Chapter 18.
Jodi and Matt walked into the Drovers kitchen. His arm wrapped around her lower back, grinning as she explained pretty much everything that happened during the past few weeks. As talkative as always, and he knew that was partly why they matched so well. He loved her talking, and he loved to be the more quiet one too. 'Stevie?', Jodi now called out, a moment later walking towards the hall, calling her name once more as she stared up the stairs.

No response was heard so she turned back to her husband. 'Odd, she just was here with Xander. You should see Xander …', she now started to smile, meeting his dark gazers, feeling how Matt guided her closer to him. 'He is so adorable.' She pretty much forgot the short moment of thinking it indeed was strange Stevie now was nowhere to be seen. 'Can we just hide away in my room', she now said with a softer voice, moving closer to reach for him and to rub the tip of her nose against his.

Matt grinned, feeling how she didn't much succeed until he leaned in, her stomach in the way. 'I wouldn't say no to that', he breathed out, now stealing a kiss from her soft lips. Jodi started to giggle, turning in his embrace to guide him with her upstairs.

***
Stevie held her son tightly as she carefully made her way down the stones towards the one she could sit on. She knew it might not be the best place to take her Xander along to, but it was a place she wanted to show him and she just wanted to be alone at a spot Alex had always treasure.

She sat down and stared over the broad beautiful landscape, sighing out, settling Xander in her lap. 'Ain't it beautiful here?', she started, already whipping away the tears that rolled down her cheek. 'And look at that'. She reached her hand out to the surface of the stone at her right. 'AR …'. She curved her index fingers over the mark in the stone. Xander reached out his hand, just as she did, curious what on earth it was.

It made her smile. 'Yeah daddy did that, and really it spells AR.' Stevie heaved her son up in her arms, positioning him right in front of her, and a moment later Xander's eyes were transfixed on his mothers. 'Promise me when you get older you come down here and carve your name in the stone, just right under your daddies, her.' He made some sounds she couldn't really understand, but she figured it was a yes.

***

Ben stopped his car at the side of the road, seeing Stevie's red Holden position only meters in front of him. Frowning he wondered what it/she did here. It was close to Killarney, but further away from Drovers. He walked to it and just let his eyes search the interior, before he glanced around the area. Taking a few more steps into the grass he saw her small figure down below.

It made him frown even more, knowing it wasn't the most safe spot, surely not to take Xander along to. He carefully made his way down. 'Well well, look what the cat dragged all the way down here', Ben cheekily spoke.

A little startled she looked behind her, seeing how Xander already enthusiastically reached out seeing Ben. Quickly she brushed a few tears away and pressed out a smile. 'Hey what are you doing here?'

'Can ask you the same thing', he stated, sitting down next to her at her right. 'Noticed you car down the road', Ben added.
She smiled; 'just needed some time alone and this is a gorgeous place.'

Ben smirked, reaching out his fingers, which Xander claimed instantly. 'Your mommy is trying to already turn you in a dare devil hey. You can climb rocks later here.' Stevie looked at him, having to smile, knowing eventually Ben wouldn't judge her. 'So how is he doing with taking his first steps?', he now asked.

'He's trying. I guess he will make his true big first steps within a couple of weeks. And we gonna show that to Uncle Ben first thing hey', she now spoke to her son.

Ben studied her, of course he had noticed the teary eyes. 'So exactly why are you up here?', he just asked.

'Matt arrived. It got a bit too close to home seeing the two of them together', she spoke, looking at him, chewing her bottom lip as she felt the tears already marching towards the corners of her brown eyes.

'Right, that must not be easy', Ben said, pinching her knee supportively.

'No', Stevie just said.

'If there is anything I can do …?', Ben asked, seeing her shrug her shoulders.

'Thanks, but you're doing enough. I have to do this on my own. It just hurts to see …', she couldn't finish her sentence, swallowing in the words. He lay his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer against him, seeing how Xander now swept with his little and seemed to wanna join in the hug which made them both smile.