"Still not on for lunch today?" I question after we lift our heads to look at each other.
"I really have to get those errands done." she responds and I nod and kiss her cheek.
"I haven't been lying to you." she informs me and I nod in understanding.
"No more slacking in this relationship from now, yeah?" I recommend.
"Agreed, no more slacking for us." she agrees and I smile with relief pulling at my lips and I peck her.
"More dates and sleep overs?" I suggest and her pretty grin appears on her thin lips and she nods.
"As long as I don't work." she responds and I nod my head up and down.
"Deal?"
"Deal." she answers and she hugs my waist while giving me a peck on the lips and Henry bounded up with his things ready to go and so they both gave goodbyes to Martha, it's always hard for Henry to leave the pup he's attached to and who's attached to him, and they take off for their day.
I cleaned up before taking a shower, getting dressed and taking Martha out before I left for the few hour session by myself at the studio for today. I'm glad that this morning has turned out better than I thought it would, I was worried it would turn out to be a disaster, honestly.
I continue on with my day at the studio with some minimal recording I had to get done, and then I spend my time as I like for the rest of the weekend. I talked to Ella on the phone Sunday night about me picking up Henry from school the next day and to just come back to my house for awhile until six when she wants us both there at her house for dinner, and she explained the mostly easy to follow directions she gave me. I spent my Monday morning sleeping in with Martha at the end of the bed, which I've tried to not have her do, but she's just so cuddly and too adorable to resist. I was lazy most of the afternoon before I showered and got ready to drive over to Henry's school to pick him up and then come back over to my house for a few hours until dinner at his house.
I tap my fingers against the worn steering wheel while the radio quietly plays some new song by the Rolling Stones while I wait for the last bell to ring and for Henry to come racing out. Once the loud bell had rung a large group of children all ages and sizes scramble out down the front steps with their backpacks as well as lunch bags in hand, and I stare out the window trying to find Henry in this bunch. I finally spot my blonde headed boy dressed in corduroy pants and a short sleeved shirt with buttons on the top half, and after looking around for a minute his eyes dart to me and he dashes over to the car.
"Hi, daddy!" he exclaims as he opens the door to pile into the back seat of the car and I wait for him to get buckled before leaving the school.
"Hey, lad. How was your day at school?" I question and I put on my blinker to leave the school grounds.
"Okay." he replies simply and I take a look at his calm face in the rear view mirror after thinking that he might be hiding something behind his words, but I don't think so.
"Did you do anything fun today?" I question while I approach a red light.
"We painted a picture. Mine's in my backpack." he replies with his cheerful smile coming through in his words.
"Oh, that must've been a blast. You'll have to show it to me when we get home." I return and I step on the gas when the light turns for the lane I'm in.
"Where's Martha?" he asks me oddly.
"She's at home waiting for you, lad."
"Oh, I miss her." he states and I smile, they're so attached to each other.
"She misses you too." I reply and I glance to him in the mirror again to see his head resting against the closed window while his blue eyes are set on something outside, he's always loved nature.
"Do you have any homework?" I query and he shakes his head, he only is in kindergarten after all.
"It's kind of sunny out today and it isn't raining anymore. Do you wanna go the park after we have something small to eat at home? Martha can come with and you can bring a few toys of hers for her to play with there." I suggest to the curious boy who spends most of his time outside when it's not raining or too cold.
"Yeah!" he exclaims with an excited tone and I grin while driving the last few minutes to my house.
"You know what goofy Martha was doing before I left?"
"What?" he responds with curiosity coating his words.
"I took her outside for a little bit and there was that bunny we always see chewing on the clover over by the table and she was barking at it and chasing it. It made me laugh." I inform him and we both giggle at it, funny Martha.
"She's a goofball." he comments and I nod my head, she sure is.
I turn down my street and after getting out to open and also close the gate that the gate birds are flocking around, we pull into the driveway and I unlock the door before Martha begins to bark and bounds over to Henry to attempt to jump on him.
"Martha!" Henry exclaims as he sits down to greet the girl who definitely has missed him, and she begins to lick his smiling cheeks.
I grin at the sight and move his backpack that he pronounces 'bappack' over onto the chair near the closet before treading into the kitchen to get out the bread and butter from the pantry. Growing Martha follows Henry into the kitchen where he sits on the just mopped floor to pet her some more as I make us both ham and cheese sandwiches.
"Here, lad." I speak to him as I set his blue plate down with the sandwich and glass of milk.
He thanks me before I return to the counter to eat mine standing there while Henry nibbles on his and Martha sits at his feet whining.
"Fine, come here, girl." I relent and she scurries over to me and I bend down to find her a piece of the smooth cheese.
After she gobbled that piece down and Henry and I both devoured our small sandwiches and gulped down our glasses of milk, we both got our shoes back on and I helped him tie his laces.
