I was quite surprised when the doctors told me that I could go home later that day. With my leg now in plaster there wasn't much physio that could be done until the cast was off, though as it was only up to my knee my mobility shouldn't be affected too badly. When I didn't have Oskar with me anyway, it was still going to be tough to look after him. I hadn't told anyone about what Bill had said or done to me, although I was going to have to give a statement to the police. I couldn't even bring myself to tell Amelia that I was very nearly raped.
For the second time in just over a week I was wheeled out of the hospital to Gustaf's SUV. Amelia told me she'd be in contact and that if I ever needed her for anything she'd be with me within a couple of hours. She'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't happy I was going to see Eric, and didn't feel that I should be talking to him at all. I promised her that I would let her know if I wanted to go back to New York with her, and promised that I would call her the next day.
The journey back to Bon Temps was quiet after Isabel had yet again apologised for leaving me alone in the house. I tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, but it was quite evident she was racked with guilt that Bill had found me alone at their house. As we were approaching Bon Temps, Isabel turned in her seat and looked to me.
"Sookie, Eric was in quite a state when we left him. He stayed last night at our house and we had Pam stay with him today to keep an eye on him as he's really not in a good way. He doesn't know anything about what has happened with Bill. I beg you to be gentle with him. I know that I have no right to ask you that other than being his mother, but I'm not sure how much more he can take, he's in a very dark place because of what he has done."
"You mean about what happened in New Orleans?"
"Not only that. He feels hugely guilty because of everything that he has done to you. He realises that the break up of your relationship is solely his fault, that your son won't have two parents together because of him."
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Sure, it was his fault, but it was Bill's manipulation of us all that brought about Eric's mistrust of me. Eric taking all of that upon him was not going to be good for him, and I didn't want to see him suffer. I still loved him after all. But then there was the issue of him sleeping with other women in New Orleans. We weren't together, and at least one of those was probably set up by Bill Compton, but I felt so hurt that he'd been so quick to fall into the arms of another woman.
Before I could think things through further we'd arrived at the house, and I was being helped out of the car. Pam came outside to greet us.
"He's a fucking child, he really is."
"Pamela!" Gustaf scolded.
"Well, he is. He won't come out of his room and I'm fairly certain he's drunk again. I think, dad, you need to be locking up your liqueur supply while he's in this mood." She turned to me, obviously surprised at seeing me there. "Sookie, how are you? I didn't think you'd come back. Are you going to talk to him?"
"I'm fine, leg absolutely kills, but I'll be okay. And yes, I do want to talk to him, if he's willing."
"Good, I think you're the only one he may actually listen to. He was crying all last night, and quite simply that is not something I ever want to hear my brother doing, other than have sex anyway. He was always so strong, so proud. He's completely broken right now."
I didn't know what to say so just gave her a half smile as she helped me inside while Gustaf carried Oskar. Isabel informed me that her, Oskar and Gustaf would be in the summer house, which was situated at the opposite end of the house to where the bedrooms were. It was evident that they wanted to give Eric and I some privacy as Pam joined them once she was happy I could move around the house okay with my crutches. It felt very strange being there considering what had nearly gone on, and I looked out onto the pool area but saw no sign of what had happened there the previous day.
It was certainly going to take me time to get used to the crutches, but I hobbled my way to the kitchen and heated up the Chinese food we'd picked up on the way back from the hospital. I took a deep breath and made my way slowly to Eric's room figuring that he probably wouldn't come out of his own accord.
I knocked softly on his door and waited, holding my breath so I could check for sound within the room. When I heard nothing, I knocked again, louder, this time.
"Go away!" he grunted from somewhere within the room.
I knocked one more time hoping that he would come and unlock the door. "Pam, just fuck off and leave me alone, I don't need you snarking at me right now."
He really wasn't in a pleasant mood. I took another breath to calm myself and knocked one last time. "Eric, it's Sookie. I have Chinese food in the kitchen." I figured mentioning the food may bring him out of his shell.
He didn't respond but I heard movement within his room and the sound of his door unlocking. He opened his bedroom door and looked at me through red eyes. He looked truly awful. He was unshaven, his hair was a mess of tangles and he had dark circles underneath his red, swollen eyes. He was dressed only in a pair of black sleep pants and a tight black wife-beater.
My eyes met his for a brief moment before he dropped his eyes to the floor as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Why are you here?" he asked me, his voice breaking slightly.
"I wanted to talk to you, we need to clear the air before …" I stopped, not knowing quite what to say. Did I mean before I left to go back to New York?
