Chapter 69: Chapter 69

Her small cries wake me up. I rub at my eyes, my sleepy state slowly disappearing. I let out a small groan, pulling the duvet cover off me and standing up. Beside me in bed, Jake is sleeping soundly, his dark hair ruffled messily across the pillow. Shadows cover the skin under his eyes from tending to Ruby throughout the night. I lean over and press a gentle kiss on his forehead, leaving him to catch up on his sleep.

When your life is usually full of lies, deceit and chaos, the simplicity of a normal family life is bliss. I walk over to my nightstand, turning off the baby monitor before heading for Ruby's nursery. It's early in the morning, the sky is murky and grey signalling the start of a gloomy day. The house is completely silent beside from the soft cries coming from Ruby's nursery. It's right next door to our bedroom so she isn't far. I push back the door and smile as I watch her lie in her crib, her little arms flailing around.

"Shh baby, it's okay," I whisper, reaching down to lift her up. She's warm and smells like baby powder and I cuddle her into my chest, planting a kiss at the side of her head. Her dark hair tickles me and I stay like that for a few minutes, soaking in the scent and feel of her. My heart swells with warmth and love. Her cries die down followed by the shallow sound of her breathing.

"I can't wait till your old enough to tell me about your dreams," I whisper to her as I pick up her blanket with my free hand and wrap it around her. I walk towards the chair in the far corner, smiling at the beauty of her nursery. The chair is directly next to a window that looks out into the back of the house. The area is covered with trees and nature, venturing out into the woods. I nestle back into the chair and get comfortable, holding Ruby close to my chest as I rock her back and forth. Silence falls upon us and we both gaze at each other, taking in one another's beauty whilst the beauty of the world surrounds us.

*****

"So Ruby, you clench your fist like this. Just like that, you got it. When the time is right, you swing back and punch them straight in the jaw. Don't hesitate or else - "

"Please don't tell me you're trying to teach my three day old baby how to punch people." I cut in, raising an eyebrow at Tobias. I can't help but let out a little chuckle, meeting eyes with his innocent ones.

"What? She needs to know how to protect herself," Tobias defends himself, playing gently with Ruby's curled up fists as she lies flat on her changing mat. She's looking around the room with her large brown eyes, oblivious to what's going on around her.

"She's three days old. I doubt she's going to be fending off kidnappers and murderers Tobias," I say, rolling my eyes. The door to the nursery opens and Jake walks in, his hair damp from his shower. He looks fresh and awake, dressed in a white shirt and denim jeans.

"What about boys? She needs to fight off boys too," Tobias continues to argue back, making weird faces at Ruby. She simply stares back at him, probably wondering what sort of creature Tobias is pretending to be.

"Are you teaching my daughter how to punch?" Jake asks, running a towel through his hair. Tobias looks up, a proud smirk on his face.

"She needs to be taught by the best," he says arrogantly. Jake scoffs, dropping the towel onto a chair beside him.

"That's exactly why I taught her yesterday, sorry buddy." Jake shrugs, a deeper smirk on his face. I let out a gasp, spinning around to face him.

"Jake! You've taught her how to punch? I've just been telling Tobias off for that," I frown, shaking my head at the both of them. Jake simply grins back at me, ignoring Tobias' glares.

"She's my daughter Muffin. I'm simply teaching her the tricks of the trade young so that people know not to mess her around when she's older."

"At three days old, seriously?" I ask, walking towards him and looping my arms around his neck. He shrugs again, dipping his head down to give me a kiss. I melt against his lips, my body leaning in against his. His arm wraps around my waist, tugging me closer and behind us, Tobias releases a childish retching noise.

"Gross, at this rate, you'll be getting a sibling much sooner than we all thought Rubester."

I break away from Jake, giggling at Tobias.

"Rubester?" I question, tilting my head at him. He's grinning back at me, his dark eyes shining so brightly, they look almost light.

"Yep, I'm going to be the most embarrassing uncle ever."

Jake and I both chuckle, his arms still wrapped around my waist. I smile fondly as I watch Tobias continue to play with Ruby, tickling her stomach and making funny faces.

"He's great with her, isn't he?" Jake murmurs quietly down my ear. I nod my head, agreeing with him. It's a surprise, I didn't realise just how good Tobias would be with Ruby.

"Yeah, he's great." I whisper, resting my head against Jake's chest. I can feel his heart beating through his chest steadily and I smile, sighing contently. It feel amazing to have my family safe and sound around me.

"I have a surprise for you," Jake says quietly. I pull back and look at him, curiosity filling my eyes. "What is it?" I ask, inspecting him. His blue eyes are shining down at me, full of excitement.

