Setting the flowers down, Jason glanced around the apartment. She would be home soon. Technically he wasn’t… breaking an entry since he had a key and had sent a letter. Even if he brought it himself. The last few days at work had been hell, and were worse because of this misunderstanding. He’d spent the night before with Aidan, and he’d helped hold some of the things he had brought over with them.

After his second birthday the month before, Aidan had been more of a terror than usual. Needless to say, his apartment was a complete wreck, and he hadn’t had the time to pick it up. So why not come over to the cleaner place? Plus, Jason wasn’t sure how receptive Sam would be to an invite to his place. Besides, it was nearly his thirty-third birthday. Shouldn’t he be allowed to decide how he wanted to celebrate?

“Hey!” Catching Aidan with a finger deep in the cake, Jason picked up the squirming tyke and set him on the floor, not able to clean the finger off before his son’s mouth did the work. Grinning up at his dad, Jason realized that Aidan was going to be a bigger handful than expected. He did have half his mother’s genes, after all. Which meant Jason needed to keep the beer out of two-year-old reach.

The letter was taped to the front door, a large ‘I’m Sorry’ scrawled in his uppercase boyish handwriting. Jason sat down in the living room, watching Aidan as he started to play with his quidditch figures. The table in the dining room was set up; flowers and her favorite chocolate. If she let him, he would make lunch and dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Holding his hands between his knees, he tried to smile when Aidan brought over his favorite piece. “Show me how she can fly.” Aidan grinned and held it in his palm, letting it float up into the air, zooming around his head.

Jason watched as Aidan spun after it, giggling and attempting to catch it, letting go of his other figurines (who also started to fly around the little boy). This was how Jason kept entertained at home.

It had been a long day. A new client was being registered with Amortentia, and they had asked Sam to entertain him for the day. She had obliged, quite pleased to be out of the lab for a change. At least when she was with a client, her mind wasn't able to wander. It had been one week. A whole week had gone by, and she had heard nothing from Jason. No apology, no explanation - nothing. He had almost completelt disappeared from her life, save the few bits and bobs he had lying around her apartment. She had no doubt that they would probably remain there, as he'd probably prefer never to see her again.

Sam adjusted her cloak slightly as she took Lewis' hand and led him up the set of stairs towards her second-floor apartment. Her high heels (as beautiful as they were) made her feet ache when she was in them for a long time. She always got dressed up when she was meeting a client, as she was representing her company. It wasn't just a normal day in the lab, when she would wear her day-to-day clothes, to save her nice attire from getting ruined.

"-and when we get in, you're not having any chocolate before your dinner, okay?" She looked down at her son who nodded solemnly. The poor kid didn't know whether he was coming or going. Jason had been part of his life for eight months, and suddenly he hadn't seen him for a week, and Sam was skirting around the issue of where Jason and Aidan were. She frowned, feeling as though maybe she was being a little harsh on him. She rubbed the back of his tiny hand with her thumb and smiled. "Maybe just a little bit..." Lewis' face lit up and the grin that Sam adored so much was there once more.

They rounded the corner that led to her end apartment, the plush red carpet muting the sound of her heels. Pulling her key out she looked at the door and came to a sudden stop. "Whassat?" Lewis was pointing at the piece of paper taped to the door, a childish scrawl on it. Sam would recognise that writing anywhere. Her eyes were wide as they traced the letters on the paper. Lewis' little hand was scrabbling to try and get it. He was sorry, was he? Sam pulled the paper off the door and turned it over, just to make sure there was nothing on the other side, then handed it to the excitable boy.

So that was it? A note with a scrawled "I'm sorry" on it? She opened the door and let Lewis go in before her. It was going to take more than a scrawny note to-- "Jason!" Sam turned on the spot from where she had been putting the latch on the door, and saw that Lewis had rounded the corner into the living and dining area. She marched along the passage and stopped dead when she saw Jason playing with Aidan, the beautiful bouquet of pink tulips, and a large box of Sam's favourite lemon soufflé chocolates.

She swallowed, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. What was she supposed to say? "So you kept your key."

