Chapter 53 – Joe

'Don't push yourself, alright hun?'

I told Ella, holding her hand as she got out of her side of the car. My parents both worked in a medical office just outside of town for a private company and had asked to meet Ella in a small cafe they always went too on their lunch break just down the road. I had pulled up in the car park in between the medical office and Dee's cafe with over half an hour to go – enough time to coax Ella into the cafe without my parents to be peering out the window expectantly. Ella hadn't said too much since we got in the car to leave, but had her legs up to her chest, arms resting on the window as she looked out anxiously. I could tell she dreaded meeting my parents in the fear they would hate her and wouldn't want us to be together and then I'd have to choose either Ella or my parents.

But I also knew my parents had already welcomed her into the family and considered her as another daughter already and they just wanted to know her slightly better before we moved out in just over two days time.

'Okay,' Ella whispered, taking my hand before I locked the door. We had managed to find all the clothes from the mass wash my Mum had done over night for us – all the clothes from Cornwall, clean and ironed too – and found Ella's clothes. She was in a pair of skinny dark blue jeans, her black converse and a baggy shirt which hid the baby bump entirely.

'They'll love you, they already do.' I muttered to her, looking over her head and into the window of the medical office but there was no blinds moving suggesting they were looking out the window at us. How reliving.

'Mmm,' Was all she said as I pushed the door to Dee's cafe.

'Hey, Joe,' One of the owners kids, Delilah, said to me the second I stepped over the threshold. Delilah was about a year older than me and was working full time under her parent's leadership in the Cafe. I used to always come here with my parents if I had a day off and knew Delilah pretty well. I also knew she had a crush on me and not one that I could acutely return. She was alright (just) as a friend, but nothing more. I decided I liked her even less when she shot Ella a death look once seeing she was holding my hand. She gave Ella a once over, turning her nose up at her.

'Hey, Del, are my parent's here yet?' I asked, knowing it was about twenty minutes until they came bursting through the doors.

'Nope,' Delilah fake laughed, touching my chest as I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Ella didn't look like she cared too much as she continue to look at me smiling with a corner of her mouth. 'You and your sister having a family meal?' she asked, looking disdainfully at Ella.

'Er, no, she's my girlfriend. Ella, this is Delilah,' I willed Ella to throttle her.

'What a delight to meet you.' Ella said in a tone which she would normally use to talk about milk that's been left in the fridge for eighteen years.

'Yeah, you too. So, just another one of Joe's sluts?'

'Probably,' Ella retorted.

'Thought so,' Delilah bit back and just as I was about to interject standing up for Ella as she shouldn't be taking any of this crap, Ella bit back herself.

'Yeah, at least I actually got to that status compared to you. I'm the slut, you're a mere cockroach grovelling around.' Ella bit her lip and frowned, wondering where the hell the bitterness came from. I just wanted to applaud her. Putting my arm around her shoulders, I tugged her gently to one of the tables in the corner.

'I'll just wait for my parents,' I simply told Delilah as she stormed off behind the counter and out the back.

'Do you think I upset her? Oh my God – I am a terrible person,' Ella said, turning her back against the wall as she hunched over.

'Hell no, she deserved it. However I have no idea what she meant by one of my sluts. I've never had a slut. Ever. Honestly, I never really had a proper girlfriend.' I confessed up to her as I pulled Ella's legs over my lap, my hand running up and down her denim covered thigh.

'Really?'

'I wasn't really the dating type – found commitment hard. Couldn't even decide if I liked gel pens more, or ballpoints.'

'How good are you now with commitment?' Ella joked and I smiled at her.

'Weirdly enough. Well. Jake always said it wasn't really commitment that happened between him and Leannah and I said it was bullshit. He explained that it was more like looking after a piece of you that you were missing all of your life. One second, they're not there and the next, wala. "Commitment" was never really a thing to achieve or like a goal you both wanted but rather it happened immediately. It was like instant dedication. It was exactly like that with you, Ella, but it happened from the second I saw you. You went from being a girl of lies to the person I couldn't shift from my brain. I loved you from the second I saw you in that interview room.' I explained to her. 'Even along the way we had some bad times and some added bonuses, I still love you. I am committed to death with you.' I explained, gently touching the bump that had started to make an appearance.

