"Em, have you decided who you want to invite to your birthday? You'll need to ask them soon." Bridget asked as they ate their supper. It had been a long week, and she was glad the weekend was upon them.
"Mia, Charlotte, Vera, and Liz." Emily answered without thinking.
The blonde was impressed. She'd asked her niece a couple of times during the week if she had decided and the answer was always 'no'.
"I don't think Liz and Vera will want to sleep in the tent all night, but you can invite them to the barbeque." Franky took a bite of her supper.
"Are you and Auntie going to sleep in the tent with us?" the young girl asked, looking excitedly from the brunette to her aunt.
Franky looked at the other woman. They hadn't discussed the possibility that they'd be sleeping outside as well.
"The tent has two rooms. Franky and I can sleep in one, and you girls can sleep in the other one." Bridget winked at the brunette. She hadn't slept in a tent in years, but she thought it would be a nice experience to share with Franky.
"Will you tell us scary stories?" Emily was almost bouncing in her chair.
"You don't think that would make you too scared?" Franky loved a good scary movie, but she had visions of the young girl spending the next week wanting to sleep in their bed because she'd had a nightmare.
Emily shook her head, as Franky and the blonde exchanged looks.
It was another warm summer evening, and Franky was adding a couple more pieces of wood into the fire pit. It had been delivered earlier that week, and had been put to use almost every night. They'd also bought a semi-circular outdoor couch that wrapped about halfway around it, and ended up spending the evenings lounging on it until they went to bed.
Bridget had helped Emily make phone calls to invite people to her party the next weekend, and after they had all spent some time outside, the blonde had taken her niece inside to put her to bed.
It wasn't long before the brunette heard the door slide open, and Bridget's soft footsteps making their way across the patio stones to the couch. She felt something cold on the side of her neck that made her jump a bit and take in a sharp breath.
"Beer?" The blonde giggled as she held out a bottle to Franky.
"Thanks, babe." The brunette rubbed the cold spot on her neck.
"I put them in the freezer when I came in to get Em a drink earlier." She gave the younger woman a kiss on the cheek as she sat down beside her.
They still didn't drink around Emily, or keep it anywhere that she would see it, but once in a while, they'd have a drink after she'd gone to bed.
Franky opened her bottle and threw the cap into the fire. It was only when she looked up that she finally noticed what Bridget was wearing. It was a silky light green robe with a leaf and tropical flower print. The brunette loved how it looked on the older woman; how the material seemed to hug her body, but flow loosely over her curves at the same time.
"You're not very subtle, baby." The blonde had a knowing smirk on her face as she took a mouthful of her beer.
Franky laughed. "I wasn't trying to be." She studied the label on the bottle in her hand. "I always pictured you as more of a wine lover."
"In the winter I love curling up under a blanket with a nice glass or wine, but in the summer, there's nothing like a cold beer on the patio under the stars. It's pretty good with leftover take-out too." Bridget smiled as she tilted her head back to look at the night sky.
"I've never slept outside in a tent before." The younger woman stared into the flames.
"It's fun," the blonde said, pulling her legs up onto the seat and cuddling in next to Franky.
"Tell me about when you went camping. Did you go all survivor and catch your own food to cook on the fire?" The brunette laughed at the picture in her head.
Bridget shoved her arm playfully. "You know what my cooking skills were like when we met. What do you think?" Franky gave another small laugh and shrugged. The blonde continued. "I used to buy those camping meals where all you have to do is add boiling water and wait a few minutes."
"Gidge! You didn't!" The brunette shook her head and laughed.
"I did! They tasted pretty good actually." She took another drink from the bottle.
"If you enjoy the taste of soggy cardboard." Franky knew they weren't really that bad, but she was enjoying giving Bridget a hard time.
"Well, I didn't have someone to show me how to cook anything." The blonde held the younger woman's gaze for a moment. "Besides, I don't see you out hunting for our food either."
"I do hunt for our food." The brunette leaned forward and picked up the bag of marshmallows and the roasting fork. "In fact, I hunted these marshmallows."
"What?!" Bridget let out a loud laugh.
