35. Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Maisie
M av stayed with us for three weeks before he had to leave and go home again, he's already made plans to come back down again to meet his niece in a couple of months. I missed him already but we'd had the most amazing time. He already felt like my family, as if we'd known each other for years.
We were complete opposites in every way, he was the grumpy to my sunshine, the tall to my small, the brunette to my red. But he was kind and sweet and had a heart the size of the Eiffel Tower. We'd spoken about anything and everything, he came across as … sad, unfulfilled maybe. He didn't seem to be truly content with where he was in his life, maybe having more family could help with that. Maybe one day I could talk him in to moving closer, the fact that he was on the other side of the country was a huge obstacle.
He'd flown down this time, which had knocked a huge amount of travel time off but it still felt too far away.
We had spent those three weeks making the most of every moment, it wasn't as if we were off experiencing once in a lifetime things but it was nice to be together for the normal, day to day stuff. Mack and I had managed to take a couple of weeks off work each so that someone was always with Mav. Watching Mack and Mav bond had been the absolute highlight, Mack still had reservations about new people, his anxiety holding him back sometimes, but he'd instantly warmed to Maverick.
They sat for hours chatting, playing cards, drinking whisky. Mav had also borrowed one of the motorbikes, as Mack now had three. They'd cruised along for hours, stopping for coffee and lunch. I followed behind them in the car, I was way too pregnant to be balancing on the back of a motorbike. It had been amazing, we'd seen and learned so much about each other.
The last week he was here, he'd spent helping Mack finish the babies room. I saw Mav come alive then, working with Mack, building all sorts of beautiful things. I heard him quietly thank Mack for allowing him to help, for letting him be a part of our special time. I'd do anything to keep him here with us forever. There was such a sadness in his eyes that I wished I could take away.
"I'm going to miss you big brother," I'd told him, "Are you sure you can't stay forever?"
"Believe me baby sis, if I didn't have the gym then I'd be here. I can't leave it to Miles, the fecking ejit!" He laughed it off but I could see it, he wanted to stay.
"I'll be back before you know it lass." He held me tight then, resting his big bearded face on the top of my head, I tried to hold back my tears but it was impossible. I'm blaming it on the pregnancy hormones.
We waved him off, already looking forward to when we would see him again, now that I had a brother there was no way I'd take a single second for granted.
Little did Maverick and I know, we'd be seeing each other sooner than we realised.
The weeks had flown by after that, we went to work, we came home again. Eat, sleep, repeat. Life could be so monotonous sometimes. There had been a time in my life when I'd thrived on the drama and the hustle and bustle of a busy life filled with drama and sexual escapades. Always up for a night out, always up for a laugh. Now I was quite content to do absolutely nothing with my husband by my side. We must be getting old, instead of being out on the town at nine o'clock on a Saturday night, I was now in my pyjamas and pretty much ready for bed.
The sexual escapades were still an absolute given though. My husband was hot!
My eyes were drooping, Mack's thumping heart beneath my cheek lulling me into a peaceful sleep when he stroked a big hand down my back,
"Maisie?"
"Hmm?"
"I have something to tell you."
Immediately awake.
"What is it? Is it bad?"
"No baby, it's not bad," he told me with a smile, that sweet smile that was reserved only for me. He was still only ever truly himself with me, there was still a barrier of bravado that he quite often displayed with the guys. But with me, he was Mack. The Mackenzie Richards I'd fallen in love with, I wouldn't dare call him that on a regular basis though, he absolutely loathed his full name and had gone by Mack for as long as he could remember.
"Baby, you know you've been planning to finish work in two weeks time ready to start your maternity leave?"
"Yeah … I'm so ready now, being on my feet all day is exhausting."
It really was, every night I had to come home and ice my poor swollen ankles, pregnancy had not been kind to me, although Mack was definitely reaping all the benefits.
"Well, how would you feel if I was to tell you that you actually only have a week left and that we're going away next Friday?"
"Going away? Where?" I asked, intrigued as to where we could be going so close to my due date. Granted I was only thirty five weeks, but it could happen at any time.
"I've spoken to the doctor and he said that he doesn't advise you fly after thirty seven weeks, but he's happy for you to take a short flight a couple of times over the next two weeks." He had a big grin on his face, but my pregnancy slash fibro fog was causing my brain to malfunction.
"What are you saying?"
"Little flame, we're going on a babymoon. For five nights from next Friday."
"Where are we going Muscles?" I had an idea, he'd said short flight. I didn't want to get my hopes up though just for them to be burst like a giant balloon.
"Where would you like to go baby?" he cocked his head, fingers propped under his handsome face. I hadn't stopped talking about Maverick since the moment he'd left the house three weeks ago, I'm surprised that I hadn't driven Mack to insanity but he was his usual patient self. He was going to be one hell of a dad.
I just shrugged, unwilling to voice my hopes.
"Mav's meeting us at the airport, we're going to Scotland baby."
I launched myself into his arms, well launch was quite a strong word. It was probably more accurate to say I heaved my giant body across the sofa and slumped it against his solid one.
"You really are the most special human I've ever met in my life you know that? I don't ever want to do life without you."
"And you'll never have to." Mack promised.
We then spent the next hour or so packing our suitcases ready for next week, I was an extremely impatient person which of course my husband already knew so it was absolutely no surprise that when we walked into the bedroom, the suitcases were already laid out on the bed ready to be filled.
We packed, we laughed, we kissed … and then we made love, surrounded by mountains of clothes but with peace and love in our hearts.