"Before you leave, you mean." He walked out of his room, bottle of whiskey in his hand, passing me but not meeting my eyes. I followed him slowly and painfully on my crutches to the kitchen. He'd got out two plates and was serving the food as I pulled out a chair and needfully sat down. "Do you want a drink?" he asked, his back still to me.
"Please, water would be good."
"Sure you don't want anything stronger? I am." He poured himself a large glass of whiskey and swallowed it quickly before pouring another one and placing it on the table along with my water. We served up the food which Eric hungrily devoured but I only picked at.
After he'd finished eating and had downed his second glass of whiskey he got up to pour another. I wasn't about to let him become an alcoholic over this. "Eric, please. You don't need to drink."
He span on his heels. "I can assure you that it is about the only thing keeping me going right now!" He poured another glass and slammed it down on the table, causing me to jump slightly. He sat down on the wooden chair heavily and looked over to me. "What happened to your leg, I don't remember it being in plaster last time I saw you. Why were you in hospital?"
I didn't think now was the time for the whole story of Bill. "I fell getting out of the pool and hurt it more. One of the pins was sticking out of my leg and I had to have further surgery. No swimming for me this time!" I joked, trying to lighten the mood somewhat.
"You don't have to be here. I don't need or deserve your sympathy. Just let me be. I fucked up, I know that. I have fucked up everything for both of us, Oskar as well. The two of you deserve better than me. I will support him financially, but I don't want to intrude on your life any more. Thank you for the food, it was very thoughtful of you, but you don't have to be here, you can do better elsewhere." He got up to leave the table and sulk back to his room.
Shit, he really was fucked up. "Eric Northman, do not make me come after you, I am in too much pain to move right now. Stop being so melodramatic and while you're up please pass me my bag so I can take my painkillers." He did that, came back to the table and sat back down with yet another glass of whiskey. I reached into my bag and pulled out the bottle and took two before placing it safely back again.
"Sookie," his voice was strained. "Please, I can't do this. I fucked up, I slept with other women. Why are you even here? Why are you being so calm about this?"
"Eric, we aren't together any more. You can sleep with whomever you choose to." I softly pointed out, no matter how much it hurt me to say.
"You don't mean that. I know you, Sookie. I know that I have hurt you further. Stupid thing is, I don't even remember sleeping with the first one. When I woke up in bed with her, neither one of us remembering anything about the night before, I completely freaked out. I drank god knows how many bottles of whiskey that night, and then I went and did the same thing again, found some blonde who wasn't you to sleep with. It was horrible, I hated myself so much while I was with her. Fuck, Sookie, I am so sorry."
He buried his head in his hands on the table and sobbed gently. My own tears were falling as well as I moved my chair to sit closer to him.
"Eric I need to tell you something. The first woman you were with, I don't think that you did sleep with her. I think you both may have been drugged."
"By who? Who the fuck would have done that?"
"Bill." I felt almost sick mentioning his name.
Eric's face seemed to get even paler at the mention of his name. "How do you know that? I get that Bill lied about being with you, but you don't have to use him as an excuse on my behalf."
"Will you quit being so self-loathing. Eric, the reason I know is that he told me himself."
Eric's head snapped up to look at me. "What? When did you see him? Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?"
I couldn't help the tear that fell as I thought back to the events of the previous day. "Okay, this is going to be tough to hear, but I need to say this." He nodded, but his face was apprehensive. "Yesterday your mom and dad took Oskar out as they had some errands to run. I was going to spend the say doing my physiotherapy exercises. As I was alone I took the opportunity for a swim, but I probably did too much and tired myself. When I got out of the pool I slipped and my leg gave way beneath me. That was when I did this." I pointed down at my leg in its cast, and shifted position so I could put my foot up on the chair beside me. "My leg was bleeding pretty heavily and I could not move as I was in too much pain."
"Fuck, but you're okay now, you were found?" Eric asked, his anxiety clear on his face.
I sighed. "I was found, just not by who I wanted. I'd actually passed out, probably from blood loss or something, but when I came to I discovered Bill sat beside me."
He looked horrified. "How the fuck did he know where you were?" Eric spat.
"I don't know, but he did know that your parents were out and would not be coming back for some time. And he also knew that you were in New Orleans, and that you had slept with someone." Eric was silent for a few moments as I let him process that information. "So, I'm assuming he must have had something to do with it since he knew that information."
"But I still slept with the second girl though."
