This will end on twenty-five chapters so I can focus on The Publicity Stunt.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Kenna asks, placing the tray onto the bedside table.
Francis shrugs. "Alright, not too bad. Where's Mary?"
"Shower," Kenna states, lifting up the temperature device as he pulls a face. "It's either me or Bash and Bash is already tired as it is."
She'd found him asleep on the sofa when she came down to make breakfast for everyone so she left a cup of coffee and some toast on the coffee table in case he woke up after she went to give Francis his food.
Francis lets her check his temperature and tries to get a peep from the screen. "Well?"
"It's fine," she says, relieved. "Did you sleep alright?"
"I did," he replies. "You don't have to look after me, you know?"
Kenna sighs, taking a seat on his bed beside him. She reaches over for his hand and holds in both of hers. "I could lie and say I know what you're going through, what you're feeling but I won't. I don't understand, Francis. There are two types of people in this world, ignorant people and oblivious people."
"Unaware versus willfully unaware. Yes, I know."
Kenna nods once. "I pride myself with the fact that if you're my friend, I'm 'ride or die' with you. You become someone who is important to me and I value your words, your honesty and your friendship. People say I don't care about people, that I only care about status, wealth and myself but that isn't true because if something happened to one of my friends, a little of myself dedicates itself into helping them however I can."
"I know how much you care," Francis tells her.
Kenna smiles ruefully. "There was one time that Mary got hit in the face from a swing and I remember refusing to leave her side when we were four and she was taken to the hospital. I was there for Lola when she got her first period in school. I even gave her my spare clothes and comforted her through the initial shock. I was there when Aylee broke her leg and arm from falling down the stairs. And I was there when Greer's grandmother died and all she wanted to do was cry so I cried with her... I'm sorry for being ignorant. I'll do better and be there more. We're family and no matter what, I'll be 'ride or die' with you. So, I'll look after you and be there when you want to scream, cry and be all depressed. I'll also be there to share your joy, happiness and relief when you realise that this isn't the end of the world and you're going to get better. You've got that five-year goal with Mary."
"And then what?" He asks.
"Another five years," Kenna states. "And then, ten years and then you'll stop counting because you'd have made it every single year counting towards you alive and kicking."
The door opens and they turn to give Mary a smile, her blushing as she laughs softly.
"Amelia's crying," she explains.
"Oh, shit," Kenna mutters, getting up. "Enjoy your breakfast, I've added extra for Mary as well as two glasses of orange juice."
"Kenna, you didn't have to-"
Kenna shakes her head at Mary. "I'll attend to the head of the house's needs, Mr and Mrs Valois," she says lightly, curtseying teasingly before heading towards the nursery.
Mary turns to Francis. "What did you talk about?"
Francis smiles. "Our future together, Mary. I'm sorry, I've been such a sourpuss but that changes."
Mary tuts, looking down at the food. "You have every reason to be upset. I'll never leave you, you're my future and I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get there."
He stands, pressing his lips against hers and she smiles into the kiss, her arms winding around his neck as she sighs happily.
...
When they return home from school, Kenna is surprised to see Francis looking after Amelia, the two on the floor of the living room watching Disney Junior. Mary awes, heading to the kitchen sink to wash her hands before taking her seat beside Francis and kissing him 'hello' as her hand brushes against Amelia's back.
"Where's Bash?" Kenna asks, leaving her school bag and sports kits by the garage door before washing her hands and coming over to kiss her daughter 'hello'.
Francis looks up, holding her hand briefly in a greeting. "Asleep. He did more freak-cleaning as you can smell."
Their noses wrinkle upwards at the scent of Dettol and whatever antibacterial products were used around the house as Francis pats the carpet beneath them.
"He even cleaned the carpets with soap," Francis informs the girls. "You can eat off it now and even off the bathtubs and showers."
