Here's the chapter I promised you all! I hope you enjoy! Please continue to review and favourite! Would love to know what you thought! Hopefully there will be another chapter soon! Madeleine
Chapter 12
After the events of Charlie leaving, Karen and Rob's relationship had grown and they'd made sure they were always there for Jess and Harry.
"So you ready to tell them?" Rob asked Karen almost bursting with excitement.
"Yep" Karen replied confidently as she snuck her arms round his hips and gave him a passionate kiss. Karen couldn't quite believe how much her luck had changed, here she now was no longer a single parent, she was with a man she didn't go looking for but fit her and her children perfectly. He'd been there through hard times and the good and always knew how to calm her down or make her laugh at just the right moments.
Karen and Rob headed downstairs to speak to Jess and Harry.
They walked in to find Jess and Harry had made a den out of blankets and the cushions off the sofa and could hear Jess reading Harry's favourite story The Gruffalo to her little brother. Rob and Karen crawled in
"Jess is reading me the Gruffalo"
"We can hear, she's doing a very good job of all the voices" Karen said proudly,
"They're not as good as Rob's though" Jess replied sweetly which caused Karen to lean into Rob and look up at him with her eyes all twinkly.
"Well we can't all be perfect" Rob teased causing Karen to nudge him in the ribs.
"Anyway me and mummy have something to tell you" two little pairs of eyes stopped gazing at their book and looked up.
"So you know that Rob's been staying here a lot?" Jess and Harry nodded still unsure where the conversation was going.
"Well what would you think if Rob came and lived with us, all the time?" Karen asked her children,
"Rob would always be here" Jess stated
"I'll be here for as long as you want me to be"
"I don't want you to ever leave" Jess said as she went and snuggled into rob, Karen who was also snuggled in Rob's arms moved Jess's hair away from her face soothingly.
"Will you be our new daddy Rob!"
Harry asked excitedly,
"No one will ever replace your daddy! But I care for you all very much and I will always be here, I promise" rob kissed the top of Karen's head as if to show her that he really intended for this to be forever.
"Does this mean you'll be here when i wake up in the morning?" Jess asked sweetly.
"And the morning after that, and all the mornings after that" rob tickled her. Karen loved that Rob made her children so happy, that he was so hands on.
"Right so grandma and Grandad, auntie Emma, Rob's mum and dad and Sarah are coming! So" Karen couldn't finish before her two children were bouncing all over the place.
"Hey hey let mummy finish" rob scooped them up and sat them on his lap all giggly.
"Does that mean Olivia and Emilie are coming!" Jess was very excited she got on so well with Rob's nieces.
"Yep and Ella and Noah as well" they were in for a busy afternoon. Their first family gathering, Rob's family and Karen's all together in the same room, that took a lot of organisation. But it only seemed right in celebrating them taking their relationship further, a year had nearly gone by and this seemed like the best way to celebrate it. "So you two need to tidy up all these toys and your den before everyone gets here" Harry and Jess suddenly wined. "Come on it won't take you long"
"But we spent ages making this den just right" Harry really fought for his little den it was sweet.
"I promise we can make it again later, I'll help you ok" Karen reassured Harry, anything to get everything ready for everyone to arrive.
"Right I'm gonna go get my stuff then" rob kissed Karen's cheek.
"Don't be too long"
"I'll be as quick as I can."
"I want to go with Rob!" Harry demanded,
"But you need to clear all your toys up bud, I won't be long I promise!" Rob tried to diffuse the situation and show support for Karen.
"But I want to help you!" Rob had tried but Harry was persistent!
"Oh go on you two,but you better be back before everyone gets here!" Karen smiled before sharing a kiss with rob once more and helping Harry with his coat.
"Jess do you want to go help rob?" Karen thought she'd better check before another screaming fit broke out.
"No thank you. I don't want to miss Ella arriving!" Jess adored her baby cousin, it was very sweet.
"Something tells me she hasn't forgotten about that baby sister she desires" Rob commented out of earshot of both children.
Karen gave him a cheeky look,
"Well who can blame her, she's gorgeous" Karen spoke proudly of her niece.
"I really want a little sister" the familiar phrase was chanted in the sitting room.
Karen and Rob shared a look "maybe we'll have to do something about that" Rob whispered to Karen.
"What! Are you serious" Karen was really touched. They were now having a serious conversation knowing full well that Harry would be bouncing in to hurry Rob up to go any minute.
"Wait ok so you're seriously suggesting that we ... Have a baby?" Karen's words were softly spoken, particular emphasis on the whispering was placed on baby. The idea filled her with a warm fuzzy feeling.
"Nothing would make me happier than a little person that was ours. Let's face it they'd be pretty lucky with a big brother and sister like those two in there" rob had clearly been giving this topic some thought after the day at the park all those months ago. Harry bounced back into the hall "let's go, let's go, let's go" he ran around with his buzz just as Karen had been about to reply to Rob.
"I guess we'll talk later" Karen kissed Rob's cheek.
"Come on then bud" Harry ran out as a Rob quickly turned back to Karen.
"I haven't scared you off have I?" Rob wanted to make sure they were at least on the same page
"No, you could never do that. You just took me by surprise" Karen gave him a deeper kiss to show that she loved the idea they just needed to talk about it properly.
"Now you get going or you won't be back in time" Karen saw the boys off before walking into find her lounge had been cleared of toys and their den!
"Well you were busy!" Karen addressed Jess.
"Well you asked me to clean it up, we don't want it to be messy for when everyone comes." Jess was being very grown up these days. Karen began lunch which Jess helped her with and really enjoyed some quality time with her little girl, but as a result she couldn't get what Rob had said out of her head. Karen had never imagined that she'd be considering having another baby. Charlie had always been adamant on two, they'd got their boy and girl and in his eyes that was them done. The whole process more of a maths equation than something of love. Karen was excited, rob was amazing with both Jess and Harry and his nieces and nephews. He was made to be a dad.