"Who are the people you love in this world beside from me and Ruby?"

I think hard about his question, nibbling on my bottom lip.

"Tobias," I say softly, amazed at myself that he's my next answer. I see him pause from the corner of my eye and a small smile plays on his lips. Jake stills and I silently wish he doesn't take it the wrong way. I know he's come a long way from his previous self, he's grown. To my amazement, he slowly nods. The jealousy has faded and now, trust takes its place. He turns his head to look at Tobias, giving him a small smile.

"Lucky bastard," he murmurs, causing Tobias to chuckle quietly. Jake turns back towards me, closing his eyes as he rests his head against mine.

"He's third though, right?" He murmurs and I nod, smiling at the little jealousy that still remains. I reach up to kiss the tip of his nose -

"You'll always be my one and only Jake. I won't ever love anyone like I love you," I whisper, my words quiet so only he can hear them. Warmth fills his eyes and they light up, shimmering beautifully.

"Who's the next person?" Jake whispers, his hand reaching for mine. When he finds it, he laces our fingers together tightly.

"My pops," I say sadly, pain hitting my chest. Its been so long. He's my only family that's alive who I simply love and adore. When he found out I was pregnant, he became furious and left. I don't blame him, he was angry. I didn't realise just how long the anger would last.

"Yeah, your pops. He's downstairs," Jake says quietly, squeezing my hand. I freeze and pull back, my heart thudding against my chest. My eyes widen in surprise and I inspect Jake's face, waiting for him to tell me it's a joke or I've been punked. He doesn't.

"Are you serious?" I breathe out, excitement bubbling up inside me. Jake nods, his mouth stretching out into a wide smile. I let out a small squeal, pulling away from Jake and heading downstairs. I can hear small sounds coming from the kitchen and I walk faster, ignoring the dull pain in my stomach from giving birth.

"Pops?" I call out, my voice wobbling. I can picture his disappointed face in my mind, the anger behind his eyes. What if he's still mad at me?

I push open the door of the kitchen, holding my breath. There he is, sat directly opposite me. He looks smaller than before and as his eyes land on me, they light up. I rush over to him, my own eyes filling with tears.

"Oh Pops. I've missed you so much," I cry, embracing him tightly. He stumbles a little on his feet but embraces me just as tightly, his woody scent comforting me. I cling onto him like a baby, my only family remaining.

"Elly, I'm so sorry. I should have forgiven you sooner, you needed me." Pops apologises, pulling back with guilt filling his eyes. I shake my head, reaching up to wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Forget about it, I'm just happy you're finally here," I say truthfully, sitting down beside him. He takes a seat himself, lowering himself down slowly before reaching for his cup of coffee.

"Tell me, how have you been?" He asks, the sadness still sprawled across his features. I reach over and take his free hand in mine, holding it tightly. I want his guilt to disappear.

"I'm doing okay. Ruby is great Pops, I can't wait for you to meet her," I say excitedly, eager to show her off to him.

"My great grand-daughter. I never thought I'd be alive to witness it," Pops says happily. The door slowly opens and Jake is stood in the doorway, holding Ruby in his arms. I watch as Pops inhales deeply, his eyes filling with happy tears.

"Oh, how beautiful," he whispers, holding out his arms. Jake walks over to him, leaning down to place Ruby in his arms. She's awake and she stirs slightly as he holds her, her dark eyes blinking as she studies the room. Pops doesn't speak for a few minutes, in awe as he stares down at my little angel in his arms. Jake walks silently until he stands behind me, placing his hands on my shoulder. He leans down and kisses the top of my head and I reach up, placing my hands over his.

"Thank you," I whisper to him, blinking back tears as I watch my family meet each other for the first time. Knowing Ruby had a chance to meet a small part of my father makes my heart feel complete. I'll always talk to her about my Dad, fill her in on how great of a father he was.

"Anytime," Jake replies softly, the warmth of his hands spreading through my body.

"She looks just like you Elly," Pops says fondly, smiling at me. He slowly lifts Ruby up, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You both have done amazing, she is exceptional," Pop says to Jake and I. I smile, amazed at how all the pieces are slowly fitting together. The jigsaw may be cracked in several places however the pieces are all joining up, becoming complete. Ruby truly did bring this family back together.

"Thank you Sir," Jake says, his tone full of pride and strength. I want to thank him myself but I'm too emotional to speak so I simply sit there, continuing to watch as my grandfather gets to know my daughter. A priceless memory that I will never, ever forget.