Wade's apartment was just how had Missy imagined it. Casual, cool, if a little rough around the edges…just like Wade himself.
The pair of them, Missy and Emily, hand-in-hand, entered cautiously through the door, Emily gazing around in awe.
Their neighbour, immediately began picking up a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that were haphazardly strewn across the floor, flinging them into his laundry basket in the corner of the room.
"Feel free to sit down, make your gorgeous selves at home" he said gesturing to a couch and a couple of chairs that stood on the far side of the apartment, next to a large window that looked out onto the city. "You can borrow my laptop if you need it, but I wouldn't go through my browser history if I were you…"
Missy rolled her eyes, shaking her head, before leading Emily over to the couch, picking her up and sitting her down onto the squishy sofa cushions.
"Thanks…" she uttered, looking over at him and unbuttoning the little girls coat. It was much, much warmer in here.
But Wade merely smiled, looking happy.
She was sure he must have a lot of visitors. He wasn't exactly bad looking and definitely seemed like the kind of guy that would have plenty of friends…but Wade seemed almost enamoured with having them here.
He immediately busied himself with tidying things away and making the place look presentable, before grabbing his laptop, placing it down onto the end of the couch beside her.
Missy gave him a nod as she unbuttoned her own coat, removing it and placing it neatly down beside Emily's.
For the slightest of seconds she caught Wade's eye, as he looked her up and down. She was just in a navy pencil skirt, pale blue blouse and nude heels, nothing special, but the way he was looking at her…
But she instantly pushed this away from her thoughts, turning her attention back to her daughter.
She ran a hand over her soft brown hair.
"You ok, sweetie?" she asked gently.
Emily gave a nod back.
"Hot chwocolat?" she asked, her little green eyes searching Missy's face.
Missy smiled lovingly, before glancing up at Wade who was currently beaming.
"Hot chocolate for the little princess and her beautiful queen of a mama, coming right up," he said quickly, moving over to them and picking up the tv remote. "But first maybe some cartoons? Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles were always my favourite…huuuge fan of Leonardo."
Wade switched on the tv, flipping over to the kids channel, and began to turn up the volume…higher and higher…
People always tried to compensate for Emily's hearing loss…it was no fault of their own…they only thought they were doing what's best for the little girl.
But Missy lifted her hand, placing it on Wade's quickly.
"You can keep the volume low, she just likes to look at the pictures anyway," she said, giving Wade a small smile.
He paused for a moment, her hand still on his, before she pulled it away, staring back down at Emily.
Behind her, Wade turned down the volume and headed over to his kitchenette, looking apologetic.
Missy gave a sigh, glancing at Emily, her little eyes fixed on the brightly lit cartoons. She felt her daughter's hands, finally starting to warm up.
She really did regret not keeping on top of everything and paying that bill when she should have.
Missy pursed her lips together, before pulling Wade's laptop towards her.
Twenty minutes later Missy was still sat on Wade's couch on her phone, on hold to the electricity company.
Wade had handed Emily his Batman figurine to play with, and the little girl was taking great delight in tracing over the superheroes mask with her chubby fingers.
Two steaming mugs of hot chocolate had been placed down in front of them, and now Wade stood close by, folding a huge pile of laundry.
Missy glanced over at him momentarily, shaking her head.
Finally after another minute or so, a shrill voice came down the line.
"Ok Melissa, all that seems to be in order, you've paid your bill in full and should have power back on sometime within the next six hours."
"Six hours?" said Missy loudly, causing Emily beside her to jump at the tone of her voice and Wade to look up at her concernedly. "But I've got my daughter…and we've got no power to make dinner….or keep warm…"
But the lady down the line was barely listening
"Would you be interested in hearing about any of our offers for solar panels today?" asked the woman, blatantly reading from a script.
Missy gave a loud "Ughhh…" hanging up the phone.
"Six hours!" she said incredulously, turning to Wade. "Six hours until the power comes back on!"