When he heard the key in the door, he grabbed a figure out of the air, his other finger coming up in a ‘hold on’ signal. Aidan pouted, until he heard Lewis. Jason pushed himself up and grinned, giving the little boy a hug. He’d missed Sam a bunch, sure, but he’d also missed Lewis. The hug turned into a lift up and toss before finally setting the boy back on the ground, offering him the confiscated figure. Finally, however, he bit his lip and stood up, watching Sam sheepishly.

“Well, yeah.” If she wanted it back, she could take it back today. Leaving the two boys to battle over the figures, he stepped around the couch and towards her, keeping a fair distance.

Jason waited a few more moments before finally swallowing, glancing down at his feet as his hands dug into his trouser pockets. “So I’ve had some time to think about it all…” Making a face, he finally looked back up at her, licking his lips. Merlin, he was nervous. “I am sorry. I made an ass out of myself, and… you didn’t deserve that. You were dealing with your own stuff.”

Stepping towards her, biting his lower lip, he met her eyes. “I’m kind of shit at apologizing. You’re not thick-headed… and though your parents view bothers me, I know they aren’t yours.” Scuffing his feet a bit, he dug deeper into his pockets, leaning forward slightly before standing up straight again. He glanced down, smirking a little as his cheeks darkened.

“I meant what I said, though. About love. I mean—” And it started to come out faster. “—I am afraid of hurting you, I don’t want to, and I feel like those I love are the ones I seem to hurt, and I don’t want to do that. But we’re good together, and this has been a hard week. All I’ve wanted to do was come over and see you and apologize but I didn’t really understand what I needed to apologize for, not at first, so then I got to thinking about it and I realized that I… I love you too.”

Her heart was thumping as she stood and waited for Jason to say whatever he came over to say. She loved the flowers, and the chocolates would taste delicious, she was sure. But if he didn't know why he was here, why he felt the need to splash out on her, and why she so distraught - well, there was just no point.

“So I’ve had some time to think about it all…”

Sam took this time to take her cloak off and drape it over one of the dining chairs. She smoothed her dress out with the palms of her hands as he carried on. Yes, he had been an ass. And no, she didn't deserve it. She said nothing, letting him finish...whatever it was he wanted to say. Every so often she was tempted to interject, but she managed to bite her tongue.

"I love you too.”

Sam's breath caught in her chest and her heart threatened to hammer out of it at any moment. When she'd casually dropped into the conversation a week earlier that she loved him, she'd expected the reaction she got. She thought it would be a long while before he felt ready to say it back, and the only reason she dragged it up while they were arguing was for some ammunition against him. It wasn't fair, but she had done it. Perhaps something that she herself had to apologise for.

But to hear him say it without being prompted or guilted into it...it was making a very horrible two weeks suddenly seem like a picnic in a meadow on a warm spring day. She swallowed and felt the corners of her mouth tugging up, threatening to make her smile. She turned away from Jason suddenly and went towards the boys squabbling over a little quidditch figure on the floor. She bent down and stroked Aidan's hair. "Why don't you two boys go and play in Lewis' room?" She encouraged them by patting her son's bottom as they both toddled towards the little bedroom, all too happy to oblige - there were a lot more toys in there.

Standing up, Sam walked slowly to the table, not wanting to let Jason off the hook just yet. She put both hands on the table and leaned forward slightly, arching her back. "You can't just suddenly say that you love me and expect things to be back to normal." Her eyes wandered over the cake with the finger print in it - the present she had bought Jason was sitting in the bottom of her wardrobe, all wrapped and ready. She took a breath and turned her head slightly towards him. "But it's a good start." She leaned forward a little more and allowed the scent of the tulips to take over her brain. Her eyes fluttered closed and she breathed in deeply. "And the flowers are beautiful."

Jason had thought about love a lot lately. Well, more so since she’d said it to him. He wasn’t sure how often he would say it after this, either; Fiona had preferred to not hear it, so he’d been used to not saying it. And what you said to your children or parents was a lot different than how you meant it to someone you were … with. It made things feel a lot more serious, and though he was sure he could handle the extra pressure, he just hoped Sam would understand if he didn’t say it at every twist and turn.

