Can't quite believe it, but we've reached chapter 16 and have no intention of ending it soon! Enjoy!
Chapter 16
Ever since the news of the baby being a girl, excitement had filled the Fisher/Scotcher household. Rob had even started on converting the spare room into a nursery. They'd decided on a lovely light turquoise colour, girly without enforcing gender stereotypes. Rob was busy on the second coat of paint when Harry decided that now would be a good time to see how Rob was getting on and began to lean on the wall. Rob hadn't noticed as he was busy painting away.
"It looks really good!" Harry commented sweetly.
"She's going to really like it"
"Thanks bud" rob replied on autopilot before turning around and noticing Harry.
"HARRY! I'VE JUST PAINTED THAT!" Rob shouted so loudly that Harry instantaneously started crying and ran out the room. Rob sighed, he hadn't meant to scare him. Rob threw his paint brush in the tray before attempting to go find Harry to cheer him up and sort him out before he got anything covered in paint! "What's happened?" Karen came in just as Rob was about to leave, having just heard Harry screaming.
"Oh he was leaning against the wall and I shouted at him" Rob felt really bad.
"It's alright, I'll go sort him out"Rob gave Karen a sweet smile. "It's looking really good in here" Karen really appreciated what Rob was doing. She still couldn't quite comprehend that their little baby girl would be sleeping in that room before they knew it. Karen rubbed her small bump, she was definitely showing now and she was embracing every change. She made her way to the grizzling and crying that came from Harry's room.
"Come on you calm down" Karen made her way over to his bed to find Harry lying across it crying, praying that he hadn't just covered his new bedding in paint.
"Rob shouted at me" harry whimpered absolutely distraught.
"I know, he didn't mean to. You were leaning on the wall he'd just painted"
"I didn't mean to" Harry sweetly commented his crying now seized and it was clear he was calming down.
"He knows you didn't, but it's frustrating. Remember what it feels like when you've been sat colouring in your picture for a very long time and Jess comes and colours all over it"
"I don't like it when she does that"
"I know you don't and that's how Rob felt about his wall" Karen felt like she'd calmed down Harry and got him to understand.
"Right shall we get you changed before you cover anything in paint"
As Harry got up she noticed the bedding and sighed. She didn't need this today, she hadn't been feeling great due to morning sickness and now she was having to deal with the aftermath of Harry. Harry began to run around his room and pretend to be Buzz.
"Harry please just stay still before you get paint anywhere else"
"To infinity and beyond"
"HARRY!" He stopped being cheeky and let Karen change his clothes.
"Don't go anywhere I want you to go and apologise to Rob" Karen picked up the dirty clothes and took one more look at the bed in despair before ushering Harry out to apologise.
"Sorry Rob" Harry sweetly commented at the door way, daring not to go in. "It's alright bud, I'm sorry for shouting"
"It's ok, mummy told me how much time you'd spent on it and how annoying it was when I leaned on it" Karen couldn't help but smile when Harry told Rob exactly what she'd told him.
"Well I'm done with this coat shall we go do something in the garden with Jess?"
"Jess's doing some homework I think" Karen added.
"Well just us three then"
"Afraid not, got to attempt to get turquoise paint out of a lovely brand new orange duvet" Karen added, her words full of sarcasm at the impossible task ahead.
"Hey you're meant to be taking it easy" rob added as Harry bounced off down the stairs to find his ball to play with Rob outside.
"I'm fine. I'm only 5 and a half months Rob, it's just some washing. Just some washing I wish I didn't have to be doing."
"Aye, I'll do it... Just after I've played with Harry for a bit" Karen was just about won round.
"Ok, thank you" rob went to give her a kiss and went to place his hands on her belly.
"Ah ah... No way are you putting those paint covered hands anywhere near me" Karen teased. She gave him a quick kiss before going downstairs to check on Jess as Rob picked up the paint covered duvet.
"How you getting on sweetheart?"
Jess was engrossed in her maths homework,
"Nearly done!" Jess declared rather pleased with herself.
"Well done. Well when you're done Harry and Rob are playing in the garden." Jess's eyes remained stuck on her sheet.
"I can't do it!" Jess threw her pencil down.
"what do you mean you can't?" Karen sat down and helped her little girl with her homework. Karen loved moments like this, it made a change from the troublesome teens of waterloo road.
