His Heart

Chapter six: Lizzie

I pulled out the car park and drove home where Archer was waiting by the window.

"Daddy!" The girls chorused as Archer waved to them.

He opened the door and was bombarded by the kids demanding cuddles and aeroplane rides.

"Why don't we let you in first, hey?" He said, picking up Lucy. "Hey twins, how are my favourite boys?"

"Shoes off please, kids." I said, as I followed them into the house.

There was a flurry of activity as the kids kicked off their shoes and ran into the family room.

"I'm going to start making pancakes, can you set up a movie for the kids?" I asked Archer.

"Sure." He said. "Do you want any help?"

"Alright. But we'd best get the kids set up first. Stick Encanto on. They were singing it in the car."

"Gotcha." He agreed, heading for the family room.

I cracked an egg into the bowl with the flour and milk, and whisked it up until the batter was smooth and creamy. I poured some of the mix into the pan and looked up at Archer who entered the room with a grin.

"Look at my little chef." He chuckled. "Nice apron."

"The boys picked it out for mother's day, I'm not sure they understood the joke." I was wearing my hot mama apron that made Josh almost bust a gut laughing when he saw me open it.

I flipped the pancake over and Archer poured some chocolate chips into his batter, mixing it through.

I switched the radio on and Stereo Hearts floated out. Archer poured another ladleful of batter onto the pan and sang along to the radio.

"So are you going to tell me any more about how you ended up with a date on Saturday?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged.

"There's not much to tell." He murmured. "I just built up the courage and said yes."

"But I thought you didn't like Lonnie?"

"That's not true." He said. "I never disliked him, I just wasn't ready for a relationship. You know that."

I nodded. "So what changed your mind?"

"He just wore me down, I guess."

"Archer." I said. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"If I'm not ready now, I don't think I'll ever be." He sighed.

"I know. I just worry about you."

"I know you do." He said. "But I'm fine. It's going to be fine. I promise."

He kissed my forehead and stepped back so I could look into his eyes and see honesty shine through. He was always honest. He'd been that way for a long time. He wasn't going to hurt us this time.

"Your pancakes are burning." I said.

He flipped the pancakes and placed them onto a plate, whilst I added the next lot of batter.

"Remind me to let the kids come and flip the last pancake." I told Archer. "I forgot last time and there ended up being a lot of tears."

He chuckled. "No problem."

"The kids are being really quiet." I said.

He poked his head into the living room.

"Glued to the TV." He said. "They're cuddled up on the sofa."

I smiled.

"We'll send them out into the garden after dinner." I decided. "They need some fresh air."

"Do you want to go to the park on Sunday?" Archer suggested. "The boys will be back at lunchtime right?"

"Sure. We could have lunch at the cafe and you can tell me all about your date." I said.

He agreed and he set the table whilst I finished cooking the pancakes.

"Kids, dinner." I called. "There's a pancake to flip!"

The sound of running feet came and the children surrounded me.

"We will flip the pancake after dinner. Sit and eat." I told them.

The kids sat down and helped themselves to pancakes and toppings.

"Easy on the whipped cream, Luce." Archer said, smiling up at me. "We don't want you up all night with sugar coursing through your veins."

She giggled and passed the cream to Luke, who fidgeted in his seat impatiently.

"Mummy look!" Liam said, showing me his cheese and ham pancake.

"Wow, looks nice, bud." I said. "Can I have some?"

He handed me a forkful of pancake.

"Mmm, thank you."

The kids finished their pancakes quickly and began to flip the remaining pancake with happy squeals.

"Careful." Archer said, watching them over my shoulder.

There was a clatter as the pan fell to the floor.

"Can we go outside?" Lucy asked.

"Sure. Pick the pan up and put it on the side, please. Thank you Soph." He said, as the children raced into the garden to play football. We watched from the table and shared a smile.

My gaze lingered on him for a minute, nibbling my lip.

"Promise me you'll tell me how the date goes?" I asked.

He looked up and smiled again. "I promise."

He looked into my eyes.

"I promise." He said again. "I'm not going to do anything that will hurt us or the kids. I promise I won't let that happen."

"Good." I whispered.

He watched me, waiting for my smile to come back. But the memories kept pushing it away.

"Hey." He took my hands and kissed them, squeezing gently. "Everything's going to be fine. Who knows, maybe this date will be the one."

I laughed. "That's what you always say."

"If I keep saying it maybe one day it will be true." He said, grinning.

I smiled, wishing I had his optimism.