A. N
Thank you all those who reviewed. So glad you are enjoying the story! Sorry for such a delay, things have been so crazy lately. This is a bit of a filter chapter to help me get back into the swing of things once again 😊
To the reviewer who said my story isn't credible because Lily-Rose can't say Okay correctly but says more complicated words…. she's just turned three. The way she talks is based on the way the children I work with speak. I have a little boy who can say Tyrannosaurs Rex as clear as day…but calls me Percy instead of Kirsty. Remember I'm not a professional author. This is just for a bit of fun.
Enjoy the chapter.
Much Love
K xx
"You should take her to work with you more often." Ana mused to Christian before she then looked to their sleeping daughter who was out like a light in her car seat in the back of the car.
Christian chuckled. "It was a good day." He looked back at Lily-Rose in his mirror before turning his attention back to the road.
"Where is Taylor again?" Ana then asked with a frown.
Christian chuckled. "Well thanks to our little cheese monster back there and Ros, he is currently being pampered by Gail to remove the marker pen that he is currently sporting around his eyes."
Ana giggled. "I did see…was he really mad?" She asked biting her lip.
"He tried…but then he failed when he saw her sleeping on the couch." He chuckled and shook his head. "It's mainly Ros's fault. She didn't double check what pen she was using. She thought it was a standard felt pen. Not a marker." He rolled his eyes. "Gail will get it off for him. That woman is able to work wonders." He reassured her with a smile. "Though I think I'll have to keep her with me from now on." He chuckled and looked to her briefly before back to the road. "I was thinking about the statement to put out…"
"I won't lie…I'm nervous." Ana admitted looking to him.
"I know…but it'll be okay." He promised as he reached over and took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"What did you have in mind?" Ana asked as she squeezed his hand back.
"Just a simple straight to the point statement that we met briefly a few years ago. I was unaware that you were pregnant until very recently and now we are using this precious time to build a bond together as a family and we want our privacy respected."
Ana gave a little nod. "I like it. Can we put in something about not hounding us when we have Lily-Rose with us? I don't them to end up frightening her. She's still on edge about the whole Jose thing. I don't want her freaking out."
Christian gave a nod. "Consider it done." He smiled over to her before they then headed down a long driveway before coming to a stop. Cutting the engine, he then looked over to Ana who was looking at the house in awe.
"Elliot lives here?" Ana asked in awe before looking to Christian, frowning at the smirk he was giving her. "What?"
"Elliot doesn't live here." He told her with a smile.
Ana frowned. "Then who does?"
"No one. But if you like it…it'll be ours."
Ana's mouth dropped. "What?"
"I've been looking at places for us…and this one…seemed absolutely perfect. Has everything we need. And a garden that Lily-Rose will adore. Before you say anything let's take a look inside?" He suggested to her.
Leaning in Ana smiled as she kissed him. "It looks amazing already." She whispered with a smile to him before she eagerly got out of the car and moved to the back and opened the door to try and wake her sleeping daughter. "Lily-Rose." Ana called gently stroking her cheek.
"No." Lily-Rose grumbled swatting her mother's hand awake.
Ana chuckled and stroked her cheek again. "Baby wake up. Daddy has a surprise for us."
Eyes fluttering open, Lily-Rose turned to her mother. "A s'prise?"
Ana smiled. "Yes." Unclipping her from her car seat she held her hands out for her and smiled as Lily-Rose climbed into her arms. Kissing her head, she held her close to her and smiled as she shut the door before moving over to Christian who smiled and moved his arm protectively around his girls.
Heading up to the house, Christian then opened the door and stepped inside, smiling as Ana followed him inside.
"Wow…" Ana whispered as she stepped inside. "Christian this place is huge…"
"Wows!" Lily-Rose beamed lifting her head up, suddenly being wide awake. "Daddy is there a garden?" She asked looking to him.
Christian smiled and nodded. "Of course. Come see!" He grinned as he led them through the house and to the back of the house.
Wriggling out of her mother's arms, Lily-Rose followed her father, a squeal passing her lips as she saw the garden from the floor to ceiling windows. Running over to them she pressed her face against the glass. "Daddy! I loves it! Is this going to be our new house?" She asked looking to him with a hopeful smile.
Bending down next to his daughter, Christian smiled. "It could be, if you and mommy like it."
"I loves it!"
