“Oh, baby, this is no good for you. You need your sleep,” Jim told her, crouching at her side.
“I can't and I like to watch him sleep.” She lowered her glance and offered a warm smile in her son's direction.
“Tasha, I get that watching Connor sleep is pretty cute, but if you don't sleep too then he won’t get the best of you later when he's awake and you're exhausted.”
“You really are very sensible at times.” Tasha offered a weak smile.
“Is that a thank you?” he asked with a grin. “What time did you last feed Connor?”
“About half one. He slept through til then, so probably a good job Abby and Alexi didn't wait for him to wake up so they could hold him.”
“Yeah, and it's debatable who was most disappointed. Come back to bed, baby, please.” Jim hoped to gently coax her but had already pulled her to her feet and was leading her towards the door.
Once in bed, Tasha happily allowed her body to soften and mould into Jim's and was in no way surprised when he opened the topic of her father.
“What are you thinking about your dad being sent back to England? You didn't say much about it earlier.”
“I don't even know how I feel. I was okay before, well, it was more that my pregnancy blindsided me and took over my life and my dad went to the back of my mind until tonight and again he is asking to see me, and this might be my last chance.”
“Shit, Tasha. Every fibre of my being is screaming for you to steer clear and never to waste your time thinking of that man and all he has done to you, but I get it's easier for me to say that than for you to do. However, I am trying really, really hard to be calm here and not fucking flip out.”
“Thank you,” whispered Tasha before adding, her voice getting louder with every word uttered, “and I have no idea what seeing him would achieve. It's a fucking nightmare, James. I just want a normal life without my family screwing it up, again.”
“Honey, I know you’re stressing, but please stop swearing and shouting about it. Why don't you sleep on it and tomorrow call Bobby? Talk to him about exactly what happens next and how long it's likely to take. I can't believe I’m going to say this, but if you need to see him to put it behind you then see him. Jeez, I will even come with you, but Connor goes nowhere near him or a prison, agreed?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Now, sleep,” ordered Jim making Tasha smile a very small smile in the early morning light.
****
Four days later, Tasha was pacing the lounge waiting for Abby to arrive. Abby who was watching Connor while she and Jim went to visit her father.
“Maybe we should just take Connor with us, in case he wakes and won’t settle for Abby,” she suggested to Jim.
“No way, baby. We agreed, our son is not prison visiting and your father is never seeing our boy, so Connor stays here with Abby and Sandra,” he said firmly as Sandra appeared behind them.
“Tasha, I promise I will guard him with my life and help Abby any way I can, but I’m sure Connor will be fine, he's fed and clean and has just gone to sleep, but if he becomes properly distressed I will call you.”
“Sorry, I’m sure I’m being a pain in the arse, but I've never left him before and he is only a couple of months old.”
“Baby, we all get that, but Connor stays here today. So, do you want to do this?” Jim was deadly serious. He couldn’t care less if Tasha opted out of doing this, in fact, he’d be rather relieved because he had a really bad feeling that nothing good was going to come from it. His wife, however, although confused,wantedto do this, so he was supporting her, despite his better judgement.
She nodded and looked towards Sandra, hoping her reluctance to leave Connor hadn’t caused offence in any way. “I didn’t mean to suggest I didn’t trust you with him.”
Sandra smiled and nodded, as if confirming that she was anything but offended.
“In fact, there’s nobody I’d trust more.”
Sandra leaned in and gave Tasha’s shoulder a reassuring rub before moving away slightly.
“So, are we doing this? You want to do this?” Jim asked.
“I think I have to do this,” she replied as Sandra announced Abby's arrival.
After repeating dozens of orders at the two women she was leaving them with the job of caring for her only child. Jim virtually frogmarched her from the house and into his car to make the trip he’d hoped neither of them would ever have to make.
****