"See, they used to be in aisle six, with the crisps, but now they're in aisle eight, with the candy. So I had to track them down. When I rounded the corner, we locked eyes, and I knew they were afraid. They sensed the hunter in me." Franky was doing her best to seem serious as she placed a marshmallow onto the fork, but she could see the blonde out of the corner of her eye, about to burst into laughter. "They tried to run; it was a valiant effort, really. In the end though, they were no match, and I threw them into the cart with the rest of my bounty to bring home."
The brunette had managed to get through her story before she joined in with Bridget's laughter. It was a sound she'd never get tired of hearing. She sat watching the flames, and slowly turning her marshmallow until it was a golden brown.
"For you." Franky held the fork out to the blonde. "If you pull gently, you can get the crispy outside layer off, then cook the inside again."
Bridget reached out and slowly pulled the browned layer off the marshmallow. "This is like the perfect metaphor for some people. Hard on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside." She hummed with content as she ate the treat.
"Like me," the brunette said as she toasted the next layer.
"I never thought that." The older woman rested her head against Franky's shoulder.
"No?" She felt Bridget shake her head.
"I just saw the warm and gooey part." The blonde reached out and took the rest of the marshmallow from the fork and ate it.
Franky laid the fork on the small table they'd brought outside, and settled back into the couch. She lifted her arm and put it around Bridget's shoulders, pulling her in close. She took the blonde's left hand in hers and ran her thumb back and forth over the other woman's knuckles, then finally over her engagement ring.
"Did you ever plan your wedding when you were a kid?" the brunette asked softly.
"Kind of. I played pretend with my friends and we'd act out a wedding. I thought I'd have a handsome husband, and a beautiful dress, and a huge cake." She looked up at Franky. "What about you?"
The brunette shook her head. "My parents fought all the time. For a long time, I thought that was what it meant to be married to someone. Then when I got older I just wanted to be on my own. Then I met you." She gave Bridget a soft kiss.
"I'm glad you met me." The blonde smiled. "Have you thought about what you want for ours?"
"I want Liz there. Other than that I just want you to have whatever makes you happy." She leaned forward and threw another piece of wood on the fire, then settled back again.
"I think we should invite Liz and Vera, and Emily of course. What about some of your friends? Allie or Bea or Boomer?" She knew that the brunette didn't see her friends very much anymore, but they had been through a lot together.
"Booms would cry through the whole thing." Franky gave a small laugh. "But yeah, it'd be nice to have them there too. What do you think about Will? I know we're not really that close with him, but he helped me a lot when I was in Wentworth. Not just with the attack, but he looked out for me the whole time, gave me some good advice."
"I think it would be nice if he were there, yeah." Bridget had thought, more than once, that if Will hadn't stopped Juice's crew that night, she wouldn't have the brunette with her anymore. "We can get a cake, have a meal. We should have it right here in the backyard." For the first time, the blonde had a clear picture of it in her mind. They'd get married in the afternoon sun, have supper, then share the evening with their friends in the backyard of their home, decorated with lights.
"Have you thought about when?" Franky didn't know if it was too soon to bring up the topic of a date. She didn't want the blonde to feel pressured or rushed.
"Baby, I would have married you right then and there on Christmas Day if that's what you'd wanted." Bridget lifted herself up, and settled onto the brunette's lap, straddling her legs. She felt Franky's hands run down her sides, and come to rest on her hips. "Let's get through the show, then we can start making plans."
The younger woman nodded. "Sounds good, babe."
The blonde giggled as Franky pulled her closer, and she felt her lips brush against her neck.
Bridget sat up straight, putting some space between her and the brunette. She watched Franky's eyes slowly scan the length of her body, as her hands moved over the blonde's thighs.
The brunette pushed aside the silky fabric that laid over Bridget's legs so she could run her hands over bare skin. After a moment, Franky made eye contact with her.
"You're so beautiful." She raised her hand, and brushed her thumb over the blonde's cheekbone.
Franky moved her hand around to the back of Bridget's neck. She pulled her in for a deep kiss, and felt the blonde push her hips against her, not once, but twice. She moved her hand from Bridget's hip, feeling for the tie on her robe. When she found it, she pulled, and it easily came undone.
"Franky!" The blonde smiled against the younger woman's lips.
"What? It must have been a faulty knot; just fell open." She snaked her hand between their bodies, and inside Bridget's robe.
The blonde leaned back, letting the fabric fall open slightly. She watched as Franky drank in the sight before her.