'Aw,' Ella said, blushing. She went to say something but was caught immediately by the door opening and my parents coming in. She shied away again as I got up to hug my parents like I normally do. Ella got up, straightening her top self consciously as she hid behind me like a shadow. Remembering her anxiety and how bad she must be feeling internally, I reached behind me and hugged her to my side.

A few second later, Mum hugged Ella almost like she was a new leash of life. Ella hesitated slightly before hugging her back awkwardly.

'Ella, it's so nice to properly meet you. How are you doing, how are you feeling? Are you okay? How's the leg?' Mum asked her like a gun, never pausing to reload.

'Samara, calm down. Ella, how are you though. Sorry about Samara, she can be a bit overwhelming at first – I understand that.' Dad explained, shaking Ella's hand as she smiled back at him. I knew Dad would be the one that would be nice to Ella to contradict Mum's overwhelming intrusive questions. Dad's gift was he could view someone's mental landscape – like what I can do – but he can see all the things wrong. He could see people's status with mental health issues so I guess he gave Ella a quick check, just to make sure, and saw how anxious she was.

'Hey,' Ella whispered, clearing her throat slightly.

'You two sit back down again, we'll get some food and drink over – Pepsi, right, Ella?' Dad joked and she nodded her first genuine smile I've seen since we arrived.

Thursday morning, 7:49am.

I laid hugging Ella in our sleep again and had accepted it would probably be our sleeping norm . But the door opening again woke me up. Not that I had been heavily asleep, too excited that this day had finally came. We were finally moving in together. Okay, sure, the flat would only be for a few months but still. It would be our first place together. The keys would be handed over to us at ten this morning, and we could start moving in our stuff at eleven. The plan was to try and move everything and set everything up before tonight so we can stay in our own bed in our own flat.

Mum walked in again, placing a mug of coffee and Ella's hot chocolate on the cabinet next to the bed. That was all that remained now – just the bed and the cabinet and a change of clothes for Ella and I to wear today. Everything else had been skilfully packed down by us yesterday morning. Mum gestured to Ella and I shook my head. No, she was still asleep.

'I'm so sorry we couldn't get the day off work,' Mum whispered.

'It's fine – Jake and Quinn will be there and Ella's brothers will as well. You can still come over tonight if you want.'

'I think I might come over tomorrow, Joe, unless you need us there. You'll be shattered and wouldn't want us to intrude. I mean, when your father and I first got our place.. that night... well. Let's just say Carly would make an appearance nine months later.'

'Oh God, Mum, really don't need to know that.' I said as Ella started laughing. She rubbed her hand across her eyes, laughing gently.

'That was a weird way to wake up.' Ella laughed.

'Sorry, but if you did we'd support you.'

'Mum, stop.' I protested as Ella continued to laugh to herself, seeing how relative her words were.

'Fine, yes. But Joe, you don't let Ella do any of the heavy lifting today will you? She is not well enough to be lifting things.' Mum protested and I nodded. I didn't plan for her to do any of the lifting. Mum was right – the battery of tests had come back all clear and she was perfectly healthy apart from her legs. Xav had visited yesterday too and healed up her legs but my mother wasn't too happy, constantly questioning if it was safe from infections and Xav curiously replied in the mother-charming tone all Benedict's had managed to gain somehow. Zed then also visited and removed the slight Savant parasite that Ella had picked up. The wave of energy she felt was literally an implantation device that normally knocks people out but as Ella was such a strong Savant it never really stuck and just made her tired. With that safely removed, she seemed a lot more alert. Her brothers also met me and all gave me the brotherly talk whilst I protested I wouldn't dare touch Ella or hurt her in any way, shape or form but they seemed to be alright with me after.

'I won't.'

'Yeah, alright, that will totally happen.'

'No, you won't lift any heavy stuff.' I warned Ella after her sarcastic tone, touching her stomach under the blankets where Mum wouldn't see.

'Sure I won't.' Ella grinned up at her and I frowned.

'Ella, you won't lift any heavy things, leave it to Joseph.' Mum butted in.

'Why are you suddenly calling me Joseph?'

'I have to go now, I'll call you two when I can,' Mum replied, pausing to kiss us both on the cheek before heading out for work. Ella and I grinned at each other, too excited to go back to sleep.