It was fairly early the next morning when Ricky woke up again, and Brax hadn't come back to bed once he went to check on Kyle. After Ricky had changed, fed and got Emilia down for her morning nap, she had gone to check Kyle's room, seeing both of the brothers sound asleep. She couldn't help but smile at them, knowing that by looking at them, you wouldn't know of the pain they were both going through.
Walking back out to the kitchen, she places the baby monitor on the table before making herself a drink as she thinks about the past weeks. Brax felt so guilty after Lillie was taken, that he started doubting his own parenting skills. He didn't want something to happen to Emilia once it got to the stage of them both going back to work, fearing it may have been something to do with their past. Although she had managed to convince him otherwise, despite some guilt still being there.
"Morning." Casey says as he walks in with Heath, both of them having been for a surf. "Is Brax not here? I was going to see if he wanted to come for a surf this morning, but couldn't find him."
"He slept in Kyle's room last night." Ricky replies, sitting down at the table as she waits for the kettle to finish boiling.
"Why?" Heath frowns.
"I was worried about Kyle last night. Brax said when Kyle got home from the meeting with the police he didn't say a word, he just went to his room. I told Brax to check on him and to not leave until Kyle was okay, and I'm guessing it was worse than we thought." Ricky sighs.
"Do you know what the police said?" Casey asks, getting a shake of the head.
"It can't have gone well if Kyle went straight to his room." Heath sighs, sitting down at the table.
"I hope having Emilia around isn't going to upset Kyle, especially if it's bad news." Ricky mutters.
"Rick, what have we told you about thinking like that?" Heath says. "If it does get too much, the spare room is ready for whenever Kyle needs it. I don't care what's been said, he's always welcome. Now you stay there, Casey will make you a drink whilst I go to the diner to get us some breakfast. Do you think I should get Kyle and Brax some?"
"Yeah, they might wake up soon." Ricky nods as Casey heads over to the kettle.
"Is it this one?" Casey asks, holding up a jar of decaf coffee as Heath heads back out.
"Yep, that's the one."
"How can you drink this stuff?" Casey says, pulling a face.
"Because I couldn't have caffeine when I was pregnant. My midwife said it's best to continue drinking it until I stop breastfeeding, which is perfectly fine with me as I think I prefer it now." Ricky says, smiling as she remembers hating it the first time she tried it.
As he starts to wake up, Brax blinks a few times, frowning at his surroundings before remembering he was with Kyle and must have fallen asleep the night before. Glancing to his side, Kyle was also starting to wake up, looking a bit embarrassed, then forgetting about it as he remembers how much Brax had comforted him the night before.
"Morning mate." Brax says, sitting up. "Feeling any better this morning?"
"Yeah, I am. Thanks for last night, I really needed to hear it." Kyle mutters, pushing himself up, not a single bad thought swirling his mind.
"No problem, you know I'm always here if you need to talk. Just don't keep stuff to yourself, it's not healthy." Brax says. "How about we go and get some breakfast?" He suggests, Kyle lightly nodding.
Getting up off the bed, they both head out towards the living room. Brax went he's going to check on Emilia before getting breakfast, surprised when Kyle followed him into the flat. He awkwardly stood by the counter before following Brax's gaze into the cot, so takes a few more steps until he's stood next to him.
"I'm sorry about not being there after she was born. I heard Ricky had to go into surgery during the labour." Kyle mutters, neither noticing Heath had just got back.
"Kyle, it's fine. I understand and I know Rick would as well. They had to do a caesarian after Emilia went into distress, so luckily it wasn't any more serious." Brax says.
"Emilia?" Kyle lightly smiles, now remembering Bianca had told him her name, which he blocked out at the time.
"Yeah, she's already worked out how to use those eyes of her to get what she wants." Brax smiles, smiling more at she wriggles in her sleep, clenching her tiny fist around the teddy's ear.
"Just like Lillie did. It's dangerous, next thing you know the whole routine is gone." Kyle says, faintly smiling.
"Not if Ricky has anything to do with it, she already moaned at me the other night for not putting Emilia down for her nap in time." Brax says, shaking his head at the earful he got. "I was only 5 minutes over this schedule she wrote out."
"In one way I'm glad I didn't have anyone to boss me around like that." Kyle says, chuckling as Brax gently punched his arm.
"I am not being bossed around." He says.
"Sounds like it." Kyle lightly smirks, looking down at his niece with a sad expression, which his brother notices.
"I'm going to talk to the cops, this search is not being called off." Brax says.
"It's too late, they've already done it. And I tried fighting it, they threatened to arrest me." Kyle mutters.
"Woah, Kyle, you never mentioned that!" Brax exclaims.
"Didn't think it was important." Kyle shrugs as Ricky walks in.
"Can you please keep it down a bit. I'm hoping she won't wake up until her next feed or change." Ricky says, confusing them before she gestures to the baby monitor.
"Sorry, we'll take this inside." Brax says, leading Kyle out of the flat and through the living room.
"We don't need to. Nothing happened and they're not pressing charges." Kyle says.
"Pressing charges for what?" Brax asks, Kyle staying silent.
"I did nothing wrong, happy now?" Kyle asks, staring at Brax with pleading eyes.
"Now I know where that pleading eye gene comes from." Brax mutters, causing Kyle to grin at him. "That's not a good thing, Kyle. But I'm only dropping this for now, I will get it out of you."
"No you won't, because it's nothing." Kyle says, walking over to the sink to get a drink.
"I got breakfast." Heath says, pulling some bacon sandwiches out of the bag.
"Great!" Casey grins, about to grab one when his brother pulls it away.
"That's not for you." Heath says.
"What? Why?"
"I bumped into Denny, and she is a very stern woman." Heath says, lightly frowning. "To think I thought one of us would have married a calm girl."
"She is calm, just not when it comes to this diet she's got me on." Casey frowns, huffing something under his breathe as Heath hands him a chicken salad.
"I was going to get you the same as us, but she started saying you'll get heart disease and then I'll have to live with that on my conscious. She really knows how to lay the guilt on." Heath says as Brax laughs at him.
"No, you just take stuff seriously." Brax says, wrapping his arm around Ricky's waist, glancing at Kyle as he sits down at the table.
"No I don't!" Heath moans, staring at his brothers. "Now eat that before I shove it down your throats." He huffs.
"Alright, calm down." Brax smirks, sitting down next to Kyle, handing him one of the sandwiches.
"So…" Casey starts, glancing at Kyle before carrying on, stabbing his salad as he did. "What's everyone's plans today?"
"I've got work." Heath says.
"I've got nothing planned." Brax says, glancing at Kyle who then shakes his head.
"Why don't we go for a walk?" Casey suggests, Kyle eventually nodding after Brax's nudges him.