“But mum.” Their son, , whined.
“Don’t ‘but mum me’. Get your toys taken up and your bedroom sorted.”
“Why? It’s only da. It’s not like he’s sleeping in our rooms or he’s the King of England.” One of their twin daughters, , chimed.
“It doesn’t matter. Once it’s done you won’t have to do it later and then you’ll be able to spend all night with your da. He’s been gone for months.”
snorted. “I can guarantee once he’s said hello to us, he’ll be all over you and then you’ll be at it all night.”
whipped the tea towel at , and she jumped, laughing. “Oi, you. Your da loves you very much and he wants to spend all his time with you. You know that. Now go tidy your room and for the love of God clean your bathroom. You’d think cousin IT had been brushing his hair in there!”
The three older kids trudged up to their bedroom. took a second to let the anticipation of her husband coming home wash over her, butterflies stirring in her stomach.
ran up to her mum’s legs and put her arms around them.
squeezed her back. “Let’s go put all your toys away and then get you bathed so you’re all ready for daddy coming home.” She hung the tea towel over the bannister and led the three year old up the stairs.
Hearing the crunch of tires pulling into the driveway, ’s heart began racing. She peeked out of ’s bedroom curtains just as the car door opened. Footsteps thundered down the stairs as if a herd of elephants had escaped from the children’s bedrooms.
looked up at her with twinkling eyes, excitement fizzing in her voice: “Daddy’s home!”
“Daddy’s home.” She nodded. The little girl practically flew down the stairs as she ran to the front door and jumped into his loving arms.
“Hello my babies.” He laughed as the kids rushed at him, encasing him in a tangle of arms and bodies.
grinned at the sight before her.
Shane broke from the hug, looking up at her on the stairs. “Now there’s my beautiful wife.”
jumped down the last step and he caught her, twirling her around.
“Eww, get a room!” cried in disgust.
threw the tea towel at her. “You’re the reason why we started sharing a room in the first place!”
Shane chuckled. “Yeah – before you, we had two bedrooms we could make out in.”
“Ewwwww.” The older kids groaned, their son pretending to stick his finger down his throat as his sisters feigned gagging.
“Just you wait until you get your first boyfriends and girlfriends. You’ll understand it then.” looked at the older kids.
’s face screwed up. “I’m never getting a girlfriend if this is what they want you to do.”
The adults laughed.
“You’ll want to do it too!” Shane told him.
got closer to ’s face and puckered her lips. “Kissy kissy!”
covered his face. “Nope. Never!” He ran out as the rest roared with laughter.
looked up at them all confused. “What’s making out?”
Shane picked her up and cuddled her into him. “You don’t have to worry about that, baby. You’re never getting a boyfriend – or a girlfriend for that matter.”
snorted and shook her head at him. The two teens followed their brother into the living room.
“Now who wants pizza?”
After a night of junk food and stories from Shane about his time on the road, everyone (all except who had passed out somewhere between pizza and ice cream and had been carried to bed by Shane) headed up to their respective beds.
Shane smiled at as he sat down on their bed and let out a content sigh. “I’m so happy to be home. I think the kids missed me.”
They shared a laugh. He pulled off his shirt and set it on the bed beside him.
“Just tad.”
“What about you?”
“Maybe.” She smirked.
“Maybe, huh?” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her onto his knee. Her giggles were silenced by the loving look in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. “How about now?”
She smiled, her forehead resting on his. “Just a tiny bit more.”
“Oh really?”
As they shared another kiss, a childlike shriek filled the air.
They sighed against each other and Shane stole a quick kiss.
stood. “I’ll go see to her.”
He tugged her hand and gestured for her to sit down.”I’ll go. You’ve been on duty for far too long.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m sure will be happy that her daddy is back to fight off the monsters for her.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upwards as he turned to go to their daughter’s room. got undressed and slid on Shane’s discarded t-shirt. She got into bed, turned the lamp on and pulled out her book from the bedside table. She wanted to burst from how happy she was now that her love was home. Nothing made her happier than to see him in full-on dad mode tending to their children.
Half an hour later and Shane still hadn’t returned from S bedroom. gave him twenty more minutes before she realised that the sounds of their little girl’s giggles had been replaced by gruff snoring. She laughed to herself as she got out of bed, placing her book back on the nightstand and made her way across the hall to their daughter’s room. She cracked open the door cautiously. was curled up against her dad, her arms wrapped around his arm. quickly snapped a picture of them on her phone before gently shaking Shane awake.
“Huh?” He sleepily mumbled.
“You fell asleep in ’s bed.” She grinned.
He drowsily looked over at the sleeping child, smiled and tenderly removed his arm from her grip.
“I used to have to pour you into bed after a night out and now I’m having to tell you to go to bed when you fall asleep with the kids in theirs.” She held out hand to him and he took it.
He let out a tired chuckle as she helped him stand. “Those nights are long gone.”
pulled him out of ’s bed and guided him to theirs where he tiredly took off his trousers and got into bed. Feeling slid into bed next to him, he pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her and resting the other on her bare thigh.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” His breath tickled her ear as he cuddled into her, resting his head next to her neck.
closed her eyes, savouring him being next to her. “All the time, but I can never hear it enough.”
“You should hear it a million times a day. I can never say it enough.”
“You say it plenty. I hear it in your words, in the way you treat me & the kids. I hear it in the silence and I hear it when I know you’re thinking about me when you’re singing.”
He hugged her. “I do love you. You’re my greatest love and my biggest inspiration.” He nuzzled her shoulder, planting a small kiss on it.
She put her hand on his and squeezed it. “And you’re mine.” She let go of his hand briefly to turn off the lamp before snuggling back into his embrace. It didn’t take long for Shane to fall back asleep, his chest vibrating against her back.
“Goodnight, my love.”