It had been hard (and surprisingly sudden) to get it off his chest. Her reaction made him question saying it. Fidgeting a little, rocking back and forth on his feet, he watched her go to the boys. Aidan seemed eager enough, beaming up at Sam. As odd as it had been not to be around Lewis and Sam for Jason, it had been different for Aidan as well. He wasn’t used to having just his dad around, now. He was still confused over his parents not being together, though Jason thought it helped that he had been so young when it had happened.

Then again, he was used to Sam now as well. Things were complicated with children. Chewing on his lip, he fiddled with some knuts in his pocket, watching the boys go down the hall as Sam made her way back towards him. Focusing on her once again, he pursed his lips and nodded slowly, though part of him wanted to ask ‘why not.’ They had both said things they regretted, right? So he apologized, let his feelings out, and…

“But it’s a good start.”

A grin jumped on his face and Jason pushed his hands down a little more, leaning forward before taking a step towards her. “They smell good too.” Stepping up behind her, Jason pulled his hands out of his pockets, wrapping them cautiously around her waist, leaning over and taking a slow breath in through his nose. But he was more enjoying her than the flowers. Leaning against the side of her head, he smiled against her hair. “How about I make some fish and chips while you pour some wine?” Pulling back, he started for the kitchen (where he had all ready started).

Jason moved towards her and commented on the scent of the flowers. “Mmm,” Sam concurred, though she could smell less of the flowers now and more of Jason’s familiar smell the closer he got. It was a smell she had missed so much over the last week, but she hoped that now things would get back to normal. Now that they had dragged up some issues and faced them, rather than just brushing them under the carpet like she knew he would have preferred. She finally allowed herself to smile as Jason wasted no time in coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her – albeit a little more cautiously than usual. He leaned against the side of her head and she could feel him taking in a breath, probably savouring the smell as she was.

“How about I make some fish and chips while you pour some wine?”

Fish and chips? Jason moved away and headed towards the kitchen. It was then that her nose filtered out his scent and the smell of the flowers, and finally she was able to smell the crisping batter around the fish. She licked her lips absent-mindedly, thinking that he must have been feeling really guilty – flowers, chocolates, a nice dinner and a bottle of nice wine. She picked the bottle up off the table and studied the label. A very nice bottle of wine. White and crisp, she imagined it would be a very nice accompaniment to their dinner.

She went to the little bedroom and peered around the side of the door. The boys were happily playing, all of Lewis’ toys and the toys Aidan had brought over were strewn across the floor. As long as it kept them occupied, Sam didn’t mind. She smiled. They were becoming very good friends, much to her delight. Both boys were easily occupied, and they liked the same things; dragons, quidditch and chocolate. Not much else make two young boys bond than toys and sweeties.

After checking that the kids weren’t fighting (as happened on occasion), Sam headed towards the kitchen picking up the bottle of wine on the way. Her heels click-clacked on the tiled floor as she went about getting a couple of wine glasses from the cupboard. She took her wand out and opened the bottle of wine, then poured two large helpings into the glasses. They both needed it after the last week. Jason was standing over the hob, and Sam made her way towards him and put his glass down on the bench next to him. She leaned her back against the bench and crossed one high-heeled foot over the other, taking the first delicious sip of the wine. Wearing these heels added another four inches onto her height, meaning that she was only a little bit smaller than Jason. It was nice for a change to be almost at eye-level with him.

She swallowed some of the wine, but let the glass linger at her lips for a moment as she thought. “I owe you an apology, too.” She confessed, biting her lower lip. She knew she had done and said regretful things, so she had no issue with apologising for doing them. She just...wasn’t willing to be the one to instigate the apologies. It made it easier now that Jason had said he was sorry. “Well,” she continued looking down into her wine sheepishly, “Maybe a few.” She looked back up at him and frowned. “I’m sorry I slapped you. I’ve felt absolutely awful about it all week. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as guilty about anything in my life as I did about that.” Her shoulders slumped very slightly. “Can you forgive me?”

