do you really think I’d let you sink, Little Sweet?”
Marley sighed and rolled her head to peer at him with eyes the colour of the most beautiful ocean…wide and mesmerising. “You promise?”
Laker smiled, holding up a pinky finger. His grin only widened at the pleased look on Marley’s face. “I’ll go one better, Little Sweet. I pinky promise that I won’t let you sink, okay?”
“‘Kay.”
She linked her tiny pinky with his, giggling girlishly when he impulsively leaned forward to kiss the top of her baby finger with a playful wink.
They were both completely oblivious to the watery eyes watching the exchange from a few feet away. Indie reached up to rub the spot over her heart as it thumped away in her chest. She wondered just how she was going to ever be able to make up for the heartbreak she knew her daughter would suffer when Laker returned to his home, here in Italy, permanently, as he inevitably would at some point. She hated knowing that Marley’s heart was going to be broken, yet there was nothing she could do to protect her.
Seeing her here, happy and content, safe and innocent as all five-year-old’s should be, Indie couldn’t bring herself to ask Laker to take a step back from Marley—and to be honest, she wasn’t sure he would, anyway. She wasn’t oblivious to the way Laker adored Marley, though she did wonder how far that adoration would stretch.
As she sighed, sitting on a lounger to watch Bodhi and Marley in turn, Indie made her p
eace with the fact that, at some point, she’d have a very sad little girl at home, missing her best friend. Laker could visit, and perhaps they could come and visit him here in the future. She was willing to do whatever she had to do, because seeing her baby girl splash and play and love on Laker was well worth the trials she’d would have to face when he eventually left England to return to his real life.
It was worth it.
Marley’s happiness was worth it.
Laker was worth it.
chapter thirty-three
He was just about to step into his bedroom when he heard it.
Laker hesitated, one hand resting on the handle of his bedroom door, and listened carefully.
There. Again.
Laker’s feet were carrying him to the end of the hall before he could consider his actions, his glass of water forgotten on the side-table outside his door. Pausing just outside Indie’s room, he briefly contemplated what he was about to do, finally deciding that he wouldn’t be able to sleep unless he knew she was okay; he opened the door quietly.
His eyes adjusted quickly—Indie had left the curtains open just a little. Moonlight filtered into the room to bathe her in its milky glow. She was on top of the covers, writhing and whimpering in her sleep. When Laker got closer, he remembered that Marley and Bodhi were having a sleepover in the main living room—Carl-Roman and Chase, too—with Reagan and Peter. They’d pitched tents made from sheets and cushions, a rite of passage Marley had missed out on thus far.
As he carefully knelt on the edge of Indie’s bed, Laker wondered if it was Marley and Bodhi’s absence in the room that had brought on her nightmare.
“Hey, bella ragazza, you’re okay. It’s okay, you’re all right,” he crooned gently, reaching out to touch her arm. She flinched away from his touch, her head whipping around on her pillows as she groaned. Sweat was beading on her forehead, a frown etched into her skin as unknown terrors haunted her sleep.
With a grimace, Laker realised he could probably guess what, or who, was troubling her.
“Pie, mi amore, wake up for me.”