He had done, and that thought killed me. "Why?" I asked softly, "why did you sleep with her?"
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "I don't know. I knew it was wrong when I was doing it, but I so drunk I just … I don't know. I felt so guilty that I had cheated on you already, I guess I assumed it wouldn't make any difference if there was another girl. I'm sorry."
"Eric, as I said before, we're not together …" he cut me off.
"We may not be, but after thinking things through in Stockholm I made a decision to not fuck with you anymore, to not hurt you. I was going to let you get on with your life. I knew you didn't want me back after what I had done, and I realised that I didn't blame you for not wanting me back – I wouldn't have wanted me back either. I was going to let you call the shots of how much involvement I had with you and Oskar. I would have moved to New York to be close to you both, I would have done all that I could for you."
"Why past tense? What has changed?"
"Come on, Sookie. I fucked up yet again. I should never even have left you to gone to Stockholm let alone fuck someone else. I should have been here for you. Tell me what Bill did. I see the way you flinch when you say his name. Sookie, if he hurt you I swear I will rip him into pieces."
Eric was getting angry, though I knew it was the alcohol talking. If I was telling him this I hoped that he would not remember the next day. I was well aware that telling Eric that Bill nearly raped me could possibly destroy him.
"Sook, please tell me," his voice was softer this time.
"He held me down, threatened me. He told me I'd be going with him, that he would take me away."
"And?" Eric always could see through me at times.
I took a deep breath as the tears fell from my eyes. "He removed my bikini top and bottoms. He touched me, he …"
Eric drew me into his arms and wrapped them tightly around me rocking me gently. My revelation had sobered him and he gently stroked my back. This was the most contact I had had with Eric in sixteen months and I relished the touch of his skin against mine, his strong arms firmly wrapped around me. I felt safe in his embrace and I'd have happily not moved from that spot. When my breathing returned to normal he released me from his arms, but remained hold of my hands.
His own eyes gave away the tears he had shed, and before I knew what I was doing I was cupping his face in my hand and wiping away his tears with my thumbs. I withdrew my hands and placed them in my lap.
When our eyes met again, he asked, "Did he …?"
"No, he didn't get that far." Eric let out the breath he was holding and I saw the relief on his face.
"What happened?"
"The police showed up. Bill was shot in the leg as they arrested him. It seems Bill Compton was a wanted man. He was a known rapist and murderer in quite a few states and on the most wanted list." I laughed slightly. "I think we all had a lucky escape."
"How did the police know he was here?"
I was half tempted to lie to Eric, to make up some story about him being seen and followed by the local police. I didn't want to hurt Eric by telling him of Alcide's involvement.
"Sookie?"
"Do you remember I told you that I met a guy in a club one night back in New York?"
I could see the pain on Eric's face. "Yes, I do." His voice was sharp but tinged with sadness. I really did not want Eric to think that I was replacing him so quickly.
"Well, he was a detective working for NYPD and Amelia ran into him again last week. She has somewhat of a big mouth at times, and it seems she told him all about me, including how the psycho Bill Compton had driven me off the road and caused me to be injured in an accident. Alcide took it upon himself to do a background search after recognising the name and he realised that it was the same Bill Compton that they were looking for. Amelia was able to do a positive ID and Alcide came down here looking for him. They turned up just in time." I began sobbing again as Eric held my hands.
Neither one of us said anything for quite a while. Where the hell were we going to go from here? So much had happened over the last year and a half. We had broken up based on someone else's lies, I had discovered I was pregnant, Gran had died, I had a beautiful baby son and now the truth had come out and Bill was in custody after nearly raping me. I would have done anything to go back eighteen months so that none of this had happened.
We were interrupted by the sound of Oskar crying and I turned to see Isabel coming into the kitchen looking sheepish with Oskar in her arms.
"Sorry, Sook, he just won't settle. I think he wants his mom."
"That's okay. Come here little man." I took him into my arms and bounced him on my hip, cradling him in my arms. I sang softly to him and it didn't take too long for him to drift back to sleep. I knew he'd be best if he laid down in his bed, but I was hardly in a state to carry him.
"Eric, could you take him. I need to put him down for the night."
He smiled and took him gently from my arms. I stood slowly, grabbing my crutches and hobbled back to my room with Eric close behind me. Eric laid him down and tucked him. I sat down on the bed feeling quite tired myself.
"Are you okay?" Eric asked.
"I should be asking you that. At least you look better than you did earlier." He did, he looked more human now that we had cleared the air between us.
