I SAID I NEEDED SPACE~ CHAPTER 8:

~~ Our New Normal ~~

INTRO:

"I'll see you, girls, later," I say

"Mummy no, stay with us," Saskia says

"I can't baby, but you will have fun with daddy okay"

"Otay" she replies putting her head down,

"Did you want me to pick them up tomorrow?"

"Avie I don't like this, the girls don't either" he replies back

"It's going to be our new normal," I say

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ALL RIGHT GIRLS, you are going to stay with daddy-"

"DADDY!" Saskia says perking up "Where's daddy?"

"Yes Sass, you are going to stay with daddy"

"Are you coming wif us?" Ava says

"No baby" I reply and her eyes well with tears

"No no, don't cry, daddy is going to do loads of fun things with you girls"

"Do you promise mummy?"

"Yes Ava, now go and grab your shoes," I say and the 2 girls scurry off to the front door where their white tennis shoes are located

"And you miss Lola, don't do anything too big whilst you're gone," I say and tickle her belly

"Big big" she chants and I smile, she's at the stage where she can repeat some small easy words, like please, thank you, mummy, daddy, sisters and baba on repeat

"Watch out for your sisters for me eh?" I say back and she babbles in return.

I then place her on my hip and begin to place all of the girl's things in the 3 different bags I have laid out for them. I have to go back into the cafe tomorrow, to go through orders, and pick up supplies, and I also need a night off so I have organised for the girls to stay with Grayson.

He still picks them up and drops them off as we were doing before the breakup, but instead, he drops them off here. It's been a month of a constant mummy, so I need some time off. Grayson is their father and to be fair he has offered a couple of times.

I have 3 medium-sized backpacks. In the 2 older girls bags have filled them with a couple of t-shirts, a pair leggings and a skirt, 2 pairs of pyjamas, a singlet, socks and undies for Saskia. She isn't toilet trained but she likes to wear them over her nappy. I have also added a warm jacket and a cardigan since the weather is unpredictable.

I then placed some hair ties and a small brush in each bag, along with nappies and a small pocket of wipes. For Lola I placed in 2 zip-up pyjama sleepsuits, 2 cute outfits, a couple of plain onesies, some with arms and no legs, and some full, it's up to him what he dresses them in, I add some baby socks, and a warm jacket before I zip all 3 bags.

In a separate bag I place formula, some squeeze pouches for Lola, she can eat whatever the meal is for dinner, but for a snack, she has some apple sauce or some veggies. I added in her formula tin and some bottles. For the older 2, I added in some of their favourite snacks, and breakfast food.

I then place all the bags at the front door in preparation for Grayson and help Ava and Saskia put their shoes on. Whilst we wait for Grayson we are all on the floor trying to get Lola to walk, she can crawl and stand with help, but she is so desperate to walk along with her sisters.

"Come on baby you can do it," I say to her holding her up

"Sissy walk to me," Saskia says

"Come on Lolly come come" Ava replies behind her sister

Lola takes 1 step before she falls again

"Oh it's okay baby," Saskia says "Come here Lolly" she then replies but I hear a knock on the door and I guess it's Grayson

"Wait here girls," I say and I go to open the front door, but there is another ferocious know

"Keep your hair on," I say and I swing the door open to Grayson, and which it hurts to admit, is looking sexier than usual

"Good morning," he says leaning on the side of the door

"Come in" I reply "Their bags are here, I'll help you bring them to the car," I say

"Oh hello Grayson, how are you?" he says and I turn to glare at him

We work in silence to load the 3 girls and their baggage into the parked car before I kiss them all goodbye

"I'll see you, girls, later," I say

"Mummy no, stay with us," Saskia says

"I can't baby, but you will have fun with daddy okay"

"Otay" she replies putting her head down, so I smile at her and I shut the backseat door turning to Grayson who isn't in the car yet

"Did you want me to pick them up tomorrow?"

"Avie I don't like this, the girls don't either" he replies back

"It's going to be our new normal," I say

"But I don't it to be"

"Grayson, we can't keep doing this"

"But you aren't listening to me"

"I do not have to listen to-"

"What's going on here," Jake says pulling up in his car next to Graysons

"Nothing... looking I need to go," I say to him before I wave goodbye to the girls, and get into the passenger seat of Jake's car

"What was that about," he asks immediately and I wave him off

"Nothing, I'll tell you after" I reply and he speeds off down the street

...

"Alright," I say looking at the list in front of me, browsing down the grocery store aisle, Jake following behind me with a cart of his own

"Why do you have a cart J?" I ask him

"Cause Ally said we need more food in the house, and she's on her period so," he says

"Right" I reply and watch him pull things off the shelf

"I just need the basics, since we are running low on a lot of things and we need to start baking a new batch of sweets for the next couple of days," I say to him

"Okay mum" he replies and I stick my tongue out at him

We skim through every aisle, where I take bits and pieces that I need, we have a truck trader a bulk amount of milk and other products that can be bought in bulk. But we still have to buy fresh and canned fruit, along with flowers, sugar and other things. When I have everything that I need and Jake is finished filling his cart with rubbish that he does need we head to the register.

"That'll be $265.40," the cashier says to me and I smile lifting up my work credit card, she clicks a few buttons before I tap the card, and the payment is approved

I wait until Jake is finished with his groceries before we push the carts back to his car, fill up his boot and ride back to the cafe. Once we are there we unload this part of his trunk and we put all of his cold groceries in the fridge and he helps me unload and put away all of the groceries

"So I think we found a place," Jake says as he is filling the flour section

"Oh really, that is fast"

"Yeah well Ally has been looking"

...

WARNING:

this story will contain:

---- Swearing (which may cause offense)

---- Sexual content (as in references ya nasties)

----Moments that you will either laugh or scream

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO THE OWNER (ME)

2020 @ellehardwick