Here we are.
The final chapter for Apartment No.4
"Alright now, everyone have a safe and enjoyable weekend,"
"Thanks Mrs. Murphy." A few teenagers mumbled on their way out.
"James, that's not the proper dress code, we're at a private school, not a shopping complex," I called out as that sneaky rascal James tried to slip past a group of students and through the door.
I walked around the classroom picking up papers and spare pencils from the test I'd just set, filing them into my folder before switching off the lights and locking the door.
"Ashley!" Called out Megan as she speed walked over to me, a flier waving in her hand.
"Hello, Ms Mascal, how are you?" I said formerly, noticing the student eyeing us in the hallway.
"I'm good, might I talk to you for a moment?" She asked, concern playing on her face.
"Of course," I unlocked the door to the classroom I was previously in and we both stepped inside.
"Have you seen this?" She held the flier out to me.
'ATTENTION ALL STAFF: There will be a meeting held on Thursday 27th of May at 4:30pm. This is compulsory unless signifying circumstances arrive.
Regards, Principle David Mooney.'
I read it over a few times not finding much wrong with the paper.
"Do you think it's about the job cuts? There's a rumour going around that the school needs to cut down on a staff member or two... and, I'm the newest." She was clearly in distress so I rubbed her shoulder gently.
"Don't worry about it, if it is about that I'm sure you won't be the one who gets the sack. You may be the newest but you're one of the best teachers we've had in a long time."
I tried my best to comfort her and it seemed to be working.
It was true, Megan had been at the school for a little under two years now and every teacher, student and parent was raving about her.
"Look, I shouldn't be saying this but I've heard that there's another teacher who is thinking about retiring at the end of the semester, so I think we'll be fine." I smiled sweetly at her and she took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Thank god. Sorry, I was just so shocked!" She sighed in relief, relaxing her rigid posture.
"That's understandable, anyone would be worried. I remember when I first started tea-" I was cut off by a rough jab at the side of my belly.
I pressed my fingers above where the prodding had come from to be rewarded with another kick.
Seeing my surprise Megan laughed.
"Has she been kicking often?" She asked, coming a little closer to replace my fingers with hers.
"Surprisingly yes, but only these past few weeks. I don't know, maybe it's something I'm eating." I thought back to what I'd had for lunch, okay so maybe having homemade tacos and a small tub of yoghurt wasn't exactly the best idea...
"Has Mason been freaking out?" She questioned, a smile lighting up her face.
"In all honesty... yes," I giggled, remembering how he much he freaked out the first time she kicked. We were in bed just about to fall asleep when little one began to kick violently against his abdomen. He jumped out of bed as though he'd been struck by lightning, complaining that she didn't like him, "whenever he touches my belly she kicks him, and he reckons that she hates him,"
Meg pouted to hide her laughter but failed miserably as she let out small snorts and squeaks.
"Did either of you find out the sex?" she asked, jumping a little as another kick was aimed at her hand.
"No, but I'm certain it's a girl and Mason swears it's a boy,"
She checked her watch.
"Sorry! You should get going, you've got that wedding to get to don't you?" I looked above her head at the clock and jumped slightly.
"Oh god! Yeah, thank you! I've got to meet le husband at home. Have a good weekend!" I called after her as we made our ways down opposite ends of the corridor.
I drove home quickly, but not like a maniac, I'm a safe driver... and just as I stuck the keys into the front door it was flung open by Mason holding mock anger on his face.
"You got enough time to get ready?" He asked, that smirk of his playing on his lips.
"Yes, I packed last night," I waddled past him towards the stairs to the second story where our bedroom is. I climbed the stairs a little slower each day, my belly weighing me down. I was just waiting for the day where Mason is to complain I take too long so I could elbow him in the ribs.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he removed his tie from around his neck.
"Yeah okay," I replied as I finished putting some clothes into our mini suitcase. "She's been kicking like crazy though," I subconsciously rested my hand against my swollen belly.
I didn't see him move but I smiled as I felt his hands come round behind me to rest on my belly. He was met with a sharp jack to his hand and he flinched.
"He hates me," he sighed as he sulked into the bathroom.
"She's excited to see you. You should know that Mr. Doctor," I teased, throwing him a t-shirt and jeans for him to put on.
He chuckled under his breath.
I struggled to pull my pants on with this belly in the way of everything - I couldn't even see my feet to pull my jeans over them - so I resorted to lying on the bed an trying my hardest to find my feet.
Breathing heavily as I sat up from that workout, Mason came out with a smirk on his face.
"What's funny?" I half snapped, as I reached for him to pull me up.
"I could hear you grunting and talking to your jeans," He pulled me up by my hands and helped tie my shoes for me.
"The jeans tried to attack me," I muttered as I played with his hair.
