Three Days

by Ariadne Wayne

  “You okay, monkey?” I asked.

  Carly nodded, staring solemnly at her mother.

  “Mum’s just got to rest now. She’ll be fine. We just have to look after her.”

  She nodded. “You’re our ‘sponsibility, Mummy.”

  Carly smirked, pulling Carly’s chin towards her face until they touched noses. “Yes, boss.” She looked up at me, her eyes shining, sucking her lips in as if trying not to laugh.

  “That’s right. She is our responsibility. We need to take really good care of her,” I said, meeting Maddy’s gaze. Love this woman so damn much.

  Carly nodded solemnly

  Maddy’s eyes, usually so full of life and emotion, were dead. The brief light I saw sparking in them with Carly had faded away by the evening, and she watched me as I climbed into bed beside her, pulling the blanket up and making sure she was covered.

  “Come here,” I said, sliding my arm under her neck. She closed her eyes briefly, opening them again to look at me. The purple smudges under her eyes showed just how much she needed rest. “You look so tired.”

  “It’s hard to sleep in the hospital, and the only night we’ve spent apart since we were married was when Carly was born. I hated sleeping alone.”

  I raised my hand to her face, stroking her cheek. “You’re back where you belong now. I was so scared, Maddy.”

  “All I could think about was you,” she whispered. “I was so worried what you would do if anything happened to me. I know you have Carly to take care of, but …”

  I gripped her chin with my hand, pulling her face closer to mine. “You are everything to me, Maddy. You and Carly. I can’t imagine a world without either of you. I love you so much.”

  Kissing her softly, I moved back a little to look at her eyes. They gave away nothing, and I pulled her closer.

  “I just need some sleep. I won’t have any problems now I’m home with you.”

  She snuggled up to me, and I listened to her breathing as it slowed, the sound as familiar to me as her voice. It brought me reassurance that she was safe in my arms. Nothing could harm her here.

  My own sleep called to me as the moments passed, and I gave up the fight, letting my eyes close and joining my wife in her slumber.

  We were woken in the morning by Carly bouncing on the bed to greet her mother. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and yawning, shaking my head at her energy.

  “Carly, leave your mother alone. She needs to rest.”

  “I’m fine.” Maddy’s sleepy voice said. “You two are the best medicine.”

  Carly walked to the head of the bed, sliding down under the blanket between us. She wrapped her arms around Maddy’s neck, and Maddy grinned, hugging her tight.

  “Good morning, monkey. Want to snuggle with me?”

  Carly nodded. “I missed you when you were in the hostibal.”

  “I missed you too. But, I’m home now, so we can spend heaps of time together.”

  I stroked Carly’s soft hair while she snuggled into Maddy. My two beautiful girls. Loving them was the easiest thing in the world to do, and we were all soon drifting asleep, cuddled up together.

  When I woke again, the two of them were still both snoozing, and I slid out of bed as quietly as I could, on a mission to make pancakes for my sleeping beauties.

  I stood in the kitchen, mixing the flour and eggs together, whipping them into a batter to cook when two warm hands slid up my bare chest.

  “Hmm.” Maddy nibbled on my neck.

  “What are you up to?” I turned my head to kiss her.

  “Feeling up my husband. He of the magnificent chest.”

  Her fingers stroked my skin, feeling every groove, exploring every inch of me.

  “Maddy, you really need to stop doing that unless you really want me to throw you over my shoulder and …”

  She pulled me around to face her. “Maybe you should. Carly’s fast asleep.”

  “You need to recover. I’m not about to risk hurting you more.”

  Maddy pouted, the beautiful lips I loved to kiss turning down at my rejection. I grasped her chin, tilting her head up towards me. “Tonight, when the monkey has gone to sleep, I’ll take you to bed and kiss every inch of you. Would that make you happy? I know it would make me happy.”

  She sighed. “I turn into a puddle when you look at me that way.”

  I bent my head to kiss her, touching my lips against hers ever so gently. “I hope that’s always the case. Love you.”