The brunette saw the shadows from the fire dance over Bridget's skin. The older woman wasn't wearing a bra, which Franky expected, but she wasn't expecting the dark purple lacy underwear. "You're not being very subtle either, babe." She smiled and reached out, lightly running the backs of her index and middle fingers over the patch of skin between the blonde's navel and the top of her underwear.
Bridget let out a shaky breath and felt her eyes flutter closed for a second. "No fair, you know my weak spots."
"You clearly know mine too," Franky murmured as the blonde started placing kisses down the side of her neck, occasionally leaving a small nip, then soothing it with her tongue.
The brunette could feel the muscles in Bridget's stomach tense every few seconds. She rested her head against the older woman's shoulder, and let herself just enjoy the feel of the blonde's lips against her skin while she touched her.
After a couple of moments, Bridget felt the brunette's fingers slide lower. She let out a small moan when she felt the slight pressure brush over her clit. She loved that Franky could make slow and gentle feel just as intense as fast and passionate. The blonde pushed her hips into the younger woman again. It wasn't long before she felt the brunette turn her head and began to work her way down her chest.
Franky took one of Bridget's nipples in her mouth and sucked on it gently, as she let her tongue run over it. The blonde felt a flutter in her core. The younger woman worked her way across to the other nipple.
"Wait, baby. Stop for a second." Bridget felt the brunette's hand still, and her mouth leave her breast.
"You okay, babe?" Franky gave her a soft kiss on her jaw as she studied the older woman's face.
"Yeah, I just need a minute." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Bridget smiled down at the brunette then lowered her head to give her a slow kiss. "Okay."
Franky once again resumed the movements of her fingers against the blonde's underwear. She moved her lips this time to the sensitive spot under the older woman's ear while she let her free hand roam up and down her side. It was only another minute before she heard Bridget groan softly.
"Wait just a second, baby." The blonde was breathing a bit harder now.
"You sure you're okay?" Franky brushed her nose against Bridget's cheek then left a small kiss there.
"Yeah. I just don't want to come yet." She gave the brunette a quick kiss on the lips and saw the questioning look on her face, then the start of her cocky grin. "It just feels really good. I want to make it last."
"That's the problem, yeah? The better it feels, the less time it lasts." Franky gave her another kiss. "I'll go slow, and you tell me what you need, alright?"
"Mhm," Bridget hummed as she connected their lips again.
The brunette kissed her slowly as she moved her hand down further, this time running her fingers along the older woman's folds. Even through her underwear, Franky could feel that she was soaked. For a second she wanted to ask if the blonde would let her take them off, but then decided against it. She figured that would only speed things up rather than prolong them.
Every couple of minutes Bridget would signal that she needed a break, so during those times, Franky would let her hands roam over any bit of bare skin she could find that she thought would be "safe". She'd rub the blonde's back or sides, or run her hands over her thighs, careful to avoid her stomach, chest or hip bones, as she knew they were quite sensitive. She felt like this kept them more in the moment than simply stopping and doing nothing for a few seconds.
Bridget's requests for pauses were coming more frequently now. The brunette was impressed though; the other woman had already managed to hold out for longer than she thought she would.
"Baby…" The blonde felt Franky stop once more, and rest both hands on her hips.
Bridget felt the brunette deepen their kiss. She knew that Franky's intentions were to make out a bit while she had a break, but she'd been teased so much at this point, that everything was starting to feel too good. She was more aware than usual of how soft the younger woman's lips felt as they glided over her own, and her mind flashed back to what they felt like when they were pressed against her clit. As that thought entered her head, she felt Franky take her bottom lip between her teeth and give a tug. She let out a groan and the brunette repeated her actions.
Bridget knew she was in trouble when Franky bit her lip again. The first time had sent a shock straight to her stomach, and when she felt the slight pain for the second time, she knew there was no point in fighting her orgasm. Her body shook against the brunette's, and she felt the younger woman tighten her hold on her, and pull her closer. The blonde moved her hips against the other woman. She felt Franky's lips on her neck, leaving harder than usual bites, and each sensation seemed to trigger another wave of pleasure through her body.
The brunette stayed with her, reading Bridget's body like she'd done so many times before, and when it finally settled, she simply pulled the older woman closer and rubbed her back while she caught her breath.
