Double Lines

Two Years Later…

“I know, Mum, but Ethan already rented a house by the beach,” I say on the phone.

“But we have the room… and I’ll miss my boys!” Mum complains.

“Well, you’re welcome to babysit as long as we’re here,” I tell her. I scan the room I’m standing in. The house we’re staying in is on the hill above the beach, and you can hear the waves crash onto the shore from here. I like the idea of having sex with Ethan in each room of this house, especially on the double sun lounger sitting on the deck facing the ocean…

“Mikaela, Mikaela!” Mum calls through the phone.

“Sorry Mum, what was that?” I ask.

“I asked if you were all coming for lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes Mum, we haven’t changed our minds, I promise,” I tell her.

“Okay. And bring those suits, I’ll get my sewing kit out and hem the pants for you,” Mum reminds me.

“Yes Mum, I’ll bring their suits,” I agree.

“Good. I love you Mick,” Mum tells me.

“I love you too Mum,” I reply. We say our goodbyes and then hang up.

I walk over to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of wine. We arrived in Bateman’s Bay two days ago, spending the first two days getting our boys used to their new environment. Tyler has just turned seven and Adam is almost two. It’s the first time I’ve taken them back to the town I grew up in, and it’s the first time the boys have been to a beach. We spent our first day here at the beach, swimming and making sandcastles.

Today, we wanted to just relax in the house, but Tyler wanted to make more sandcastles, so Ethan agreed to take them before dinner. I watch as Ethan walks back to the house, holding Tyler’s hand and Adam in his arms. The light outside is changing into darker colours of orange and purples, and I smile as I watch my family walk towards me. I take out my phone and snap some pictures.

“Mamma!” Adam calls out, his little arms reaching for me when he sees me.

“Hey little man,” I grin, taking my son off Ethan.

“Mummy, look at all the shells we collected!” Tyler tells me, showing me a thin spiral looking shell he found at the beach.

“That’s cool buddy. What sort of shell is it?” I ask. Tyler shrugs his shoulders.

“Why don’t you google it on your tablet?” I ask. Tyler nods and runs off to his room to grab his tablet.

“How was the beach?” I ask Ethan.

“It was good until Adam saw a crab come out of the sand and start walking. He screamed!” Ethan tells me, taking a sip of my wine.

“Funny walk!” Adam tells me.

“Really?”

“I show! I show!” Adam says, wriggling in my arms. I put Adam down and he squats with his little legs apart, both arms facing outwards and then starts walking sideways. Ethan and I both start laughing.

“Dam I forgot to get my camera out!” Ethan says between chuckles.

“Do it again, Adam,” I say. Adam smiles at us and begins walking the other way like a crab, while Ethan records him.

“I can’t wait to show your parents,” Ethan grins.

//\\///\\\//\\

“And this is the house Mummy grew up in,” I tell my boys as Ethan parks the hire car on the street.

“It’s small,” Tyler observes as he gets out of the car and looks at it.

“It has four bedrooms buddy, and it’s bigger than the apartment we used to live in, remember that?” I ask. Tyler nods.

“Is this where Gramma and Grampa live?” Tyler asks. Ethan and I nod.

“Okay!” Tyler says, running for the door.

“No running!” both Ethan and I call out, as Adam wriggles in my arms to follow his brother.

I open the door with the spare key I keep with me, and Tyler holds my hand as we walk inside.

“Mum? Dad?” I call out as I venture inside the house.

“They’re not here,” a familiar voice calls back. I follow the voice into the kitchen, where Brianna stands, cutting biscuit shapes into some dough.

“Are you making bickies?” Tyler asks, his eyes widening with excitement. Brianna turns around and smiles at me, before looking at Tyler.

“Yes, I am. And who might you be?” Brianna asks Tyler.

“I’m Tyler and I’m seven!” Tyler tells her proudly.

“Hi Brianna,” I greet. I haven’t seen Brianna for over eight years, and the years have aged her. Instead of her natural brown hair, her hair is now grey.

“Hello Mikaela, how are you?” Brianna asks, kissing me on the cheek.

“I’m good.”

“I would give you a hug, but…” she says, showing her flour-covered apron.

“It’s alright. Brianna, this is my husband, Lincoln. Lincoln, this is mum’s best friend, Briana Robertson,” I introduce.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ethan says to Brianna, who blushes.

“And who is this,” Brianna says, indicating the little person who is hiding behind my legs.

“This,” I say, picking Adam up and holding him in my arms, “Is our youngest, Adam. He’s almost two,” I explain.

“Oh my. They both have their father’s good looks, don’t they,” Brianna says, glancing at Ethan as the colour in her cheeks deepens. I try to hide my smile. I’ve never seen Brianna like this before, and she seems a bundle of nerves.

“How is Matthew doing?” I asked. Matthew is Brianna’s husband and Noah’s dad.