Kenna chuckles wryly before heading upstairs. She finds Bash fast asleep in his bed and she kicks her shoes off. Closing the door, she slips her blazer off, getting on the bed beside him and brushing his hair away from his face as she rests her head on her other hand. A ghost of a smile grows on his lips then disappears just as quick as it came.
She doesn't know when but she falls asleep, soon waking up to a kiss on her forehead. "What time is it?" She mumbles.
"Past seven," Bash replies. "How was school?"
Kenna smiles, shuffling closer to him. "It was good today. Did a lot of work and my Maths teacher was really happy with my progress. I should catch up by Christmas. Thanks for helping me."
Bash kisses her. "It was all you. I'm proud of you," he says before he kisses her again. He leans back, cupping her cheek as he swallows hard. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"How do you mean? You've done pretty well all this time without me," she says, blushing. She studies how his face falls and she rubs the hand that cups her cheek, waiting for him to talk or do whatever he wants.
He's very private, he's had to be everyone's shoulder, she doesn't think he has a shoulder to cry on. She knows of a way to get him to talk, she discovered this little trick of hers the night of their wedding day and she was surprised to know his weak spot.
She's used it a lot over the time they've been doing this little relationship thing properly but she knows when not to use it. She doesn't want to push him but at the same time, he'll keep it all inside until he explodes unexpectedly.
Kenna runs her fingers on his jawline then strokes it gently, his eyes closing as he takes a sharp intake of breath. "Talk to me," she says softly.
His eyes snap open and he gently removes her hand. "I'm going to check on Fr-"
"Bash, please," she begs him, watching as his eyes water. "I know you're hurting and I just want to make it better..."
He doesn't say anything but the tears do come and she brings his head to her chest, holding him tightly. She presses kisses on his head and his hands grip her shirt.
When he's finished, he sighs against her chest, entwining their fingers together. He kisses the back of her hand and looks up at her, giving her a meek smile.
"Thanks," he mumbles.
"Any time," she replies, nuzzling her nose against his head.
He shifts and he kisses her deeply, feeling her hands move to his cheeks as he gets on top of her, undoing the buttons of her blouse. He always takes her breath away with his kisses and she deepens the kiss even more before letting out a moan when he stops kissing her to nip at the spot on her neck that gets her moaning loudly.
Bash smirks a little against her skin before unzipping her skirt and pulling it down. It gives her a chance to breathe, her chest rising up and down heavily as his lips leave her frame to undress her.
Her brow raises when he doesn't even attempt to undress so she tugs his shirt up and off. One by one, the rest of their clothes follow and their lips are drawn back together desperately before it becomes slow and loving.
It's not like the other times, Kenna realises. This might be what it's like to make love. She's never made love before, no guy worthy of that kind of love.
His skin is soft against hers, she's never realised that or bothered to care about but he really does seem toned and soft and gentle underneath her feathery touches. She wants a partner who'll love her, defend her, set her pulses raising, challenge her, help her be a better person.
There is something achingly intimate about this when he finally enters her, their eyes never breaking contact as they move in sync with each other. It's strangely terrifying yet amazing all the same and she trails her fingers over his skin. It's like she's looking into his soul and he sees hers. Maybe he is falling in love with me, she thinks and her heart tugs.
She feels the echoes of his pleasure as if he's unconsciously transmitting them to her and it's exquisite and powerful. It's like magic and she rests her forehead against his, her breath hitching with every thrust.
"I love you," he says quietly, almost inaudible.
Kenna's eyes widen but she replies with a soft, "I love you, too."
"What a miracle," he breathes out, increasing his speed. He whispers something into her ear, leaving her blushing as she gasps, tightening her hold on him as his hand settles under her thigh.
Nothing else matters, not right now they're in each other's arms.
...
On Saturday which falls on the 2nd of December, Francis wakes up to the sound of Amelia crying. He frowns, getting out of bed and checking Bash's bedroom since Kenna's at her parents' for a sibling's birthday. He finds Bash fast asleep, dark circles under his eyes and he smiles wryly, deciding to let him sleep since he has been juggling work, Amelia and him during this frustrating week they've had.
