A Baby To Save Their Marriage. Scarlet Wilson

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СКАЧАТЬ her words had gripped him in a way he hadn’t expected.

      They’d never really sat down and discussed it. But Addison had paled into a shadow of herself in the months after giving birth to Tristan. He’d helped as much as he could. He’d frequently got up and done the night feeds. He’d made excuses for not being at work. He’d stayed around as frequently as he could, at first, to try and give her a break, and then to try and get them to spend time together as a family. For the first few months her face had been almost blank when she’d looked at Tristan. It had felt as if she were slipping away a little more each day.

      He’d spoken to the GP. He’d spoken to the health visitor—asking what else he could do. They’d reassured him he was doing everything he could and just to be patient. Finally, he’d seen little glimpses of his wife again. A smile when she saw Tristan smile. A willingness to take part. The dark circles had eventually dimmed beneath her eyes and the spark of life that always surrounded her had finally emerged again.

      He couldn’t let that happen to her again. He wouldn’t do that to his wife again.

      As he stared around Tristan’s room it was as if everything came crashing down on him all at once.

      He’d thought he might lose his family once before.

      There was no way he could let this happen. There was no way he was letting his family slip through his fingers. The thought of coming home at night to an empty house filled him with horror.

      He had to sort this. He had to. He didn’t want to imagine his world without them in it.

      He pressed the redial button on his phone. ‘Harry, there’s been a change of plan.’

      His phone buzzed as he kept talking. He walked through to the bedroom. Addison wasn’t there. A large suitcase was sitting open on the bed, completely empty. It must be for him.

      As Harry kept talking Caleb reached into his large wardrobe and picked up a whole stack of T-shirts, dropping them into the suitcase exactly the way they were. He had to lean further back to find a pile of shorts. He sent a silent prayer above that they might actually still fit as he threw them and some swimming shorts into the case. Underwear was easy. He pulled out one entire drawer and tipped it up into the case.

      Feet. What would he wear on his feet?

      He looked down. His feet were damp from his earlier walk through the soaked London streets. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his trousers to the floor. His shirt was pulled over his head and abandoned with the rest of his things on the floor.

      What to travel in? He grabbed a pair of three-quarter-length trousers and a polo shirt, sticking his feet into a pair of baseball boots and throwing some others in the case.

      Tristan appeared at the door and smiled at his father’s packing efforts. He tucked a few wrestlers into the case along with a London bus, New York taxi cab and space shuttle. ‘I had a few spares. I’ll give you a little loan.’

      Caleb laughed. By the time Tristan was finished the entire contents of his room would be hidden between the three cases.

      Caleb looked around. Was he done? His briefcase sat in the corner of the room. The charging cables for his phone and laptop were in there. He’d be able to work wherever they were. Internet was everywhere these days and as for international calls? He’d just need to swallow the costs.

      A quick check of the en suite gave him some deodorant, his toothbrush and his shaving gear. At the last second he reached over to grab some aftershave and then stopped, put it back, and grabbed another one from under the sink. Harry had finally finished talking.

      ‘I’ll be at the airport in an hour. I’ll send you that report from the lounge.’ He rang off. The buzz had been a text message.

      His best friend, Reuben Tyler. He was on his way back from LA. Reuben’s roof had been undergoing repairs and the roofers had discovered asbestos. He couldn’t stay there. He knew Caleb was going on holiday, could he stay at his?

      Caleb dashed off a reply telling him where the key was and how to turn off the alarm. Best not mention it to Addison. Reuben wasn’t exactly her favourite of Caleb’s friends.

      He glanced at the case. Done. What else could he need? Why did some people spend days packing?

      He zipped it up and picked it off the bed.

      As he walked down the stairs he heard the taxi beep outside.

      ‘Come on, Tristan!’ shouted Addison. ‘It’s time to go.’

      She hadn’t noticed him yet. Was she really just going to walk out of the front door without talking to him again?

      The taxi driver appeared at the door and picked up the two waiting cases.

      Tristan bolted down the stairs ahead of him carrying two wrestlers. Addison smiled and shook her head. ‘No way, you’ve already got ten in your backpack. That’s the limit.’ She held out his small red baseball jacket and waited for him to slide his arms inside.

      She’d changed. She was wearing cream casual trousers and a pink top.

      Caleb cleared his throat.

      Addison did a double take. She was shocked. She was stunned that he’d actually packed and changed. Did she really think that little of him? Did she really think that he’d just let his wife and child leave without a fight?

      ‘You’ve packed.’

      He stepped forward and sat his case down. ‘I’ve packed.’ He looked her straight in the eye.

      She blinked and picked up the passport she’d left sitting on the side table and slid it into her bag.

      The taxi driver stuck his head inside and picked up the case. ‘Last one?’

      Caleb nodded.

      ‘And where we headed?’

      ‘Heathrow.’

      Caleb cringed inwardly. He couldn’t even remember where they were going. He knew it was hot. It might be the Caribbean, or the Seychelles—somewhere like that. He remembered her mentioning it was a long flight, first stop LA and after that...

      Nope. He just couldn’t remember. It hadn’t registered in his brain.

      Like so many other things.

      He turned back to pick up his briefcase. Addison frowned and he tried not to be annoyed.

      He was coming on holiday. He would be spending time with them. But he also needed to do some work. Surely she could understand that?

      She took Tristan’s hand firmly in hers. ‘Let’s go, honey, we need to get on the big plane.’

      ‘Come on, Daddy!’ yelled Tristan over his shoulder.

      Caleb glanced at the abandoned wrestlers on the side table. He picked them up and tucked them in his briefcase. Anything to keep the little guy happy.

      Addison was strapping Tristan into the back of the cab.

      She СКАЧАТЬ