Christian chuckled. "But you haven't even seen the rest of the house…"
"But it has a garden. So, it's perfect." Lily-Rose told him before she gazed back out to the garden. "Will you builds me a treehouse?"
"We can ask Uncle Elliot to build you one. I'm not very good at building things." He told her with a chuckle.
"Otays!" She giggled before pressing her face back up against the glass. "Cans we have a swimming pool too?"
"I'll see what I can do." Christian promised before standing up and heading over to Ana and pulling her to him. "So, what do you think so far?"
"As long as she's happy, I'm happy." Ana told him with a smile as she moved her arms around him. "This place is beautiful. The kitchen is amazing."
"I liked the kitchen too though I think Gail is going to absolutely love it." Chrisian laughed looking to Lily-Rose who still had her face scrunched against the window. "Princess shall we go and find your bedroom?"
"Yes!" She beamed running over to Christian and jumping into his arms.
Catching her, he kissed her head before he then held her firmly in one arm while he took Ana's hand in the other and led the two upstairs. Showing them the main bathroom, they headed into the 'master' bedroom to which he wanted for him and Ana. "This is going to be mommy and daddy's room." He told Lily-Rose before he looked to Ana who was looking at the room in awe.
"The view is incredible." Ana whispered in awe as she headed over to the window. "This house reminds me of the apartment." She told him with a smile. "I love the floor to ceiling windows in your apartment and I love that they are here to."
"It's one of the reasons this place caught my attention." Christian told her with a smile before looking to Lily-Rose. "Let's see your room." He smiled and walked out of the bedroom and went directly next door. They both had the same beautiful view of the garden.
Wriggling out of her father's arms, Lily-Rose ran over to the window and squealed. "I loves it!" She bounced before she looked around the room before running over to her parents. "Can I have a princess bedroom?"
"No unicorns?" Ana asked with a raised eyebrow. She had had a unicorn bedroom ever since she could say the word unicorn.
Lily-Rose frowned and thought for a minute as she looked around the room, torn at what she wanted.
Seeing Lily-Rose was struggling, Christian looked to Ana before bending down to his daughter. "Baby…you can have both."
"Both?" Lily-Rose asked looking to him in confusion.
Christian nodded. "Of course. We can put your bookshelf over here and then on the wall we can have a big castle on the wall with a princess and unicorn on the wall… or, across the hall…it's going to be your playroom. You could have one room princess, the other unicorn? Whatever you want."
Lily-Rose thought for a minute before nodding. "Otays. I wants this room to be unicorns and my playroom to be princesses."
Christian smiled. "Good choice baby." Kissing her head, he then scooped her up and moved over to Ana. "Shall we take a look at the rest of the house?"
"Yes pwease daddy." Lily-Rose replied with a content smile. She couldn't wait for her new playroom!
Christian chuckled and shook his head as he made his way out of the bedroom and back down the stairs. Showing Ana what would be the living room he then took her down the corridor and headed into a large empty room.
"Wow this room is huge…" She commented looking around.
"Big enough for two?" Christian asked looking to her.
Ana frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well I thought this room…. could be our office. A joint office space if you will. I'm going to ask Elliot to then put in a sliding partition for if we both have phone calls so we can both have the privacy for the phone call and don't end up echoing over each other so we'll just slide the partition across when need to."
Ana couldn't help but look at him in awe. "I love that idea."
Christian grinned. "And then this room." He opened a door that was opposite their office. It was another large room. "This is going to a library."
Lily-Rose gasped. "A libraries?"
Christian nodded. "Yes. I know how much you and mommy love your books so they can all live in here. You can have your bedtime books upstairs in your room but all the rest can come down here and you can read whenever you want. We'll put in sofa's and beanbags and bug fluffy rugs. How does that sound?"
"Sounds awesome!" Lily-Rose cheered before looking to her mother. "Right mommy?"
Ana smiled. "Right…so I'm guessing this is going to be our home?"
"Yay!" Lily-Rose clapped, squealing as she hugged her father tightly.
Christian laughed and looked at Ana. "I'm going to go with a yes from our daughter's reaction."
"I think it's a yes to." Ana laughed shaking her head, before she smiled and rested her chin on Christian's free shoulder. "Are we really doing this?"
Christian smiled. "We're really doing this." He confirmed with a smile before jumping slightly as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out he then chuckled. "Elliot said for us to hurry up, he's starving."