He heads to the nursery, lifting Amelia into his arms and shushing her, kisses on her head as he wipes her tears. "What's wrong, sweetie?" He asks, seeing her pout. "Did you have a nightmare?" Then he smirks a little. "Amelia, as long as your mum's around, there will be no shortages of milk for you, don't worry."
Somehow, Amelia ceases to cry as she lets out a giggle as if she's understood him. He stares into her wet, bright eyes and he grins.
"God, you look so much like your daddy. How unfortunate," he teases her. "But you'll steal hearts. In fact..." He heads into his bedroom and retrieves his phone, quickly dialling Mary's number. "Hey, can you go shopping with me today?"
"You're not allowed-"
"I want to get a few things," Francis cuts her off. "And Bash is passed out asleep so I'm helping babysit for him and Kenna."
Mary sighs. "I'm supposed to go to the Beatons' for the party..."
"Oh. I knew your families were close but close enough to celebrate one of her siblings' birthday?" He asks lightly.
"We're godfamily," Mary reminds him. "But they won't need us there until three if you want to go before then?"
Francis grins, looking down at Amelia. "Looks like we're going on a trip."
They are at a Christmas store an hour later after Francis wrote a note for Bash that he'll be home as soon as possible before he freaked out. He ignores the stares they get as Mary fills their trolley with decorations and wrapping paper.
"I want to buy a few presents too," Francis tells her. "From Pandora."
"What do you need from Pandora?" Mary asks coyly.
Francis grins, giving her a quick wink. "I already got your present last month before you ask."
"Ah, crap," she says with a giggle.
Francis shakes his head in amusement before explaining, "Presents for my sisters, mother, grandmother and Kenna."
"Kenna?"
"Yeah, we've become quite close," Francis says, pulling faces at Amelia.
Mary smiles happily. "I know exactly what she'd like," she says as they continue down the aisle. "We could also get little missy here something. It's not like she'll remember what we get for her."
Francis snorts. "Our niece is quite clever, Mary," he replies.
"I know," Mary says with a soft chuckle. She stops when two middle-aged women give them disapproving looks and she pointedly rolls her eyes before saying, "We shouldn't spoil her otherwise her parents will get mad and we'll get in trouble."
The women falter and mind their business. Snobby, judgemental hags, Mary thinks with a roll of her eyes as she and Francis head to pay for everything. She thinks this is why Kenna barely leaves the house with Amelia. Not that she isn't at school anyway which leaves Bash taking Amelia to the supermarket once a week and getting a few swoons and compliments. It seems like it was one thing for teenagers, another for twenty-plus-year-olds.
After paying, they leave the store and head to the jewellery store, Francis picking out five charm bracelets, two necklaces and a pair of amethyst earrings with Amelia's birth date, '14th Oct', inscribed onto the backs.
The store manager is beaming with joy at making such a high number of sales for one person and Mary raises her brows in amusement when she realises he's not even the slightest bit worried over the money he's just spent.
"What?" He asks when they leave, Mary holding a bunch of shopping bags because she refuses to let him carry anything other than pushing Amelia's buggy. "I almost died."
"Are you going to always use that as an excuse for doing wild stuff?" Mary asks with a chuckle.
Francis grins cheekily. "Maybe."
"Tell me about our honeymoon that's set in stone..."
"It's by the sea," he informs her. "Mum's summer house. She's already putting in place the household staff there, wonders what we'd like to dine on over our trip from spaghetti to ravioli... They'll make it how Nonna makes it so we'll be in for a great treat."
Mary smiles warmly, leaning into him a little. "So, have you told your family?"
"Bash broke the news to my mother first. He had to convince her to stay home," Francis admits. "Dad's been calling a lot too."
"Have you proposed the idea of letting them come to England for Christmas?"