"I feel better. Thank you, Sookie. I think if you hadn't come back I think I would have fallen to pieces. I was in a dark place, I may not have survived."
I felt sick. "Eric, don't say that. Don't you ever say that." I was pleading to him, my eyes on his.
"It's the truth, Sookie. But it doesn't matter." I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "When do you go back?" he asked in a quiet voice.
I opened my eyes as a tear escaped and looked up to him. "I don't know. Amelia has offered to drive me back if I'm not up to flying. It's going to be hard looking after Oscar in New York with my leg in plaster. We live in a huge four-storey town house, and there's eight steps just to get into the front door. I just worry if I go back to New York that I'll find myself stranded and depending on Amelia too much, though she's said she's quite happy to help me."
Eric laughed slightly. "She's not my biggest fan is she?"
I matched his laugh. "I guess not, but then she's never heard your side of the story. She found me when I was in such a complete mess after I fled Louisiana. She's only heard bad things about you, I'm afraid."
"She has no reason to like me, even after you left my behaviour towards you has been unforgivable. I truly do hate myself for the way I treated you, and I know that until the day I die I will never forgive myself or forget what I have done to you. And I don't expect you to forgive me. I just hope that you will be happy in the future whoever you are with and I hope that you will allow me to have some role in our son's life."
I could hardly speak for the tightness in my throat as he spoke, and I desperately wanted to tell him that with time I could and would forgive him, that I didn't want anybody else. I tried to get control of my breathing, but Eric had stood up and kissed me gently on the top of my head.
"It's been a long day, and we've both been through a lot. I'll leave you in peace and will see you tomorrow."
He left the room, shutting the door quietly as he went and I immediately collapsed into a ball of sobs. Did I want him back? I didn't know, but to me he was ruling it out. I was quite certain that he thought he was doing it for my sakes, but did he not realise that he was the only one I had ever loved?
I got changed and crawled up into bed, not realising quite how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. I was vaguely aware that at some point when Oskar was crying someone came into my room to retrieve him, but I was too tired and exhausted to see who it was.
I was woken the next morning by Isabel gently knocking on the door and bringing me in a steaming hot cup of coffee and a few toasted bagels. I had never been used to breakfast in bed, but I was grateful to her.
"Where's Oskar?"
"Eric has him. He heard him crying earlier this morning so came in and got him. He truly loves that boy." She paused for a moment. "As he does you."
"I know," I said thoughtfully. "And I love him, but I don't know where to go from here. He was talking last night as if it was over between us, and suggested that it would be better for me if I were with someone else."
"Can you see yourself with anyone else?"
"Honestly, no. I never have done. Hell, I don't think I saw myself loving anyone other than Eric since I was twelve years old."
"He's afraid of hurting you more. This has changed him. He isn't the confident, happy go lucky Eric he used to be. You made him the person he was. All he wants is for you to be happy, and if that is at detriment to his own happiness then I think he would allow it."
"You think he's going to push me away for the sake of my happiness over his?"
"I think he will. He's going into himself. He needs you, he needs Oskar. I don't think he will ever truly be happy with anyone else, but he knows that this is his own fault. He knows that listening to Bill Compton was a huge mistake to make, and I don't think he'll ever forgive himself for the repercussions that have come from that."
I sat silently for a few moments thinking as I drank my coffee and ate my bagels. Isabel was still sat at the end of the bed looking equally thoughtful.
When I'd finished my breakfast she took the empty plate from me. "Amelia called earlier, she's arranged that the police officer should come around here now instead to talk to you. He'll be here in an hour and a half. Would you like me to help you shower?"
Alcide was coming to the house? Fuck. I didn't need Eric to be tortured more by Alcide being here. I was going to kill Amelia. I agreed to Isabel's help and I washed as best as I could before getting dressed and drying my hair. It had taken longer than expected to get ready and was surprised to see that Alcide and a female officer who was introduced as Maria were being let into the house by Eric.
"Sookie, how are you?" Alcide was being more familiar than a police officer would necessarily have been, and I couldn't help but notice Eric flinch as Alcide greeted me.
I decided to try and keep it formal. "I'm fine, thank you detective."
I couldn't help but compare the two men as they stood side by side. Eric was slightly taller, but Alcide had wider shoulders and seemed stockier than Eric, who was more slender. They were both handsome men, Alcide with his very dark brown hair and green eyes and then Eric, his beautiful sapphire eyes and shoulder-length blonde locks tied tightly back, but with the usual pieces falling forward.