"I'm sure they did," he nodded with his lips pursed condescendingly.
He carried our case and bags down to the car while I fixed some snacks for the car ride. We were going to the mountains to a small vineyard for the wedding tomorrow, meeting Mel and Cam on the way there at one of the small roadside cafes.
"I just had a thought," I offered as I loaded my handbag - containing half the kitchen - into the car and hopped in myself.
"What's that?" Mason started the car and my Jeep purred to life.
"I'm probably never going to be able to ride on the back of your bike with you again, am I?" I sighed, my bottom lip protruding slightly in a sad pout.
He laughed as we began our two and a half hour journey.
"Well, I'm not putting jellybean on the back of it, if that's what you mean,"
"No, I mean that once the baby comes we're not really going to have date night - well, when I say date night I mean you impulsively dragging me off to go do something stupid," I giggle and he turns to me in mock horror.
"Late night ghost hunting in a suburban area is not a stupid idea," he was actually serious. What have I gotten myself into?
"I've married a nerd," I giggled and he tried to hide his smile behind his anger.
If I ever say anything that has the phrase 'I married you' or alike in it he always grinned like a school child.
Oh, I love him.
I had to ask Mason to pull over three times in an hour because I had to wee, at least he did me the courtesy of not groaning for the first two.
"She's pushing on my bladder!" I cried as I waddled over to a public toilet and tried my hardest to not sit down on the toilet seat - which was a struggle when you're top heavy and tend to risk falling on your face as you lean forward.
After a pretty good amount of time, I managed to walk out, shaking the water from my hands and was greeted by Mel running towards me to pull me into a hug.
"It's so good to see you!" She cried in my ear making it ring a little.
"Oh my god, I've missed you!" I cried equally as loud. Mel and Cameron had been visiting Cameron's family for a month to take over little Abby, who was currently sitting in her pram and playing with a toy, to see her grandparents.
"You've gotten so big," she examined as she pulled away before looping her arm through mine as we strolled back to our boys.
"Hey Cam," I greeted, kissing him on the cheek and sitting beside him on a park bench.
We were outside a small strip of shops with a supermarket, a bakery and alike. Mason had bought a sausage roll in the time I'd been gone and the smell made my stomach rumble.
He must've seen me staring and almost drooling because he snorted with laughter, passing it over for me to finish to which I devoured in record time.
"How are your parents?" Mason directed at Cam, as I reached over to tickle Abby on the belly. She giggled causing me to laugh.
"Dad's not too well, he's on medication for his heart again but he's in good spirits despite the circumstances..."
The boys continued talking while Mel and I made our own conversation.
"Are you excited?" Mel asked, referring to jellybean, as she pulled Abby out to nurse.
"I'm excited to meet her but not so much about sleepless nights," I chuckled, admiring the way Abby looked at her mother with adoration whether she meant to or not.
"You get used to it but knowing Mason he'll probably drag you back to bed so you can get some sleep and he'll take care of everything,"
I looked up at my man, smiling as he and Cameron debated over something ridiculous as usual. It brought a thought to my mind.
"Did Cameron ever tell you how he twisted his ankle?" I whispered to her and she shook her head violently, her eyes wide.
"No! And every time I ask him about it he goes all red and changes the subject," she said quickly.
"Same with Mason!" I turned to the boys as they talked over one another, their hands gesturing like mad. "Boys," I said loudly, grasping their attention. "Tell us, how did Cameron twist his ankle?"
Both boys' eyes went wide and they looked at each other sheepishly.
"Don't try to change the subject because we're not leaving here until we find out."
They were silent while Mel and I sat patiently waiting for a response. We could wait all day, we needed to know what happened.
Cameron sighed, looking over at Mason whose face said 'don't do it'.
"The night that we went into the hospital you'll remember Mason and I spent the night out," he began, shuffling his shoes in the grass.
"Well," he continued as Mason walked away about ten feet, scratching the back of his neck. What the hell would be so bad to make these two scared of telling us? "We'd been at the pub and had had a few pints and well... idiot over here thought it would be a good idea to go for a swim in the river," he jabbed his thumb towards Mason.
"It wasn't my idea!" He yelled, storming over to us, "It was his, I swear,"
"No it wasn't, and even if it was, it was your idea to push me down the hill and into the river!" He cried.
Mel and I looked at each other before bursting out laughing. I was giggling so hard that jellybean had started to kick me in protest.
"Why is that so bad?" I asked, tears of laughter forming at the corner of my eyes.
"It's bad because this dickhead," Mason punched Cam in the arm causing him to stumble a little, "couldn't climb back up the hill, so I had to walk down this steep as hill to piggyback him back up the hill and as I'm doing so he saw something and went to pick it up offsetting my balance so we both ended up tumbling down the hill and into the river,"
Mason was fuming while Mel and I were still laughing our heads off.