"Yeah, Dad and I spoke about that," Francis says, stopping by a bench so he can retrieve Amelia's milk bottle. "I still don't know how I feel holding a bottle full of milk from Kenna's... Gives me shivers."
Mary tuts, rolling her eyes playfully as he makes sure it's alright for consumption before starting to feed Amelia. "Get used to it! You'll be holding bottles full of my milk soon enough."
He turns to her, eyebrows raised before he pecks her lips softly. "Can't wait."
She beams and they continue on, Amelia happily sucking away at her milk.
...
"Francis!"
"Calm down, I was careful, I promise," Francis says, pushing the buggy into the house. "Hand sanitiser and all."
Bash crosses his arms, watching as Mary brings all their shopping inside with a disapproving groan. "Francis!"
"We needed a bigger tree!" Francis cries out, gesturing to the box sticking out from under Amelia's buggy. "This is synthetic, it has fibre optic lights that change colour. Amy will love it and so will Hercule and Louis when everyone comes for Christmas."
"Let me help," Bash mutters, letting Francis leave to wash his hands with Mary as he unstraps his daughter from the buggy. "Tell me the damage, baby girl. How much did Uncle Francis spend?"
Amelia gurgles and he chuckles, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead before checking the time on the wall. It's just gone half-past two and he heads into the kitchen in time to hear Mary fret over that fact.
"They'll be expecting me for the party," she mutters, drying her hands and searching for her bag. "Do you guys want to come?"
"We weren't invited," Bash says.
Mary rolls her eyes. "You're Kenna's husband and baby daddy, I'm sure they've become more tolerant of you over the months," she tells him. "They can't hate you forever for getting Kenna wedded and bedded."
"Not necessarily in that order," Francis mutters cheekily which receives a light punch from Bash. "Connard..."
Bash sends him a stern glare before turning to Mary. "I don't even have any peace offerings."
"I sorted that out for you!" Mary says, rushing over to lift up a Pandora bag. "Uh, got Christmas presents for them but you can say they're from you and I can always pop back to the store at a later date."
Bash sighs heavily. "Formal or informal?"
"Smart casual," Mary says. She turns to Francis. "Do you have a navy blue shirt?"
Francis nods. "I have shirts in many colours, a lot of blues in particular," he says lightly.
"Great! Let's all get dressed right now because we have to leave in fifteen minutes," she says before hurrying upstairs.
...
Kenna is surprised to see three other pairs of eyes staring at her when she opens the door. "H-Hey," she says, looking at Mary inquisitively before stepping aside and reaching out to take her daughter. "I didn't know you guys were coming."
Bash blushes, holding out the gift bags. "Mary convinced us..."
"And Bash wanted to give your family some Christmas gifts," Mary says pointedly, nudging his arm.
Bash rolls his eyes. "Yeah, there's something for everyone to open on Christmas Day," he says. "And I left yours in there because you'll be here for Christmas."
Kenna smiles brightly, her fingers brushing over his as she single-handedly collects all seven colourful bags with Christmas greetings on them. "That's so sweet of you, thanks, Bash."
"Is Mary here?" Marie asks from the kitchen. "If not, I knew I should have brought her myself..."
Mary excuses herself to make her greetings first as Kenna leads the guys into the sitting room. She blushes when she realises that Bash hasn't been in this part of her parents' home since she delivered their daughter on the Persian rug.
"Oh," he says. "Lovely memories were made here." His tone is light and teasing as he rubs his thumb over Amelia's cheek. "You were born here, Amelia."
Kenna giggles. "Right on this very floor," she adds. "It's my older brother's twenty-second birthday."
"Thank God Mary got him a gift," Francis mumbles, lifting up the blue birthday gift bag in his grip. "Are they still murderous or can we enjoy the party with you?"
Kenna chuckles softly. "They're alright with you both," she says, playfully rolling her eyes and all. "Uh, Alexander's girlfriend is here. Arcadia is her name, and don't tell her about us being married because Alex isn't ready for marriage and she is and it will trigger them both into a huge argument."
