Chapter 7 Homeward Bond

Ava's POV

Andrew and I head out of the building, and the jet is already there, ready to pick us up.

The engines soft hum fills the building, it makes a soothing white noise that made it easy for me to forget the distance that needed to be covered.

I sit by the window, watching the clouds stretch beneath us, like a blanket of endless white and blue, Oh how I loved to admire nature. The world down below felt distant in every sense. Andrew sat across from me, flipping through a report on his tablet. His brow furrows lightly, as the project on his tablet caught his full attention.

I studied Andrew for a moment, not caring if he catches me staring. His dark hair was falling over his forehead, his sharp jawline taut with concentration. There was something about the way that he could be so immersed in his work, so dedicated that I admired. I knew I liked him, but there was a part of me that had to stay cautious. I knew he cared about me, he always let me know that he did, his words and his action, but I wasn't ready to let myself be open to that. I could trust him, but my trust had been locked away, reserved for Tristan and occasionally, myself.

The seat belt sign blinked on as the pilot's voice came through the intercom. "we'll be descending shortly, should be on the ground in about twenty minutes."

Andrew glances up from his tablet, meeting my gaze with a soft smile that crinkled the edges of his eyes. "Almost home"

I nodded, leaning back into the plush leather seat, letting out a quiet sigh. Home. The word felt strange sometimes but the past four years, I had come to terms with the fact that Andrew and Tristan were my home, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I thought we left every thing work related back in the office" I say to him

Andrew closes his tablet, setting it on the table, " I'm done with that now"

I smile weakly at him and nod.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, his tone casual but laced with care and that quiet concern that he has always had for me.

"Tired," I admitted, glancing out of the window again. "But not in a bad way. Just...... a lot happened today"

"I know," he says gently, leaning back in his seat, watching me carefully. "But you handled it, you always do."

I shrugged. We can have this conversation a hundred times and yet, my feelings will still be indifferent. "We'll see how it goes from here."

He doesn't press further and I appreciate the fact he doesn't. Andrew had his way of understanding when I needed space, when to step back and let me process things on my own. That balance was part of what made our dynamic work. He never pushed too hard and he never demanded more than I was able to give. It was easy.

The jet touched down smoothly and before long, we were in the car,speeding through the city streets, towards the apartment. Tristan was at home with his nanny, probably waiting up for me and Andrew, despite my telling him everytime to go to bed on time. But Tristan being Tristan, I knew I would probably find him either watching his favorite TV show, glued to a game or pretending to read a book when we walked in.

When we finally stepped through the door, the apartment was quiet, save for the faint sound of a TV in the background. I slipped off my shoes by the entrance, the familiar scent of home hitting me, Tristan's favorite lavender room spray mixing with the faint trace of the dinner he ate.

Andrew closed the door behind us, setting our bags to the side. "You want to go check on him?" he asked, his voice low.

I nodded, already making my way up the stairs to his room. The hallway was dimly lit, and as I pushed open the door, I saw exactly what I had expected, Tristan sitting up in bed, his eyes wide and bright, his tablet propped up on his lap.

"Mama" he grinned, dropping the device and launching himself toward me before I could even react. I caught him in a hug, his small body warm against mine, and I felt the familiar rush of love that always came when I held him.

"You were supposed to be in bed an hour ago," I chided gently, ruffling his hair.

Tristan pulled back and gave me a sheepish smile. "I was waiting for you and uncle Andrew"

"You should still be asleep but we missed you too" I say, sitting on the edge of his bed and pulling him close again, this time hugging him a little tighter.

He snuggled into me too, and for a few moments, we just sat there in silence, the quiet of the room wrapping around us. I always lived for these moments with him. It was moments like this that made living worthwhile for me, no matter how difficult things came.

Andrew appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a soft smile on his face. "Hey buddy, you are supposed to be in bed, you know"

Tristan looked up, "Hey uncle Andrew" he says excited

Andrew chuckles and steps into the room, "Don't stay up too late okay? You need your rest" he places a kiss on his forehead

Tristan nodded, but I could tell he wasn't ready to let go just yet. I kissed the top of his head before finally easing him back onto his pillow. "Alright, time to sleep. We'll be here in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Tristan says, though I knew it wouldn't be long before he drifted off. I pulled the covers up over him, making sure he was tucked in snugly before standing up.

"Goodnight sweetheart," I whispered before turning off the light, leaving just his sleeping light on,

"Goodnight mama, goodnight Uncle Andrew."

Andrew waved as we stepped out of the room, gently closing the door behind us.

"You're a great mom" Andrew assures me and I reply with a bright smile and a chuckle, "Thank you... You make a great dad too, thank you" and he smiles.

We make our way back to the kitchen,the apartment feeling much more still now that Tristan was in bed. Andrew moves to the wine cabinet and pulls out a bottle of red wine and two glasses. He poured the wine without asking, knowing I'd need it after today.

"Here," he said, handing me a glass as we settled onto the couch. The soft lighting of the living room casts a warm glow around us, and I found myself finally relaxing as I took the first sip.

I let the wine linger on my tongue, its rich flavour grounding me. "He was more awake than I thought," I said with a small laugh, leaning back into the cushions.

Andrew smirked, "He's persistent, I wonder where he got that from?"

"Not me!" I reply, raising an eyebrow at him, the playfulness obvious in my voice.

"Trust me, its definitely from you," he teased. "Stubborn, determined and not easily swayed. Sounds like someone I know"

I roll my eyes at him, and give a smirk, "You don't give up, I admire that"

"When it comes to you, I obviously wont give up," he said, his voice softer now, his eyes as if searching for some sort of answer. And for a moment, the air between us shifts, its subtle but undeniable.

I look away from him, taking another sip of wine from the glass, not ready to have that conversation, at least not now, maybe not ever. But Andrew didn't push, he never did.

We sit in a comfortable silence,allowing the weight of the day to lift from our shoulders, and for now, that was enough.

I glance over at Andrew, who was lounging comfortably beside me, his glass nearly empty. He looks at ease, he always did.

I set my glass down on the table, rubbing my eyes gently. "I think I'm calling it a night," I said, my voice soft.

Andrew loks at me, his glaze lingering. "You sure, you barely finished your wine."

"I'm exhausted, today took too much out of me" I say with a small smile, leaning back against the cushion.

He nods, standing up and stretching a bit, "I get that, I'm going to bed too"

"I'll see you in the morning" I say, climbing up the stairs. "Goodnight Andrew" I whisper

"Goodnight Ava."