Two years later
Mason walked through the school halls with his bag over his shoulder and his dark brown hair swept back into a quiff. He wore a bored expression as his friend, Josh talked about some party going on that evening. Mason glanced around the crowded hallway as people watched them walk by. Mason had climbed the social ladder pretty quickly. He was now captain of the schools football team as well as musically talented - which was now known. He was also very good looking, nice and charming. Girls swooned over him.
Him and Josh walked into the lunch hall and sat at their usual table. The biggest table, he was in his senior year therefore the very top of the food chain.
"Mase" a few of the boys, fellow football team and jocks, greeted. Mason nodded at them and replied before sitting on the table and dangling his legs as he sat next to Josh and Zac. They were his closest friends from this group.
"You're coming tonight right?" Zac asked nudging Mason a little. Mason looked at him before shrugging.
"Have to see" Mason said as Natalia walked over to him. He smiled at her as she got to him and stood in between his legs.
"Hey Nat" Josh smiled making Natalia look at him.
"Hi" Natalia replied before she looked up at Mason. They'd been together for a year and ten months. Which was a long time for people their age. "You okay?" Natalia asked looking up at Mason. Mason blinked at her snapping him self back into reality. He was just so tired.
"what? Yeah" Mason said before taking a fry that Natalia had in her hands. Natalia narrowed her eyes at him before shrugging a little. She knew when something was up but she figured he was just tired.
"Are you going to that party tonight?" Natalia asked before eating a fry from her bag. Mason looked down at her and played with the ends of her hair.
"I don't know" Mason said quietly "Are you going?"
"I'm not sure" Natalia said "Not that bothered"
Mason nodded in agreement before taking another fry. Natalia glared at him a little as she watched him eat it.
"You can come to mine tonight" Mason said after finishing his fry. Natalia looked up at him trough her long lashes and nodded.
"Good I wanna see your mum" Natalia replied making Mason frown a little. "And your dog"
Mason couldn't help but smile at her before pecking her lips. Natalia pushed him away. "I'm eating go away"
**
Emily was tidying the empty house. All the kids had gone to school. The twins included, being four they had started their education. Olivia had started college in New York, where she lived with Jayden. Leaving the house empty other than Max.
Emily recovered quickly and well from her coma. It wasn't too shocking for the doctors as she wasn't in one for that long. It just felt like it forever. It took her a while to get back in the car but now she was recovered and doing just fine.
Emily walked around the play room picking up the toys scattered across the floor and placing them back into the toy box. She sighed a little and ran her fingers through her newly cut long bob which was also a dark honey blonde rather than her dark brown.
She heard the front door bell ring making her drop the last of the toys into the box before walking down the hall to the large wooden front door. She opened it to see Tommy standing there with his daughter, Rachel on his hip.
"Hey!" Emily smiled as Tommy walked into the house.
"Hi" Tommy replied as he wiped his shoes in the mat before walking along to the living room. Tommy sat on the sofa and Emily sat next to him taking Rachel off him and sitting her on her lap.
"What's up?" Emily asked looking at her brother. Tommy sighed and looked over at Emily before shrugging.
"I don't know just eh" Tommy replied making Emily nod a little understandingly. "Do you ever think about moving back to Australia?"
Emily played with Rachel's light brown hair as the two year old giggled at her.
"Not really" Emily frowned slightly "I mean one day yeah but not for a while. Why?"
"I kind of wanna move back but I don't know Cat isn't from there" Tommy rambled making Emily nod at him because she wasn't going to say anything.
"Move back if and when it feels right" Emily shrugged before tickling Rachel's sides making the two year old giggle like crazy.
"Also you're my only family so that would suck" Tommy added making Emily give him a small smile. It was true - Emily was Tommy's only family beyond his children even though they had four siblings below them, they weren't really in contact with them. They last time they saw them was at their Nan's funeral. Of course they tried to, and message everything now and then. But everyone had their own lives now and it was just something slipping away into the past.
"That is true" Emily agreed making she smiled down at Rachel in her lap and brushed her thin hair away from her chubby toddler face.
**
Calum stood in the playground of the Twins' school - the same one that the other three went too when they first started out. Emily trusted the school so she carried in using it. Calum twirled his keys around his fingers and rocked back onto his heels before forwards again. He wore black ray bands and his hair was a curly mess, but it still looked good. Small amounts of grey were beginning to show, which stressed him out. He didn't want to get old.
"Daddy!" Jessica said running towards him and hugging his legs. Calum stumbled a little from the impacted before he smiled down at Jessica and crouched down to her size. Jacob come wondering over picking at a leaf as he did so.
"Did you have a good day?" Calum asked as he helped Jessica put her bag on to her shoulders. Jessica nodded.
"Yes I did" Jessica answers "did you?" Jessica looked up at Calum with big eyes as she turned around to face him.
"I'm sure my day wasn't as fun as yours" Calum replied making Jessica pout at him a little.
"Poor daddy" Jessica said as Calum took Jacobs rucksack and helped him put it in his back.
"Did you have a good day Jake?" Calum asked making Jacob look into his matching brown eyes.
"Yeah" Jacob smiled as Calum stood up and held both of their hands as they began the walk to the car.
Calum got the twins to the car and in their car seats before he began the journey home.
