Single Parents

[Red Ranger 1]

Thank you for the comments, pembie, Jarliefan, HAA and Aden Belle.This is the last chapter, I'm afraid, hope everyone likes it.

CHAPTER 11

“I’m so glad I don’t have to spend time with Pippa anymore,”VJ noted as he and Leah climbed the stairs to the flat,“She was really annoying.”

“Well, all children her age are annoying,”Leah replied,“You were pretty annoying yourself.”

“Oh great.I can’t wait until Stephen grows up.”

“You know, give it five years or so and Pippa will probably have turned into a beautiful young woman.”

“And I’ll be at uni so she’ll still think I’m cool.Everyone’s a winner.”

Leah looked at him.“You have been speaking to Dex way too much.”

“Well, Dex is kind of cool too sometimes.Just don’t tell him I said that.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”Leah reached the door they were after and knocked on it.

William answered the door and stared at them for a moment.“Have you come to pick Stephen up?” he asked.

“Ah, yes, we have,”Leah confirmed.

“Mum!Dex!It’s Stephen’s mum!”William called out.

Dexter came bounding to the door.“Leah!VJ!Come in!”He ushered them into the house, playfully punching VJ on the arm.“So, Veej, you have a good time with all those Thai girls?”

VJ sighed and looked at Leah.“I did say ‘sometimes.’”

Leah noticed Dallas in the kitchen.“Hey there, did you get my call?”

Dallas nodded.“Yeah, Stephen’s all ready to go and his things are packed in his room.He hasn’t been any trouble at all.”

“Apart from when he painted me,”interjected William helpfully.

“Yeah, we all agreed we weren’t going to mention that,”Dexter reminded him.

Leah was looking hard at Dallas.There was something different about her, something that was staring her right in the face but that she hadn’t quite noticed…Then she heard a crying noise from one of the bedrooms and it clicked.“Is that..?”

Dexter and Dallas smiled and led her through to the room where Louis was lying in his cot, Stephen stood looking at him intently.VJ and William followed them in.“Leah, VJ, meet Louis,”Dallas explained.

“Named after either Louis Pasteur or Louis XIV,”Dexter added,“I haven’t quite decided which yet.”

“He’s gorgeous,”Leah told them both, smiling.

VJ looked from himself to all the other youngsters in the room.“How come we’re all boys?”

Dexter shrugged.“I must have strong Y chromosomes.”

It was getting dark outside as Dallas cuddled up to Dexter on the sofa.“Listen to that,”she told him.

Dexter paused and listened hard.“Crickets?”he ventured.

“Silence,”Dallas replied,“Make the most of it because it won’t last long.”

“Yeah, it has been a bit noisy round here lately, hasn’t it?”Dexter conceeded.

“And with a newborn baby in the house, it’s not going to get any better.”

“Probably should have taken the opportunity to relax when we had the chance.Not that I’d have it any other way.”

“Mmm, me neither,”Dallas agreed but her voice sounded slightly dreamy.

“At the moment though, Louis’ asleep, William’s asleep and we’ve got a bit of alone time.So what do you want to do?”

“Sleep,”Dallas replied dully.

Dexter waited for her to go on.Then he heard her snoring, as her head rested on his shoulder.He sighed and patted her sleeping form.“Sleep tight.”After all, she was probably going to need it.Not that they’d have it any other way.

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