Her blonde neighbour frowned, putting down the shirt he was folding and walking slowly over to her.
"Well you're more than welcome to stay here tonight-" he said in a playful voice. "If you wanted to snuggle…"
But Missy wasn't in a very playful mood…
She pulled at her lip with her teeth, looking back to Emily who was staring up at her, her face full of worry.
"Sorry baby, Mommy shouldn't have yelled like that," she said, leaning over and kissing the little toddler's forehead.
Emily snuggled into her lovingly.
Oh god, was she just a bad parent? After that year she had had….well…it wasn't a surprise that she would think that…
Missy looked sadly down into her lap, barely even noticing Wade staring over at her.
Suddenly and without a sound, he was at her side.
Missy only realised when she felt a sudden hand on her shoulder.
"Hey…I was being serious…" he said, in a genuine tone, his chocolate eyes honest. "If you need to stay here tonight…"
He gave an easy smile.
"…I just did my laundry so my sheets are clean and daffodil fresh!"
Missy laughed before she could stop herself.
Even Emily looked up at her, as if surprised by the sound which had come out of her Mom's mouth.
It had been a long time since Missy had laughed, that was for sure!
"Thank you," said Missy, lowering her defences slightly, staring up into Wade's face.
There was just something about him…
"No problem…." he replied grinning, looking between her and Emily. "So….I guess if you're not going back to your place for a while and I'm guessing Chicken Little here will need to eat…"
He looked at the little girl and stroked his thumb across her cheek gently.
"..how about some mac and cheese…my speciality!"
Missy smiled back, as to her surprise, Emily let out a tiny giggle at Wade's contact.
"Isn't everything your speciality?" Missy asked Wade mockingly, turning and tickling Emily's tummy, causing the toddler to burst into further fits of giggles.
Missy gazed at her daughter dreamily, as Wade looked on, beaming at the pair of them.
In a matter of minutes the microwave had pinged…Wade, having cleared his rickety little table, placed a steaming orange gloop of mac and cheese down in front of a seated Emily, as her Mom sat beside her.
"What do you say to Wade, sweetie?" asked Missy, smoothing down the little girl's tuft of hair.
"Fank you, Wadee," said Emily shyly, in very broken speech, before picking up the fork with her chubby little fingers.
"You're welcome," said Wade perching on the back of his couch, grinning widely. "And as I always say, what could be more nutritious than luminous mac and cheese?"
Missy instantly smiled up at him.
She could feel herself slowly letting her guard down…for the first time in a long time.
"Y'know I've made enough for all of us and if I'm honest you look like you could use a good meal packed full of e-numbers and trans fats," he said to Missy, cocking a scarred eyebrow over towards her. "At the moment you've got this whole 'I only drink kale juice and eat avocado' kinda vibe going on…."
Missy gave an incredulous laugh, causing Emily to look up at her once again.
"I do not…" she muttered getting to her feet and strolling over to Wade, folding her arms over her blouse. "…I'll have you know…I can binge eat Mexican food and pizza with the best of them…"
Wade looked at her in mock surprise, as she grinned.
"Then you realise, Mademoiselle, that you are pretty much my dream girl, right?" he said in a goading voice, as his eyes fixed onto hers.
But Missy merely smirked, ignoring his comment and quickly turning back towards Emily, walking over to her once more.
"That yummy baby?" she asked, as Emily chewed on the soft pasta, mouth open.
The little girl gave a nod, looking between Missy and Wade, as if transfixed by them.
Missy supposed that Emily had never really seen Missy have this much contact with anyone other than Missy's aunt…
Missy smiled to herself, staring down at her feet before turning and glancing back over towards Wade.
"You know what? I'll take that mac and cheese….if it's going?" she asked, gazing at him. "Thanks."
Wade smiled back, giving a playful look that merely said - 'I was totally right…'
An hour later and Emily was asleep.
