“You’ve got a heart of stone.” He shook his head at me, cradling Jerry to his chest. “How can you resist this face.” He bent to rub his nose on Jerry’s head, and I had to look away to avoid the cuteness overload.
I met the amused faces of my family as they took their seats at the table. “Shut up.”
My mum broke the silence by telling us to help ourselves to the bowls of pasta, cheese, and spaghetti sauce she’d set on the table.
Jasper spent the whole meal eating with one hand, the other supporting a fast-asleep Jerry. I spent it trying, and failing, not to look at him and melt a little more each time.
“That was lovely, thank you.” Jasper stood to take his plate away, but my mum waved him back to his seat. “Leave that, I’ll sort in a bit. You need to be off, don’t you?”
I raised an eyebrow at that. Jasper was supposed to be coming home with me after we’d eaten.
He gave me an apologetic look. “I need to pop in at Mum’s first. I won’t be long.”
“Okay.” I swallowed the flare of disappointment. He was going to be late, but he was still coming. These days it was feeling more and more like I didn’t see enough of him.
“Yeah, course.”
“Right. I’d better be going.” He glanced down at the sleeping bundle of fur in his arms. “Who wants this one?”
Silence.
I didn’t look at them, but I felt the weight of everyone’s stares. “Fine,” I huffed, pushing my chair back a bit. “Give him here.”
Despite saying he needed to go, Jasper held onto Jerry for a little longer, then reluctantly handed him over. “See you later.” He ducked his head to kiss me and then Jerry.
Stick a fork in me, I’m done.
After clearing the kitchen,we had coffee in the lounge. Jerry sleeping happily on my lap.
I let out a resigned sigh and narrowed my eyes at my mum. “This is the very last one. All right?” Her beaming smile was contagious.
Cole immediately pulled out his phone. “Bollocks.”
“Language, Cole!”
“Sorry, Mum.” He turned to glare at me. “You couldn’t’ve held out for fifteen more minutes?”
I shrugged. “What was the point? We all knew I was going to take him.”
Cole scrunched up his face but grudgingly conceded I was right.
I glanced between the three of them. “Who won this time, then?”
“Dad.” Cole pointed at him.
I gave him a wounded look. “Really?”
He didn’t even have the grace to look guilty. “You’re a big softie. Throw Jasper in the mix, and I knew you’d be sold.”
To my horror, my mum leaned over and high-fived him.
My family were the worst.
“I’ll just go get all of his things.” My mum was up before I could change my mind and I ran a hand through my hair. “Jeez, it’s like December all over again.”
Back then I’d got two new housemates after leaving my mum’s.
As sharp as ever, Cole nudged me with his elbow and said softly, “It could beexactlylike December.”
