IDK: I Do Know (Cate Blanchett Fan Fiction)

How About Now

Chris Stevens POV:
Long chapter ahead...

The kids are almost off to sleep. I didn't really have any difficulty putting the boys to sleep because they did have Dashiell and they are old enough but--- I had to make sure they were all tucked. I walked going to their room to check Roman and Iggy and it seems that Roman was having a hard time with his blanket.

I knocked on the door. "Can I help?" I asked and Roman nodded. I came in and helped him and after that was done, he gave me a thank you and both men asked me if it was okay to put off the lights.

As I closed the door, at the end of the hallway, Dashiell closed his door already. It was hard to have a conversation with him but then there is nothing we can do about it. He sees me that way. All we can do about it is to live with it or change it throughout the process.

I went back to the playroom because Edith fell asleep. I slowly carried her and she snuggled her cute head near my chest. Her small snores, her peaceful face--- she was having a good night's rest.

Slowly placing her on her pink bed, Edith adjusted her body, looking for her teddy bear. I gave it to her and then she hugged it. I placed a blanket over her, gave her a kiss on the forehead and the last thing I heard from that quiet room was, "I love you, Auntie," said by Edith.

It was a sleepy response but it made me melt.

It is just that... I didn't grow up with any kids or siblings so to have someone tell me that--- it made me happy.

All the kids were off and so I went ahead downstairs. I haven't heard anything about the conversation, nor Cate texted me that everything is done. All I heard was a car leaving and that was just about it.

When I went down, she was not there in the living room, not was Andrew. "Cate?! Where are you?" I called her across the room and there was no response.

I grabbed the coat that was hanging on her rack because it was getting cold, and I went ahead to look for her. She was not in the kitchen or in her bedroom. She wasn't even in the usual places she should be in.

Until I found her in the backyard.

There was a lit bonfire and she was there staring on to the fire blankly. She was holding pieces of paper. I slowly walked towards her and my presence did not bother her. She must have been thinking something deeply.

"You okay?" I asked her.

Cate then noticed my presence. She gave me a small nod and then took my hand. We just stayed there near the fire for a couple or so minutes.

"He wanted me back," she said. "Andrew wanted things to be okay. He wanted the family back and he said that he regretted things. I didn't know if he really was genuine or it was the... You know... The alcohol."

I grabbed a cigarette from my pocket, lit it from the bonfire, took a quick drag, and asked her. "And what did you say?"

There was this a part of me that feels guilty. She should be spending most of her time finding a way for her to have her family back but here I am replacing a part of it.

She took my cigarette and then smokes it too. "I told him to leave. I asked him to go because," she took my hand. "I have found my new family and I am pretty sure that you are a part of it. We will work this thing together."

Cate came closer to me and gave me a slow kiss on the lips. The taste of smoke meets my lips and soft lips of hers parts mine. There is nothing I could ask for. Everything was all in place. Here I am. Home. With her.

We were sitting near the bonfire and then Cate finally three the papers to the fire. We watched it slowly burn until satisfaction fills our hearts. It was getting darker and so I suggested for us to sleep.