Home Sweet Home

Chapter 2- The Unexpected Opportunity

Summer was leaning against the counter getting more worried by the second. Liam was never late home, she knew he loved his job but he was always home on time; six o’clock every day.

“Mummy!” screamed Cayden who was now sitting on the polished marble floor “Ava pushed me” he protested.

“You pinched me first!” Ava retorted at once.

Summer went over to Cayden and picked him up; she wiped his eyes with a tissue then went to sit on another chair with him in her lap.

“Mummy?” Cayden and Ava asked simultaneously concern etched in their faces.

Ava got down from her chair and climbed onto his mothers lap next to Cayden, the children looked at each other and then touched their mother’s face.

“Mummy?” they repeated.

Summer finally came back to present she smile at the twins and pushed them both gently off her lap.

“You two might as well eat” she said walking over to the oven and taking the dinner out.

Then as she set their plates in front of them Liam walked in, Summer instantly knew something had happened by the fact his face was glowing with happiness and the way his eyes looked excited as a child’s does on Christmas morning.

“Sorry I’m late...Knight needed to see me” he said to Summer.

“What about?” Summer enquired interestedly.

“Well...we’ll talk about it after dinner, you must hungry” he said smiling at her. He took a seat at the table.

“Look what we made!” the twins said excited pushing a picture towards Liam. Liam looked at it and gave the twins a warm smile.

“Is it for me?” he asked.

“For you and mummy” Ava said.

“You have to share it” Cayden added.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later when the children were tucked in bed Summer decided it was time to question Liam on his news. As she walked out of the bathroom after doing her toothbrush she found him sitting on their bed with the laptop open.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“Nothing” he replied closing it, he patted the bed for motioning for her to sit.

Summer sighed and sat down.

“So what did he want to see you about?” she asked hoping she would get an answer this time.

Liam looked at her and took a deep breath. He was not sure how he should say it.

“Well the thing is there’s a job opportunity in a children’s hospital, and they need a doctor that specialises in the heart...”

Summer did not give him a chance to finish, she squealed like a child and jumped in delight and threw her arms around him.

“That’s wonderful news, I’m so happy for you” she said happily.

Liam looked down at her shining face and he knew he was lucky, how many wives would get excited at their husbands transferring to another hospital?  Summer understood how important and how much this meant to Liam and she was honestly happy for him but she had a feeling that it was not all good. She looked up at his face; which was lit up and smiling radiantly at her.

Liam knew that he had to tell her now; he gently pushed her away a little and bit his lip.

“Liam, what’s the matter?” Summer had noticed that Liam’s face had closed up slightly.

“Summer, the job isn’t here in Queensland...it’s in...England”

Summer felt her body go weak and the colour from her face drained. She had not thought about England for a long time the thought of it made her feel sick. Summer looked at her husband’s face which was etched with concern; she knew that if she said no he would never mention it again.

Liam had never seen Summer look so vulnerable, he felt awful he knew what tragedies she had been through there, and now he was suggesting that they should move there.

Neither of the two knew what to say to each other so they remained silent. Then Liam sighed and pulled Summer close to him and held her in a tight embrace, he ran his fingers through her soft and silky hair.

“I’m sorry Summer” he murmured softly into her hair after a while, but when he moved the strands of hair covering her face he saw that she had fallen asleep with a few dry tears on her cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~