"Me's starving as well." Lily-Rose replied with a sigh.
"You're always hungry." Ana laughed shaking her head before she smiled. "Well let's go and make sure Uncle Elliot doesn't eat all the food. I think Auntie Kate was making her cookies."
"Cookies?! Let's go!" Lily-Rose squealed.
Christian laughed and shook his head as he took Ana's hand with his free one before happily heading out of what will be their new home and to their car.
Snuggling into her father, Lily-Rose smiled. "I can't waits for us to live heres." She told him with a smile before gasping. "Cans we get a puppy?"
"Don't push it Lily-Rose." Ana warned with a laugh as she climbed into the car, letting Christian put her in her seat.
Christian smirked, waiting for Ana to get in the car before looking to his daughter. "What puppy?" He asked in a whisper.
"Ones that look like sausages." She whispered back.
"A sausage dog?" He asked, wanting confirmation.
Lily-Rose nodded. "Mommy says they has a posh name but I like sausage."
Christian smiled and nodded. "Okay. Daddy will see what he can do." He chuckled and kissed her head as he put her into her seat and clipped her in. Double checking she was secure he then shut the door and headed around to the driver's seat and climbed in, quickly texting Elliot that they were on the way. "Elliot doesn't actually live far from here." He told her with a smile as he started the car up and drove out of the driveway and onto the main room.
"Really?" Ana asked with smile.
"Really. He wanted a nice space to build his home and well to be honest…and don't tell him this. His house is incredible."
Ana smiled. "You proud of your big brother?" She cooed.
Christian laughed. "I am." He smiled. "But you've met Elliot. If I told him I was proud of him his head would probably triple in size." He rolled his eyes and shook his head and drove the short drive down to his brother's house. Pulling into his brother's place, he headed down the driveway and parked up before cutting the engine. Climbing out he moved to the back to help Lily-Rose out, putting her down on her feet before smiling as he watched her run up to the door. Taking Ana's hand as she climbed out of the car.
"Hellos! I'm heres!" Lily-Rose called as she knocked the door. "Uncle Lelliot! Auntie Kate! It's me! Lily-Rose!"
Swinging the door open, Elliot grinned. "Hey squirt!" Scooping her up he smiled. "So glad you're here. I'm starving. We can finally eat!" He chirped as he happily carried his niece into his house.
"Hello to you!" Christian shouted with a roll of his eyes before he guided Ana in, closing the door behind them.
"Hey!" Came Kate's voice as she came into view. "I'm so sorry about my husband. Clearly thinking with his stomach again."
Christian laughed. "You'll get used to it. If he's not thinking with his stomach you know something is wrong with him."
Kate chuckled. "I've learnt that already." She shook her head and smiled. "Are you both okay? I was expecting you a bit earlier?"
"We had to make a pit stop first." Christian told her with a smile.
"Anywhere fun?" Kate asked before gesturing for them both to follow her into the kitchen.
"Our new house." Ana beamed before grinning up to Christian.
Kate turned and beamed at them. "Yeah?"
Ana nodded. "Yep. It's not far from here."
"Oh my god, really?" Kate squealed. "We're going to be living close to one another? Oh, I can't wait!"
Ana laughed. "Neither can your niece."
Christian chuckled. "Yeah she's going to be keeping Elliot busy with all the stuff she wants built in the garden."
Kate smirked. "Good it'll keep him out from under my feet. I haven't cooked so much since we've moved here. I need a break." Kate chuckled before she smiled as she heard Lily-Rose screaming and giggling in the garden. "She's really taken with her uncle Elliot."
"Lelliot." Christian chuckled. "I used to call him the same when I was younger."
Kate smiled. "It's cute." She chuckled. "Now. I've got a few things I need to finish off…"
"Want any help?" Ana offered. "We can finish off while Christian and Lelliot run around after little miss out there."
"Sounds good to me." Kate smiled before looking to Christian. "There's a beer in the fridge or some water. Help yourself."
Christian kissed Ana's head before grabbing a bottle of water before heading out to his brother and daughter.
Ana watched him go, a soft smile on her lips as she looked out the window and watched the three of them in the garden. This is what she lives for. Her family being together in one place, her daughter happy and healthy and surrounded by the people who love her most, especially with Christian fully in the picture. They were going to be a happy family and they had their new home to start their next chapter.
