The morning sun hit Assumpta's face through the thin curtains. She groaned and was about to roll over to bury her head into Peter's side when she remembered the countless mornings recently when he hadn't been there. Cautiously she lifted her head but before she could roll over she was immediately enveloped from behind by a strong pair of arms.
"Morning," Peter mumbled as he kissed the top of her head and began to pepper kisses down her cheek and jaw line to her neck.
"You're actually here," she gasped.
He entwined his fingers through hers. "I'm not going anywhere ever again."
He resumed kissing and Assumpta sighed contentedly. She turned to face him and they lay there gazing at each other. Peter traced a finger over cheek. "Morning gorgeous."
She grinned, "Morning stranger," and kissed him. She was just hooking her fingers in the waistband of his shorts and his hands were wandering under her t-shirt when she heard the patter, no make that thunder, of small feet.
She groaned, "Remind me why we had kids?"
He grinned and pulled her t-shirt back down saying, "To be continued."
"Better be."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later, once they were all up and dressed, Abby grabbed Peter's hand and insisted on giving him a tour. Once they'd done upstairs she pulled him downstairs and into the kitchen.
"This is the kitchen," she said gesturing dramatically and then looked expectantly up, waiting for him to comment.
"Yes, I remember it," he said glancing at Assumpta. She suppressed a smile as he said this.
"Did you use to live here too?" Sam looked between his two parents.
"No, just your mum. Now don't you lot have to get ready for school and nursery?"
This was met with laughter from Sam and Abby. Molly sighed dramatically and said, "It's Saturday daddy."
Peter looked genuinely confused and looked at Assumpta. "Is it?"
She smiled and nodded but didn't get any further because Molly had pulled Peter over to the wall where a felt calendar with pictures hung. She patiently explained that she'd already changed it that morning and started enthusiastically describing the days of the week to him while he listened and nodded in the right places.
Assumpta watched Peter's tutorial with affection for a second then turned to the older kids, "Will you two hurry up and get breakfast please."
"Since it's Saturday," Sam risked a glance at his dad and grinned, Peter pulled a face in return, "can we have breakfast in front of the TV?"
"Urgh alright half an hour then it goes off and we decide what we're doing with the day," Assumpta said.
"Play football?" "See the horses?" "Go swimming?" "Go to the zoo?" "Watch Ice Age?" were just some of the suggestions that were immediately given by the three youngest Cliffords.
"Maybe," Assumpta said diplomatically and the kids ran upstairs.
Peter leaned back against the kitchen work top. "Is there a zoo now in Ballykissangel?" he chuckled.
"Just the usual Saturday night here I believe."
"Ah, some things don't change then." He wandered out into the bar area and looked around. "Including this place, Brian kept it more or less the same after the fire?"
"Hmm it's just the upstairs accommodation that's changed really. When I got here I felt like I'd gone back in time and I was twenty-six again."
"Well you haven't changed; you're just as beautiful now as you were then."
Assumpta pulled a face and mimed putting her fingers down her throat. He shrugged and grinned back.
"I don't understand why the phone didn't work," Assumpta mused.
Peter looked at it and poked about behind the desk it was sat on. "This might be the problem." He pulled up the wire of the phone which was no longer connected to the wall.
Assumpta stared at it in confusion then her eyes moved to the sound system equipment that was still setup and was due to be taken down today.
"Liam and Donal," she growled.
"They disconnected the phone?" Peter looked confused.
"Well not on purpose but they're idiots, that hasn't changed. They didn't have a clue what they were doing. I think it was a minor miracle we had it working last night. I could kill them, if I'd just gotten that phone call yesterday morning." Assumpta said angrily.
Peter pulled her close and said, "Then it wouldn't have been such a nice surprise when I came through the door."
"Were you really stuck in an Afghan basement or were you off on a refresher course at charm school?"
"I had a lot of long lonely nights to remind myself of all your good qualities."
"Ah, no wonder you were away for so long."
They wandered back into the kitchen. Peter gazed thoughtfully round the room then back at his wife. "I know what you mean about stepping back in time. It is very odd being back in here."
"I know, I'm slowly getting use to it. There haven't been as many looks or comments as I thought though."
"I meant specifically here, in this kitchen."
"Mmm who'd have thought we'd be standing here married with three kids tearing around the place."
"Not many people I suspect."
She smiled, "We had a lot of moments in here. Most of them, I seem to remember, were you telling me off or persuading me to do something I didn't want to."
Peter pulled a face. "Rubbish, most of the time you were ranting at me or persuading me to do something I didn't want to."
Assumpta grinned, "I can be very persuasive when I want to be." She raised her eyebrows at him suggestively.
"Don't I know it, he replied with mock exasperation. Then he appeared lost in thought. "I made you cry in here too," he said remorse fully.
