Tom and I chat for a while more and I decide to go put Charlotte in her crib so she won't wake up from Claire playing or the tv.
"Hi babe." Em says as she joins me in the nursery as I put Charlotte down and I wrap my arm around her waist and look to her as she looks exhausted.
"How's it going with yer mum?" I ask her.
"Okay, I guess. She um wants to be around more." Em says with a smile and I can tell she's glad her mum said that.
"That's good." I say and she nods as we stand here together looking at each other.
"My dad isn't being mean to you is he?" she asks and I shake my head.
"No not at all, he's actually being very nice." I say and she nods seeming to be surprised.
We go back into the kitchen leaving the door to the nursery slightly ajar to hear Charlotte cry.
We all talk, i play with Claire as Em does too and we have lunch and just enjoy each others company before they leave.
"I think that went pretty well." Em says as she plops down on my lap and I turn off the telly and she cuddles into me and i wrap my arms around her, enjoying this moment of closeness.
"Me too, I thought it went fantastic actually." I admit and she nods while looking up at me as I stroke her pale cheek.
"Dinner at five then?" I ask her nervously and she nods.
She closes her eyes and I push some hair out of her face and trace the outline of her jaw with my fingers and I trace the shape of her soft lips as she lays still in my arms. I kiss the top of her head and remember that her birthday is soon, the 29th. I'm dating an older woman, she's older by 20 days though so not much, but it's always been a joke between me mates and I, especially John. The phone rings and Em gets off of me to lay down on the couch and I kiss her forehead and walk into the kitchen to answer it.
"Ello?" I say as I lean against the counter and I'm silent to see if Charlotte is still sleeping and she is.
"Hi, is Emily there?" I hear the voice I haven't missed for the past almost 2 years, why is he calling?
"She's sleeping right now, why're you calling?" I ask, starting to be the tough, protective boyfriend I am of Emily.
"You two are back together aren't you? That's too bad because I want her for myself." he says.
"She'd never in her life want to go back to you, Ben. You were a complete dick to her the way you treated her." I say quietly, but angrily.
"How are you any better for her since you cheated on her, huh?" Ben asks and I roll my eyes at his response.
"That's none of yer business." I say.
"Word travels in this town, McCartney." he says as I run my fingers through my hair.
"I didn't throw her around and beat her up like you did, you worthless bastard. I care about Emily more then you ever will or ever have. I love her more then I've ever loved anybody in my entire life." I say.
"Just because you two had a baby together, doesn't mean she'll stay with you." he says and my hope in her saying yes tonight falls a little more.
"I know for a fact that she would never go back to you, Ben. So you better leave my family alone and never talk to her or call here again, you got that?" I say.
"And what if I don't, huh? What if I don't leave any of yer family alone?" he asks and I look in the direction of the nursery and think of my sleeping daughter.
"I'll just deck you again, easy as that, Ben. Now leave me and my family alone or else you'll regret it." I say.
"Fine, Emily was a good fuck though." he says.
"She never had sex with you." I say since I took her virginity the first time we had sex.
"How do you know that? She must've told you that because she didn't want to hurt you or admit it." he says and I again roll my eyes.
"Stop it, Ben. It's been 3 years since she broke up with you, nothing is going to happen and she isn't going to go back to you." I say.
"Maybe she just might one day, McCartney. She was mine first anyways." he says.
"Yeah, well she's mine now, Ben. Please just leave us alone, we have enough on our plates as it is. And if you don't leave my family and I alone, I'll have the police deal with you." I say not lying because I'd do anything to protect Emily and Charlotte, I wouldn't have to think about it.
He hangs up and I set the phone down and walk into the nursery feeling not comfortable with his call and I don't know why I worried because my baby daughter is sleeping soundly right where I laid here an hour ago. I pick her up and she fusses and whines but I calm her down and sing softly to her. I walk into the kitchen with her and place her in the white bassinet that I rolled into the kitchen and positioned behind the couch by the counter. I kiss her soft head as I put her down and I go to the cupboard and take out the brownie mix, what I need for it and a glass dish for it. I wander over to Emily on the couch to see her sleeping and I take the light beige blanket off of the couch and lay it over her as she sleeps.
I promised myself while in the hospital after we were mugged that I'll never let anything happen to Emily and Charlotte again and that will always stand, especially now that Ben poses a threat to Em's and i's relationship. She wouldn't lie to me about I being her first, would she? He's just trying to mess with me because I knew it was her first time so no need to let it bother me. I hope even more now that she'll say yes tonight so i don't have to worry about that prick messing with Emily. I can't believe he would think he has a chance with her after he threw his first away years ago, I won't let him hurt her again.
I combine the ingredients for the brownies in a bowl as i'm the only one not sleeping as Emily is always tired from nursing Charlotte, and doing all to take care of her as we both are parents to her and we never get enough sleep.
I grease the dish, add the batter, spread it and place it in the heated oven. I rinse the dishes and leave them in the sink and stand there thinking about what exactly to make for dinner. It's 3:30, dinners in an hour and a half and Charlotte will need to be fed soon.