Fulfillment by Golland, M. (best large ebook reader .txt) 📕

her. “I was not running. I just kind of lost my balancewhen I was coming down the stairs. It was an accident, Charli-Bear.A horrible, horrible accident.”

“Did you hurtthe baby when you fell? I bet she didn’t like being all bumpedaround in your belly.” Charli looked at my tummy.” Oh, God. Thisis going to be harder than I thought.

I compelledthe tears to remain at bay and forced a fake smile. “No, she didn’tlike being bumped around, but I’ll tell you about that later. Rightnow I need to sit down; these crutches are hurting Mummy’s arms.” Iquickly turned my back to them, giving myself a second forcomposure.

“Can I have aturn of your crutches, Mum?” Nate asked with raised eyebrows.

I grinned.“Yeah, when I’m not using them though. Come on.”

As the kidsand I headed for the kitchen, Bryce pulled Rick aside to apologisefor hitting him a week earlier. I stopped at the doorway andnoticed Rick make amends for something also—I couldn’t quite hearwhat. Both of them ended their discussion with an unemotionalhandshake and a light pat on the back. It was a step in a directionthat led to God knows where—I just hoped that wherever it led, itwas a good place.

We sat down,and Bryce ordered sandwiches from the hotel’s kitchen. It wasstrange sitting around the dining table with my estranged husbandand my new partner, but the atmosphere was no longer hostile orterritorial. It was a strange type of calm.

“Charli, areyou going to tell your mum what we did during the week?” Ricksuggested with a nod.

“Oh, yeah, Dadtook us to see the Crusty Demons. I want to be a Crusty Demon. Theygo upside down and everything. They even let go of their bikes inthe air and they jump over fire and do flips. It was soooo cool!”she babbled at a rapid speed.

My eyeswidened as I stared at her obsessively crazed face then I turned toNate with a questioning look.

“Yeah, it wasawesome, Mum, but Charli REALLY enjoyed it. Shescreamed and clapped every time they jumped.”

“Don’t theyjump...a lot?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Ricksaid quickly. “They do.”

Oh, God,Charli-Bear a Crusty Demon, shit! I think I may need to take her toDisney on Ice or something.

“So, Nate, youwanna tell Mum and Bryce who you met yesterday.”

Nate shruggedhis shoulders. Charli went to open her mouth to spill the beans,when Rick put his finger to his lips to silence her.

“Go on, Nate,tell them.”

“I met RJ, Iwent to his soccer game,” Nate said quietly.

“And?” Iasked, a smile creeping across my face.

“He’s kind offunny.”

Rick startedlaughing and scruffed Nate’s hair. “What about when he kicked thatgoal?”

Nate giggled.“Yeah, he did a front flip and a cartwheel, Mum. It washilarious.”

“I liked itwhen he pulled his t-shirt over his head and bumped into one of theother boys because he couldn’t see where was going,” Charliadded.

***

Rick leftafter lunch and I thanked him for keeping the kids busy, happy andcompletely oblivious to the events that had transpired in theirabsence. I also explained that I was going to tell them about themiscarriage tomorrow morning, because I just wanted a happy eveningwith them, one without heartbreak and a lesson of life’s sometimescruel events. He also apologised to me for barging in to theapartment the week before and being inconsiderate and insensitive.He also told me to call him if I felt he could help with the kidsand their reaction to the news I would soon give them. I thankedhim again and said that I would if I needed to. It was such a nicereprieve to not have to worry about my on and off again issues withRick. Hopefully from now on we could all move forward in a civiland friendly manner.

Shortly afterRick left, Bryce received a text from Lucy asking if practice wasstill on for this evening. Before my accident, Bryce had arranged apractice session and a fish ‘n’ chips dinner at the apartment withthe members of Live Trepidation, Lucy and Nic.

After I lostthe baby he had completely forgotten to re-schedule them and wasabout to cancel when I insisted that he didn’t. Cancelling was thelast thing I wanted, I wanted things to go back to normal, and fish‘n’ chips on a Saturday night was normal, so I convinced him thatthe change in atmosphere was just what I needed.

An hour later,I was sitting on the sofa in the man-cave with Charli at my footgently drawing pictures on my cast. So far, I had a rainbow, aunicorn, and she was now attempting a Crusty Demon. Lucy was at thekeyboard practising, and Nic was sitting next to her with Alexanderon her lap. He was practising too, slamming his little hands downon the keys and having a wonderful time. Nate was playing pool withDerek and Matt, and Will was lightly tapping out beats on thedrums. Bryce was sitting on the arm of my chair playing the guitar,strumming chords that every now and again sounded familiar.

When hestarted playing the riff in “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd,I casually lounged back, putting my hands above my head, decidingI’d join in and sing along. Before I knew it, he changed the song.I removed my hands from behind my head and pouted at him because Ireally liked that song. He smiled at my protruding bottom lip butkept playing the new tune. It didn’t take me long to figure outthat the new song was “Layla” by Eric Clapton, so I chimed in andsang that one instead. Then, like clockwork, he switched the songyet again. I glared at him but he only smirked back at me. Ilistened to his new choice and caught on that it was “Wanted Deador Alive” by Bon Jovi, so I blurted out the opening line whilesmirking back at him.

Suddenly, therest of the band were gathered around and were watching me play theguessing game with him, as Bryce would switch to a new song and Iwould quickly try and guess which one it was before he’d switchagain. I thought I was doing a decent job, guessing songs like “DrFeelgood”, “Enter Sandman”, “Back In Black”, “Foxy Lady” and“Johnny B. Goode”. But then he’d decide to try and make it a littleharder,