He smiled at her words, almost relieved to hear her say them. ‘Is that so?’
‘Yeah.’ She returned his smile, her earlier annoyance and frustration with the media being replaced by a calm, serene sigh that only Will’s relaxing presence could evoke. He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb tenderly caressing her soft skin. She leaned into his touch and relaxed.
‘So … if we’re serious about this dating thing, how do you feel about meeting my family?’
At his words, Sheena jerked her head upright and stared at him.
‘Uh … that’s a little … uh … quick, isn’t it?’
‘Sheena?’ He spread his arms wide. ‘I have to return to the States before Christmas. That’s not that far away.’
‘True. True.’ She took a few calming breaths, then nodded. ‘I guess it’s only fair that I meet your family. Especially as you’ve already met mine. The girls, Janessa and Miles,’ she said by way of explanation.
‘I guess I have.’ He reached for her again, taking her hands in his. ‘It’ll be fine. My parents will adore you.’
‘Are you sure?’ Now that he’d suggested the meeting, she couldn’t help the nervous butterflies that were zinging around her stomach. ‘I’ve never met anyone’s parents before. Jonas’s had both died and I hardly knew mine. What am I supposed to do?’
Will smiled at her, surprised at her nervousness yet unable to believe how adorable she looked. ‘You be yourself.’
‘Do I need to get them a gift? Isn’t it customary to bring a gift when you meet parents for the first time?’
Will shrugged. ‘Bring the girls. My parents love children and will definitely consider spending some time with Adelaide’s star twins a very special gift.’
Sheena nodded and tried once more to calm her breathing. ‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Positive. If we want to move forward, Sheena, we need to do this.’ He leaned forward and brushed one of those rich and tantalising kisses over her mouth. ‘Trust me.’
She breathed out slowly, her entire body trembling as she nodded. ‘OK.’
‘I
’M TERRIFIED!’
Sheena paced around the girls’ room before stopping to check that the baby bag was packed with everything she might need. She’d expressed milk, and the bottles were stored in the special milk compartment. There were enough nappies for her to stay away for a week—at least, that was what Janessa had said.
‘Relax. You’ll be fine,’ Janessa soothed.
‘I don’t know how to meet parents, Ness. I’ve never met anyone’s parents before … well, except for your dad.’
‘You know Miles’s parents. You met them at the wedding.’
‘That’s hardly the same. I wasn’t in love with their son.’
‘I should hope not,’ Janessa retorted, then stopped. ‘Wait a second. You said …’
‘I know what I said and I can’t dwell on it right now. Weren’t you nervous when you met Miles’s parents? What did you do? What did you say? Maybe I can learn something to say.’
Janessa waved her friend’s words away. ‘You’re taking the babies, Sheena. No offence, honey, but no one’s going to be interested in you. Babies have that effect on people, especially your two little darlings.’
‘Will’s hiring a car and the hospital is providing child car seats. This is the first time the girls have travelled in a car. What if we have an accident?’
Janessa walked to her friend and put her hands on her shoulders. ‘Will you calm down? Will’s parents don’t live too far away. It’s about a ten-minute drive from the hospital. Everything is going to be fine.’
‘Is she still in a flap?’ Will asked as he walked into the room.
‘Yes. Come and silence her in a way only you know how. I’ll take the baby bag down to the car. You two can bring the girls.’ Janessa turned and left them alone, Ellie and Sarah were all dressed up in a pair of matching floral dresses, their dark hair tied up with red bows in little fountains on top of their heads. They looked adorable, as did their mother, apart from the flap she was in.
‘I have something for you,’ Will said, and it was only then Sheena realised he had one hand behind his back. ‘Another loofah? This is hardly the time for a bath.’ He laughed. ‘That stopped you from stressing for a moment. Here.’ He shifted and pulled, from behind his back, a beautiful bouquet of brightly coloured flowers.
‘Freesias.’ Sheena gasped. ‘The biggest bunch I’ve ever seen. Oh, Will.’ She accepted the flowers and bent her head to sniff them appreciatively. ‘They’re gorgeous. Thank you. Thank you so much.’
Will beamed. ‘I know you already have a room full of flowers but these aren’t for the girls—these are for you.’
‘And I love freesias. They’re my favourite.’
‘I remember.’
They stood there. Oblivious to anything or anyone else. Absorbed in each other for what felt like minutes but in reality was only a few seconds. His intense blue gaze was like a visual caress as he took in her comfortable shoes, three quarter-length designer jeans and a blue shirt that clung to her feminine curves. She looked incredible, her short dark hair framing her face, her blue eyes, her pink cheeks, her plump, kissable lips.
Will swallowed. ‘You look stunning, Sheenie.’
She put the flowers down for a moment and then looked at her clothes. ‘Are you sure? Because I can go and change if you don’t think this is appro—’
Will stepped forward and kissed her. ‘I
do
like this method of relaxing you,’ he murmured after a moment. ‘Let me put these flowers into some water for you and then we’ll take the girls down to the car,’ he said, reluctantly releasing her from his arms.