"You also saved my life in here and, most importantly, kissed me for the first time. And as I recall that was some kiss," she teased.
Peter grinned at the memory. "Mmm that was some kiss. I remember spending a lot of time in this room wanting to kiss you."
"Really?" asked Assumpta knowingly.
"Mostly it was when you started losing your temper with me. I thought it might stop you mid rant."
Assumpta spluttered, "You fantasised about kissing me just to shut me up?"
Peter pulled her towards him, wrapped his arms round her waist and brought his lips down upon hers kissing her briefly before pulling back and saying, "I've since discovered it works."
Assumpta snorted and swatted him on the arm but allowed herself to be pulled back in for another kiss. She broke off the kiss this time to whisper, "I will make you pay for that," she wound her arms round his neck, "later."
Sam wandered through the kitchen a few minutes later announcing that he wanted a yoghurt. He tutted at the sight of his parents kissing, ignored them, took a yoghurt out of the fridge and left the kitchen. He heard the pub door open and saw Niamh come through the door with Father Mac.
Niamh was saying, "It's not opening time yet Father, I'm only here for a quick word with Assumpta."
"That's all I want too Niamh," he insisted.
They both saw Sam. Niamh said, "Hi Sam, are your mum and dad around?"
"They're in the kitchen but they're busy kissing," he said matter of factly.
Niamh glanced quickly at Father Mac and said hastily, "Well they haven't seen each other for a while."
"They always kiss lots," announced Abby who had just come down the stairs with Molly trailing after her. "My friend Jessica back home said it's weird but her parents don't even live together or speak at all and I think that's weirder." She turned to Sam, "I decided I wanted a yoghurt too."
"I got the last strawberry one," declared Sam holding up the evidence.
Father Mac cleared his throat, "Perhaps we might speak," but Abby cut in again.
"But that's not fair that means there's only raspberry left and I hate raspberry, it's got bits in it."
"You only decided you wanted one because I said I did," Sam huffed loudly.
Peter appeared in the doorway, "What are you two bickering about?" He caught sight of Niamh and smiled, then noticed Father Mac and frowned. Before he could say anything to either of them he was side tracked by the kids both setting out their claims to the strawberry yoghurt.
"Alright, enough," he said holding up his hands. He looked at his youngest daughter on the stairs. "What about you munchkin I suppose you want the strawberry yoghurt too?"
She shook her head.
"Do you want anything else?"
She pondered this and said hopefully, "A pony?"
"I was thinking more about breakfast," he laughed.
She pondered again before eventually saying, "I'm finished."
"Right that's one sorted. Now you two, why doesn't one of you have another flavour?"
This sparked a storm of protest.
"Okay, okay. You'll have to share the strawberry one then."
"But dad," Sam protested.
"Sam please," he gave his son a look.
"Okay," he huffed.
Peter watched the two kids disappear upstairs and then turned back to Niamh and Father Mac. "Sorry, those two would argue over anything given half a chance."
Niamh smiled, "Mine are exactly the same. I just came to ask if you wanted Orla and I to look after the pub today, give you a chance to spend the day all together."
She looked at Assumpta who'd appeared behind Peter.
"That would be great if you could thanks Niamh," Assumpta smiled.
"It's no bother. Any special plans for the day?"
Peter grinned, "That's still up for debate."
"I see the beard's gone," Niamh noted.
"I thought it gave me a rugged air of mystery but apparently it wasn't to everyone's tastes," he said with a twinkle. Assumpta snorted.
Niamh smiled back, "I think I agree with the masses you definitely look better now. Right I'll let you get on." She looked at Father Mac who studiously ignored her. "I'll be off then," she said awkwardly and glanced apologetically at Assumpta before scurrying out the door.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Outside Niamh almost ran straight into Brendan.
"Everything alright there Niamh?"
Niamh glanced back at the pub door nervously. "I've just left Peter and Assumpta in there with Father Mac."
"Ah." It was Brendan's turn to glance at the door.
"Do you think I should go back in?"
"Definitely not. Best stand out of the way of the fireworks," he said emphatically.
Niamh looked worried. "But it's been so long surely they'll all be reasonable now?"
"Religion is a topic it's best to avoid in the Clifford household."
"But Peter still goes to church?" Niamh insisted.
"Niamh, he left the church under a cloud of controversy, he didn't exactly go through the right channels when he left, he all but told Father Mac where he could stick his church, he married a divorced woman and they didn't exactly get married in a nice catholic approved ceremony."
"So the church doesn't recognise their marriage?" She looked aghast.
"No it does not and there's certainly no love loss between Peter and the church now," he said gently.
"Right," Niamh struggled to take all this in and nervously eyed the door again.
"Fireworks," Brendan repeated raising his eyebrows.