"Fuck." It was the only thing the blonde could think to mumble as her brain started to clear.
Franky smiled to herself. "Also, the longer you tease your body, the more intense it is." She placed a kiss on the side of Bridget's neck.
"I know, but…" The blonde didn't finish her sentence, but simply stayed with her full weight resting against the younger woman, enjoying the backrub.
After a couple moments, the brunette felt Bridget trying to untie her pants. She reached between them, gently took the blonde's hand, and placed it back around her waist.
"I want to make you feel good too, baby." Bridget mumbled next to Franky's ear.
"I know, babe, and you do. I just want to hold you though, okay?" She knew that the blonde liked to be held and cuddled after sex, and tonight in particular, it had seemed pretty intense for her.
"Okay. I just wanted to return the favour." Bridget sighed as she buried her head against Franky's neck.
The brunette smiled. "You know what one of my favourite things is?" She felt Bridget shake her head. "Being able to make you feel like you did tonight and watching you enjoy the things you let me do with you." She wrapped her arms around the blonde a bit tighter. "So don't worry about not always 'returning the favour'."
"Okay." Bridget was quiet for a moment. "I don't want you to think I'm a pillow princess or something."
Franky couldn't help but laugh. "I definitely don't think you are. Did someone call you that before?"
"Julia," the blonde mumbled.
"Fuck Julia." She kissed Bridget's temple, and held her close. Every time she learned something new about the blonde's ex, it made her want to punch her square in the face. Franky thought the woman must have been a huge ass to not see or care what she had in someone like Bridget.
"This is really nice, baby." The blonde felt like she had melted into the younger woman.
"Mmm, it is." Franky wasn't sure how long they'd sat there, but she'd held Bridget until the fire had burned down to just embers. "Babe?"
"Mm?"
The brunette smiled. She loved sleepy Bridget. "Let's continue this in bed."
The blonde lifted her head and looked at Franky with half-closed eyes before giving her a small kiss. She lifted herself from the younger woman's lap, and took her hand. "Coming?" she asked when Franky didn't stand up right away.
"I'm just going to throw some water on this and use the bathroom, then I'll be in." She smiled at Bridget.
"Don't be long." The blonde leaned down and gave her another kiss.
"I won't be. Promise." Franky watched as the older woman disappeared through the patio door.
The brunette grabbed the garden hose and quickly doused the remaining embers with water. When she was satisfied that they were out, she gathered their empty beer bottles and the bag of marshmallows and headed for the house. She tossed the bag onto the counter, closed and locked the patio door behind her, and turned off the outside lights. She gently placed the bottles into the recycle bin, careful not to make too much noise, then made her way to the bathroom.
When she entered the bedroom, the only light that the blonde had left on was the one on Franky's bedside table. It cast a gentle glow over the bed, and she could see that Bridget hadn't bothered with pyjamas or even to pull the covers over her. She had simply taken off her robe and underwear, pushed the blankets to the bottom of the bed, and laid down.
The brunette quietly closed their bedroom door and turned the lock. She tossed her clothes into the laundry basket, and crawled into bed behind the blonde. She pulled the blankets up over them, and Bridget immediately turned over and moved in close against her.
"I love you so much." The blonde murmured, half asleep.
"I love you too, babe." The younger woman wrapped her arms around her a bit tighter.
They'd had a lazy family weekend. They'd spent time at the Lakes Reserve, made a trip to the aquarium since Franky had missed out the first time, and spent the evenings around the fire. As a treat, they'd decided to get take out for supper Sunday night. Franky had gone to pick it up, and Emily was outside playing on the patio while Bridget set the table.
She heard a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, but she thought it might have been Vera, Liz, or one of Franky's friends dropping by for an unexpected visit.
"G'day." She opened the door with a smile on her face, ready to greet whoever was there. Her smile quickly faded though when she saw the woman standing in front of her.
"Bridget, it's been a while." Julia gave her a warm smile. "I brought this. I hope it's still your favorite." She held up the bottle of wine she had brought with her.
The blonde shook her head slightly to clear it. "What, uh, what are you doing here?"
"I'm in town on business, and I thought it would be nice to catch up. You know, have a drink, see where it goes." Her ex's smile changed from warm to cocky, and not in the way that Bridget enjoyed when Franky did it.
