Arriving back in Auckland after a fortnight away felt like stepping off a cloud. But, nothing could ruin their life together now. Sober and in love, Lauren was happier than she had been in a long time.
Even with Ethan going back to work, somehow she didn't feel as alone as she had. He'd made a commitment to her. They were a long way off talking marriage and babies, but this felt so good.
The doorbell ringing caught her by surprise. Maybe it was Cassie. They had some catching up to do after Lauren's trip, though the baby was due soon, and Lauren wondered how much things had changed. Two weeks could make a huge difference.
The last person Lauren expected to see on her doorstep was Leah. Yet, there she was, smiling at her old friend.
"Aren't you going to say hello to me?" Leah asked.
Lauren blinked. "Of course. Sorry, I just didn't expect to see you."
"You thought because you moved I would just forget our friendship?"
"No. I just thought I would have heard from you before you turned up. This isn't exactly my house."
"You live here though, right?"
Lauren nodded. "I live here with Ethan. I'm still settling in."
"Well, I'm here to help you."
She opened the back door of the car, taking out a large overnight bag. Walking through the door past Lauren, she looked around as she entered the hallway.
"Wow, this place is great. You really scored a good one."
"Uh yeah. Like I said, this is Ethan's place. I'll need to ask him if you want to stay."
"Just for a couple of days if that's alright. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because one minute you were there and the next you weren't."
Lauren ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, about that. I had to make a new start."
"You can tell me all about it over a drink." Leah grinned, placing her bag on the floor. From it, she produced a bottle of vodka. Lauren stared at it. She hadn't seen an alcohol bottle in what felt like forever.
"I think I'll just make a coffee. Want one?"
Leah followed Lauren into the kitchen, placing the bottle on the bench. "I suppose it is a bit early."
"I've given up drinking."
Leah looked at her in surprise. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope. I promised Ethan. It was destroying me, and could have destroyed our relationship." She poured the coffee, leading Leah into the living room and placing the cups on the table.
"Wow. He must be really worth it. So, he just tells you what to do and you do it?"
Lauren rolled her eyes. "No, in this case he was right. It's hard, but it’s what is best for me."
She sipped her coffee, looking up at Leah and smiling. The other woman looked at her, one eyebrow raised as if it were the most impossible thing she’d ever heard.
"I just can't get over it. You were always up for a drink."
"Times change. This is serious, and I don't want to screw it up. I made a couple of really big mistakes and he could have just walked away, but he didn't. Ultimately, he means more to me than drinking alcohol. I'll text him when we've finished our coffee and make sure he's happy with us having an unexpected visitor."
Leah looked down at her coffee. "I don't want to put you out."
"It's okay. This is my home too now, I just want to make sure Ethan is okay with it."
She pulled her phone out, sending the text to Ethan and smiling when she finished.
"He's a nice guy, Leah. You'll like him."
"So you're happy?"
"Very. He loves me a lot, and I feel the same way about him."
Leah leaned back on the couch, looking at Lauren under her eyelashes. "You haven't been together that long, have you?"
"Not really, but long enough to know how we feel. I'm staying here now. It's close to Cassie. She's due to have her baby soon, and I'll be around to help her. Do you want something to eat?"
Leah nodded. Lauren went back to the kitchen to make sandwiches. She glanced at the vodka bottle on the bench, smiling to herself when she didn't feel the pull.
Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check the message, smiling again when Ethan gave his blessing to her friend staying and added that he loved her. A quick text back to say she loved him too, and she returned to the living room where Leah sat.
"Ethan says it's fine for you to stay."
"Well, I'm glad Ethan allows you to have friends over." The way she said it made Lauren regret she’d agreed to let her stay.
Lauren sighed. "It's not like that. I'm just mindful of Ethan's feelings. He's the same with me. We could go for a swim later. This place is pretty cool. Ethan will be home soon anyway."
"Checking up on you?"
"No, he just likes to spend as much time with me as possible. If he has a quiet day, he comes home. Sometimes he has to work late, so he makes it up to me on the other days."
Leah pulled a face. "You make him sound perfect."
"He is to me."
Lauren turned, silently fuming at Leah already, unsure how long she would put up with the digs she seemed to be making.
I don't know if I can do a couple of days of this.
She brought out some small plates to eat on, and a large plate of peanut butter sandwiches. It was her current favourite thing to eat, and Leah pulled a face when she realised what was being served.