My thoughts were interrupted by Isabel coming into the hallway with Gustaf and handing Oskar to Eric.
"We're going out for a bit, anything you two need?" She looked at both Eric and I who declined her offer, and she smiled as she left. I didn't know if it was a deliberate move on Isabel's part, but seeing my son in Eric's arms instantly made me favour him of the two men that were before me.
"Please, come on through. Can I get anyone a drink?" Eric was playing host and ushered the three of us into the den. He took drinks orders and came back with them for the three of us having put Oskar down for his nap. I could tell that Eric was eyeing up Alcide, and I wondered what was going through his head. Was he considering whether Alcide would be good for me?
"Sookie, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
He went to leave and I noticed a brief triumphant smile on Alcide's face, but before I could call Eric back he'd disappeared at lightning speed out of the room.
I sat down feeling a little upset that this was hurting Eric, but I recounted my story of what happened with Bill to Alcide and Maria as they asked my questions, the whole thing being recorded. When they had finished with the interview I noticed that Maria looked over at Alcide and she excused herself leaving only Alcide and I in the room.
He turned back to me once alone. "Are you okay, Sookie? This must have been an awful couple of weeks for you."
"It's certainly been tough. I want to thank you again for realising who Bill was. You're obviously a great detective." I smiled at him.
"Ah, you know, you just get a bit of a sixth sense about some things, just trust your instincts. As I knew that when I met you in that club that we could be good together."
Whoa, he was being far to familiar for my liking, and he moved from the seat opposite to sit next to me of the sofa, taking my hand in his.
"When you get back to New York I'd really like to see more of you. I'd like to take care of you and your son if you would let me. I know we don't know each other well, but I really feel like there is something between us." He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
This was way too much. I was not ready for any kind of relationship and Alcide was going way too fast. I also couldn't believe that he would have the cheek to do this in Eric's own home. I heard a noise in the doorway and saw the quickly retreating form of Eric leaving the room.
"Eric," I called and grabbed my crutches trying to go after him. When I got to the door of the room Eric was no where to be seen. I leaned against the door frame and looked back to Alcide.
"I think you should go." I said, sharply.
"I'm sorry, Sookie. I shouldn't have been so familiar with you. It was disrespectful, forgive me." He did look shamed, though I couldn't help but feel he probably could get into trouble for flirting with a witness on a case.
I showed him out and watched as he got into the driver's side of the waiting car and drove off. I turned back into the house. I'd not seen his face, but I was certain that Eric would have been seriously hurt by seeing Alcide take my hand like that and speak those words to me. I was annoyed that he had done that, and I was pissed off at Amelia for changing the time and location of my meeting with the police. I had originally planned to go to Shreveport police station to give my statement.
Eric was no longer in the kitchen, so I hobbled towards his room. The door was ajar and I knocked gently before pushing the door open. Eric had his back to the door and was throwing clothes into a duffel bag.
"I'm sorry, Eric." I said, his back still to me. He moved into his en-suite bathroom to get something not making indication that he'd acknowledged me. As I suspected, he was hurt. He thought I'd be so quick to move on.
"Eric!" I called when he didn't come out of his bathroom. When I heard the sound of a shout and a smashing sound I moved as fast as I could to the bathroom. Eric was stood by the sink with a bleeding hand, the mirror in front of his cracked where he had obviously punched it. I looked up to his face to see his handsome features tortured with pain.
"Oh, Eric. I'm sorry, I didn't want him to do that, I promise you. I didn't want anything from him before and I certainly don't now. And I'm certainly not ready to move on from you. I don't think I ever will be."
He simply looked at me with pained eyes. I took his bloody, cut hand and held it under the cold water to wash the blood away and any shards of glass. He winced slightly as I checked that all the glass was gone, and when happy I turned that water off.
"Come, help me back to the kitchen."
With his good hand he supported me as I limped to the kitchen. I told him to sit down as I went to the drawer to get the first aid kit that Isabel had told me about. I carefully wrapped Eric's hand after cleaning his wounds further and removing a little glass with tweezers that had not been washed off.
He still hadn't said anything. "Eric, please, I'm sorry. Please talk to me."
Still staring at his hands on the table he said: "You don't have to be sorry. I know that you will move on. Beautiful women like you don't stay single for long. I'm sorry I reacted like that, I had no right. I'm going to go back to my apartment, though if you'll let me I'd still like to come over and see Oskar. Stay here as long as you want to, I know my parents love having you here, and you'll be able to recover much easier here then you would in New York. I want you to be happy."
