Another Door Opens

25 - Lovely as always to see and hear you both

- MILES -

"Miiiiles!"

I almost shit my pants right there in the bloody supermarket, so shocked was I that someone yelled out my name so loudly. Admittedly, I had my AirPods in so there's every possibility whoever it was tried to get my attention more subtly at first, then amped up the volume when I didn't reply.

Turning around in search of the speaker, I breathed a sigh of relief when I spied Luna and Wolfe pushing a trolley half way up the aisle, and took the headphones out of my ears.

"Well, that makes a lot more sense now," Luna said, watching me put them back in the case. She stepped around the trolley in front of me and opened her arms for a hug. "I've been calling you since Aisle 7."

"And didn't everyone nearby trying to peacefully get on with their grocery shopping enjoy your obnoxiously loud attempts to get his attention this whole time," Wolfe said sarcastically, rolling his eyes dramatically as he held his hand out to shake mine. "What I wouldn't give to have had headphones or even ear plugs myself."

Luna looked at him with a disdain that would have floored me if I didn't know how much of a sweetheart she is underneath all her attempts to look tough. Not even two full sleeves of tattoos and a bunch of pregnancy hormones can undermine how sweet she is.

"Lovely as always to see and hear you both," I said, chuckling at Wolfe's efforts to get back in Luna's favour and eliminate her lingering contemptible scorn by kissing the tip of her nose and finally making her giggle. They're honestly so cute it's nauseating. "How's the new year treating you? Baby making still going well, Luna?"

"So far so good,” Luna replied, reaching intuitively to her stomach and smiling serenely. “Definitely still making, though I’d kill for a day or two not lugging this extra weight around. My back is killing me, Miles.”

"Why don’t you come in and get a massage at the gym? Happy to hook you up, or I can get Calista to help you out whenever it gets too bad? We’re both trained and qualified in remedial and pregnancy massage,” I offered, not sure what Wolfe’s stance on me massaging his wife are. I can’t imagine he would have any issue with it, and Wolfe knows how seriously I take my work, but you never know.

“Actually, Miles, that would be amazing,” Wolfe perked up, confirming my suspicions. I can actually feel the distress he's been experiencing in not being able to help alleviate Luna's pain and discomfort pouring out of him. “Poor Lune has been in so much pain and I’m terrified I’m going to send her into early labour of something whenever I try to do it myself.”

“More than happy to hook you up. Just let me know whenever you need and I’ll make sure either Cal or I are available for you, Luna,” I said, observing the way both Luna and Wolfe’s bodies both relaxed and stood taller, apparently quite relieved for the offer. I’m guessing her back has been especially bad by their reactions. “I can’t guarantee the same spa-level relaxation with essential oils and candles and shit, but we’ll hopefully relieve some of that tension for you. It’ll be my pre-birth baby gift to you.”

“Oh. No, Miles. I will definitely be paying,” Luna insisted, but there’s no way I’m going to take her money. 

“Nah. Let me do this for you, Luna. I’d rather you be comfortable at a time like this than not, okay?”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Wolfe piped in with a smirk on his face. “How come Lune gets a free gym pass and I’m still the chump handing over wads of cash for my ongoing membership?”

I laughed at Luna backhanding him in the stomach, telling him to back off and not ruin her good thing here. 

Wolfe winked at me jokingly and I shrugged to match him. “She’s prettier than you?”