One Affection

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

(Ireland. Caroline's Thoughts.)

Arriving in Ireland at the cottage again just felt relieving in every way possible. Even though it was past midnight all I wanted to do was reminisce but also sleep for many hours.

The couch where Nat slept last time, the piece of fishing line hanging from the ceiling to Niall's hideout, the counter my hips got knocked into so many times.

Niall brought our suitcases into our bedroom.

The bedroom, the place where some of my favourite moments were spent.

I pulled back the duvet on the bed and climbed in automatically.

"Merry Christmas Niall." I mumbled sleepily as he laid down next to me. "I love you."

"I love you more dear." He said as he draped his arm around my waist.

Our breathing steadied as we fell into a deep sleep after the long night of traveling.

In the morning when I woke I was alone in bed and the fire was going in the room. I could smell coffee and breakfast and just could not believe how perfect my boyfriend was in every way. I got out of bed and put on the bathrobe hanging on Niall's hooks in the bathroom and walked out into the kitchen.

"Morning love." He said giving me a kiss.

"Morning." I replied grabbing a cup of coffee.

I sat down on one of the bar stools and started to relax a bit.

"Hello Caroline." I heard a voice say.

I looked over to the couch and smiled.

"Greg! It's so great to see you again!" I stood up and walked over to give him a hug.

"How have you been?" He asked.

"Well and yourself? How's your wife? And the baby! Oh my goodness how could I forget about him." I responded.

"Oh Denise is great. She's at her mothers today, and Niall and I have always spent the day after Christmas together so he asked me over for breakfast. I didn't know you guys were coming out this early. And Theo's hanging out with us today."

Theo laid on his stomach on the floor smiling as his uncle Niall entertained him. I smiled over at them. Greg and I chatted for a while as breakfast finished baking and Niall and his nephew played on the floor.

"He loves my son so much. It's too bad we're eight hours separated." Greg sighed.

"Niall was so excited when he came back to England after Theo was born. He had so many pictures to show me, he just really loves the kid."

As we were eating I thought about the future. I never thought further than the present about many things, I hadn't even considered what Niall and I would so when school ended and we went separate ways to college. Would we stay together, break up? I know in my heart it would kill me to not be with him but how could we stay together. But what if we did stay together? What if it's not just teenage love, maybe we'd be the exception to the rule, maybe we'd stay together. What if Niall proposed, what if we got married. Perrie would be my maid of honour, and the girls would be in the wedding. And Ana, my sister she'd be there. The boys would be his groomsmen, Liam or Harry his best man. We'd start a family, three boys, or a boy and a girl. It'd be perfect. We could live in Ireland, everything would be serene. The dogs running around, the cuddled winters, the beach filled summers. It'd all be perfect.

I had never allowed myself to think further than tomorrow, all of these thoughts were ridiculous. It was too far away, I had college, we probably wouldn't end up together. How would I cope without him. Maybe I'd meet someone else, or fall in love with my best friend. But that's Niall now, I already have.