Page 20 of Exhale

“There we go, Madame Annabelle,” my Leo decreed in an over-the-top French accent. “A glass of our finest elderberry press, a slight hint of pear with undertones of…” He had to stop and laughed as the baby lost its grip on Anabelle’s boob and milk shot out. “…With undertones of our favourite human.”

“Shut it, Leo,” Annabelle said, but she was smiling. “Just hand me the glass and top me up. This baby-rearing job is thirsty work, and for God’s sake, Tobes, grab your son before he pokes the cat’s eyes out!”

This was our life. Madness. But a madness that was more real than anything I’d known before. I was happy. Truly happy. I had everything I needed, right here. I had a family who loved me, no matter what. And I had a boyfriend. I still blushed whenever it registered that I was now attached. I even found myself blurring my words sometimes when I introduced Leo to others.My love, I’d say.Partner.Future Husband.Prince Charming’s one and only princeling. He’d just laugh and introduce me ashis Jamie.

I wasn’t that fussed about the terminology anymore because family was family, and he was mine.

I grinned as Kizzy wandered through the door, carrying the largest bunch of flowers I’d ever seen, and squealed when she spotted Annabelle and the baby. Turning to grab Leo, she blurted out so many words so quickly that I lost the plot after the first sentence. I left them to it and got my now perfectly golden fish fingers out of the oven and started plating them up onto the stack of mismatched crockery on the worktop.

“Hi, babes.” Kizzy kissed my cheek from behind. “Want a hand?”

“Can you sort out the chips and peas?” I suggested, then noticed she already had a ladle in her hand, scooping generous piles of green peas onto the plates as I handed them over.

“How are you?” she asked quietly. “All good?”

“Good.” I smiled. I was. I was really good.

“Meant to tell you, a mate’s got a flat for sale. Back of the high street, old, converted garage building. High ceilings and studio space. He’s an artist and is moving up in the world. I was thinking. You know. It’s got a courtyard garden, which is amazing for this area, and he’s fitted this tiny balcony off the bedroom.”

“You seem awfully familiar with the space,” I teased, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“Of course, I am. I shagged him once. He’s a friend now, nothing more. You know these artists—no sense of commitment.”

“Bah. Judgemental.” I was still teasing, but there was no sting in my heart. Kiz and I had found peace now. We were still jumpy around baby talk, and there were things that would always make my heart bleed, just like hers sometimes needed a bit of space to heal.

“I know it’s not my place to say, but you need to move out. Don’t settle into the comfort thing the two of you have going on, because…babes…”

“I know.” I groaned. “I need to move out at some point. This feels more and more like Lukey and Ry’s home every day, and yes, okay. I’ll come view it.”

“No,” she said sternly. “You and Leo will go view it. Mortgage. Own home.”

“Not sure they will give us a joint mortgage.”

“See? Negative thinking will get you nowhere. Leo is a student. He also works part time and has a regular income. You’re a workshop manager, Jamie. You could have a decent mortgage, and I know you have savings. We just need to look at your numbers.”

“Ineed to look at the numbers.” Rude, I knew, but we both still fell far too easily back into those grooves because it was comfortable.

Kizzy nodded, fully aware of her misstep. “Mortgage advisor. Bank appointment. View flat. I’ll say no more. I already sent the link to Leo.”

“Traitor.”

“No. Stirrer. Anyway, it wasn’t me who found it. Tessa’s handling the sale.”

Bloody family and their scheming ways. Of course, Tessa wouldn’t tell me she’d cleverly schemed with Kiz, and then they’d lured Leo into their sneaky little trap. It wouldn’t surprise me to find the flat’s prospectus tucked inside Hulk’s daybed as well, even though he was far too settled in and despite constantly fighting with Olive for ownership, Leo knew it was a battle he’d already lost.

Tessa was cutting up the baguettes, and I handed her the oversized bread basket—another of her contributions to this humble home, but Kiz was right. This wasn’t my home anymore. Well, it was, and it always would be, but it was Ryan and Luke’s now. They lived here, and Olive was their responsibility. I’d hung onto my room like a needy lodger, a space that was far too small for me and Leo to share, yet we’d had to, since he’d given up his student flat, We’d even discussed him paying rent here, but Ry and Luke wouldn’t have accepted his money. Leo picked up Olive from school because it was on his way home. He tutored her in French and Spanish, and her grades were bloody incredible now compared to last year’s reports. He also understood her and pushed her in a way I’d never been able to. Even Ryan had walked away from the homework duties because there was something quite magic about Leo and Olive and the stacks of books they’d drag home from their weekly trips to our local library.

The fact that Leo also worked weekends in Tessa’s estate agent office and had the whole family eating out of his very handsome hands? Yeah. It was time we moved out. I didn’t want to, but I needed to. I needed to build my own little kingdom and maybe one day have a family like this one, but one of my own. Small humans created by me. People who relied on me like I’d always relied on others. I wanted that. I wanted bricks and mortar and space and a future.

But for now, this minute, this hour right here…

Comfort was a dangerous thing.

I joined my family at the table as foods were passed between helpful hands. Butter was spread on small nibbles of bread, and olives were cut in quarters and fed to the toddler, who spat them out with a disgusted roar that made Hulk shoot from the room in fear of the deafening noises coming from his human tribe.

A peculiar tribe at that, but we were also a family, with a future as bright as a New Year’s firework display.

“Babe?” Leo’s hand crept into mine under the table. “Pass me the water, will ya?”

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