A minute later, he walked over to the cribs, where the girls were wide awake.
‘Hello, sweet Sarah,’ he crooned, and was instantly rewarded with the biggest grin Sheena had ever seen her daughter give anyone. Her daughter had good taste. Sarah waved her arms at Will, desperate to be picked up, and he didn’t disappoint her, scooping her up and pressing kisses to her cheeks.
Ellie started to grizzle, which she only did when she thought she was being left out. Sheena instantly collected her daughter and took her over to Will so he could say hello to her. Ellie rewarded him with big smiles and leaned forward, her arms outstretched. Will shifted Sarah over and accepted Ellie as Sheena handed her over.
‘They both adore you,’ she murmured with a smile.
‘The feeling’s mutual. Right, time to go.’ Will looked at her. ‘Ready?’
‘As I’ll ever be.’ She spread her arms wide and let them fall back down to her sides in a gesture of surrender.
‘Excellent. Then let us away!’
Janessa was at the car, waiting for them at the front of the hospital. Sheena and Will clipped the girls into their car seats before heading off, waving goodbye to Janessa as Will drove them from the hospital. He reached over and took her hand in his.
‘Still OK?’
‘Yes. It felt strange the other day when you took us to the gardens but this is … well, this is really giving the girls a taste of normal life.’
Will nodded. ‘It happens often to people who have prolonged stays in hospital.’ They continued to chat as he drove carefully towards his parents’ home. He turned off the main road, heading into an older suburb, the trees high, the gardens lush and green from the recent rain. They passed a little creek with a small play park next to it. Will pointed to it.
‘Before they made that area into a park, it was sort of like a mini-quarry and my brothers and I would spend a lot of time playing there, creating imaginary games of intergalactic war, often refusing to allow our sisters into the game at all. Then the girls would run and tell Mum or Dad and we’d be instructed, in the most direct way possible, to allow them to play, and of course the girls used to really mess the game up. Where we boys were content to roll around in the dirt and hide behind the rocks and shrubs for protection against the high-powered laser blasters contained in our index fingers as we tried to save the omniverse from imploding, my sisters wanted to tidy the place up and make delicious mud pies.’ He grinned widely. ‘It was all very stereotypical.’
Sheena laughed. ‘It sounds like … fun.’
‘It must have been so difficult for you, growing up alone.’ He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. The love and trust that ran between himself, his parents and his siblings was incredibly strong and while, over the years, he might not have been able to see them as much as he would have liked, the bond was still there and as strong as ever. He knew his mother would instantly warm to Sheena but would Sheena allow herself to accept such open love? From the little she’d told him about her parents and the lack of affection they’d shown their only daughter, he hoped she really was able to leave it behind her and move forward.
‘I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you but of one thing I am absolutely sure, and that’s that your daughters will have a fantastic time growing up with you as their mother. They’ll laugh and argue and learn how to deal with the world, and you’ll be able to enjoy it all with them.’
Sheena felt a tightening in her chest at his words. ‘I hope so. It’s what I’ve always wanted from the moment I first discovered I was pregnant.’
‘My mother always said that being a parent gives you the chance to enjoy a second childhood,’ Will continued, ‘and you get to do it with all the knowledge of an adult so you don’t make silly mistakes like thinking you can ride your bike off a ramp constructed with some bricks and a plank of wood, and do a loop in the air and land perfectly on two wheels.’
Sheena pushed aside her internal panic and smiled at him. ‘You didn’t?’
‘Oh, I did, and had a cast on my arm for eight weeks to prove it.’
‘I’m starting to be thankful I had girls, not boys.’
‘Oh, don’t let gender fool you. Sarah has enough fight in her to give you a run for your money and Ellie …’ He glanced at the girls, who he could see in the rear-view mirror. ‘Well, the quiet ones are usually the most stubborn.’
She nodded in agreement. ‘You know them so well, Will. I have no idea how I’m going to cope with one girl who’s stubborn and one who’s a fighter.’ He brought the car to a halt outside a charming yet nostalgic brick-veneer home as Sheena once more battled her own insecurities. It didn’t appear that she would be able to suppress them, especially when today she would be surrounded by all the reminders of everything she’d missed growing up—a loving family. What Will had said was true. She
did
have the opportunity to have a second childhood, to leave her own upbringing behind and start afresh. Still doubt niggled. ‘How am I ever going to cope alone?’
Will switched off the engine and turned to face her. ‘You won’t be alone, Sheenie.’
It wasn’t until he urged her closer that she realised she’d spoken her concern out loud. Will leaned towards her, capturing her lips with his. Sheena’s eyelids fluttered closed as she sighed into the kiss, drawing hope and strength and a yearning desire to always have this man in her life, to have him beside her as the father of her children as they lived together for the rest of their lives. Was it possible to believe in such a fairy-tale? Throughout her entire life she’d wanted the fairy-tale, the happily-ever-after ending.
