He’s stood with his back to me, facing the open window. The sounds of the Indian Ocean gently filling this room too
I love this sound. After three years in Australia, I can’t even imagine not living by the beach. When our house was quiet at night, when the boys were all tucked up in their beds, I loved to hear the waves, they calmed me. They sounded like home, strange that it took me so long to find where I really belong.
Everything about our lives is so very different now. We are surrounded by family and had a great group of friends. Our support network is strong, and I have a sense peace like I’ve never known.
This feeling of contentment and wellbeing had led me to make a choice that had shocked most people that knew us. Everyone told me that I was mad. For a while, Liam was absolutely against the idea of another baby, worried that a bad pregnancy might send me spiralling back down into a deep depression. But it didn’t, because everything was different here. I had help and support. I was surrounded by people that loved me and a husband that came home every night, rarely travelled and was always by my side. After we consulted carefully with my doctor, and we waited until I had gone over a year without any kind of anxiety or depression, Liam then supported my decision to come off of the pill.
I don’t know how exactly to describe my need for another baby. I think the best way would be to say, like a woman knows she categorically doesn’t want any more, I was categorically positive that I wanted just one more.
And now here we were.
Maisie Matilda Delaney was born on our wedding anniversary in August. She had just turned three months old, and tonight was the very first night she was supposed to be spending in her own room . . . Except her dad had other ideas.
Liam is besotted with his daughter, as are three of her four big brothers. Lucas being the only one not impressed with her arrival, continuously asking us when she is going back.
As if sensing my presence, Liam turns around.
“What are you doing?”
“Watching you. What are you doing?”
“Watching our daughter.”
“Why, what’s she doing?”
“Sleeping.”
“She can do that in her cot.”
“I don’t want her to. She’s too little. I want her back in her crib in our room.”
I make my way in to the room and stand next to him, and we both watch her sleep.
“Bring her back to our room then, so we can both get some sleep.”
I turn to leave. “Sarah.” He grabs my arm, so I turn back towards him.
“I wasn’t there for the boys. I wasn’t there for you. I wanna do it all differently this time. I don’t wanna miss any of it.”
“We are doing it differently. We’ve being doing it different since we got here. I would never have had her if we weren’t.”
He nods, the moonlight catching the blue of his eyes, and my insides ignite at the smile on his lips.
“Let’s go back to bed. Staring at your naked back is making me horny.”
I turn and pull my vest over my head as I walk back down the hallway, pulling down my shorts and kicking them off before reaching our bedroom door.
Liam follows me into the room and sets Maisie in her crib, which is still set up on my side of the bed. Then, much to my pleasure, he crawls up the bed and settles between my legs.
“Are you happy pretty girl?”
“I’ll be happier after an orgasm.”
He smiles before licking up the length of my throat.
“I’m being serious.”
I hate that he worries about my happiness, but I understand it.
“Me, too.” I tilt up and try to grind against him. “I’ve honestly never been happier, Liam. Everything I’ve ever wanted in life, whether I knew it or not, is right under this roof, and I promise you, if that ever changes, I’ll let you know. Please stop worrying.”
“I don’t wanna let you down.”
“You won’t. We’ve got this.”
“That’s my line.”
“Well, I’ve just nicked it. Now, fuck me before your daughter wakes up the neighbourhood.”
“Anything for you, pretty girl. Anything at all.”
THE END