Final Call
"Theo?" Kelise said quietly, walking into Raul's bedroom where Theo and Cassie were sitting.
"Yeah?" Theo turned around.
"There's someone here to see you." Kelise nodded with a small smile as Theo turned to Cassie with confusion.
After he had finished up at the tattoo parlour for his first session, they headed back to Raul and Kelise's house. They had mostly just been sitting by Raul's bed. He would muck up the strength to have a small conversation every now and then, but for the most part he was completely out of it, with home nurses in and out almost every hour.
"I'll stay here." Cassie nodded as Theo stood up, leaving the bedroom with Kelise and heading towards the front door. The bedroom they were using was on the ground floor for easier access.
It had been incredibly difficult to sit by his father's side, watching him slowly dying, losing his ability to walk, to laugh, to eat by himself, and now, to even speak much. But he couldn't imagine not being by his side to provide any kind of comfort. Despite their rocky relationship, all he wanted now was for his dad to pass peacefully with his family around him.
"Hey." Matthew nodded, standing at the door as Theo raised his eyebrows.
"What are… how did you…" Theo shook his head with surprise, "What are you doing here?" He asked whilst wrapping his arms around his little brother.
"I'll go sit with Cassie." Kelise told them, wandering back through to the bedroom around the corner.
"I can't… function properly." Matthew said, "Not knowing he's here… dying. And you're on your own watching it." He shook his head.
"I'm not on my own." Theo assured him.
"I… I don't want him to die without… without me and him…" Matthew sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Look, I've been back and forth about it all for a while. Me and him didn't get along. Even more so than you and him." He said, "But I don't want him to die thinking I hated him. Cause I didn't." He nodded, "Lilian told me I might end up regretting not showing up and I think she's probably right."
"I would never have judged you. It's your decision." Theo nodded.
"I know. And I've made it." Matthew said, "Almost pissed my pants on the flight here. And in the cab." He admitted as Theo nodded, knowing the feeling, "I ain't been here since I was a kid, you know. It's super weird for me."
"Kinda weird for me too." Theo said, "But… I mean, we can put on our big boy pants and get through this, can't we?" He asked.
"Yeah." Matthew nodded, "Yeah, we can."
"I'm glad you're here." Theo nodded sincerely as Matthew patted his arm, stepping into the house and closing the door over, "How are my kids?" He asked, leading the way to where Raul was.
"All good. Picked them up from your in-laws at the weekend there. Took Chase to the Cubs game and Lil took Lena shopping with her, although she said Lena slept the whole time." Matthew explained, "Then we had pizza later on."
"Sounds like fun." Theo nodded.
"Yeah, and Lil is all broody over Lena. Thank you for that." Matthew rolled his eyes as Theo chuckled.
"Damn my cute daughter." Theo nodded.
"Yeah." Matthew agreed, stopping outside the bedroom, "What… I mean how does he look?"
"He's… pretty frail. Lost a lot of weight. He's been sleeping for the most part." Theo explained, "He's wakening less and less."
"Ok, well… can't stand out here the whole time." Matthew took a deep breath as Theo nodded, opening up the door and heading on into the room.
"How have you been?" Miles asked, sitting in a coffee shop with Jude where they had agreed to meet up.
"I'm doing alright." Jude nodded, "Just… a lot to adjust to, I guess. The new apartment. Not seeing the girls every day like I'm used to." She said, "And I feel like you're probably thinking that I've just forgotten you exist." She shook her head.
"I'm not thinking that." Miles smiled a little, "I can see you clearly have a lot to handle. You got other, more important things that need your attention." He nodded.
"I haven't forgot you." Jude clarified, "In fact, I… I've barely stopped thinking about you." She admitted, feeling her face go a little flushed as he smiled.
"Yeah, likewise." Miles nodded.
"We never really discussed… you know, what would happen…" She paused, trying to think of the right thing she wanted to say, "Obviously I've got my kids and… I will be in contact with Sean regularly but… you and I… what-"
"What are we doing?" Miles finished for her.
"Yeah." She laughed a little, "Yeah, cause we haven't really talked about this part, have we?" She smiled.
"Not really." Miles said, "I didn't know if you just needed a sign for you to leave your husband."