"You don't want to see me?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"Sookie, I am no good for you. I have done nothing but hurt you. I don't want to stand in the way of you being happy. I want to do at least one thing right by you."
"We had six years together! Does that not count for anything?" How could he only focus on the bad times when we had so many great times together.
"Of course it does. Those will always be the best six years of my life. But I fucked it up. I didn't trust you. And I know that once lost your trust can never be regained. I truly am sorry, but I know we will find a way to work this between us in time. I want you to be happy, I just know that I am not the man to do that any more."
He got up and left the table as I sat sobbing quietly, my heart breaking within my chest. I understood that I wasn't ready to move on yet. Sure it had been nearly a year and a half since Eric and I were last together, but it has only been a few weeks since our talk by the lake. But did I ever want to get over Eric? I still loved him with all my heart even after we had been through everything.
In that instant I decided I didn't want to go back to New York and I was not going to let Eric go. I could hear that he was coming out of his room, so I moved as quickly as I could into the hallway and blocked his path out of the house, placing my hand on his chest as he tried to step past me. I could see that he had shed further tears and I took the bag out of his non-injured hand.
"Don't go. I don't want you to go. I want you. I love you."
"Sookie, I …"
"Stop talking. We have been through so much together, hell, we didn't even get together in normal circumstances. I have known you as long as I can remember and I think I have loved you for all that time. It is going to be tough, but I don't think we should give up on us this so quickly. We need to work through this. Can we try and make this work? We have a beautiful son together, I want him to have two parents. Can we do this?"
Eric was smiling at me in such a genuine heartfelt way. "It is I who should be asking you that. But can you forgive me for what I have done?"
I took a deep breath. "I want to. I'm not saying this is going to be easy, and you're right that neither one of us will forget what occurred between us, but I know you are not wholly responsible for what happened."
"You're really willing to give me another chance?" His face looked so hopeful I could not help the big grin that appeared on my own.
"Yes. I love you, Eric. I always will. I don't think I can do this without you. I was hurting so much being away from you."
"Well that's probably because I hurt you." His face was suddenly sombre again.
"No, it wasn't just that. I missed you, I missed being with you. That in itself hurt."
"But at the lake you said …"
"I was hurt. But the simple fact is that I cannot see myself with anyone other than you."
"Alcide didn't seem to think so." He said bitterly.
"Yeah, well, he can think what he likes. To be perfectly honest, him kissing my hand in the way he did only made me realise more that it was you that I wanted."
He smiled again and leaned down, kissing me softly on my cheek. "I love you, Sookie. I promise I will not hurt you and I will not run from you ever again. I know that I will have a lot to do to regain your trust, and we will do this at your pace. And I'm still happy to go back to my apartment for now to give you your own space …"
"Don't be ridiculous. This is your family home. You live here."
"Maybe, but I don't have a job here any more since I quit my position in Dad's business to go travelling."
I'd completely forgotten that Eric had been due to leave Louisiana before I saw him again that night in Merlottes. "I'm sure Pam could find you a role," I said with a smile.
"Yeah, I bet. I'll be cleaning toilets to no end!"
We both laughed and he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my head into his strong chest and breathed in his scent. As we pulled apart I could see the love in Eric's eyes and I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him softly on the lips. He seemed slightly shocked at my move, but pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss. The feel of his lips against mine was incredible and we soon fell into our old rhythm, our tongues dancing softly together as my hands roamed around his strong back.
We were interrupted by the twin sounds of Oskar waking up and the door opening behind us as Isabel and Gustaf walked in. We pulled apart and I span around to witness the look of sheer joy on Isabel's face which was impossible to miss. I also saw Gustaf wink at his son, and I'm certain that Eric would have had beaming behind me.
"Eric, what have you done to your hand?" Isabel scolded.
"Nothing, I …"
"Never mind. You two go and tend to your son, it sounds like someone might need seeing to."
Eric helped me walk back to my room where Oskar was wriggling in his cot. Eric lifted him out and it was plainly obvious that our boy needed changing.
"Oh, I certainly think it's your turn!" I said laughing.
"Well, yeah, but I have a bad hand, and I wouldn't want to hurt it further." He said with a smile.
"Yeah, well, whose fault was that! Get and change him, you have six months of diapers to catch up on and you can start now."
"Gladly," he said, kissing me softly on the head before settling down to change our son.
