Saturday, 5th November 2022 – Part Two

Roy's phone went off ten minutes after the game ended; the special ring-tone he used for Ruth. He stepped away from the celebrating group and answered.

"Thank goodness, Roy," Ruth said.

"What's wrong?" Roy turned to the team. "Shut the fuck up." The room went silent.

"I'm in the middle of surgery and I'm supposed to be picking Phoebe up at her friend's house in thirty minutes. I've spoken to Gaby's dad, and he can bring her to Stamford Bridge if you can meet him and take Phoebe. I'm going to be in with this man for at least another hour and there's someone else in emergency waiting on me because my replacement tonight is sick and the fucking guy on call is…no one can fucking get a hold of him."

"Give Gaby's dad my number and I'll make sure he can get in."

"Thank you, sorry, bye."

"Bye."

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked, standing at Roy's elbow.

Roy growled. "That prick that Ruth works with is not answering his phone again."

Jamie swore.

"And Phoebe's friend Gaby's dad is bringing her here."

"Good," Jamie said. "She's going to love the bus trip back."

Roy turned around. "You can all make noise again."

"But," Jamie said, sweeping his finger around the room, "keep it clean around Phoebe."

Twenty minutes of celebration later, there was a knock on the door and Beard opened it. On the other side were two little girls standing in front of a starstruck man.

"Jamie," Phoebe called out, spotting him first, she bounced in to hug him. Jamie dropped down to one knee to hug her back. When he stood up the whole team was staring at him. They all beamed and rushed Jamie in a hug that he couldn't explain.

"Hi, Uncle Roy," Phoebe called out when she spotted him.

"Hi," Roy said, tucking her into his side. Then he walked over to the door. "Hello, Gaby."

"Hi, Roy," Gaby said with a smile.

Roy held out a hand to Gaby's father. "Hi, I'm Phoebe's Uncle Roy."

"Kent," the man said. "Sorry…I'm Liam. Nice to meet you."

"Want to come in?" Roy asked. "The boys are all on their best behaviour."

"Yes, please," said Liam, stepping in.

"Daddy is really excited," Gaby said. "Stamford Bridge is his favourite place to watch football."

"I'm a Chelsea man," Liam said. "Grew up watching the team, can I get a photo?"

"Yes," Roy told him, moving to stand next to Liam and grabbing Jamie's elbow to pull his attention around. "Take the photo, Jamie."

"Yes, Coach," Jamie told him, taking Liam's phone.

"Oh, wow, Jamie Tartt is taking my photo," Liam said, smiling for the photo. "Can we get one with Gaby too?"

"Can I have one with Jamie?" Gaby asked. "He was super cool when he came to our school, and that's just Phoebe's uncle."

Roy growled at Jamie who was laughing with Phoebe.

"I'm so sorry," Liam said.

"Don't be," Roy said. "Just being Phoebe's uncle is pretty good."

Phoebe threw herself at Roy and hugged him tight.

"One with Roy," Liam said, "and then one with Jamie; if he says okay."

"Of course," Jamie said. "Let's go."

Phoebe came to help Jamie take the photo and Gaby stood between the two men. Then Jamie and Roy swapped places and Jamie knelt next to Gaby to ask how she wanted her photo. She asked if he could hold her upside down by her ankles which Jamie had not been expecting.

"You alright with that?" Jamie asked Liam.

"Sure, but maybe a normal one too?"

Gaby sighed.

"Can you hold me upside down by my ankles too," Phoebe asked Roy.

Roy glared down at her.

"Please?"

"Why?" Roy asked, biting off the rest of what he wanted to say.

"Because it's cool," Phoebe said.

Phoebe and Gaby looked at one another and shared a look of disappointment with the adults in their lives.

"I can," Roy said.

"Then you and Jamie can take a photo of me and Gaby after Jamie's one with Gaby."

Roy nodded his head and looked over at Sam. "We'll need you to take the photo on my phone too."