"But how did Cameron twist his ankle?" gasped Mel between guffaws of laughter.
"I stood on a rock," blushed Cameron, "and slipped off it,"
So they weren't scared of telling us, they were embarrassed. Perfect
"That's the worst story I've ever heard!" Cried Mel as we all but screamed in laughter.
We were back on the road with Mel, Cameron and Abby behind us in their car. I twiddled with the radio, switching from song to song every time I got sick of it.
"They literally play the same thing over and over again, it's so annoying," I complained as I fiddled in my bag for something to eat.
"Oh yeah, that's what's annoying," he side-eyed me and I shot him a glare.
An hour and a half later we pulled up to the vineyard and made our way to the country house at the very back of the field where the Bride and Groom could stay the night before their wedding. Adjacent from that was another house where the wedding party could stay.
We decided on visiting the happy couple before unloading our things into the guest house, so I practically fell out of the car and made my way to the front door hand in hand with Mason.
We were greeted by Claire and Hamish.
"Hey! You made it!" she cried, pulling us into a hug and asking us about our journey.
We found ourselves sitting by the fire on the clean ivory couches and talking in excitement about tomorrow.
"Everything's prepared?" I asked Claire as I sipped from my cup of tea.
She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed fiddling with the edge of her Tshirt.
"Yep, everything's upstairs in the spare room. Girls, if you'd like to come round tomorrow at 7:30am that'd be great so we're ready nice and early,"
Mel and I nodded in response.
Nightfall came quickly and before I knew it I was being taken, dragging my feet from exhaustion, into the guest house by Mason and tucked into bed with the covers under my chin.
It was useless tucking me in though. I flipped and turned and rotated, shoving a pillow under my belly to get comfortable and Mason was sound asleep beside me.
"Mason," I whispered in his ear.
"Mmm," he groaned, turning his head towards me without opening his eyes.
"Remember when we got married and I nearly fell over down the aisle?" I giggled into my hand and he laughed through his nose.
"Yeah, I thought it probably wasn't best to bring it up when you reached me at the altar," he sighed, rolling over to wrap his arm around me.
Morning flew round quickly as usual and having very little sleep I was forced to fake happiness in the morning. However, that fake smile suddenly became real when I saw Claire in her wedding dress.
She was stunning.
It was a lovely white princess gown with a sweetheart neckline and a plum sash around the waist. It brought tears to my eyes in a big sisterly way and I had to dab at them quickly as to not ruin Amanda's hard work with my makeup.
"You're so beautiful Claire," I gushed as I took her hand and helped her into the vintage cars they'd hired for the wedding.
Mason and I were with Claire in one car, being the maid of honour and the man giving her away, and Mel and the other bridesmaids in the other.
"It's weird isn't it," began Claire, a beaming smile on her face as we rode towards where the guests had been waiting for the ceremony to begin, "how I've ended up about to marry my physio from rehab,"
I took her hand in mine, giving it a quick squeeze.
"I'm so proud of how far you've come," I said and she rolled her eyes jokingly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah let's just get this show on the road so I can enjoy the cake I've spent thousands of pounds on,"
We giggled the rest of the way there and when we pulled up behind the main building I gave her a hug.
"I don't want to cry but I think I might," she said, her eyes becoming slightly glassy.
"Tears of happiness," I said quickly, as I was passed over a bouquet of flowers from the other bridesmaids and ushered down the aisle of standing people awaiting Claire's presence.
I spotted Hamish immediately and the look on his face, a mixture of nerves and bliss reminded me of Mason on our wedding day as I came down the aisle with dad to see the man I'm spending the rest of my life with.
I nodded at him, a grin on my face and took my place opposite him with the rest of the bridesmaids.
Down she came beauty and grace, on the arm of Mason who looked dashing in his suit.
The air around her glowed and radiated with happiness as she took Hamish's hand and the ceremony began.
Petals were thrown at the two as they made their way off with the wedding photographer and I walked behind them clinging to Mason.
"God, my feet hurt," I muttered all the while smiling as we watched Claire and Hamish and their giddy happiness.
"We'll find a chair when we get inside," he smiled down at me. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" he asked as we continued our way around the crowd and through to the reception hall.
"Yes, but you can say it again," I giggled.
"I tell you, I reckon I'm the luckiest man alive right now," he said as he held the door for me and I waited until we had found our seats before asking him why. I lowered myself into a white linen covered chair as he sat opposite me and pulled me slightly towards him.
"And why is that?" I asked, watching as he played with my fingers.
"Because I'm in love with Ashley Murphy... and she's in love with me."
THE END
Q&A chapters will be posted in the next few days. Surprising news inside!