NINA'S POV
Looking at them you'd think they were still married. Well, they are but. I. It's complicated is all I get as a response from either of them when I ask. I only get more confused after a conversation about their relationship.
Currently, they were sat under an umbrella Bella was sat on Ian's lap, their stroller was beside them in the shade with a napping Indie and they were laughing and sharing a fruit bowl together. Ian still wore his ring, I haven't seen Isabella in hers for months. I believe she took it off when she arrived back from England. It just never felt right to ask when she stopped wearing it. All I know was it was there one minute and it was gone the next. It's not even in her jewellery case, it had vanished.
"Stop watching them." kat scolded me. "I'm intrigued, are they like secretly dating again?" I asked her, she was the first to know last time and proved to be trustworthy to them as she didn't spill the beans about them for months! I went home with her and I didn't even catch on to the fact she was dating one of my best friends. "I don't think so." "Really?" Luna asked coming over. "They're so dating." "She feeds everyone and she'll sit on any of our laps." Kat defends. "But look at the way they look at each other," Candice says joining in. We were stood on the other side of the pool where the drinks table were.
Daniels small bbq had turned into a pool party. The kids were in the pool loving life and most of the adults were dotted around enjoying the party. "They love each other. They've been together like basically 11 years." Paul says. "But?" I questioned. "Ian said they're not together." "They said that last time." "No, like he's not going there." He said flatly ruining the whole debate with facts straight from the couple or lack thereof. This conversation reminded me of when they stayed home on holiday and we were all debating if they were dating or not. "But they're not getting a divorce?" Candice asked confused. "Bella won't sign," Phee said joining us. I sometimes feel pushed out by Paul and Phee when it comes to Isa. I'm her best friend. I was her only friend when she moved here. Paul hated her guts but now I feel like I've been replaced. They seem to know so much about them.
"Why won't she sign." "I don't think she's over him. They have a baby, they're married, they're in love." "She's being stupid," Phee said flatly, she and Ian hadn't gotten on since the whole ordeal happened. If Isabella had forgiven him we should too besides she wouldn't want us falling out with him it was her fight. We can disagree with his actions but that's all.
I hear her screaming and I look over Ian had picked her up and was moving fast to the pool. And Bella was in the air and then under the water. Ian was laughing. He looked at us and his smile dropped, I looked at phoebe and she was giving him the death glare. "I'm so getting you back for that Smoulder," Bella said when she resurfaced. It's like we went back ten years and they were just friends the way they acted was like they did when they first started to hang out.
Bella had kids hanging off of her as she stayed afloat in the pool. "Get her kids, get her." Ian encouraged. And Noah pushed him in. "That's my boy!" She praised my eldest for being mischievous. I honestly question why we left our kids with her, she was so devious and it definitely rubbed off on our kids, the fun-loving prank-playing sneakiness.
The two 'adults' were now wrestling in the pool. "They're just friends," Paul said before walking off annoyed, I know this topic causes arguments between him and Phee. They had different opinions on the matter and it was clear. When I looked back to the pool Bella was on Ian's back as he swam to the edge her head was laid on his shoulder and she was whispering something to him, he got to the ladder and easily got out Isabella had her long limbs wrapped around him as he got out and then his arms went to hold her weight up. He looked at her like she was the only person in the room.
I looked at Chris and I didn't feel like the only girl in the room. How can they after what they have been through still look like they're a new couple madly in love with each other and me and my husband sometimes look like strangers.
I feel like a lot of us are having troubles in our relationships right now, some mendable others not so much. The love just fading. Love was defiantly fading between me and Chris and I was trying so desperately to hang on to it. I didn't want to lose him, he's the father to my children. "Darcy, don't do that," Chris yelled out. Darcy was climbing up on the sides of the trampoline. "Darcy!" He warned her when she wasn't listening. "Nina?" He said gesturing for me to do something. "Darcy, come down please." "Noah does it." I sighed. "DOWN!" Chris shouted firmly, it physically made Darce jump and she got down quickly, he doesn't shout often.
"Maybe if you pay more attention to them she wouldn't be getting shouted at." He said to me before walking past. "You could watch them too," I say adjusting Koa on my hip. "Whatever." He waved me off and went to talk with Darcy. I made eye contact with Bella and she frowned. I shook my head signalling it didn't matter but she tilted her head. I shrugged. She nudged her head to the house and I nodded.
"Go play with JoMo," I tell my 5-year-old. He happily ran off to Jo who was playing with bubbles with a few of the younger kids here. Isabella was wrapping herself in a towel and talking to Ian. He nodded and she walked off with a beaker in hand. I assume it was Indie's water beaker.
I went inside the house and found Bella in the kitchen. "What was that about?" She asked not looking at me as she cleaned the beaker out. "Stuff." "Neen's we're best friends, talk to me." "Are we?" She turned around and looked at me almost amused. "Of course we are." "Then why don't I know anything about your life right now." She frowned. "Paul and Phee seem to know everything. They know you won't sign divorce papers, they know you're not back together." "Not from me they don't. I'm still figuring it all out. I haven't said a word." She tells me to go into the fridge to get the water jug out. "So what's going on?" She asked again turning to me as she put the lid back on the sippy cup. "I think my marriage is over." Her smiled turned into a frown in a second. "Why? What's happened?" "Nothing. Other than arguments." She chewed her lip. "Stupid question but have you spoken to him?" "About what? Why he hates me?" "Why the sudden change." She offered. "No." "Then talk to him." "The kids are always around, I think they do it to stop us fighting." "Ian's taking Indie and Bodhi to the zoo On Saturday. I'll come to pick the kids up taking them somewhere for the day and you two can talk." "You don't have to do that." "I'd rather have them to occupy my daughterless day please, and thank you." She said walking away. "And I won't sign the divorce papers because I don't want it to be over... But we're just friends." She told me looking at me, her big blue eyes on full display with honesty.
