Family

The RIVERS Seine

"You guys took your time. I'm dying to know the gender" Ezra complains

"You must be the most impatient person I have ever met" Toby laughs

"You ready?" Caleb says, peeking his head out the door

"Yes" Ezra screams running towards the hospital room

"It's a boy" Hanna smiles, holding her beautiful baby boy in her arms

"He's gorgeous" I cry

"Okay Em we don't have time for tears. I'm really sorry but this is a fly in visit"

"What's his name?" Toby asks

"Conrad" Caleb laughs

"Why you laughing?" Ezra asks

"Cause the three boys all start with a C. I mean it wasn't really meant, we just liked the name but we also didn't want to leave him out"

"Caleb, Hanna, Carson, Harper and Conrad. What a gorgeous family. Now let's get this photo" Ali impatiently says

A midwife comes in and we all huddle around Conrad, we sit the kids on the bed next to Hanna and tell them to shout "Conrad". Once the photo is taken we give everyone a hug goodbye before racing to my mom's house

"Let's go. We are going to have so much fun" my mom enthusiastically says; buckling her seatbelt

Ali's pov

"This is your pilot speaking. We are preparing for take off. Please turn all electronic devices off and enjoy the flight. We should be arriving in the city of love in just under eight hours"

After very little time and an argument between Pam and the woman at the gate we made our flight and are on our way to France.

Emily grabs onto my hand as the plane drives along the runway. Me and Emily are sat in a row of 2 and Pam, Lily and Grace are in a row of 3.

Emily's pov

After only 1 hour Alison falls asleep leaning her head on my shoulder. I rest my head against her's and squeeze my eyes shut, taking a deep breath of Alison's hair, the smell of her has became home to me. When I reopen my eyes I see a phone in front of me, I rub my eyes with confusion as to why a phone is hovering just inches in front of my face

"Mom? What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Emmy. You both just looked so peaceful and cute, I couldn't help but take a photo of this sweet moment"

I'm too tired to question my mom's sanity so I just fall back asleep, hugging Ali and allow my mom to take as many photos as she wants. Me and Ali sleep through the rest of the flight and don't wake up until our ears pop with the pressure of landing.

"You and me" Alison whispers

Ali's pov

We arrive at our luxury hotel and even though we spent most of the flight asleep our jet lag kicks in.

I wake up the next day with my wife and two daughters in the city of love. Pam opens the door from the conjoined room next to ours

"Get up lazy heads. I've booked us tickets to the tower" she shouts

Emily groans and hides under the bedsheets

"Come on Em. Let's roll out of bed, eat a croissant and then take your mom and our daughters up the Eiffel Tower"

"Fine" Em moans

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

We step into the glass elevator and are thrown up to the very top of the tower, Lily is wrapped in Emily's arms; as the elevator gets further and further away from the ground she quivers with fear

"It's okay Lily, look we are at the top now" Emily tries to console her

I pick Grace up and hold her above the railing, she places her hands through the diamond gaps of the wired fence and we both stare into the far distance over looking Paris

"I'd love to see it at night" Pam says, leaning on the banister next to me

"It's like our story Gracie" Lily shouts, bouncing towards us

"Your story?" Pam asks

"You'd look so good on top of the Eiffel Tower, wind in your hair" Grace recites

"How about forever?" Lily giggles as she clasps her hands together and flutters her eyelashes

I am taken aback by my daughters reciting our conversation as if it was a play. Emily comes from behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her chiselled chin on my shoulder

"And this isn't even their favourite part of the book" she laughs

"What is? Their favourite part?"

"Well they love every moment we... I mean the Queen and the Mermaid share together, but Lily's favourite is when the Queen saves the Mermaid from the car fumes and Grace's is when the Queen admits she loves the Mermaid and mine, is right now"

Emily spins me around and pulls me close to her. Our body's slot together like jigsaw pieces, joining together as if they never belonged apart. She closes her eyes and slowly leans in, I feel her inhale a long breath before our anticipated meaningful kiss. Our lips meet and I have to restrict myself, knowing that Pam, Lily, Grace and hundreds of tourists are watching us kiss, I pull away from Emily and she leans in again; I swiftly move my head away from her lips and whisper into her ear

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow"

Tomorrow is our 5th anniversary and I have planned something extra special for my mermaid

"Tomorrow?" She smirks

"Yes, Tomorrow. Just the two of us, alone, in private, in the city of love" I whisper as I kiss her cheek

"Let's take a family photo" Pam grins, getting her phone and selfie stick out of her handbag

"Say...Paris"