Jason glanced over his shoulder, hearing Sam before seeing her. Grinning, he glanced down at her heels, giving a whistle. “You look smashing by the way.” Hearing a sizzle and pop, he turned his attention back to the dinner, letting out a gasp as unexpected grease leaped off on to his arm. Shaking it out, he put a little distance and turned the heat down just a smidge.

Picking up the glass, he took a slow inhale before sipping it, watching her lean against the counter top. Smirking, he admired her outfit once again. “Thank you.” Lifting the glass up, he took another sip before setting it back down.

“Oh?” Raising an eyebrow, he pushed the fish around, finally setting the cooking utensil down. Moving over to the cabinets, he pulled out four plates. Setting them down on the area next to her, he finally settled on her face. Leaning a hand on the counter, he watched her carefully, a small smile on his face. Ah yes, the slap. Shrugging a little, he leaned across her and picked up his wine, clicking it with hers before sipping it.

“Maybe I can…” A laugh escaped him and he set the glass back down, opening a drawer for forks. “We both have things we’re sorry for, it’s fine Sam. My cheek is back to normal.” As if to prove it, he patted it, showing it to her. “An ‘I’m sorry’ kiss could make it feel better, though.” Leaning towards her a little, he raised his eyebrows and gave her an innocent look (that he was learning rather well from both the boys).

His comment about the way she looked forced a smile across her lips. One thing that could be said for Jason; he definitely knew how to give a compliment. If she'd known this was all going to happen, she'd have probably made even more of an effort than she did. Her hair had been left to dry naturally after she'd washed it the night before, allowing the natural waves to take over. She'd ran her fingers through it that morning, and that had been it. She never spent much time doing her hair, as she was fortunate enough to be blessed with hair that didn't ofte stray from what she wanted it to do. The hints of copper that adorned her locks glinted as the evening sunlight coming through the kitchen window danced against the waves.

Jason reassured her that everything was ok, but she frowned slightly, thinking that maybe she was being let off with this too lightly. If it had been the other way round, Jason would have been labeled as an abusive man, and Sam would have been out of there faster than you could have said 'Dumbledore's Socks'. But it was okay the other way round? No. It wasn't. She'd been out of order, and although he had said something truly hurtful, it didn't warrant her raising her hand. That wasn't Sam.

“An ‘I’m sorry’ kiss could make it feel better, though.”

Jason leaned in, and the frown on Sam's face was quickly turned into a smile. She chuckled and allowed herself to lean in too, closing the small gap between their faces. Just at the last moment before their lips would meet, she changed course and let her lips brush his cheek, then she pulled back with a grin, bringing her glass back up to her lips and taking a sip. "I trust it feels better now, then?"

They were getting past the fight! She even smiled. Jason felt like a winner now. Leaning in, he was disappointed when she pecked his cheek. Attempting to smile back, he shrugged and stood up a little straighter, glancing back at the food to make sure it looked good. “If you want to call that a healing kiss, I guess it might have helped a small bit.” Another half shrug came off as he turned his attention back to dinner. “Maybe.”

Smirking, he turned the fish over, watching it turn golden. Jason didn’t realize how hungry he was… “Does Lewis know yet?” He was referring to Thomas without having to actually mention the guy’s name. Even thinking of him made Jason grit his teeth a little. He wasn’t too worried about the competition so much as he was about him making a mess of things with Sam and her emotions.

They seemed a bit fragile with Thomas around.

Checking the chips in the oven, he bit his lip. “Almost done…” It was said softly and followed with another gulp of wine. Rubbing his fingers together on his free hand, he reached in and pulled out a crispy chip, gasping and tossing it back and forth from one palm to the next, attempting to put out the scalding burning in the air between his eager fingers. Finally he popped it in his mouth, attempting to blow on it before biting down. “Is’ ready.” The tip of his tongue was not.

Sam almost saw the pout come out. Jason looked sorely disappointed that the kissed cheek was all he was going to get. It made her smile. She was making him sweat a little - it was what he needed. A kick up the arse to realise she wasn't going to deal with him being a moody sod. She'd spent over ten years with one of those, and now the sorry bastard was back. She needed respite from that, not someone who was going to chew her ear off about something she wasn't able to control.

“Does Lewis know yet?”