"Would you get me her leash, bud?" I ask him to do and he gives me a big nod before getting up from the floor and getting her leash from a low hook over near the closet.
"Ta." I thank him when he hands me it and I kneel down to hook it to Martha's girly colored collar.
"You can grab a few of her toys, lad, but just don't loose 'em, alright?" I state.
"I won't, daddy." he responds and I smile while he ran over to her straw basket with the multitude of toys that he and I bought the spoiled puppy.
"Do you want this one, Martha?" Henry questions the pup while she stands by him, seemingly watching over him like she always does.
He grabs maybe only three that are multiple sizes, so he can carry all of them on our short walk there.
"Lets get going then." I conclude and he walks over and I pull Martha a bit to come and she pads behind Henry, giving me a good struggle to stay up with her.
I lock the door behind me and even though Henry is five and just about too heavy to carry I still pick him up while exiting the gate because of the fans. Most of them are nice and respectful, but then again there are the others who aren't so polite and sane, to state the truth. I give them a simple greeting and I decline for photos and autographs that the girls mention. I let Henry down after a minute of walking and he stuffs his hands in his sweater pocket as I hold onto Martha's long leash that I wrap around my hand. The immature, young puppy isn't always that obedient or mindful of the orders I give her. I've got to work better on training the energetic lass. Cars pass us on the road while Henry oddly stays quiet and Martha pads along ahead of me.
"I'm coming over to your new house tonight for dinner." I inform the boy and he looks away from the surprisingly not busy street to me with a smile.
"Yes! I can show you my room. It has green walls and I got a table to draw on." he informs me and I grin before noticing that we're a few steps away from entering the park.
"Awesome, I'd love to see your new room." I reply with that grin still and we enter the park.
We stayed for awhile since it was partially sunny and since we were one of the only few people there, and Martha got tired fast. Henry had a blast tossing Martha's toys for her to fetch which she obediently returned, but once her legs were starting to get heavy and tired she just plopped down on the grass with an exhausted look on her puppy face. They both took naps when we arrived home after walking back to the house, and I tidied up and got out my guitar to work on a new song in the living room while they both slept in my bedroom. Which Henry fell asleep on when he followed me up there when I got him a comfy t shirt of mine to wear, with him wearing otherwise only his briefs. When I had got as far as I could with the song, and so I could leave the rest of the writing of the song for John to help me with, I brought my guitar back up to my bedroom to come upon a precious sight: Henry sprawled out in my black t shirt that comes down to his knees with his young arms wrapped around puppy Martha who lays in front of him on her side like him. They both look so comfortable and I'm glad that when I check my watch that it's only five o'clock. I hope I won't have to break apart the inseparable pair.
While the two slept I had a smoke outside with the rare occurring English sun showing its rays on me while I stared out at my empty back yard that Henry and Martha occupy often. I don't like the word often, though. I want my large backyard that just beckons for little feet to touch it to be a lot. I want a family of a few kids, and a wife to share a cup of tea with me at the table while we admire the beautiful children we made, and as we look over the naughty buggers who will be picking on the other and close to getting in trouble. I want for my afternoons to consist of wrestling with my kiddos in the sun, the rain, and the snow while laughs drift from our mouths as I rough house it with them. I want the sunny, warm days to be taken advantage of when my wife, whoever she is going to be, and I bring our new baby outside for the first time to meet the sun and to finish giving our new family member their tour of their new home. I want to be rid of this temporary loneliness. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why I felt so many things when Ella decided that her and Henry were going to stop living with me after all. Because during that time I was no longer lonely. I didn't wake up to a cold, empty bed with out somebody to cuddle with and kiss good morning. I didn't have dreams about one day finally having my own family and how I long for that. I felt as if I had a real family with Ella to cuddle with at night and in the morning, and waking up to Henry in the middle of the night when he had a bad dream or the rain storm scared him, and he slept with us. There's perks to being alone, but they certainly do not stay, and it grows less bearable and tolerable as well. I want to be wholly happy, with a wife to call my own forever, today and the next day after that, kids to fall asleep on my lap and have a fun time with, and babies to happily hold for hours that lie on your chest and make you giggle. I'm getting to the point where I'm tired of my bachelor days, I think I'm ready for all of that gushy family stuff people admire and relate to people about. I want to one day while sitting on the sofa with my arm around my gorgeous wife who I fall in love with every day, again and again, when I take a second look at my child(ren) and see how they have my nose, or my lips, or my wife's bright smile or lovely eyes. I'm sick and tired of having to sleep in a king size bed made for two when there's nobody to wrap my arms around and to talk to in the middle of the night when I wake up and can't fall back asleep. I'm bloody tired of having such a large house with several guest rooms that I don't doubt I haven't stepped foot in since when I was moving in here not that long ago. I want to be fully and wholly happy, and I see my way of achieving that is by falling in love with a woman and having a family together. I hate trying to be patient for that, in all honesty.
AN: Thoughts?