"We haven't spoken since we broke up. Why would you think-"
"Come on, we both know the spark was still there. I was just under a lot of pressure at the time." Julia took a small step closer, but the blonde didn't move. "You're not going to let me in?"
Bridget simply shook her head. She was standing her ground, but she hated that after all this time, the woman in front of her still had the ability to make her feel uncomfortable. The front of the house was shielded from the street and driveway by a row of shrubs and bushes inside a short fence, but she'd heard Franky's car pull up and park, and she knew it would only be a few seconds before the brunette was there with her.
Franky came in through the gate and briefly took notice of Bridget standing in the doorway, talking to a woman she didn't recognize. "Sorry it took a few minutes longer. I made sure they remembered the extra chili sauce this time though." The brunette came to a stop when the woman didn't step aside so she could get past her into the house.
"Still haven't learned how to cook, I see." Julia gave a small chuckle, then turned her attention to Franky. "How much is it?" Bridget opened her mouth to speak, but her ex cut her off. "It's fine really, it's on me, we can share it over the wine. It'll be a nice evening."
The brunette wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she knew whatever it was, she didn't like it. She looked at Bridget then back to the woman standing in front of her. She could read her fiancée well enough to know she was feeling uncomfortable.
"And who are you?" Franky stood at her full height now, and locked eyes with the woman.
"I'd suggest being a bit more friendly; it might earn you better tips." Julia reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. "So how much for the food?"
"Jul-" Bridget took a step forward in an attempt to intervene, but Julia simply put out her arm and redirected the blonde to the side again.
"I'm not the fucking delivery driver, and don't fucking touch her again." It took Franky a moment to register what Bridget had been trying to say. This was Julia, the ex that the blonde had told her about. "Julia." The brunette could feel the angry heat inside of her.
Bridget knew she had to step in. She wanted her ex to leave before the brunette did something she'd regret and end up with assault charges again.
"Julia, this is my fiancée, Franky. She lives here." The blonde cleared her throat. "I think you should go now."
Julia looked the brunette up and down. It was the same judgemental look Franky had gotten her whole life. "My mistake. I didn't realize your standards had dropped so low."
Just as the brunette opened her mouth, Emily came around the corner from the backyard. She ran up to Franky, and threw her arms around her waist.
"Hey, bub." The brunette reached down and ran her hand over the young girl's blonde hair. "Can you do me a favor? Take this inside and set out the food on the table? We'll be in to eat in a minute." She handed the bag to Emily, who quickly took it and headed inside.
Franky studied Julia's face as the woman watched Emily walk down the hall and turn towards the kitchen. She could sense the dislike for the young girl that Bridget had talked about.
"She asked you to leave, so you should go." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest.
"Very well. I'll leave this for you." She handed the bottle of wine to the blonde. "Some of us have manners." She glared at Franky on her way off the porch.
As soon as she was out of sight, Bridget took the bottle of wine by the neck, and threw it as hard as she could into the bushes. It disappeared through the leaves, followed a second later by the sound of the bottle shattering against the wooden fence.
The blonde's actions had startled Franky, and she jumped slightly at the sound of the glass breaking. Neither of them spoke, but silent tears fell down the older woman's cheeks. Bridget turned and walked into the house and turned not towards the kitchen, but the opposite way towards their bedroom.
Franky followed her inside, closing and locking the front door behind her. She wasn't taking any chances that Julia would decide to come back.
"Is Auntie okay?" Emily asked when the brunette came around the corner.
"Yeah, bub. She's just upset." Franky picked up one of the containers, and started plating the food for the young girl. "This is yours. You start eating and we'll join you soon, okay?"
The brunette slowly opened the bedroom door. She saw Bridget standing with her arms wrapped around herself, staring out the window.
"Babe?" Franky said quietly as she approached her. The brunette didn't reach out for her. She knew from her own experience that having been physically hurt by someone could make you not want to be touched by anyone, and the blonde had just faced someone who had been abusive towards her in the past. She searched for more words, but couldn't find them, so in the end she settled on just letting Bridget know she was there, and waiting until either the blonde spoke to her or told her she wanted to be left alone.
