The following morning Laura woke to Robbie kissing her gently on the cheek, she turned to face him.
"Good morning Mr Lewis", returning his kiss.
"Good morning to you too Mrs Lewis", as he put his hand around her waist.
His phone rang, he was ignoring it until she moved to get out of bed. He reached over to answer it.
Laura got dressed, went downstairs to make breakfast. Robbie took a call from Lyn. He was a good half hour on the phone before he joined her.
"Sorry about that pet, she was just so excited when I told he we set a date for the wedding", he moved towards the counter to put the kettle on for a cuppa.
"That's good, god there is so much to think about", she was looking at him across the kitchen.
"She thinks we need a party", as he drank his tea.
"Like an engagement party?"
"Yes", searching her face for a response.
"Ok", she said to him as a tear rolled down her cheek.
He moved closer to her to wipe away the lone tear and take her in his arms, just holding her.
Over the next few days they had met up with Jean and James for a few drinks, they told them of the date for the wedding and Lyn's suggestion for an engagement party, to this suggestion James lifted his pint, "I will drink to that", a big smile on his face.
"Robbie, don't let him organise a stag party, or you may not get to your wedding, you could be left on a lake", jean said nudging James and taking a sip of her drink.
"Ha ha".
He leaned over to her as if whispering but so the others could hear, "I could give you a few tips for a hen's party", nudging jean who was laughing at this point.
They talked some more about the wedding and ideas that Laura and Robbie had.
After a couple of hours, they went their separate ways, saying their goodbyes to each other.
James watched Laura and Robbie walk one way as he took jean's hand going the opposite direction.
"How are you with party planning?" nudging her as they walked along.
"I hope you don't plan to go over the top with this James? Or I will be visiting you in the morgue", laughing at him.
"ME, I would not do that for an engagement party, now maybe for a stag party", smiling raising his eyebrows as he looked at her. She just rolled her eyes to him.
"No, just thinking of getting people gathered and places to stay and so on", she could relax now walking along with him.
"Who do you need to make arrangements for?" she asked him.
"well to start, I need to ring Lyn to ask a few questions, so Lyn her partner and son, ken, then ring Ellen, also Laura's brother, oh this is going to be fun and such a surprise", he was sounding like a big child now.
He took jean back to his place, still grinning like the cat that got the cream.
There was no set date for the engagement party. A few days later James rang Lyn, to inform her of such a party. Ken was on standby to get a flight home. He rang Ellen to inform her of said party, he was going to arrange where they would stay. Ellen contacted Laura's brother herself, his wife and children would stay at jean's there was plenty of room.
A few days later at work James and Robbie were talking about this engagement party, who was on the guest list. They set a date of Saturday week for the party. When Robbie was out of the office, James sent a text to Lyn and Ellen.
Jean sent an internal email excluding Robbie of course, of when and where the party would be and for no one to let it out.
Jean had contacts about catering.
The day of the party, James arranged to meet Lyn in Oxford to show her to his place. Ken had arrived the previous day. They were told of the setup, pub at 8, Robbie and Laura think only a few will attend.
Laura's brother Brad was given Jean's address. He found the house with ease. Ellen had arrived at her hotel safely.
It was arranged all guests be at the party by 7, were the happy couple would be there by 8. Jean arranged to be designated driver, or so the happy couple thought.
When they arrived, James and jean walking in ahead, Robbie and Laura followed to cheers of surprise.
Both stood there in shock and surprise that it was a much bigger deal than expected.
To the side Robbie say Lyn and ken, really happy as Lyn had kept saying she could not make it.
Laura spotted Brad, "hi there, how did you manage to get here?" just then James appeared with a cheesy smile.
"I believe, this is your organiser", patting James on the shoulder.
"If this goes well, I might let you organise Robbie's stag", letting out a little laugh as she hugged him for all the organising.
Laura spotted jack running towards her, she bent down for a big hug.
"I missed you little man", hugging him.
"I missed you grandma laula, we are staying at his house", pointing towards James.
"I must thank him for letting you stay", looking at the little boy.
Robbie came to join Laura.
"Granda, I missed you", turning to give Robbie a hug.
"He said they are staying at James' place, Brad is staying at jean's, god they thought of everything", resting her head on his shoulder, he hand his hand on the small of her back.
They were amazed to see colleagues from work, people who like the two of them.
She spotted Ellen in the crowd, as Laura moved closer, she saw her date was Peterson, of all people bloody Peterson.
She went over to say hello, Ellen giving her a hug and Peterson a peck on the cheek.
"Congrats to you and Lewis", raising his glass to her.
"Thanks, I hope you are enjoying yourself?"
When they sat to eat, Jack wanted to sit with Laura and Robbie. The night was going alright.
"Granda, can I stay with you tonight?" ruffling his hair, "sorry not tonight, I think you will be sleepy long before me", the child letting out a yawn.
"I don't think so, I can stay awake all night".
"I'm sure you can, but eventually you will need your sleep", as he snuggled into Laura.
"I think I'm blown out now", Robbie said to Laura looking at jack.
"Always room for you", leaning over to kiss him.
"My mammy and daddy always do that, yuck", they both laughed at this.
"Will you be my girlfriend, when I get bigger Laula?" he asked.
"Do you not have anyone near where you live, because I live far away?"
"No, only aunt Thea, I don't like her, we stayed with her before", as Laura looked to Robbie and both at Jack.
"Ah, that's not nice to say you don't like someone", as jack was sitting on her lap.
"She kept saying she was my nanny, not you Laula", he buried his head into her crying.
Robbie saw the look on Robbie's face, afraid of what could or might happen.
He was rubbing his hand up her back, kissing her forehead, not moving from her side.
"Hay, grandma laula is not going anywhere ok, you have grandma Laula and Grandma Betty (Tim's mother), no one else is your grandma, ok Jack", ruffling the boys hair, in return he got a nod.
As the music changed, Lyn took jack while Robbie and Laura got up to dance.
"I'm sorry pet", keeping his arms around her waist.
She would not answer. She danced with him, then went to mix with the other guests.
Robbie did not say anything to Lyn, he would wait till the next day.
As the evening drew to a close, James ordered taxis for all, each went their own way. Lyn had left earlier as jack fell asleep.
When Robbie and Laura got home she sat on the sofa, he joined her, and she rested her head on his shoulder and cried.
He put his arms around her not saying anything.
He carried her upstairs to bed.
For what should have been a happy night did not feel so.
They undressed, got into bed and drifted off to sleep.
She woke up crying, arms going every direction, shouting, "No, no", he sat up, arm around her, "shush, its ok", she woke slowly, crying buckets, he did not know what to say, she just put her arms around him.
"Hay there, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere", a gut feeling the nightmare was of Jack's mention of Thea.
She was fighting him shouting, "No", but he refused to let her go.
Rubbing her cheek, "It's me Robbie, Laura, I love you, I am not going anywhere", she began to relax into him, snuggling into him, just smelling him, he was here for her.
She drifted back to sleep, he knew he had to tell Lyn.