“Oh, he passed away a year ago. Just in time to meet Paige, and then he was gone,” Brianna admits sadly.

“Paige?”

“Noah’s daughter. His girlfriend had a baby girl last year… so I hear you’re here for Xaviers wedding?” Brianna asks. I noticed her quick change of topic and wondered what that was all about. I’m about to answer her, when I hear the front door open.

“Where are my boys?” Mum calls out. She runs into the kitchen and takes Adam off me, giving him big sloppy kisses on the cheek, making him giggle.

“Welcome home, Mikaela, Lincoln,” Dad greets, giving me and Ethan a quick hug.

“Are you hungry? You’re just in time for lunch, and Aunty Brianna made biscuits for later,” Mum tells Tyler.

“Yes!” Tyler grins, jumping up and down.

\\//\\\///\\//

“I’m so nervous!” Miranda says, looking at herself one more time in the mirror.

“You look beautiful,” Cassie assures her. I nod in agreement.

“Xavier will be so thrilled when he sees you walking down the aisle,” I tell her.

“You think?” Miranda asks. Cassie and I both agree.

Xavier met Miranda at work, where Miranda was employed as the office tea lady. David explained that it was a job some companies had years ago but was eventually phased out due to cost-cutting. Basically, Miranda’s job was to serve tea at meetings and to keep the staffrooms clean and tidy, as well as the tea and coffee supplies full and replenished. David brought the position back when he began hiring neuro-diverse individuals in his companies.

“Are you ready?” Miranda’s mum, Natasha, asks, peering through the door. Cassie and I look at Miranda, who nods.

“I’ll watch you from the seats,” I state, giving Miranda a quick kiss on the cheek and walking out of the dressing room. I sneak into the ceremony room and slide into the seat next to Dad, who is holding Adam on his lap.

“Has he been good?” I whisper. Dad nods. I smile and look up at Ethan, who is watching me from the front. Xavier asked Ethan to be his best man, which Xavier quickly agreed to. I must say, he looks pretty fine in his three-piece suit, standing there holding Tyler’s hand. Tyler is the ringbearer, which I thought was cute as this is his second time in the role.

The musicians to the left of the groomsmen begin to play the bridal march, and everyone stops and turns to look down the aisle. Miranda’s younger sister, Tamara, comes out first in her satin pastel pink dress, and Cassie follows behind her. When they both reach the front, everyone gasps when they see Miranda walk out in her gown. Miranda chose a sweetheart strapless princess gown with crystals in the corset. Her veil covers her face, and she looks ethereal.

I grin as she walks past. I met Miranda two days before the wedding when Cassie took us both out for lunch. Miranda is very sweet, and I could see why Xavier loved her.

“And now for the rings,” the celebrant states. All eyes turn to Tyler, who looks down at the pillow he’s holding.

“Oh, oh,” Tyler says, feeling his pockets. Tyler shakes his head and looks up at his father, who just watches in amusement. Tyler then grins and walks over to Xavier, and reaches into his suit pocket, pulling out two rings. Everyone laughs. I can’t believe he organised that with Xavier, little monkey.

The celebrant continues the ceremony, and when he pronounces them both man and wife, everyone cheers as Xavier and Miranda kiss.

“Come dance with me,” I say to Miranda, who is sitting at a table talking to Xavier’s family.

“Okay!” Miranda smiles, taking my hand. I lead her to the dance floor, and we dance to Marry You by Bruno Mars.

“Can I interrupt this dance,” Ethan asks Miranda, who nods and starts to dance with the people beside her.

“Hello,” I smile, wrapping my arms around Ethan’s neck.

“Hello,” he smiles back, wrapping his arms around my waist. The song changes to an old song that I can’t recall the name of. We begin to move to the music when Ethan begins singing to the music.

“I’m so in love with you. Whatever you want to do is all right with me. ’Cause you make me feel so brand new. And I want to spend my life with you,” Ethan sings. I grin, my cheeks becoming sore from smiling so hard.

“Let’s, let’s stay together. Loving you whether, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad,” Ethan sings.

The song ends, and Ethan rests his forehead on mine.

“Remember our wedding?” Ethan asks. I nod. Unlike this one, ours was small. Just us, Declan and Adele, Cassie and Xavier and our families. It was intimate and everything I wanted.

“You are the best thing to happen to me, Mr Lincoln Ethan Rosebank,” I state.

“I’m so glad Noah met Andrea,” Ethan says. I try to raise an eyebrow but do a terrible job at it, which makes Ethan laugh. He’s been trying to teach me and failing miserably.

“Shush you,” I join him in laughing.

“If it wasn’t for them, I might not have met you, and I would have lived my life not knowing what could have been and regretting every minute. I love you, Mrs Mikaela Rosebank.”

“I love you, too,” I say, kissing him.

THE END