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“Yes, we are staying now,” Connor whispered.
Wild horses couldn’t drag him away. He knew now that leaving London three years ago had been the worst decision of his life. He had not only cost himself three years without Tahlia, but he had missed out on so much of his son that there suddenly weren’t enough hours in the day to make up for it all.
“Do we smell?” Connor asked with a grin when Joseph sniffed.
Joseph nodded and wrinkled his nose up.
“You melly,” he declared with blunt honesty.
Tahlia smiled and flicked at the smudges of dirt they had left on the little boy’s top.
“I think we had better get a bath then because you are all mucky now too,” she informed him.
Joseph’s excited squeal deafened Connor. His wince was enough to make Joseph grin, but he apologised by covering daddy’s cheek with plenty of sloppy kisses. Connor bathed in them all. Each one was a breath of fresh air, wiping away the shadows of his darkened past. In that moment he realised how dark and barren his life had been, and how much he had sacrificed facing hidden enemies.
Now it was full of sunshine and laughter. He suddenly looked forward to each new day that lay before them with a joyful anticipation that nothing could ever dim.
His life was complete; it was as simple as that.
“Are you sure you can cope?” Tahlia asked only half-joking.
Connor nodded enthusiastically. “I have already quit London and now, having seen this little fellow-” he paused enough to lift the tot over his head and nuzzle the boys’ belly resulting in lots of squeals and laughter.
Tahlia laughed as Joseph sat on Connor’s lap and immediately demanded he do it again.
“He needs you,” Tahlia assured Connor gently.
“As I need you,” Connor replied frankly. “I love you, Tahlia. I always have. Whilst I don’t condone what I did back then; in fact, it was the very worst thing I have done in my life. I have to consider whether I was ready to be a father back then. I think I needed to go through this period of missing you dreadfully to realise the importance of what I had lost, and be able to appreciate it more. I will spend the rest of my life making my mistake up to both you and Joseph; if you will let me?”
Tahlia froze and turned to look at him. She wasn’t sure what she had just heard. Her heart began to thunder in her ears. She didn’t want to assume he had suggested marriage, but then he hadn’t asked the question outright.
“Marry me,” he whispered, placing another kiss on her lips right there in front of everybody.
“I would love to,” she laughed, delighted.
Connor grinned and kissed her. This time, though, he was aware of a pair of very curious eyes watching them rather more closely than Oscar, Cecily and Alice. They broke off and turned their heads to look at Joseph, who grinned at them both and threw himself forward so he could join in with their kiss.
“God, I love you both so much,” Connor growled as he held them close.
He made no attempt to keep the emotion from his voice. He knew that if there were a few people in the world he was able to lower his barriers around; it was the people in this kitchen. Oscar and Cecily too had strangely become extended family after what they had all experienced together. He didn’t know Alice yet but, given the adoring way Oscar kept looking at her, and the cherubic joy on Joseph’s face, Connor knew he wouldn’t have any issue with the woman. Anybody who could help raise such a happy, rambunctious youngster as confident in his own world as Joseph was had Connor’s vote.
“There is one request I would like to make before we go any further,” Connor added as he placed Joseph on his feet beside them and stood up. No sooner had he got to his feet than Joseph threw himself at Connor’s legs, demanding to be picked back up again.
Connor happily obliged and settled his son in his arms as he placed a kiss on his chubby cheek.
“Dada,” Joseph gurgled.
“Yes, son, Dada,” Connor choked out.
He shook his head at Tahlia and drew her into his arms.
“You have a request?” Tahlia prompted when Connor simply stood and held them both.
“Hm? Oh, yes, I think that we should have at least three more.” Connor grinned and looked at Joseph.
“More what?” Tahlia asked, confused.
Connor looked at her lovingly and placed a kiss on her lips before he turned and lifted his brows at his son.