Now here she was, outside the home of Will’s parents, with Will close to her, kissing her, making her feel cherished, wanted, needed, loved. She kissed him back with all the love in her heart, wanting him to know that she’d never stopped loving him, that hurting him all those years ago had been the worst moment in her life and that she really wanted nothing else than for the two of them to make a ‘proper’ family with her girls. It was the fairy-tale … but she knew of old that fairy-tales never came true.
‘Sheena,’ he whispered against her mouth, their breathing slightly erratic. ‘I can’t stop thinking about you, wanting you, needing you and—’
‘There you two are.’ The joyful female tones cut through the air and Will broke off from what he’d been saying and slowly pulled back, obviously not caring whether his mother had seen them kissing or not. He let go of her hand before climbing quickly from the car to come around to her side and open the door for her.
As Sheena stepped out, his mother came to their side and openly embraced her son. Will hugged his mother back, not at all embarrassed by the display of emotion. Sheena felt a lump rise in her throat at the sight. Will was a grown man but the love and respect he had for his mother was clearly evident. She opened the back door, only to discover that both the girls had enjoyed their first car ride so much that they’d drifted off to sleep.
‘They’re asleep,’ she announced with a hint of incredulity in her tone. ‘I mean, I’d heard of parents driving their children around in the car in order to get them to go to sleep but I didn’t think that it actually
worked.’
Will’s mother chuckled and stepped forward, peering around Sheena to see into the back seat of the car. ‘It’s very true, my dear. I remember driving around these very streets with a car full of children, desperate for them to go to sleep so I could at least have some peace and quiet, especially if Stephen was working late. Oh, aren’t they adorable? So precious,’ she remarked of the twins before turning to face Sheena. She opened her arms wide and wrapped them around Sheena in much the same way that she’d hugged her son. ‘And I’m very happy to meet you, too, Sheena.’
In the next instant Sheena found herself enveloped in the warmest, sweetest maternal hug she’d ever experienced. She closed her eyes, wanting to savour every second, the fairy-tale dreams she’d had back in school coming back to life in that one moment. This woman didn’t know her at all, yet Sheena felt complete acceptance. Was this how her baby girls felt when she cuddled them? All warm and secure and loved? How wonderful!
‘I’m Mary,’ Will’s mother said as she released Sheena. ‘And you are very, very welcome. Now, let me help you get these adorable creatures out so you can come inside. I’ve already put the kettle on.’
Unsure whether the girls would wake up or stay asleep but knowing she couldn’t leave them in the car, Sheena and Will unpacked the pram from the back of the car and then carefully transferred the girls from the car seats to the pram. Thankfully, Sarah stayed asleep but the instant they moved her, Ellie woke up, smiling brightly up at Will.
‘Oh, look at the gorgeous smiles on this one,’ Mary cooed, and was more than happy to carry the baby bag into the house while Will and Sheena manoeuvred the pram through the door.
‘Are you all right?’ Will whispered near Sheena’s ear once they were inside.
‘I’m fine. Why?’
He smiled down into her face. ‘You looked a little dazed when my mother hugged you. I probably should have warned you that she’s a very demonstrative person.’
Sheena quickly shook her head. ‘Oh, I’m not worried about that. I think it’s marvellous.’ With happiness sparkling in her eyes, she shrugged one shoulder, feeling a little self-conscious. ‘It’s just that … well … I’ve never been hugged by anyone’s mother before. Not even my own. It was amazing.’
Will stared at her as he comprehended her words. ‘You really have no concept of what a family is like, do you?’
‘I used to watch Janessa and her father interact, amazed at the way they talked so openly and freely with each other. She took his death pretty hard but with her help I’ve learned that pulling a family together from people around you can also give you what you need, even if the people aren’t blood relatives.’
‘And that’s your grounding in family life?’ He wasn’t being critical, he was simply astounded.
‘I guess so.’
‘Then allow me to show you a different sort of family life. The sort of family life you deserve to have with your girls.’
As they stepped into the front entryway of the house, a loud squeal came from the hallway. A second later a toddler ran past them, quickly followed by a boy of about three. A woman laughed somewhere in the house and a deep masculine voice asked when it was going to be time for a coffee break. Sarah slept on while Ellie looked eagerly around at this new scenery.
The walls of the house were decorated with many different photographs, some in black and white, some in colour and all of them framed with mix-and-match frames. There were vases of flowers on most of the tables and an upright piano in the corner. There were paintings, knick-knacks and lace doilies around the place. So incredibly different from the spacious, impersonal mansion where her parents lived. There had been no personal photographs on the walls there, only expensive artwork. Her mother had only worn the latest in couture whilst Mary wore a comfortable cotton dress with little rosebuds all over it, which definitely matched her sunny disposition.