  Wrapping her arms around my waist, she snuggled in against my chest. “I love you too.”

  The sudden scream of the smoke alarm caused her to yelp in surprise before bursting out laughing. The butter melting in the frying pan had burned out and the smoke rising off the cooktop had the alarm wailing.

  She let go of me, while I grabbed the plastic handle of the frying pan, picking it up and dumping it into the sink of warm water waiting for the dishes.

  We looked at each other, laughing as the pan fizzled in the water. I went into the living room and pressed the button on the alarm to stop the noise just as Carly came wandering out of the bedroom, her hands over her ears.

  “You’re so noisy,” she scolded.

  “Yes, I am.” I bent and scooped her up into one arm, while reaching for Maddy with the other. “So, I think once I’ve cleaned up the mess I’ve made, I’m going to take you two out for pancakes.”

  “Can we see Mia and Charlie?” Her eyes widened.

  “Mia and Charlie?” Maddy looked at me.

  “Rowan’s kids.” I looked back at Carly. “Not today, sweetheart. I think it’ll just be the three of us, and we’ll take care of Mummy while she gets better.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell, the disappointment obvious.

  Maddy reached up to stroke her cheek. “Tell you what. During the week we could bake some cupcakes and take them around to Mia and Charlie’s mum and dad to say thank you for you staying there.”

  Carly nodded, her little face lighting up at the idea.

  “Are you sure about that?” I asked.

  “They didn’t have to help us, but they did. And I appreciate it. Besides, don’t you think I’m a little curious about meeting Rowan?”

  I kissed the top of her head, and laughed. “Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  For the first time ever, I came home to an empty house. No sign of Maddy or Carly; no noise, just the silence. I hated it.

  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I sent a quick text.

  Where are you? I just got home.

  Seconds later came the response. Picking up fish and chips for dinner. I’m running a bit late.

  I sat on the couch, flicking on the television. The news was full of awful, miserable stories and I stared at the screen, wondering just what kind of a world Carly would grow up in. At least within our own home she was loved, protected. Wherever she went in her life, I hoped that would always be the case.

  She came screaming through the door, all curls and laughter. “Daddy,” she screeched, jumping onto the couch and into my arms.

  “Hey, monkey.”

  “Mummy got me chicken nuggets with the chips.”

  I tickled her under the chin. “Did she now? Aren’t you a lucky girl?”

  “I don’t know about her, but I’m planning on being lucky.” Maddy leaned over the back of the couch, kissing me and waggling her eyebrows.

  “We all lucky!” Carly exclaimed. Maddy dissolved into fits of laughter, taking her precious food parcel to the kitchen to serve.

  “What did you get up to today?” I asked Carly as she snuggled under my arm.

  “We saw Mia and Charlie.”

  “Did you now?” Maddy had asked for Rowan’s address, but I didn’t know if Maddy would go through with meeting her.. This shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was.

  “Mummy made chocolate cupcakes.”

  I tapped her on the nose. “You’re double lucky, then. Come here.”

&n
bsp; Snuggling up on my lap, Carly kissed my cheek and I switched to a cartoon. No big, bad news stories for my little girl.

  Maddy reappeared with three plates. “Screw sitting at the table,” she said, placing mine in front of me on the coffee table.

  Carly took hers sitting on my lap, and we sat and watched some cartoon cat chase around a mouse as Maddy and Carly ate.

  “Yours will get cold,” Maddy said.

  “I can wait. Carly’s comfortable.” I turned my head towards her, sharing the loving glance of a woman who surely must have me on a promise. She pursed her lips, blowing me a kiss and turned back to the television while eating the rest of her dinner.

  When Carly was finished, I bent and picked up my plate, moving it beside me on the couch. I picked at the food, Maddy and Carly snuggled up to me. Life couldn’t get any better than this.

  As Carly’s eyes grew heavy, Maddy plucked her off my lap to get her changed and in to bed. The sound of running water and giggles while Carly cleaned her teeth made me smile.