"You weren't just a sign." She shook her head, "I don't… I don't open up to people. I don't tell anyone my business. Not unless I think they're someone who could be in my life for a long time." She said, "Mostly because I've never felt safe enough with anyone to open up to." She nodded, "I guess what I'm trying to say through all this blabbing is… I'd like to see you again, outside of work." She nodded, feeling brave and confident to be so honest with herself.
"I'd like that too." Miles nodded, "I didn't know if I was supposed to wait until you're divorced to ask you out on a date. I mean, I've wanted to ask you out on a date since the first time I saw you." He admitted as she smiled.
"I just… I want you to know what you're getting into. I'm sure it'd be much easier for you to date someone who isn't going through a divorce, or doesn't have kids… I can understand if you realise that maybe this isn't what you wanted-"
"I know what I want." Miles said, "You take whatever time you need to figure out stuff. With your ex, with your kids, I get that all comes before me." He nodded, "I'll be here when you're ready."
"Thank you." Jude smiled.
"I do not deserve this on a Saturday morning." Thea shook her head, sitting in a soft play area amongst tables of other parents, listening to the screaming and shrieking of kids running around crazy.
"Oh, lighten up. They're having fun." AJ smiled happily, watching Sam jumping into the ball pit.
"Kids should have birthday parties in the library." Thea nodded as AJ turned to her unhappily.
"Enough." AJ scoffed, "Why so moody?" She sipped on her coffee.
Sam had been invited to a birthday party, one of the girls in her playgroup was turning four and of course the party was at the very loud and chaotic soft play area. AJ had come along to keep her company and had brought Chase who they had been babysitting whilst Cassie and Theo were gone.
"I'm not moody." Thea scoffed.
"You've not stopped moaning since you picked me up." AJ said, "You're not pregnant, are you?"
"What? No." Thea scoffed, "Why would I be pregnant?"
"You started crying when we passed that dead squirrel on the road." AJ said, "You haven't had a smoke yet." She said suspiciously.
"I'm trying to quit." Thea said.
"So that's why you're moody." AJ nodded whilst Thea sipped on her coffee.
"This environment is not helping." Thea said, "Snotty children running around everywhere."
"Your snotty kid included?" AJ asked.
"I don't have snotty kids." Thea said sassily.
"Oh, of course." AJ nodded along.
"You couldn't tempt dad with a morning out in literal hell?" She asked.
"He's painting the fence." AJ said, "And watching Lena."
"His two designated hobbies." Thea nodded, "DIY and entertaining little girls."
"That's him." AJ agreed, "Where's Sofia and James?"
"Well James was still in his bed when I left. Lazy little shit." Thea nodded, "Sofia was helping Dominic with breakfast. I'm not sure what they were gonna get up to once James risen."
"Mommy!" Sam yelled, running up to Thea.
"Ok, baby. You don't need to scream. I'm right here." Thea nodded.
"Watch me go down that chute." Sam pointed.
"Ok, I'm watching." Thea smiled.
"That one there." Sam pointed, "The pink one."
"Ok." Thea nodded.
"Do you see it?" Sam made sure as Thea looked on at the pink chute right in front of them.
"I can see it." Thea nodded, "Go, I'm watching."
"Ok!" Sam yelled, running away, climbing around the soft play to get to the top of the chute, waving to Thea once she got to the top.
"Her little space buns are adorable." AJ smiled.
"Do you see me?!" Sam yelled as Thea stuck up her thumbs.
"Just go down the chute already." Thea shook her head as AJ laughed a little, both of them watching as Sofia slid down the chute, cheering when she reached the bottom as Sam bowed with thanks, turning her attention back to playing.
"You and Jude were never soft play fans." AJ said, "Cassie used to throw herself down those chutes backwards." She shook her head.
"I swear these are the kind of places where new viruses develop." Thea said, watching a screaming little boy pulling at his mother's legs, wiping his face on her, "That's it. I need a smoke." She shook her head, taking her cup of coffee with her and heading outside as AJ shook her head.
"Mom? Dad?" Jude called, walking into her parents' house, not hearing any response as she travelled to the kitchen, noticing her father outside in the yard whilst eight month old Lena sat on the grass on her blanket playing with some rattles and soft toys.
She walked outside, stepping down the few steps leading into the yard, smiling as she watched her father paint the fence whilst talking to Lena.
"Nana A said this will need three coats of paint." Punk spoke to Lena whilst painting one strip of the fence, "I think we could do it in two, Lena." He admitted as Lena shook her rattle, "You think so too?" He turned to her, jumping a little when he saw Jude standing.