"Yes, Coach," Sam said, smiling brightly.

They took the series of photos and Roy organised for an old friend of his to take Liam and Gaby around the stadium.

A few minutes later, the team left for the bus. Roy stood on one side of Phoebe, with Jamie's hat pulled down over her face, and Jamie flanking her other side to make sure no one got a proper photo of her. As soon as they were on the bus, Phoebe stood on the seat next to Jamie, one of his arms hooked around her knees to keep her steady while Roy made sure everything was sorted for them to leave and then stood at the front of the bus to talk to the whole group.

"We have a short trip," Roy told them all. "Then I want you all to go out and celebrate our excellent game!"

The team cheered and Roy clapped Kenneth on the shoulder, so they started off.

Roy walked down the bus. "Why are you standing on the seat?"

"I don't want to miss anything," Phoebe said.

Jamie stood up and slid across the aisle to sit there.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked.

"So you can sit with Fifi," Jamie told him, like it was obvious.

Roy nodded and moved into the seat, looking up at his niece. "You will be careful, won't you?"

"No blood when I'm with Uncle Roy," Phoebe promised.

"I try and keep that as my mantra too," Jamie told her, holding a hand out for a fist bump.

"How is the pool going?" Phoebe asked.

"The foundations are down, and the walls are being built next week," Jamie told her.

"How long is it going to take, because it's been forever," Phoebe told them.

"It's been about a week since we stood under the house," Roy told her.

Phoebe sighed and dropped down onto the chair and tucked herself into him. "Can we go down and have a look?"

"From the outside," Roy told her. "Nigel won't be there."

"Okay," Phoebe sighed. "What are we having for dinner?"

Roy sighed. "No idea at the moment."

"I'm starving," Phoebe told him.

"Mummy and Simon are going to Bath next week for a trip," Jamie told her. "Have you ever been to Bath?"

"What does that have to do with being hungry?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing," Jamie said. "I've only been to play there, I'm a bit sad I don't get to see it with them."

"You could ask your gaffer about a day off," Dani said, clapping his shoulder.

"It's not that important," Jamie said.

"If it was just one day," Roy said. "It might be possible."

"It's really not that important," Jamie said.

"I have never been to Bath either," Dani said.

"Or me," Phoebe told him.

"Perhaps we could go for a visit together," Dani said. "Before I go back to see mama."

"Maybe," Jamie said.

"Uncle Roy," Phoebe started, "have you been to Bath?"

"Once," Roy said. "When I was at the Sunderland Academy – they took us there for a fortnight of training with a couple of other academies."

"Really?" Jamie asked. "They didn't do anything like that at the Man City Academy."

Roy nodded. "I did train in the time of the dinosaurs."

Phoebe laughed, hugging her arms around him.

Jamie laughed too, watching Roy's lips twitch with his own mirth. "I can make you a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches when we get back to Roy's house."

"Do you have any ham?"

"Yes," Roy told her.

"Can they be ham and cheese toasted sandwiches?" Phoebe asked.

Jamie nodded.

"Sounds mint," Phoebe said, curling her arms around Roy's arm in a hug and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mint?" Roy asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Mint."

Roy looked over at Jamie who poked his tongue out at Roy.

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When they finally made it back to Platypus Green, Phoebe collected Cruyff to her chest as Roy took their things to the laundry and Jamie started making Phoebe a sandwich. She sat at the table, Cruyff cradled to her chest.

"Why are you getting out the air fryer?" Phoebe asked.

"Wait until you try a toasted cheese sandwich made in here," Jamie told her, putting the sandwich together.

"Can I have two please?" Phoebe asked.

"Won't that ruin your appetite?" Jamie asked.

Phoebe shook her head and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I know that trick."

Phoebe laughed and Jamie started making a second sandwich. He slid them into the air fryer and turned it on.

Jamie heard the washing machine turn on and he listened to Roy cleaning out the kitty litter, washing his hands, swearing at how cold the water was coming through the pipes, and then heading for them.