  Maddy was back a few minutes later, standing behind the couch. “Seriously, those things are like sleeping pills for that child. We were teeth brushed, in bed, and she was comatose within minutes.”

  I laughed. “All the better for us.”

  I grabbed her, pulling her over the back of the sofa and into my arms. She giggled, and I stroked her face, kissing her gently, finding her tongue with mine, my free hand stroking her body.

  “She is amazing, Andrew. So beautiful, so free,” Maddy said.

  “Just like her mother.”

  Maddy pulled me down for another kiss, the palm of her hand resting on my cheek.

  “Love you, Maddy,” I whispered.

  Her lips replied with gentle kisses that left me floating. No matter how long we spent together, the buzz was always new, unrelenting. Mere contact kept me feeling so alive.

  ~

  “I know why you loved her,” Maddy whispered. Our limbs were still tangled from our frantic love-making, her bare skin so soft against mine.

  “What? Who?”

  “Rowan. She’s just so nice. Sweet and caring.”

  I laughed. “She could go to deepest Africa and make friends. She’d learn their language by lunchtime.”

  “Do you still love her?”

  Her eyes were sad, as if she didn’t want to hear the response, but I couldn’t lie.

  “I’ll always love her. Just like I’ll always be in love with you. You would have seen how well the kids got on? That’s what we were like. Joined at the hip.”

  “Rowan and I hit it off, but I think we’re polar opposites.” She ran her finger down my chest in the way that made me hold my breath while my blood stirred parts down below.

  “You don’t think you’re sweet? I think you have a lot of similarities. You’re infinitely more outgoing than she is, but you both have big hearts.”

  Flattening her palm, she looked up at me with a sly grin. “That husband of hers is pretty hot too.”

  “Oh, really?” I reached for her hand, moving further down where she could feel the results of her efforts.

  Her chest heaved as her breathing sped up, her fingers exploring just how hard I was.

  “Not as hot as my husband, though. You let me lick your abs, after all.” Bending her head to kiss my chest, her hand tightened around me, and I threw my head back onto the pillow as she worked her magic.

  “You can lick me anywhere.” I gasped, reaching for her, pulling her on top of me.

  “In a hurry?”

  “I am when you touch me like that.”

  Sitting astride me, she slid down onto me, and that warm, familiar feeling of her engulfed me. She was the only woman I ever wanted to be intimate with now. Everything I had and everything I was belonged to her.

  She looked so beautiful, carefree, that summer smile of hers lighting up my soul, setting me afire with the love that burned between us. Our everlasting flame.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  I knew the phone was ringing, but had no idea where it was. It must have been buried in paperwork; the sound grew louder the further down I dug towards the desk.

  Eager to get it before it went to voicemail, I didn’t even look at the caller ID. Chances were that it was Maddy, anyway. Sometimes she called me just to heavy breathe down the phone.

  “Andrew Carmichael.”

  “Andrew, it’s Rowan.”

  I tried to speak, tripping over my tongue to say anything else. Get it together.

  “Oh, hey. How are you?”

  “I’m good. I was just calling to get Maddy’s number off you. After she left, I realised I should have grabbed her number to keep in touch. We were going to the zoo this afternoon, and I know it’s late notice, but I wondered if she and Carly wanted to come.”

  I was blown away, swallowing down the laugh that threatened to burst out. Now she wanted to be friends with Maddy. It was wonderful. The idea of having Rowan back in my life as a friend was better than anything I could have ever hoped for. But I didn’t know if I wanted Maddy to spill all the beans about our relationship.

  I guess having that beats not having her in my life at all.

  “Sure. I’ll text you her number. I’m not sure if she had plans today, she kind of does what she wants.”

  Rowan laughed. “She doesn’t seem the type to let you boss her around.”

  “I couldn’t win if I tried. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  This was how it used to be, the ease between us. Back before I screwed it all up.