"We did about bugs did and how they crawl in the mud like ants and laddybug no wait" Jessica paused frowning to herself. Calum looked at her through the mirror of the car before back to the road. "Ladybugs!" Jessica exclaimed excited that she got the name right. "And the different colours they came in and we watched how they crawl in the mud and dirt and then we watched a film about talking bugs then we had playtime and me and Quinn played fairies with some of the older girls" Jessica rambled on. Jessica was the talkative twin. Jacob would rather sit by himself in silence and do his own thing while Jessica will talk to anyone about anything she could. Calum couldn't believe how good she was at talking because it felt like yesterday she said her first word.
Calum pulled into the driveway and turned off the car before getting out and getting the twins out. The twins ran to the front door and waited for Calum to open it before they ran in. Calum walked down the kitchen where Emily was standing cleaning the work surfaces. Calum chucked his keys on the table and took off his sunglasses making Emily glance over her shoulder at him.
"Hey" Emily said as Calum walked over to her. Calum wrapped his arms around her waist before nuzzling into her neck. Emily chuckled a little before turning around leaving the cloth on the work top. Calum looked down at Emily before kissing her on the lips. Emily smiled a little as she pulled away Calum sighed and kissed her forehead.
"Rough day?" Emily asked quietly scanning over his facial features which looked exhausted.
"Something like that" Calum mumbled "I'll be in the studio if you need"
Emily nodded at him before he turned and stalked out of the kitchen. Emily watched him before turning and going back to cleaning the surfaces.
**
Theo walked out of the dance studio dripping in sweat. He smiled at a girl who was standing outside as he lifted his bag into his shoulder.
"You're really talented" the girl said shyly. Theo looked at her. She was pale skinned and black haired. Almost like Snow White.
"Thanks" Theo replied blushing a little but he was red from dancing anyway so she wouldn't notice.
"I've watched you a lot" the girl admits making Theo raise an eyebrow at her. "I like too you're interesting to watch"
"Right" Theo chuckled awkwardly because that kind of creeped him out. "I've gotta go see urm I'll see you around urm"
"Maxie" the girl introduced herself. Theo nodded.
"See you around Maxie" Theo said making the girl blush as he said her name. Theo's eyes widened before he headed straight for the exit and out to the car park where Emily sat in her Range Rover. Theo got in and chuckled his bag in the back.
"Good time?" Emily asked as Theo out on his seat belt.
"Yeah. I'm stress free now" Theo replied before Emily pulled away from the parking space.
"That's good to hear" Emily chuckled a little.
When Theo got him he went straight for the shower. He heard Natalia's laugh from Mason's room making him roll his eyes a little because if there was anything worse than Olivia and Jayden it was Mason and Natalia. Not that he hated her but he wasn't a fan of the relationship because they were best friends. Which meant it was a friendship with PDA which Theo really didn't enjoy.
*
Mason walked into the kitchen where Emily was beginning dinner. Natalia followed behind him wearing one of his hoodies.
"Hey mum if we go to this party tonight can you pick us up?" Mason asked leaning against the kitchen counter. Emily looked over at him before Natalia.
"Hi Nat" Emily smiled
"Hey" Natalia replied before pulling the sleeves over her hands and flipping them against Mason's arm.
"That depends" Emily answered Mason's question "what time?"
"Whenever we get bored" Mason shrugged "no later than half a eleven"
Emily sighed before shrugging "I suppose. Do you want dinner?"
Mason glanced at Natalia who shrugged.
"What ya cooking?" Mason asked
"Chicken noodles" Emily replied
"Then yes" Natalia answered making Emily smile at her before nodding a little.
"Do you need a lift there?" Emily asked as Jessica walked into the kitchen carrying her dolly against her chest.
"I don't know, I think Josh can give us one" Mason said before he began to walk out of the kitchen "I'll let you know though"
Mason pulled Natalia by the hand out of the kitchen and back upstairs.
Jessica watched as Emily began to make the dinner.
"Mummy" Jessica said as she sat on the floor and played with her doll.
"Yeah?" Emily replied looking down at her.
"What's it like to be a mummy?" Jessica asked looking up at Emily smiled at Jessica as she looked at her with big eyes and pushed her hair off her face.
"It's the best thing" Emily replied making Jessica smile at her.
Calum walked into the kitchen rubbing his eye and yawning.
"I wanna be like you" Jessica said "When I'm a mummy" Jessica said as she looked at her dolly. Calum chuckled a little at the young girl as he walk past her.
"Why is that Jess?" Calum asked
"Because she's the bestest" Jessica said
"Awh Jess" Emily laughed a little making Jessica smile at her and go back to playing with her doll.
**
Emily walked down stairs from a shower yawning slightly as she walked into living room. Calum looked over at her from the sofa where he had his feet rested on the coffee table and friends on the tv.
Emily walked over to him and fell onto his lap. Calum wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into him.
"Stop stealing my shirts" Calum groaned a little as he noticed Emily wearing one of his newer shirts.
"No" Emily whined as she nuzzled her face into his neck. "I like them"
"I can't wear your clothes" Calum stated making Emily lift her head up to look at him as she sat on his lap.
"You could try" Emily shrugged "but I look better in them"
Calum shrugged in fairness before pulling her closer to him. Emily rested her head on his shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair at the back of his neck as they watched friends.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked glancing down at Calum.
"Yeah why?" Calum asked frowning a little looking up at her.
"You just seemed stressed early" Emily said quietly and traced her finger along his cheek and jawline.
"Just work" Calum said
"But you're okay?" Emily asked slowly making Calum smile at her.
"I'm okay" Calum confirmed making Emily nod once before kissing his temple. "I love you"
"I love you too" Emily replied before resting her head back on his shoulder.
_____________________
One chapter closer to the end
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