Hi, everyone. Thank you for all the well wishes. I really appreciate them. I'm still not great but I am working hard to get back on my feet again. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Forty Three

Joey woke the following morning feeling very confused. She was also being eyeballed by a very puzzled looking Ruby. Sitting up abruptly, Joey immediately disturbed Charlie who had been sleeping in the middle of the bed between her girlfriend and her daughter.

"What's going on?" she mumbled, very disorientated.

"Why is Joey sleeping in our bed?" Ruby asked.

She didn't sound annoyed, just confused.

"Uh..."

Charlie and Joey glanced at each other. Having literally kissed and made up the night before, Joey had tucked Charlie into bed beside Ruby. Charlie had then refused to let her girlfriend go and demanded that they snuggled. Joey had offered no kind of argument.

"We were cuddling," Charlie explained. "And I guess we fell asleep."

"But you don't cuddle anymore," Ruby pointed out. "You don't even talk."

"We made up," her mother told her.

"So, you're friends again?" Ruby asked. "Was it the lazanga?"

"Lazanga?" Charlie and Joey both asked.

"Dinner!" Ruby explained.

"Lasagne," Charlie corrected gently.

"That's what I said!" Ruby pouted.

Chuckling, Charlie reached out and gathered her daughter her into her arms.

"Anyway," she said. "Yes, we are friends again. Actually..."

She looked at Joey for permission to continue. Joey smiled and nodded.

"We're more than friends now," Charlie said.

Ruby drew back, her eyes not quite daring to light up.

"Are you girlfriends again?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," Charlie confirmed.

Ruby beamed at both of them.

"At last!" she said, sounding rather more grown up than she should.

Joey laughed and flopped back on the mattress, carefully reaching for Charlie's hand.

"Can we go to the park?" Ruby asked.

It had been an amazing day. Joey genuinely didn't think she had ever been so happy before in her life. Being back together with Charlie and being allowed to be a parent to Ruby felt like the two things she had always been meant to do. They'd got ready and spent a vast amount of time in the park. They'd then gone to do their weekly shop and allowed Ruby to put extras into the trolley. Ruby had then remarked rather loudly that she liked it when they were a couple because they were even nicer than normal.

That evening, once Ruby had finally agreed to go to sleep, Charlie and Joey curled up on the sofa together in front of a DVD. Before the opening credits had even finished, they had abandoned it in favour of getting carried away with each other. Joey wrapped her arms around Charlie's shoulders, pulling her as close as possible. Their lips crushed passionately together as their breathing became heavier.

"I love you so much," Joey whispered. "I can't believe I'm actually allowed to kiss you again."

Charlie drew back and smiled, gazing into Joey eyes.

"I hereby give you permission to kiss me for as long as you want to," she said.

Joey grinned, brushing their lips together again.

"I just wish you were sharing your bed with me tonight," she mumbled.

Charlie jolted back.

"I mean, not... I'm not expecting... Oh, shit. Please don't tell me I've ruined it already."

Charlie smiled and reached out to hold her girlfriend's hand.

"You haven't ruined anything," she said. "I was just thinking that perhaps we can look at sleeping arrangements tomorrow. If you want to."

"I'd love to," Joey said more calmly. "I mean, I'm not expecting anything like... that but I'd love to share a room with you again. You know, be a proper couple."

Charlie nodded.

"And that isn't off the cards, you know," she added.

Joey tried not to look too delighted.

"Well, whenever you want to, I can assure you I'm game," she smirked.

Charlie chuckled and kissed her again.

"I guess I could sleep in your room tonight," she ventured. "Ruby would probably like a night with that big double to herself."

"I only have a single though," Joey pointed out.

"Well, we'll have to snuggle properly then," Charlie grinned.

Joey faked a yawn.

"Oh look, I'm tired. Let's go and snuggle now!" she said, leaping to her feet and half dragging Charlie towards the bedroom.

"I have to check on Rubes first!" Charlie squeaked. "And brush my teeth. And get my pyjamas."

"I'm sure the romantic leads don't have these kinds of conversations in movies," Joey pointed out.

"We're way more special than that," Charlie told her.

Stealing one more kiss, she headed for the room she shared with Ruby.

In her own room, Joey got washed and into her pyjamas quickly. She checked her reflection in the mirror and tried to regulate her breathing. Diving beneath the blankets with just a lamp to light the room, she waited for Charlie. It felt like a lifetime before her girlfriend finally appeared in her own pyjamas. She moved to slip beneath the sheets, meeting Joey's warm body as it tangled up with hers. They kissed tenderly.

"Mmm... minty fresh," Joey giggled.

Charlie laughed and pulled her closer.

"I'm so happy that we finally got our act together," she admitted.

"Me too," Joey said. "And I can promise you now that I will never hurt you again, Charlie. I will spend the rest of my life proving that you made the right decision by taking me back."

"You don't have to," Charlie said. "I already know."

Next time… Charlie, Joey and Ruby settle into their new lives together…