"Look you just need to add these together and work out the difference" Karen watched her little girl then tackle the question. She then placed the pencil down and looked up at her mum "is that right?"
Karen looked over Jess's workings out before smiling.
"Guess your done. This is really good Jess" Karen put her homework away and watched Jess bounce off outside to play as the door rang.
Karen opened the door, "Craig" Karen was pleased to see her little brother, if not a little surprised. She then noticed his large rucksack and the dark circles under his eyes.
"What's happened?" Craig was fighting back tears, Karen had never seen him like this.
"Come in, the kids are outside with Rob". Karen watched Craig closely as he came in a mess and a complete wreck. He sat down on the sofa and cried, hard. "Craig, what's going on?" She sat down next to him and placed her arm around her little brother.
"I don't know what to do. Everything's got too much. I've fallen out with everyone in my room. I'm close to failing this module and"
"So what, have you left?"
"I can't stay there anymore"
"And what you doing about uni?"
"I don't know"
"Well what does that mean? Your nearly done you can't just stop now!"
" I'm not going to give up, I just need to get my head together."
"Right so..."
"I wouldn't ask If I wasn't desperate"
"Craig of course you can stay,your my brother. I'm hardly going to chuck you out on the street now am I" Craig calmed down and gathered himself. He knew he was lucky to have a big sister like Karen.
"Ok the only problem is we no longer have a spare room, Rob's been decorating it"
"Ready for the baby!" Craig was excited at the thought of having another niece, he placed his hand upon his sister's bump.
"Karen the floor would be fine, I just need somewhere for a little bit"
"Your not sleeping on the floor! You can have the sofa. Sorry I don't have any better options"
"Stop! I'm really grateful."
"So have you spoken to mum and dad?" Before Craig could answer Rob ran in with Jess on his back and Harry following him as Buzz.
"WE WIN!" Jess declared.
"Uncle Craig!" Harry bounced all over his uncle before being tickled to death, Jess soon joined in. Rob gave Karen a confused look and she got up to go and explain.
"You didn't say Craig was coming?" Rob questioned as he got a drink out of the fridge.
"I didn't know he was coming, he's having a hard time at uni and fallen out with some of his roommates"
"Right so what's his plan?"
"He's asked if he can stay for a bit... He just needs to get his head together"
"What, so he's staying here?"
"Are you not ok with this?" Karen went and sat down at the kitchen table.
"I'm not saying that...I just. I just feel like we have enough going on here at the moment"
"We're ok, he's just going to have the sofa for a few days. Just so he can work out what happens next. I can't just turn him away!"
This was the first major fight Karen and Rob had, had ever.
"I'm not asking you to do that!"
"Well what exactly is it your asking me?" Karen's voice was raised as Jess waltzed in to see what her mummy was up to.
"Will you come and colour with me mummy?"
"In a bit, I'm just talking to Rob" Jess sweetly went and waited in the lounge, followed by Rob who just left the room and went upstairs.
Craig was sat in the lounge, he could tell him staying had caused friction between his sister and boyfriend. He felt awful, he didn't want to cause this. He knew he was asking too much but Karen was his sister and he just needed her for a bit. Karen stood in the kitchen and took a deep breath. Now what did she do? A familiar duvet happened to catch her eye. She sighed in frustration before throwing it into the washing machine, slamming the door and running up the stairs. Jess and Harry had both heard the washing machine slam and were startled and worried. They hadn't experienced arguing or this level of tension since their dad was around.
Karen opened their bedroom door to find Rob lying on their bed.
"Tell me what you want me to do"
"Karen I'm done with talking about this"
"You can't just make out like there's a problem, run up here like a child and sulk and then tell me you aren't going to talk to me."
"There isn't anything to talk about" rob was being stubborn and behaving like a child but he just couldn't help it. Karen made to leave "thanks for sorting out the duvet for me" Karen slammed the bedroom door shut and went back down the kitchen where she sat nursing a cup of tea. Her children were sat cuddled up with their uncle.
"Rob's going isn't he?" Jess said tentatively which caused Harry's eyes to look up at his uncle, tears beginning to fill up.
"Noone's going anywhere" Craig tried to reassure them.
"But they are really shouting. Daddy left when mummy and him shouted"
"That was different, one day you'll understand. Mummy and Rob are just arguing, it happens sometimes"
"It doesn't" Harry tried to show his uncle how worried he was.