Bridget wiped her cheeks. "It just makes me so mad. The fact that after over three years she can just show up at my door like nothing happened and think that after a bottle of wine we'll end up fucking again."
"Is that what she said?" Franky scoffed and shook her head.
"I believe her exact words were that 'it would be nice to catch up, you know, have a drink, and see where it goes'. So yeah." The blonde sniffed and wiped her cheeks again. "She treated you like shit. I don't know how I went so long without seeing how she looks down on people, how she really treats them. I'm so sorry she did that, baby."
"You got nothing to apologize for, Gidge. She's just a bitch." The brunette honestly didn't give a fuck what the woman thought about her. She was angry at how she had treated Bridget, and the effect she was still having on her. "Can I give you a hug?"
"Yeah." The blonde nodded, and immediately felt Franky's arms around her.
They stood there with Bridget's head resting against the brunette's shoulder; her face nuzzled into her neck. Franky gently swayed them back and forth, and without realizing it, hummed a slow, quiet song that had popped into her head.
"That's pretty, baby. What is it?" the blonde asked when the younger woman was quiet again.
"Don't know. Something that was on the radio when I was driving back." Franky kissed the top of her head.
Bridget sighed. "We should go eat." She lifted her head from the brunette's shoulder.
"Okay." Franky brushed away the last few tears on the blonde's cheeks.
"Out like a light." The brunette let herself fall onto the outdoor couch beside Bridget. She'd just returned from putting Emily to bed.
"She was pretty tired." The older woman pulled her legs up onto the couch, and cuddled into Franky's side, resting her head against her chest.
The brunette wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close. With her free hand, she lightly ran her fingers through Bridget's hair, earning a contented hum.
"Why did you ask if you could hug me earlier?" The question had been on the blonde's mind since supper.
"I thought it might make you feel better." Franky rested her cheek against the top of the older woman's head.
"No, I mean why did you ask? You know you don't have to ask permission to touch me." Bridget liked that she could hear the brunette's heartbeat when they were both quiet.
Franky sighed. "Because of what you've told me happened with her; that she'd hit you before. From personal experience, when those memories come up for me like they did today for you, I don't usually want anyone touching me. If I ever ran into my mother somewhere, I wouldn't want a hug and to be told it'll be okay. I'd want a punching bag I could beat until my knuckles bled."
The blonde's response was a simple kiss on the exposed skin of Franky's shoulder.
"When she moved you aside, I wanted to strangle her right there on the front porch." The brunette shook her head. She could still see it clearly in her mind. She remembered how Bridget didn't seem surprised at all. "She hit you more than the two times you told me about, didn't she?"
"No, she ju-" Bridget paused. "It was just those two times."
"She just what?" Franky brushed her thumb against the blonde's back, but the other woman remained silent. As much as she did and didn't want to know what had happened between Bridget and her ex, she had promised herself that she wouldn't force her to talk about it. The blonde had allowed her all the time she needed to open up about her mother and things that had happened to her, and she was grateful for that. She wanted to give her the same courtesy.
"Are you sure you want to know this stuff?" Bridget remembered how upset Franky had been when she'd told her that Julia had hit her.
"If you want to tell me." The brunette watched the flames dance. She could feel the other woman thinking.
"She was aggressive. She only ever actually hit me those two times, but she'd do stuff like she did today. She'd push me out of the way, or grab my arm and pull me towards her. Things like that." When she had finished talking, she could hear that Franky's heart rate had picked up significantly.
"You know that's not right, Gidge." She felt Bridget pull away and sit up so she could look her in the eye. Franky noticed the older woman couldn't quite make eye contact with her. "Gidge?"
The blonde finally looked up and nodded, but she still didn't make eye contact. Instead, she looked out over the fire towards the fence.
There was one more question on the brunette's mind, but she wasn't sure she wanted to ask it.
"Babe." She reached out and took Bridget's hand in hers. She studied each one of her fingers, rubbing her thumb along the length of them.
"Ask whatever you want to ask." The blonde knew the younger woman was struggling.
"Did she ever…" Franky looked at the fire then back at Bridget's hand. "Did she ever force you to sleep with her?"
The brunette had played with the wording, but her fiancée knew what she was really asking.
"No, but…" The blonde needed a moment to think before she finished her answer. "I knew better than to say no when she was in one of her moods."