We went our separate ways when we arrived back in the garden. Friends are great things. If Isa and Ian can get over Ian having another baby, Chris and I can get through this. I'm not throwing away 13 years. No way.
I went over to the seating area and Darcy came and sat on my lap. "Noah said we're having two Christmases." She said to me. "What?" "One with you and one with dad." "No, we're having Christmas as normal, together on Christmas. Just one day." I tell her. "He said we are because you two are arguing like Danny's parents, now he has two of everything!" "No baby, Daddy and I are still doing things together like always. We're just overwhelmed right now." "Because we're misbehaving?" She asked with innocent eyes. "That's not helping but other stuff. Adult stuff." "You could see a therapist Cove's parents went to one and now she has two new baby sisters."
I smiled at her. "Why don't you go play for a bit with Flo in the pool. Or with Elle." I suggest. "Can I go to aunty Isabella?" "Yeah of course." I encourage her. Bella loved the kids. "Okay." She skipped off happily her wet ponytail swinging from side to side.
I didn't realise the kids were picking up on everything. I forget they're not babies anymore. Noah is 9, Darce 7. They're more clued up on the world than we think they are and they shouldn't be thinking about this stuff. Chris and I need to do better for them. They deserve that.
ISABELLAS POV
I go back to Ian and stand over the stroller as I look through the bag. "Do you think we should take her home?" I asked him, she was still sleeping and it was getting warmer out of the sun at its peak. "I think she'll be fine in the shade." He says reaching to touch her to see if she was warm. "She feels fine." I nodded taking his word for it.
"We could take her inside, I think Kat's in there with Amelia napping." He tells me looking up at me. I nodded agreeing, Ian said he'd take her so I could enjoy some time with our friends. It felt weird not being in charge of Indie's care having to get another opinion on what was best for her and letting him take care of her sometimes. Like right now.
I went over to the edge of the pool where Claire was swimming with Daniel. "Hey, stranger." She says. I smiled at her as I sat down to hang my feet in the pool. "Wheres Indie?" "With E, inside napping," I tell her. I looked around for Elle and James. "Where are yours?" I asked with a frown not seeing them. "Jo took them to get ice cream." "Your kitchen is going to be trashed," I tell him amused. "Yeah."
Ian sat beside me. "Where is Indie?" I asked confused, where did he put her, we don't have the baby monitor with us so- "She's with Kat." He told me to cut off my spiralling thoughts. "I'm going to go sit with her." He held me was my waist to sit be back down. "She's fine with Kat. Enjoy yourself." I rolled my eyes and shoved him and he shoved me back. Claire had a stupid smile on her face so I kicked my legs creating a splash in her direction. "Oh, you're so dead." She told me grabbing onto my leg. I had just dried off I didn't want to get wet again to I gripped onto Ian as my life depended on it. He was laughing was no help I ended up in the water. When I resurfaced I dunked Claire and then swam towards the edge again, I rested a hand on Ian's knee to hold myself up with minimal effort.
We kept the conversation going talking about everyone's busy lives, their new projects, Daniels new girlfriend. It was nice to just relax without thinking about a million different things, like does Indie need her nappy changing, is she warm enough, cool enough, hungry, is she bored, is she tired. I knew she was safe inside asleep with Kat. Kat was a good mum and I knew if Indie needed anything she'd tend to her. And that was the first time since she was born that I have been able to rationalise Indie being okay with someone other than me and Ian. Even when my sisters or brother has her I am still thinking a million thoughts about her wellbeing. At some point, Ian got in the pool with us to cool off from the hot beating sun. It was odd for it to be so warm as it was November, though no one was complaining about the extended summer weather.
I was laid on Ian's back, his piggybacking me as he stayed afloat. "There's mummy and daddy." I hear Kat say and I moved over to the edge of the pool quickly pushing myself out. "Did you have a good nap princess?" I asked her. "Muma." She said with a pout. "Muma's here," I tell her picking up a towel and wrapping it around myself before taking her.
Indie was clingy for the rest of the day, so we eventually left. I think she was still tired she only had an hour nap all day normally she'd have two.
"Shower?" Ian asked reaching for our daughter. "Please," I say handing her. "Muma!" Indie shouted after me. "Muma will be back," I tell her feeling guilty as I went upstairs. I could hear her crying and eventually, Ian brought her up. "Can I come in?" He asked. "Yeah," I tell him, nothing he's not seen before. "I told you she's was here." He tells Indie brushing her tears away. "Dada." She said resting her head on his shoulder. I chuckled to myself at her adorableness. "Someone tired." I teased. "Here, I'll shower her now and she can have an early night," I tell him stepping out of the shower. I find a towel and wrap myself in it before adjusting the temperature of the water.