"When people argue it's because they really care about one another. You and Jess argue all the time does that mean you don't care about each other"
"Noo" Harry said sweetly before his big sister gave him a cuddle.
"Then I promise you mummy and Rob are fine, it's just adult stuff"
"I don't like adult stuff" Jess said hilariously.
"Yeah, truthfully uncle Craig doesn't either" he replied honestly.
Craig decided to leave his niece and nephew playing and go and talk to his sister. He sat down at the table, he could tell she was doing the thing karen does best and trying to hold back how she was actually feeling but it was hard when her brother, who knew her so well was sat opposite her.
"Look, I think I should probably go" Craig wasn't being bitter or childish, he just could see what him being their was doing to the family.
"What do you mean, you can't go. What will you do?"
"I'll ask a friend"
"Craig you aren't going" Karen brushed back the tears that had fallen. Craig took hold of his sister's hand, "I'm really grateful for your offer Karen but it's clearly not doing any good for you and Rob. Harry and Jess have just been sat cuddled up with me, worried about how Rob's leaving"
"What?"
"The shouting and slamming doors seems to have brung back memories of Charlie" Karen was mortified and saddened, charlie had ruined their children.
"I won't lie to you, Rob's not entirely comfortable with you staying here. I'm not sure why, he won't talk to me"
"It's fine, honestly"
"Craig I'm your big sister, I'm not just going to abandon you. You asked me for help and I'm going to help you" Craig was so lucky to have his sister,he loved her so much and he always knew he could count on her.
"Ok here's a compromise, you stay the one night and we phone mum and dad to work out the rest. They won't be disappointed in you, you're doing the right thing getting away from the flat, it's clearly not where you want to be and if that means living with mum and dad for a bit till you've done your degree, then that might just have to be the way"
"Thanks" Craig kissed her cheek.
"Plus free rent, who wouldn't turn that down" Karen joked with her brother. Their parents had always been such pushovers with money. They would do anything to protect their children, especially Craig who was the baby of the family.
Having spoken to Craig and now armed with a clearer head, Karen went to find Rob. She headed for their bedroom but stopped when she heard the distinct sound of brush strokes.
"Rob?"
"Needed to distract myself... I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, I just want to understand"
"I'm just being over protective. I just felt like you had a lot on with everything else without having to take on your brother. You can't over do it, your pregnant" Karen couldn't help but smile, Rob's intentions had been sweet he just hasn't explained them well.
"I promise you I won't do anything to harm this baby. I love it too much to do that" rob came and gave her a kiss which she so desperately needed.
"I've spoken to my brother, he feels like he's in the way after that out burst"
"I'm really sorry! I'll speak to him!" Karen could just see that Rob was having one of those days where it was one thing after another. "Anyway he's going to just stay tonight and then tomorrow he's off to mum and dad's"
"Well that sounds like the best plan, there's more space there. But he's welcome here anytime! I didn't mean to be rude, I just..."
"You were just being over protective daddy and that's allowed sometimes and I think Craig gets that." She gave him a kiss because she just couldn't resist the Scotcher charm.
"Oh Craig said something that's seriously concerned me" rob looked at Karen with complete worry.
"Harry and Jess thought the arguing meant that you were leaving" Karen looked at Rob with a look that just said hold me. "Hey, it's ok. I promise I'm never leaving you. I love you, I love Jess and Harry. And I love our unborn baby" rob captured her cheek with his hand and kissed her once more.
They headed down the stairs to speak to Jess and Harry.
"Are you ok now?" Jess asked sweetly, Harry's brow was still full of concern.
"Come here you two" rob sat down and had his arms out for each child to bury in next to him for a hug. He gently brushed the hair away from their eyes soothingly as he attempted to reassure them. "Now I want to reassure you that I'm not going anywhere ever"
"Ever ever?" Harry asked
"Ever ever ever ever ever" rob said quickly making Harry laugh, the laugh which Rob loved so much.
"I'd miss you if you went" Jess added in sweetly.
"Well good job he isn't going anyway then" Karen added in as she snuggled in on the action. Craig sat opposite them on the armchair admiring his sisters family.
"Craig I'm really sorry about earlier. I was just being overprotective of Karen doing too much. I had no right to make you feel unwelcome and your welcome anytime" Karen really did feel lucky to have Rob. They argued, they fought but that never took away from how much they loved each other.