Worth the wait

Chapter One.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Peter! Could you get the door?" Mary called out to her husband.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Yes, yes. Im coming". Opening the front door, a rush of curly hair is flying towards Peter.

"Grandad!!!"

"Rosie? My little flower, you're looking all grown up!" He says scooping her up and swinging her around making her giggle. "Where's your mum poppet?"

"She's getting our bags out of the car. Where's Nana? Where's Dexter? Is that cookies I smell?" She asks enthusiastically while running in the direction of the kitchen.

"Nana is in the kitchen and Dexter is out digging around in the garden." He shouts after her while walking out towards the drive way to greet his daughter.

"Did mum forget to tell me you were coming, again? Jack not with you?" He says with a big warm smile on his face.

"Hey Dad. No, she didnt forget. It was a last-minute decision." She replied.

"Charlotte? What's the matter? What's happened?" He asks as she drops their bags and rushes to him. Tears welling in her eyes, threatening to fall. He envelopes her in a hug, squeezing tight with one arm while he strokes her hair with his free hand.
Tears now falling freely whilst she held on tight, sobbing and sniffing in to his shoulder.

"Hey! Come on sweetie, its ok." He cooed.  "You're home. Ive got you. Whats happened?... Talk to me...My little Charlie bear always comes to her papa when shes upset." He says while wiping the tears from her red eyes.

"Oh dad, Im such a bloody idiot!" She snaps causing him to sigh.

"We'll have less of that young lady! Come on, let me grab these bags and well go have a cup of tea and you can tell me and mum whats happened."

"A cup of tea is your answer for everything." She smiles and lets out a little laugh.

"Thats because it always helps calm you down. If we're quick you might even get one of the cookies your mums made for the boys at the work. That is, if Rosie hasnt given half of them to the dog and eaten the rest herself."  He says grinning at his now smiling little girl, whilst he follows her in through the front door.

"Peter! Where is she?! Rosie said shes been upset the whole way here!" Mary's voice echoed from down the hallway.

"Ugh dad!" She whispers while rolling her eyes at her mum. Making him smile and shrug.

"They're thick as thieves and you know as well as I do, your mother can get anything out of anyone. It's that scary look she gets when she knows something is up." He told her with a wink.

"I heard that! Take their bags up to their rooms please."

"Yes dear." He replied kissing her cheek and smiling as he headed off upstairs.

"Ive made some tea, lets go sit in the garden and you can tell me whats happened." She says while putting an arm around Charlottes shoulder.

Whilst watching Rosie run around the garden chasing and being chased by Dexter.

"So, you're telling me, that son of a bitch..."

"Mary!" Peter tried to calm his wife.

"Don't Peter! He didn't learn his lesson after the first or second time!" She said scowling at him before looking back to Charlotte. "You took him back! He went and slept with someone from work AGAIN! A completely new job, that he took knowing it would mean you both moving so far away from your family! He did that deliberately because he knew we were watching him!" She fumed while almost wearing a hole in the patio from pacing.