"I will fucking kill her!" Franky was up and pacing back and forth with her hands behind her head.
"Baby." Bridget stood and took hold of one of the brunette's arms, guiding her back to the couch. "Sit with me."
The younger woman let out a breath and reluctantly sat down. She was quiet for a moment, looking down at her hands, before she spoke.
"Don't ever do that with me." She looked up to meet the blonde's gaze. "If you don't want to have sex, don't just go along with me. Just tell me to stop and it's done."
"I know, baby. And I promise I will tell you. I've honestly never wanted to say 'no' to you before though." Bridget took one of the younger woman's hands. "I'm glad Em doesn't seem to remember her."
Franky's head snapped up. "Did she do something to her?"
"Other than complain about her and ignore her? No. Em and her parents lived here for a couple months when she was about three months old. Well, they technically still lived in Sydney, but Tim had to be here for two months for a project and Sarah and Em came with him. They rented a little apartment near here. I used to babysit Em for them sometimes. Nothing major like overnight or anything, but just for a few hours so they could have a break and go to dinner or a movie." Bridget smiled thinking of the memory. "She was a good baby. Always wanted to be held though, but I didn't mind. If I could, I'd sit on the couch with her. She'd snuggle in and sleep with her little head resting against my shoulder." The blonde reached up and touched the spot. "If I had things I had to do, I'd put her in her carrier, they had this sling wrap one that held her close, and I'd go around the house with her in that. Julia wanted nothing to do with her. As soon as they'd drop her off, she'd ask how long I had to look after her. If she cried, she'd tell me to shut her up. Then when she got a bit older and they'd come to visit, that was a whole other issue." Bridget shook her head. "She'd complain Em was too loud, or yell at her for touching something or making a mess when she ate. That's just kids, yeah? They're noisy, messy and sticky for the first few years." The older woman smiled again, and gave a small laugh, as did Franky.
The brunette watched her. Bridget lit up when she talked about her niece.
"What?" The blonde gave an almost shy smile when she realized Franky was still watching her.
"Nothing." The brunette shook her head. "Just picturing you with baby Em." She watched the older woman's smile grow.
"I can't imagine what she was thinking when she saw Em here today." Bridget sighed. "Actually, yeah, I probably can."
"How did you even end up with someone like her? I mean, she's a total bitch." Franky picked up a stick of wood and poked at the logs in the firepit, stirring up the flames again.
"She didn't start off that way. I met her through a friend of a friend who I wasn't even all that close to. We ended up at a dinner party together and hit it off. She seemed charming. She wined and dined me, showered me with attention but then when all that new excitement wore off, I started to see the other side of her. I did what I tell all my clients not to do, I made excuses for her behaviour; she's tired, she's stressed, she's under a lot of pressure at work, she had a bad day. And well, you know how it eventually ended." The blonde reached over and tugged on Franky's shirt, indicating that she wanted her to move closer. "I didn't really date or anything after that. A couple one night stands but that was all."
The brunette opened her mouth in mock surprise. "Scandalous, Gidge."
Bridget turned her head and stretched up to give Franky a kiss. "And now here we are."
"Indeed." The brunette gave her another small kiss. "Do you have any pictures of you and Em when she was little?"
"Yeah. Do you want me to get them?" The blonde's mood lightened.
"Yeah." Franky smiled at her.
Bridget went into the house and returned a minute later with a stack of three or four pictures. She handed them to the brunette who flipped through them. There was one of her laying on the floor with Emily, playing. Another showed the two of them on the couch with Emily fast asleep just how the blonde had described it. Finally, there was one where Bridget was holding Emily, who couldn't have been more than a week old.
"She was pretty new in this one." Franky tilted the picture so the blonde could see which one she was talking about. Bridget laughed at her use of the word 'new' to describe her niece.
"Mhm, she was. Only a week, maybe two weeks old." The blonde stared at the picture.
"After the show, and the wedding, we should start the planning process." The brunette studied Bridget's face to try and gauge her reaction.
It took the blonde a moment to fully understand what Franky was saying. "You want to have a baby with me?"
"I want to have a baby with you." The brunette watched as Bridget's face lit up, and she pulled her in for a long kiss. Franky giggled against her lips. She knew it was a big decision, but sometimes things just felt right, and this was definitely one of those times.