"Hey." Jude nodded.
"You scared me." Punk scoffed, "What you doing standing over there creeping on us?" He asked, dipping his brush back in the pot, moving onto the next strip.
"Didn't want to interrupt the conversation." Jude said.
"She's not very chatty." Punk nodded to Lena teasingly as Jude smiled.
"No, but she is the cutest." Jude said, making her way over to Lena and picking her up, giving her a tight squeeze, blowing raspberries into her neck as the baby girl squealed and giggled, "Yes, you're the cutest." She nodded.
"I was just about to take a coffee break." Punk admitted, "Want some?"
"I've just had some." Jude shook her head.
"Cake? We got cake in there." Punk nodded, sitting his brush down and closing the paint pot over.
"I'm good." Jude smiled, "Mom doesn't let you have a day off, does she?" She scoffed.
"She does." Punk smiled, "I'm the one who can't sit still." He admitted truthfully, "You want a sandwich or something?" He asked Jude.
"Dad, I don't want any food. I'm good." Jude nodded.
"You girls don't eat enough." Punk grumbled, walking off to the house, into the kitchen to make himself a coffee.
"Let's sit down here, huh?" Jude said to Lena, sitting down on her blanket, placing her back down as she grabbed a hold of one of her stuffed toys, showing it to Jude, "Oh, she's lovely." Jude nodded, looking at the stuffed cow which had lipstick on and very prominent eyelashes, "She's a lady cow?" Jude asked Lena who began putting all of her toys onto Jude's lap.
"Lena, you want a nana?" Punk asked, coming back outside with his coffee and a banana, "We can share." He hummed, sitting down on the blanket, peeling the banana and breaking off a little piece for her.
"Clever girl." Jude smiled, "You heard from Cassie?"
"She called a day or two ago. No change with Theo's dad." Punk shook his head.
"Gotta be rough." Jude nodded.
"Dada." Lena said whilst munching on her banana as Punk smiled.
"She'll miss them." Jude said as Punk nodded.
"She kinda likes us though." Punk smiled, "How come we're getting a visit?" He asked her.
"Well Sean is with the girls all day and night. I was actually out for coffee, with Miles." She said as Punk nodded.
"How'd it go?" He asked.
"It was good." Jude nodded, "He wants me to figure what I need to figure out first. With Sean and the girls. I think he knows that's my priority right now." She said, "But… it was nice. I don't know, I just… I have a good feeling."
"So, are you dating?" Punk asked.
"Well, it's definitely going in that direction but I… I just don't want to hurt Sean." Jude sighed, "It's not like I woke up one morning and just lost feelings for him. I still care about him. I still love him." Jude nodded, "Just… not the same way anymore. I want to give him the respect, give him time to adjust to whatever arrangements we come up with." She nodded, "And take it from there."
"Sounds wise." Punk nodded.
"You don't think it's all happened too quick, do you? I know Thea does. She doesn't say it out loud. But I know that's what she thinks." Jude shook her head.
"I fell in love with your mom within a week." Punk said, "If it's right, it's right. Thea's just a protective hater. You know that."
"Yeah." Jude rolled her eyes.
"How have things with Sean been? What's the conversation been like?" He asked, "No, you can't touch, too hot." He warned Lena who was trying to grab his coffee mug, "More banana?" He asked her, breaking off another little piece and handing it to her as she smooshed it into her face.
"She gets stuck in." Jude nodded, laughing a little.
"Yeah, she sure does." Punk chuckled.
"Conversation with Sean has been… ok, I guess. Took a while for him to say anything at all. I think he was in shock. But… at the same time it felt like he knew it was coming. I don't know." Jude sighed, "We're both in agreement that the girls come first. First over our relationship. First over any relationships we may have with other people." Jude nodded.
"Well that's good." Punk nodded, "I know what he did to you was wrong and… well clearly it really messed things up for you guys but… you'll let him know that he's still family, yeah?" He asked her.
"I already have." Jude said, "I guess the aim is for it to be amicable between us and… maybe down the line we can be good friends." She nodded.
"He's had his flaws but… well, I know he loves you. I think he'll do whatever to make sure you're happy." Punk said.
"And I'll do the same for him." Jude nodded, "I want him to be happy too."
"Of course." Punk said, "It'll take some time but… you guys will figure it out." He nodded.