"It's my fault." Amelia stands in the doorway pulling nervously on the black T-shirt she’s wearing with yoga pants. It has a grey cat emblazed on it and the slogan "I'm purrrrr-fect"
"I'm sorry, Coop," she sniffles.
"Amelia," Coop's expression changes immediately and he gives her one of his signature grins before pulling her into a hug. "How are you?" Apparently our argument is over. That’s why Lizzie calls him her teddy bear. He couldn’t harm a fly with that heart of gold.
"I'm okay. I'm really sorry." She looks from him to me and I hold out my arms. She crosses the kitchen and cuddles against my chest. I love that she sees me as a place of safety now.
"Ben? What happened?" His anger has been replaced with worry.
"Neil disrespected Amelia." I leave it there as I don't want to repeat the hurtful words that wanker muttered.
"He called me a fat wallflower with no taste, and Ben cancelled the deal," Amelia says quietly.
"Motherfucker," Lizzie hisses and I have to bite back a laugh. Lizzie says it as it is. Always.
"I told him he shouldn't have done that just because of me," Amelia sniffles.
"Yes, he should have!" Lizzie exclaims.
"What did you tell him?" Coop asks me.
"Fuck your company. And fuck your deal." I shrug. I don't regret a word of what I said.
A big grin appears on Coop's face. " Good. Oh, and sorry for shouting. I should have known."
"You should have," I agree, "But I should have given you a heads up as well." Truth is the conversation with Neil left me raging with anger and then worried about how Amelia felt. I completely forgot to message Coop.
"Neil called me first thing this morning and said I needed to talk to you because you lost your marbles yesterday and cancelled the deal for no apparent reason." He slides onto one of the stools and takes a piece of the toast I haven't finished.
"I guess you’re joining us," I chuckle and point at the bread in his hand.
"Hey, he called me in the middle of making breakfast. I have some half-cooked eggs sitting on my cooker."
"He barely gave me time to get dressed." Lizzie rolls her eyes before waving at Amelia, "I'm Lizzie, by the way. This lunatic’s girlfriend."
"Fiancé," Coop corrects her and pinches her in her side making her squeal and jump. Amelia giggles against my chest. This right here is why we need to step back and make time for things other than work.
“Ben, you did the right thing.” Coop says before taking another bite from my breakfast. Yes, I fucking did.
“Uncle Ben, catch me.” My daredevil nephew jumps off the climbing frame in my garden, full of trust that I will stop his fall. Luckily, I know him well and I’m always on high alert around him.
“Why don’t we play a bit of football?” Coop asks, white as a sheet. I swear, if he ever becomes a father, Lizzie will have to keep a stash of chamomile tea or some other calming remedy handy. He's been a wreck dealing with all of Robbie's little stunts this afternoon
After he and Lizzie joined us for breakfast they stayed for lunch. My sister and Robbie came over as usual and I convinced Amelia to invite Miranda and Bri. I suggested Bea as well, but Amelia mumbled some excuse and just texted the two of them.
Five women in one house―Coop and I took Robbie outside to escape the laughter. Poor Smutty had enough of all the noise too and is probably hiding in one of the bedrooms.
“Football’s boring,” Robbie whines. Every time he tears apart my favourite sport, my heart bleeds for Aston Villa. It's like a dagger through my footballing soul.
“How about you carry on painting your bird house?” I ask him.
“Yes!” he cheers and sprints to the little shed at the end of the garden. We grab his equipment and the wonky bird house we nailed together―I'm shit at DIY, especially with the help of a pint-sized assistant like Robbie―but I tried my best. Once he’s settled at the garden table he starts painting the roof a garish green. Not sure any birds will ever go into that monstrosity.
Coop stuffs his hands into his pockets. “So, how’s it going with Amelia?”
"I told her I love her," I blurt out.
"And what did she say?"
"Nothing." I ruffle my hair.
"Does that worry you?" Coop's eyes are on me. Does it?
"I'm not sure. She seems to trust me so I don't think it’s that. It feels like she loves me but she’s just afraid to say it. Shi―” I catch myself. Fi doesn’t like me swearing in front of Robbie. “Coop, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just imagining it all or it is wishful thinking. But I’m willing to wait and find out." Yes, yes, that's my plan.
"And what if she never says it back?" Fucking Coop and his pragmatism.
"Then I'll wait for forever." I help Robbie squeeze more paint into the pot. Coop doesn’t reply.
“Uncle Ben can I marry Amelia?” Robbie pipes up.
“Sorry?” I feel an actual twinge of jealousy, even if only for a few seconds.
“I like her.”
“That’s great, Robster but you don’t need to marry her. You can just be friends.”
“Oh, okay,” he grins. Crisis averted. I already have to share her with Furball, I’m not sharing her with anyone else.
“You were jealous of a five-year-old there for a minute, weren’t you?” Coop smirks.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I huff but we both know he’s right.
"Ben I don't think you'll have to wait long. Everyone can see that she loves you from the way she looks at you.
"You old sop," I chuckle, but his words make me grin. Let's hope he’s right.
25
Moments We Live For
Amelia
Smutty weaves in and out between my feet as I stand at the window and stare down at the garden.
The girls are having a blast downstairs. Fi and Lizzie are getting on like a house on fire with Bri and Miranda and the noise level is accordingly high. No wonder the guys retreated outside.
I came upstairs to check on Smutty and found him curled up on Ben’s pillow. After giving him some attention I was drawn to the window. For the last fifteen minutes I’ve been watching Ben goof around with Robbie and their relationship makes me go weak in the knees. If Ben winking at me is catnip then Ben taking care of his nephew is a supersized bag of catnip.