It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door.
"Mum, dad"
"Hello darling, sorry we're early you know what your mums like" Karen smiled before giving them both a warm hug.
"so where's that gorgeous man of yours and my beautiful grandchildren?" Ellen asked.
"Jess is in the kitchen helping me with lunch" they'd walked through,
"Aren't you a clever girl" Jim Karen's dad commented admiring his eldest grandchild. Jess smiled she was very much a granddad's girl.
"And where are the boys?"
"Oh they've gone to get rob's stuff but they should be back soon"
"They've been gone agessss " Jess moaned cheekily
"They have been gone ages."
The door went and in ran Harry followed by Rob,
"Look mummy Rob was showing me his action man!"
"Wow that's cool isn't in Harry" Jim commented ruffling his grandsons head and listening to Harry talk all about the little figure.
"Sorry, got a bit distracted" He gave Karen a kiss
"I'll just go put this stuff upstairs" Karen smiled
"Nice to see you" rob commented to her parents before he disappeared.
"I'm glad you two have decided to move in together" Karen's mum addressed, Karen's cheeks conveyed embarrassment.
"Me and your mum are just so glad that you're happy. I can see he makes you happy" Jim commented sweetly a fathers blessing always meant a lot.
Rob had reappeared and the men had decided to play some football in the garden with Harry.
"He's going to do himself an injury" Ellen commented as she watched her husband out the window.
Karen laughed just as the bell went.
Her sister and her two children had arrived as had Rob's mum and sister. Karen took little Ella in to her arms enjoying a cuddle whilst taking Noah out into the garden to join the boys.
"Your mum and sister are here" Karen called, Rob's eyes lit up at the sight of Karen with her little niece.
Noah began to run around with his grandad and cousin, Harry wasn't really playing fairly.
"Harry share with Noah, he's younger than you, don't be so rough" Karen left her dad to police the boys.
"Hello cheeky chops" Rob tickled Ella's chin before he went in to say hello.
"She is gorgeous!" Sarah Rob's sister commented at little Ella who was being very sweet in her aunties arms.
"She is I may just have to keep her" Karen teased before kissing her head which Ella grinned in response to. Olivia, Emilie and Jess were all playing very sweetly as fairies in the lounge whilst the adults sat in the kitchen.
"Ella shall we show Grandma and Auntie Karen how you can walk now" Emma commented taking her little girl into her arms.
"Walking!" Ellen commented excitedly as Noah happened to come in and headed over to his mummy to help her.
"Ok Noah you hold her hand, careful. Don't go too quickly." It was a very sweet sight as Ella toddled along holding on to only her 4 year old brother's hand. She smiled very proud of herself.
"I'm very proud of you, you are such a good big brother" Karen kissed her little nephews cheek before enjoying the embrace of Rob's arms. Karen and Rob both knew they were both wondering whether that would be them with a baby learning to walk. Karen inclined her head at the thought as Rob sweetly kissed her head.
"Oh you hopeless romantics" Cathy commented to which everyone agreed, their parents and sisters smiling proudly. They clearly couldn't be happier for the pair.
Everyone sat down for lunch and the two families were blending beautifully! Jess was sat next to her baby cousin in her high chair playing peek a boo whilst also giggling away with Olivia and Emilie. Noah and Harry were happily talking about dinosaurs and Rob's action man which Rob promised he'd show little Noah later. Their parents nattered away to one another as did their sisters and Rob and Karen watched on happily. There were definitely more times like this to come. Rob placed his hand on her knee sweetly as she placed her hand on top.
"Finished!" The boys shouted in turn.
"Ok wait for everyone else to finish please Noah"
"You two Harry"
They were both itching to get down and play outside.
"Let them go play, they'll only moan" rob commented, karen was swayed.
"Ok you can go play outside." Jess stayed with her little cousin who was now lifting her bib over her face and then pulling it down sweetly.
"You're such a mucky pup" Emma commented as her little girl had smeared her food in her hair as a result and mushed it together with her hands everyone laughed.
Lunch had been a success and everyone had gone home. Harry and Jess were now outside in the garden with their newly built den which Karen had promised them she'd help them make. Karen and rob were sat on the patio with a glass of wine enjoying watching the two of them play so nicely. "It's been nice today" rob commented, his arm around Karen's shoulders as they sat in the late evening sun. "It has, everyone got on so well, Jess, Livy and Em always act as if they've always known each other"
"They do! I love watching them all play together" rob commented sweetly.
"I can't believe Ella is now about to walk!" Karen commented proudly,
"They grow up so quickly"
"They do."
"So, ...a baby" Karen brought up the conversation this time, her eyes remaining on her children, she only looked away when she was certain they were occupied.
"I'd been thinking about it since the day at the park. I've always wanted a baby, I was never with the right person before" Rob was being very honest. The smirk on his cheeks explained his happiness at the thought.
"I never knew that's how you felt. I'd never considered another baby but only because...charlie had been so against the idea" they needed to have this conversation and that meant a hundred percent honesty.
"Does that mean it's something you'd consider now?" Rob asked.
"I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head all day. Watching Jess with Ella at the table... I think a baby would complete us" Rob smiled broadly at her response, a tear genuinely fell from his cheek. Karen caught it with her thumb
"You soppy date"
Karen smiled with the same eagerness and excitement as Rob.
"I love you" rob said passionately as he kissed Karen. They'd decided to try for a baby, they hoped for a little person who was a part of both of them. Karen and Rob watched on in an embrace at Jess and Harry. Maybe Jess was about to get her wish after all. Well she'd have a little sibling whether it was the desired girl or another brother who knows.