The trio had finished their mac and cheese and hot chocolate and moved to the couch, Emily instantly clambering onto Missy's lap and snuggling into her.
It wasn't long before the tiny toddler's eyes had fluttered closed. It was late for her to be up and not in her own bed.
All of this was Missy's mess…if she hadn't been so concerned about herself…about her job…
She looked down at her hand as her fingers stroked against her daughter's warm cheek, absent-mindedly.
Missy couldn't believe she had been this selfish…
"Hey," said Wade suddenly from the armchair, breaking Missy from her thoughts. He had obviously been staring at her for a while. "You think the power's back on at your place yet?"
Missy blinked a few times, flushing red.
Oh god, had they outstayed their welcome?
Gathering Emily up into her arms, Missy made to get to her feet.
"Sorry, yeah, of course…" she murmured, avoiding his eyes, feeling wholly embarrassed.
"No, no, no!" said Wade quickly. "I only meant, if it's not, you should stay here…like I said, I made the bed, the sheets are clean…and Em-bear is looking kinda out for the count…"
He looked at the expression on her face.
"…don't worry," he said in an innocent tone, raising his hands aloft. "….no ulterior motive, I swear. Scouts honour."
Missy stared at him for the longest of moments…..before she gave him a small smile.
"Thank you…for the offer… I appreciate it…"
And she really did…
"…but I should probably check on my place…"
Easing Emily off of her, she got to her feet and strutted across the room on her high heels, grabbing her keys.
She heard Wade following behind her as she crossed the hallway and pushed open her door, but to her delight, the room was warm and lit.
She gave a relived sigh, before turning back to Wade, who was stood close behind her.
"No need to cuddle up to me tonight then?" he said with a smirk, before placing a hand to his chest. "I'm hurt…"
"Lucky escape more like," said Missy, poking him in the ribs with her polished fingernail. "You'd only have been woken like eight times in the night by Emily wanting to pee, or Emily having a nightmare…etcetera, etcetera…"
But Wade gave an easy shrug, grinning.
"Ahhhh, I wouldn't have minded….it would have been like bunking with my old Grandpa again…" he uttered in a sarcastic tone.
Missy let out a chuckle, her eyes glancing to the floor, and for a long second, silence fell between the pair…
She really was very grateful for all this…but couldn't even find the worlds to tell him so….
Missy had put up so many barriers…she was finding it hard to let anyone break them….and here this guy was, walking right through…into their lives…
"I should go get Emily…" she uttered in a quiet voice, biting her lip, before nudging past him.
Missy kept her head bowed low as she walked. She was tired too…and all this had just been too much for her on top of an already exhausting week!
Reaching Wade's couch, Missy lifted Emily into her arms as the little girl gave a gentle grizzle, before walking back over to the door, where Wade was standing, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.
Missy paused when she reached him.
This guy she barely even knew….
"Thanks…" she murmured in a quiet voice, gazing slowly up into his eyes. "I really don't know what we'd have done without your help…"
Wade grinned.
"Probably frozen to death…" he said with a matter-of-fact nod.
Missy smiled.
"Well….thanks anyway…." she said, searching for the words. "I appreciate it….we both do…"
And with that Missy gave him one last nod, before crossing the hallway, and closing the door behind her.
Wade lingered in his own doorway for a long moment, letting out a sigh and running a hand over his face…before he too closed the door behind him with a snap.
Leaving the corridor empty once again…
Sorry for the delay in posting, I'm just finding it hard to write at the moment.
Anyway, thanks to DoctorWho9, jayceami, The Captains Muse, katiesgotagun, hannahkaho, Legolas girl 31, jeffhardyluvsme, AngiMK, jonstar1034, starrat, Kikibaybee, EmeralndFoxTails669, Tropp, TJ and friends, ComicGirl20 and Adam Kelly for reviewing the last chapter. Sorry if I've left anyone out, reviews are only showing up intermittently for me at the moment.
Anyone hope you liked this one? What did you think?
Please review!