"Yeah, of course," Bash says.
"Right, let's head to the rest then..."
She leads them into the kitchen which is joined to an impressive conservatory where the party is taking place, a lovely dining table set for many diners with fancy plates, cutlery and glasses. The theme is gold and black and there is a three-tier cake on the kitchen counter with Kenna's brother's name on it.
"Oh! Look at her!" Joanna breathes out, her eyes landing on them as she comes over with Marie in tow. "Marie, meet my granddaughter, Amelia!" And then the baby is swooned over by Kenna's mother, Mary's mother and Arcadia and away from Kenna's arm.
"How old is she now?" Marie asks.
Kenna chuckles softly. "She's seven weeks old."
She then leads Francis and Bash into the conservatory, seating them on the other side, closer to the windows. She sits beside her mother's chair at one end of the table, Bash beside her with Francis and then Mary next to her mother's place.
"I'll give them the presents later," Kenna tells the guys. "Do you guys want to eat? Everything's pretty much at your leisure..."
She gestures to her older brothers outside with Paisley talking to Lachlan on the other side of the table. Her father is nowhere to be found and that makes Bash curious as to where the patriarch who still hates him is.
"Where's your father?" Francis asks his brother's silent question.
"He's on a business call," Kenna says dismissively as she drinks her sparkling grape juice. She eyes Bash approvingly, reaching out for the black detailing of his navy blue suit jacket. "You made an effort. It's supposed to be smart casual."
Bash slips the jacket off. "Don't want to look better than the birthday boy," he says lightly. "And it was Mary's fault."
"Yeah, I noticed you three coming here looking like the night has fallen," Kenna quips as she gestures to her bright purple dress. "Then again, I'm relieved to fit into this dress somewhat. Don't tell anyone, I'm sucking in."
Bash laughs and he almost leans into her to brush his nose against her cheek but realises where they are, taking to holding her hand under the table. He smiles when she gives him an appreciative smile before she lets go and stands when Amelia starts to cry.
"Mummy's coming..." She mutters, taking the baby into her arms and taking a sniff from her bottom. "I'll change her."
She heads upstairs to her bedroom and smiles when her father heads down, his phone on his ear but a wide smile on his face as he asks the person on the other line to hold on for a minute. He holds his call and comes over to kiss Amelia's forehead.
"I didn't know she was coming."
"Bash brought her over with Francis and Mary. It's okay if they stay right?" She asks, her father reading her eyes easily.
Robert sighs. "You like him, don't you?"
"He's Amelia's father," Kenna says simply. "We're forever bound by her."
"He's a good man. Good head on his shoulders," Robert replies. "He hasn't run away yet so there's that too. And well, Henry Valois and I are now business partners. I'll be going to France in the new year to talk about negotiations on our respective offerings to each other."
Kenna's brows raise in surprise. "Did you... Did you bury the hatchet with Henry because you share a granddaughter?"
Her father smiles coyly. "I'll never like the man," he admits. "But new life puts things into perspective and it's not he got you pregnant."
"Oh, ew!" Kenna mutters but she knows she had slept with a married man with kids her age once in the past. "Bash is really nice. He's sweet and he cares about me and I care for him."
Robert sighs heavily but then smiles a little. "I'm happy for you both. I can see from your eyes that you've already established a relationship with him."
"We are married," Kenna chides softly, reminding her father to which he sighs heavily. "I'm happy with him."
"Good luck," her father says, cupping her cheek. "I have to finish this call but I'll be down soon, darling."
Just before she enters her room, she calls her father. "I'm sorry."
Robert stills before tilting his head to the side, phone on his ear. "Yeah, you're alright, I'm still here," he says but she knows the first bit was for her too as he heads downstairs.
She beams happily, new memories replacing the ones of when he locked her in her bedroom.