By seven p.m., the kids are officially partied out. And by partied out, I mean five rounds of What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf, face painting with Amelia, a dance-off to ‘Let It Go’, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Bradley, and one very aggressive game of hide and seek where I was, of course, the seeker.
Every. Damn. Time.
I’d say I kept this party afloat, thank you very much. I mean, who else was going to keep the kids entertained while the adults drank beer and avoided responsibility? Pros and cons of being the only single, childless aunt in a sea of breeding couples. I’m not complaining. Maybe Iamcomplaining. My body hurts. Everything fucking hurts. I’m more exhausted than the time I mucked out the horse stalls, cleaned the chicken coop, and refilled the goat’s water trough while trying to avoid Kevin, the little cunt. We’re mid-goodbyes when Sebastian nudges my shoulder gently with his.
“Wanna come for coffee?” That’s all it takes.
Teddy perks up. “Can we watch a movie?”
Sebastian laughs, ruffling his hair. “Sure, bud. If you make it home awake. You look buggered.”
Teddy shrugs, clearly too tired to argue, and Sebastian’s eyes flick back to mine, just for a second. But it’s enough. Laced with heat. That simmering, unspoken kind that I recognise now. I realise I haven’t responded to him. I grin, throwing Teddy a wink. “How could I say no to coffee and a movie?”
Teddy’s out before we even hit the main road home. His head lolls against the seatbelt, lashes fanned across flushed cheeks, one hand still curled around the empty juice box like he’s guarding it with his life. I fight my own exhaustion in the passenger seat, knowing I’ll need every ounce of energy ifcoffeereally means what I think it means.
Sebastian pulls into his driveway, kills the engine, and turns in his seat. For a long moment, he just watches his son, a quiet kind of love softening the sharp lines of his face. Then he unbuckles, slips from the car, and gently lifts Teddy into his arms.
When we step inside, he whispers over his shoulder, “Let me just put him down. I’ll be out in a sec.”
Good Lord, watching him in all his glory—broad shoulders, steady hands, quiet strength—does something to me.Everytime. It’s unfair, really, how attractive he looks like this. In full dad-mode.
“Mummy put me to bed,” Teddy mumbles sleepily against his shoulder. My pulse skips.Did he just?Sebastian stills, a hand instinctively rubbing his son’s back.
“Shh, bud. We’re going to bed now. Daddy’s here.”
Teddy’s voice is louder this time, thickened by tears. “No. I want Mummy.”
The air shifts, and a muscle in Sebastian’s jaw ticks as he swallows. “Buddy, your mummy isn’t coming back, remember? Remember what I told you?”
“But I want Olivia.”
My heart stops. Juststops.
That… no. That can’t be what he meant. Can it? Sebastian turns, exhaling shakily, and for the first time since I’ve known him, I can actually read his face. It’s not that usual blank slate where I’m forced to decode him like some puzzle. No, this time, it’s all there. Fear. Confusion, and something dangerously close to heartbreak, all tangled together in one sharp punch of emotion.
Teddy clings to him, crying harder, saying my name again and again until I can’t stay still. My feet move before my brain catches up.
“Hey, champ.” My voice wobbles, but I force a smile, stepping closer. “I’m here. Your dad’s going to tuck you in, okay? I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He shakes his head, blinking away his tears. “No, I want you to read me a book. The one with the crocodile.”
Sebastian’s throat bobs as he looks at me, silently mouthing,he needs you, just as Teddy reaches out. Before I can even think, he’s in my arms—small body trembling, face pressed into my shoulder. I hush him without words, rubbing slow circles into his back as I carry him upstairs.
“Alright, you,” I say once he’s calmer. “Quick shower, then one story. Then sleep. Deal?”
He nods, already yawning. The shower is fast and warm, and I towel him dry before wrestling him into his pyjamas. By the time I put him to bed, his eyes are already half-lidded. When the book finishes, I brush his hair back, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodnight, Mummy,” he mutters, already drifting.
This time, Iknowit’s not an accident. I don’t know what to do with that, as it punches right through me. Sebastian is in the kitchen when I make it downstairs, leaning against the counter with his head bowed.
“He went out like a light,” I say, trying to sound casual, to cut through the heaviness.
He looks up, offering me a smile. “Thank you.”
I wave it off. “It’s fine. He’s just tired. Big day.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
