her car and walked back to the boot.
“You weren’t about to bail on me, were you?” Finn said with a hearty laugh. Kate’s stomach jumped straight up into her mouth. She didn’t reply, she just laughed.
“ Dad will be thrilled,” Finn continued, as he followed Kate to the back of the car. “Sara, Dan and DJ are out back. Dan has taken control of the barbeque.” He added with a laugh.
Kate reached into the boot to take out the gift she brought for Jack , but hesitated at Finn’s words. Standing back up, she looked at Finn.
“I hadn’t realised that you r whole family would be here,” Kate said, suddenly feeling even more like jumping back into the car and heading for home.
“Stop panicking,” Finn said with a laugh, sensing Kate was feeling suddenly very uncomfortable. He reached in and took the package from the boot of the car and handed it to Kate. “You will like my sister and her husband. DJ is my nephew, he is five, and pretty awesome.”
“ Cool,” Kate said with a smile but her heart sunk. She wasn’t comfortable around kids anymore, it was just too hard and brought back too many memories.
“Are you okay?” Finn asked, looking at her curiously , as he slammed the boot shut. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah,” she lied and forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“Then let’s get you inside,” Finn replied giving her a big smile , but he wasn’t fully convinced she was okay. He watched her, as they walked up the pathway to his father’s house.
When they reached the door, Kate paused and took a deep steadying breath. She knew she was being ridiculous , but her racing heart and sweaty palms were out of her control.
“You know, they won’t bite,” Finn said , as he reached for the door with one hand and Kate’s hand with the other. “I promise.”
She didn’t respond , instead just smiling at him gratefully. She wondered for the first time, what he would think if she told him about Callum and Emily. She wondered what he would think of her just walking out of her marriage after eight years.
Finn le d Kate through the cool shade of his father’s home, straight through the kitchen and out into the backyard, where Jack was sitting on a porch swing, a blonde, curly haired little boy, almost like a miniature version of Finn, sitting next to him.
“Hi there!” he exclaimed with a big smile, when he saw Kate standing on the porch next to his son.
“Happy Birthday, Jack,” Kate replied with a bright smile , as she walked towards him. He stood up, as she approached him, greeting her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“What a lovely surprise,” Jack said, seeming genuinely pleased to see Kate. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Well, when Finn said it was you r birthday,” Kate answered, as she nervously glanced over at Finn’s sister and her husband. Sara smiled at Kate and Kate could feel herself relax a little, as she returned Sara’s smile. She turned back to Jack and her smile widened. “I just wanted to drop by and wish you a very happy birthday.”
She handed him the gift she had brought for him, then pulled a bottle of wine from her oversized bag she had on her shoulder and handed it to Finn.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Finn said , as he took the bottle from her. “Please, take a seat and I will get you a drink. What will you have?”
“ Just a soda,” Kate replied, giving Finn a smile. “I’m driving.”
“I will be right back,” Finn said before he vanished back into the house. Kate sat down next to Jack, as Jack pulled his grandson onto his lap.
“Are you going to help me unwrap this, DJ?” Jack asked the little boy , as he lifted up his gift from in between him and Kate.
“YES!” DJ replied excitedly and instantly began to tear away the wrapping paper from his grandfather’s gift. Kate smiled , but her heart ached, as her mind went back to Emily, on her fourth birthday. She loved unwrapping gifts so much and the
“You weren’t about to bail on me, were you?” Finn said with a hearty laugh. Kate’s stomach jumped straight up into her mouth. She didn’t reply, she just laughed.
“ Dad will be thrilled,” Finn continued, as he followed Kate to the back of the car. “Sara, Dan and DJ are out back. Dan has taken control of the barbeque.” He added with a laugh.
Kate reached into the boot to take out the gift she brought for Jack , but hesitated at Finn’s words. Standing back up, she looked at Finn.
“I hadn’t realised that you r whole family would be here,” Kate said, suddenly feeling even more like jumping back into the car and heading for home.
“Stop panicking,” Finn said with a laugh, sensing Kate was feeling suddenly very uncomfortable. He reached in and took the package from the boot of the car and handed it to Kate. “You will like my sister and her husband. DJ is my nephew, he is five, and pretty awesome.”
“ Cool,” Kate said with a smile but her heart sunk. She wasn’t comfortable around kids anymore, it was just too hard and brought back too many memories.
“Are you okay?” Finn asked, looking at her curiously , as he slammed the boot shut. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah,” she lied and forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“Then let’s get you inside,” Finn replied giving her a big smile , but he wasn’t fully convinced she was okay. He watched her, as they walked up the pathway to his father’s house.
When they reached the door, Kate paused and took a deep steadying breath. She knew she was being ridiculous , but her racing heart and sweaty palms were out of her control.
“You know, they won’t bite,” Finn said , as he reached for the door with one hand and Kate’s hand with the other. “I promise.”
She didn’t respond , instead just smiling at him gratefully. She wondered for the first time, what he would think if she told him about Callum and Emily. She wondered what he would think of her just walking out of her marriage after eight years.
Finn le d Kate through the cool shade of his father’s home, straight through the kitchen and out into the backyard, where Jack was sitting on a porch swing, a blonde, curly haired little boy, almost like a miniature version of Finn, sitting next to him.
“Hi there!” he exclaimed with a big smile, when he saw Kate standing on the porch next to his son.
“Happy Birthday, Jack,” Kate replied with a bright smile , as she walked towards him. He stood up, as she approached him, greeting her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“What a lovely surprise,” Jack said, seeming genuinely pleased to see Kate. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Well, when Finn said it was you r birthday,” Kate answered, as she nervously glanced over at Finn’s sister and her husband. Sara smiled at Kate and Kate could feel herself relax a little, as she returned Sara’s smile. She turned back to Jack and her smile widened. “I just wanted to drop by and wish you a very happy birthday.”
She handed him the gift she had brought for him, then pulled a bottle of wine from her oversized bag she had on her shoulder and handed it to Finn.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Finn said , as he took the bottle from her. “Please, take a seat and I will get you a drink. What will you have?”
“ Just a soda,” Kate replied, giving Finn a smile. “I’m driving.”
“I will be right back,” Finn said before he vanished back into the house. Kate sat down next to Jack, as Jack pulled his grandson onto his lap.
“Are you going to help me unwrap this, DJ?” Jack asked the little boy , as he lifted up his gift from in between him and Kate.
“YES!” DJ replied excitedly and instantly began to tear away the wrapping paper from his grandfather’s gift. Kate smiled , but her heart ached, as her mind went back to Emily, on her fourth birthday. She loved unwrapping gifts so much and the
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