"I thought it would be something fancy in a big place like this."
Lauren shrugged. "I'm still me."
They ate in silence, Leah looking up every so often to look at Lauren. Lauren wriggled in her seat, uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the other woman.
After lunch, Lauren showed Leah around the house, proudly showing her the spa room and the pool area.
"Haven't you fallen on your feet?" Leah sounded snarky.
"I'm very lucky. None of it mattered to me, though. Ethan could have lived in a shoebox apartment, and I would have been happy."
She sat down by the side of the pool, running her fingers through the water. The pool was her favourite place in the house; she found it peaceful and soothing. Lauren smiled at the memory of skinny dipping with Ethan the night before. They'd come inside when it got chilly, and made love in the warm, soft bed upstairs.
"Going for a swim?" Ethan's voice came from the door, and Lauren looked up, meeting his eyes which twinkled with mischief. Their shared memory coming to the surface.
"Ethan," she cried, leaping up to run into his arms. He kissed her warmly, and she grinned, snuggling against him. "Leah, this is Ethan."
Leah raised an eyebrow again, smiling at the pair. "Hi, I'm Leah."
"Nice to meet you." He extended his hand for her to shake, and she smiled, taking his hand in hers.
"What are you doing home?"
"I had one more appointment left and she called to cancel at the last minute. So, I thought I'd come home. Any objections?"
"Of course not," Lauren said, kissing him on the cheek. "Do you want some lunch? We had something to eat just a little while ago, but I can make you something."
"I'll get something. You have your friend to entertain."
He kissed her again before turning back towards the house. Lauren sighed as she watched him leave.
"You never told me he was so old," said Leah, curling her lip in contempt.
Lauren turned back towards her. "He's not that old. Wait until you get to know him. He's amazing."
Ethan walked into the kitchen, pondering the woman he had just met. Lauren had told him about Leah, and every story involved alcohol unless it was about work.
He went to the fridge, taking out the salad ingredients to make his sandwich. It was nice having a fully-stocked refrigerator now. He had never bothered when it was just him, but Lauren had taken charge and always made sure he had good things to eat.
Taking out the bread, he set out everything he needed on the bench. As he looked up, he noticed the vodka bottle there. It looked as though it was unopened, but the idea of it being in his house made his blood run cold.
Ethan looked back out towards the pool. Lauren stood, talking to her friend with her arms crossed as if she were annoyed with something the other woman was saying. He decided to talk to her about the vodka later; now wasn't the time.
Lauren came inside with Leah trailing behind her. "Find everything you need?" she asked.
"You know how well fed you keep me."
She grinned. "Just checking. I applied for another couple of jobs this morning. Fingers crossed something works out."
"That's good, sweetheart. There's no rush. I'd rather you found something you want to do than feel you have to jump into the first thing that comes up."
He tidied up the bench before picking up the plate with his sandwich. Smiling at Leah, he sat at the dining table, picking up the newspaper that lay there.
Lauren moved behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing the top of his head. "We were going to go for a swim if you want to join us?"
"I thought I might go upstairs and have a nap. We were up late last night and it's been a busy day."
She nodded. "Good idea. I could do with a sleep myself. Might join you after our swim."
He looked up, kissing her cheek. "I'll cook dinner tonight if you want. Give you some more time with Leah."
"You are good to me."
"I try." He grinned and she bent down for another kiss.
Ethan sniffed. He couldn't smell alcohol on her, and he wasn't keen to start something with Leah there. Returning to his sandwich, he ate while the women got ready to swim. Lauren re-appeared in her swimsuit, and he grinned at the memory of the night before. The innocent swim that turned into so much more.
"I know what you're thinking about," Lauren said.
"Am I that transparent?"
"I was thinking about it earlier. Shame we can't repeat it tonight."
"Lauren, there's something I need to talk to you about." He took a deep breath. Confronting her could create all kinds of issues, but he didn't want to clean up the alternative.
"Are you ready or what?" Leah's voice came from the door.
"Sure am," replied Lauren, bending to give Ethan another kiss before patting him on the shoulder. "We'll talk later," she murmured.
Ethan nodded, watching her go out the door. She’d been so good and her counselling sessions had brought out so many issues. If she’d fallen off the wagon, it didn't bear thinking about.
He sighed, cleaning up the dishes and heading up to the bedroom for a nap. As much as he loved making love to Lauren into the wee small hours of the morning, it made the days so much longer.