  “I don’t know. If she’s anything like me, she’ll let you win, even if you don’t realise you have.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’d be right.”

  “Anyway, gotta go. Thanks, Andrew.”

  I hung up, texting her the number before placing the phone down. Maddy didn’t have a lot of close friends. I wonder if you two will become as close as Charlie and Rowan once were.

  It did me no good, thinking of the past. If the two of them became friends, it would be good for Maddy. That was what mattered.

  Rowan’s car was in the driveway when I pulled up to the house, with Maddy’s alongside it. I parked on the road outside so Rowan could get out, marvelling at the thought of her being in my home. The world had turned upside down.

  Laughter hit me as soon as I opened the door. Maddy sat with Rowan on the couch, coffee cups long emptied, giggling at something.

  “Babe! We were just talking about you,” Maddy said. I cocked an eyebrow, looking back and forward between the two women, unsure of what to say next.

  “Am I safe?” I asked.

  They burst out laughing, and Rowan nodded. “Perfectly safe. I should get my children out of here and home, though. Kyle will be wondering where I’ve gotten to.”

  As if on cue, a beep came from her bag, and she fished her phone out, nodding at it. “Yep, that’s him.”

  She lost herself in the phone, replying to the message. Maddy beckoned me closer, and I bent to kiss her. She grabbed hold of my tie, pulling me down into a kiss that I can only describe as not appropriate for public viewing.

  When she let me go, I turned my head to see Rowan smirking. “Oh, you two are so cute. I need to get home. Kyle’s started dinner, but I don’t want to be too late.”

  She stood, calling towards the bedrooms. “Mia, Charlie. Come on. We have to get home to Daddy.”

  “I’m kinda surprised to see you here,” I said.

  She shrugged. “We all had a great afternoon. Next time, you and Kyle should come with us.”

  Her suggestion made me grin. Kyle had been polite and understanding, but I didn’t think he’d put up with my presence for too long.

  “Come over for a barbecue at the weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice, and the kids can all play together until they fall asleep,” Rowan said.

  “That sounds great.” Maddy beamed at me.

  “Sure. Why not?” I flopped on a chair, sitting opposite the pair of them
.

  Out of nowhere, a mop of blonde curls were in my face as Carly threw herself up onto my lap. “We saw the tigers today, Daddy.” She roared, clawing at me as I laughed.

  “I think you might have brought a tiger home with you, Maddy,” I said as Carly nuzzled my nose with her own.

  “Carly is adorable.” Rowan was smiling at me, and for the first time I saw the warmth I used to see. Back when we were friends.

  “I kind of like her.” The little hands were clawing at my chest. “Though not when I’m being clawed to pieces by a tiger,” I said.

  I growled at her, and she giggled as I stood, swinging her up before settling her on my hip. She snuggled into my neck.

  “Daddy.” She laughed.

  “Rowan, Mia and Charlie are going home now. Do you want to say goodbye?” She nodded, pouting as I let her drop to the ground.

  Rowan knelt down in front of her. “We’ll see you another day. Very soon.”

  Carly nodded, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

  “See you at the weekend, then?” Rowan said to me.

  “Yes, we’ll see you at the weekend. We’d love to be there.”

  “Good.”

  She stood, smiling at both of us. “We’ll look forward to it.”

  Maddy came back inside after showing her to her car, and threw my car keys at me. “I moved your car into the driveway.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  She looked around. “Where’s Carly?”

  “Gone back to her room. She said she was tired.”

  Maddy straddled my lap, leaning in for a kiss. “She might be tired, but I’m not,” she whispered.

  I ran my hands down her back, palms first, trailing my thumbs behind. “Neither am I.” I waggled my eyebrows at her while she laughed, her arms draped over my shoulders, snuggling up to me.

  “Mummy,” Carly called.

  Maddy sighed, pinching my neck between her fingers.

  “That feels good, do it some more?”

  “Later.” She kissed me before backing off me and heading off to Carly’s room.