"What do you want for dinner?" Jamie asked Roy when he came through the door.

"Are you cooking dinner?"

"I can offer you toasted cheese sandwiches after Fifi's are done."

"No, I'll make you that broccoli salad with pumpkin and chicken pasta."

"Okay," Jamie said.

"What are we watching tonight?" Phoebe asked.

"Aren't we going to keep working our way through Disney movies chronologically?" Roy asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Can I eat my sandwiches in the lounge room?"

"No," Roy told her. "You'll sit at the table."

"Okay, can I have some juice?"

Roy poured her a glass of orange and mango juice and then placed it in front of her. The air fryer beeped and Jamie pulled the two sandwiches out and slipped them onto a plate.

"Be careful," Jamie said. "They're hot."

Phoebe nodded.

"I'm going upstairs to change," Roy said.

"I need a shower," Jamie said.

"Be good," Roy told Phoebe. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Phoebe nodded and let Cruyff go so she could wash her hands and then eat her food.

Jamie walked up the stairs, Roy following behind him.

"What did you say to the team about living here to make Sam so worried?" Roy asked when they reached the main bedroom.

"I was just worrying that you wouldn't like me staying here for long."

"You can live here for as long as you want," Roy told him.

"What if you get sick of me."

"What if you get sick of me?" Roy countered.

"I can't think of any reason I'd get sick of you," Jamie told him.

"You should ask Keeley," Roy said with a grumble.

Jamie nodded. "She wasn't saying she was sick of you."

"She was saying I'm too much."

Jamie nodded. "I haven't noticed."

Roy smiled, pulling Jamie into a slow kiss.

"Want a shower?" Jamie asked.

Roy sighed. "Phoebe's downstairs."

"She'll be watching TV by now," Jamie told him.

"No, she's not, I said she couldn't."

Jamie laughed. "Go and check."

Jamie stripped off, dropping his clothes into the washing basket and heading for the shower. He had just stuck his head under the hot spray when there was a gust of cold air on his backside.

"She is fucking watching TV."

Jamie turned and pushed the water from his face. "She's a kid left alone, of course she's watching TV, and you said she couldn't eat in the living room, not that she couldn't have the TV on."

"Mmmhmm," Roy grumbled, pressing closer to Jamie. "Should I move in tomorrow?"

Jamie nodded. "Definitely."

"Do you want to go to Bath?" Roy asked, kissing along Jamie's neck.

"I do but I don't need to," Jamie said. "When I spoke with Dr Sharon, we decided it's a little bit of sibling jealousy because there are going to be so many things that I won't be a part of in the life she and this baby are going to share."

Roy pulled back. "You could see if City would take you back."

"I don't want to," Jamie said, turning and wrapping his arms around Roy. "I want to be here."

"When you change your mind I'll understand," Roy told him.

"I'm not going to change my mind. I'm a greyhound."

Roy nodded, reaching for the body wash. He washed Jamie with care and then let Jamie return the favour. They stepped out of the shower together, dried themselves off with warm towels and Jamie put on his fluffy, warm clothes with a pair of bright socks to go downstairs while Roy did his knee exercises. Jamie sat on the couch near Phoebe's feet where she was lying down holding Cruyff and watching TV.

"Did Mum say what time she was going to be home?" Phoebe asked.

"She was in the middle of surgery when she called," Jamie said. "I'm sure she'll call when she knows."

"That other doctor sucks!"

"We should send Roy to deal with him."

"Who am I dealing with?" Roy asked.

"That other doctor," Phoebe said.

"Definitely," Roy said, going into the kitchen. He came back with a drink for himself and a protein shake for Jamie and lifted Phoebe's legs to sit next to Jamie with Phoebe's feet in his lap.

"We're up to 'Sword in the Stone', Jamie said, looking at their list.

Phoebe handed Roy the remote who passed it over to Jamie. Jamie found the movie with a laugh and they settled down to watch.

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