“That’s my girl.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and after cuddling her into my side, we made our way towardArrivals. I hadn’t told her that Thomas was meeting us as I didn’t want to freak her out.
Isobel was always so confident in herself and her appearance so to see her worrying that Thomas and Lauren wouldn’t like her messed with my head a little. It also made me realize how sensitive my pretty girl actually was.
As we cleared our way through the crowd of passengers meeting their loved ones, I sensed the moment that Isobel saw Thomas by the little gasp that came from her and the way that her shoulders tensed for a moment.
I looked across and saw Thomas and Lauren were standing their side by side with beaming grins on their faces and a pram at their side.
Isobel reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Go,” she whispered. Our eyes met and the grin on her face told me all that I needed to know. “Go on.” She grabbed my bag and pushed me, forcing me onwards.
I ran to them with my arms wide open and tugged them both into a double hug. “I’m so happy to see you both.”
Thomas clapped me on my back and I could feel tears soak through my shirt from Lauren.
“Why are you crying?” I asked her as I took a step back.
“Because!” she said. Thomas rolled his eyes and placed his arm over her shoulders. “You look so happy.” Her eyes flicked over my shoulder to where Isobel was. “Hi, Isobel,” Lauren said in a softer tone.
I wanted to be the one to introduce Thomas to Isobel but as Lauren stepped away from us and walked to my girl with her arms wide open, I knew that this was perfect.
“I’m so happy to meet you in person.” She grasped Isobel’s right hand in hers and squeezed gently before she wrapped her arms around Lauren, hugging her.
I could see how surprised Isobel was as Thomas stepped next to me, pushing the pram back and forth gently. Lucie had the cutest pout on her face and it just amplified her chubby cheeks.
“Thank you so much,” I heard Lauren say quietly.
“For what?” Isobel asked as they stepped back from each other.
Lauren kept hold of Isobel’s hand as she turned to face us. The smile on her face was magnificent and I knew that our homecoming had made her official. She turned back to Isobel and as she did, she wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek.
“I think you know what for.” She wrapped her arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you, Isobel.”
They walked past us and I blew out a relieved breath as I watched Isobel wrap her arm around Lauren’s waist.
“Me too, Lauren.” She cast a look over her shoulder at me with a beaming smile on her face and I knew that this trip was going to be filled with memories to last.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
ISOBEL
If I was honest, I didn’t expect to be met with such warmth from Thomas and Lauren or to have them meet us at the airport with baby Lucie to help take us back to their place. I understood why Christopher didn’t tell me. I would’ve just panicked even more. The moment I met them though my heart swelled and I felt a bubble of warmth surrounding me. It was a comfort in which I shared with my group back home. Christopher was right. Thomas and Lauren were everything he had said they would be and more. They were his family and now mine.
I kept up the pace with Lauren as she pushed the pram with Lucie in it, allowing the guys to trail behind us with the luggage we brought with us. Their stares radiated on us as we reached the exit doors at Heathrow Airport and I loved that she made me feel accepted.
“We’ll go and grab the car and meet you over at the pick-up point,” Thomas said as he nodded at Christopher. “There’s no point in trailing through the car parks and then struggling with the pram when they’ve parked so close again, plus you can get acquainted.” He winked at Lauren.
“More like they want to have some guy talk,” I muttered as Christopher came over to me and placed a kiss on my lips, confirming I was right. “See…”
“Right you too, go now,” Lauren said, shoeing the pair of them off as we took a seat on the bench and I wrapped my arms around myself as the cold hit me.
I wished I’d listened to Freddie and Luke and worn an extra cardigan. How cold was the UK compared to the USA?
I rubbed my hands up and down my arms and shuddered when I caught sight of my engagement ring on my hand. I needed to remove it, lose that safety net before Lauren saw it so Christopher and I could be truthful and tell them our news, but when I slipped the ring loose, attempting to put it in my pocket, Lucie cried as she lost her dummy, making Lauren’s gaze catch mine and see what I was doing. Fuck!
“Don’t start freaking out. I’m not going to say a word or steal your thunder, but let’s get you both back so we can all talk. I want to hear everything,” Lauren whispered, reaching for my hand and helping me to stand. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder the moment the car pulled up, giving me a squeeze. “I mean it Isobel. Breathe.”
“Okay,” I said the moment Christopher jumped out and rounded the vehicle to help the pair of us and Lucie into the car whilst Thomas remained in the ten minute zone ready to get us out of here.
Lauren unclipped Lucie and immediately tried to take control of the situation, diverting my attention to the little angel that was fast asleep now that she had found her dummy.