24

>*Time lapse: 1 and a half years. *~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~~~<>~~

After dinner, everyone went to their rooms while Jess and I cleaned up.

"Are you done?" I looked over at Jess and nodded.

"Great. We need to talk upstairs please love?"

That perked me up. She hasn't called me any terms of endearment in a long time and her calling me that made me miss it all the more.

I grinned and nodded, hurrying past her to go upstairs.

Deciding to change into comfortable clothes, I took my shirt off and stared in the mirror. All the new scars. The pouch on my tummy. I've aged in appearance. I've got dark circles under my eyes and a few wrinkles there too, but that could be because of the non existant sleep schedule I've had recently.

"My God my love aren't you the most beautiful person on this earth."

I turned around, covering myself as best as I could and looked at her, and I don't know why but I broke out into tears, but I did.

"Oh baby. Come here." Jessica walked over to me and hugged me, and I let her.

"I know I've been distant baby but I was so fucking dumb for pulling away from you when we needed each other the most but I'm here now. And I'm here to stay baby."

"I-I'm sorry t-too. Everything's that h-happened is my fault." I sobbed into her shoulder and clung onto her for dear life.

"Now you look at me Andy Chase and you listen to me clearly." she pulled away and looked in to my probably swollen and red eyes.

"That accident was not your fault. That was that drunken idiot's fault, not yours. You hear me? I don't want you blaming yourself, I know it's hard but please baby, for my sake and for the kids sake, stop with the self inflicted blaming.'' I heard what she was saying but someone needed to be blamed and I don't see why that person can't be me.

''Why don't we go visit them tomorrow? You and I only? How does that sound?''

———

''Are you ready to go my love?'' I looked to my wife standing in the doorframe of our bedroom looking dapper as usual in her tailored suit.

''Yeah I am, let's get going.''

I grabbed my wallet and cellphone before walking towards my girl and taking her hand in mine.

''I thought we could have a day out, just the two of us? Visit them then catch dinner?''

Since yesterday she's been making a huge effort to be closer, we cuddled for the first time in a few months last night and it felt so good being her arms again.

''That would be lovely darling. Let me just greet Mum and then we can leave." she kissed my hand and let me go greet my Mum before we left.

"Hey Mum, Jess and I are going to visit them, do you need anything from the store while we're gone?" my Mum was in her studio, one of the bedrooms we converted into an art studio for her to paint.

"No no sweetheart, nothing from me. Just say hello to my grandbaby and wife." I nodded and kissed her head.

Everyday without them gets a harder but life goes on.

"Come on. Can we see Mom first?" Jessica nodded, whenever we visited them, we always saw Mom first.

"Let's go my lady."