"Ah...no." Sam heard herself breath a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was Lewis knowing about this and getting his heart broken when he realised (as he would eventually) that his dad wasn't a man to idolise. Sure, she had no doubt that Thomas would shower the little boy with affection for a while. He'd play the part of the doting father well for a short time. Then he would stop calling round. And then he'd stop answering owls. And Lewis would only get disappointed in the same way that Sam had felt it years before, though it would be harder for Lewis to lose his dad than it was for Sam to lose her husband. Marriages were made and broken, but being a parent was for life -- at least it was supposed to be. Thomas forfeited his right to being a parent when he abandoned his son, and until he was able to miraculously prove to Sam otherwise, she wouldn't be letting him see Lewis at all. So far, he hadn't been doing a very good job of trying to be a 'good guy', much as though that was what he had pressed to Sam when he'd first came round the week before.

“Is’ ready.”

Sam smiled, broken from her own thoughts momentarily. She moved to fill cups up with juice, but her hand hovered over the first cup, the juice bottle suspended in the air. She put the bottle down and turned to Jason. "Do you- do you think I'm being too harsh? With Thomas, I mean." She swallowed, wanting to hear that she was doing completely the right thing, but bracing herself in case the answer was not one that she wanted to hear. Much as though Jason didn't like Thomas, she had no doubt that he would tell her the honest truth - and usually, to do that one would put oneself into the position of someone else. In this case? If it was Jason not being allowed to see Aidan? Well, Sam knew that he wouldn't even be able to imagine not seeing his little boy.

It was a good thing Jason was busy with dinner and his facial features weren’t so easy to see. Because he really wasn’t sure if he was more relieved or disappointed that Lewis didn’t know. Not disappointed for Thomas, or anything to do with the guy, but for Lewis. Then again, the kid was barely old enough to know where the toilet was. Torn, but not sure why he was, Jason kept on with dinner.

Luckily the burning chip took away all torn features on his face and left a very shocked and slightly pained look instead. Maybe even a little guilty as he bit down on it… Picking up the oven mitts, Jason opened the oven door again and pulled the chips out to rest on top of the stove. Did he what now? An eyebrow rose as he glanced over at Sam.

Rubbing his lips before remembering he still had the oven mitt on, he took them off and set them on the counter top. “Sami, I only know what I saw of… what’s going on between you two.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged a little before sipping his wine, allowing himself a little longer before he had to respond. “I’m sure he deserves whatever comes to him, but it’s… I mean, if it was reversed, and I couldn’t see Aidan…” His face told his opinion on it.

Still. “For you, I don’t think you’re being harsh enough. For Lewis… I don’t know. We don’t know how they really interact anymore, right?” Picking up a chip, bouncing it in his hand a moment, he offered it to her. “Though maybe we should try and potty-train him first.” Jason winked at her. He knew it was hard enough to teach a boy to go to the toilet (why, he couldn’t fathom—it was so much easier than for girls, from what he understood), but add in some other stress in their life, and you might not get them out of pull-ups for a long time…

Jason was doing a good job of hiding his expression. She had known when she asked that he would be torn. Like Sam, Jason wanted Thomas to pay for what he was putting her through. But deep down, she knew it wasn't fair on Lewis. She was using the little boy as a tool to get back at Thomas without even realising it. She heaved a slitent sigh as Jason said what Sam had predicted. She allowed her hand to tilt slightly, pouring the juice into the two small plastic tumblers  and the two larger glasses.

"We don’t know how they really interact anymore, right?”

Sam almost snorted. "I don't know how they ever interacted. Lewis was only a couple of weeks old when Thomas decided to up and leave," she pointed out, "so there was never really the chance for quality father-son time." It was sad, that Thomas hadn't been man enough to take responsibility for his actions. Afterall, it took two to duel - as much as she now wished it, Sam hadn't been able to perform the immaculate conception.

“Though maybe we should try and potty-train him first.”

Sam cast a sidewards glance at Jason. He'd used the word 'we', suggesting it would be a joint effort in helping Lewis with his toilet habits. Sure, Sam had started trying to train him, but it got hard as a single parent trying to do everything as well as run around after a toddler who was...well, let's just say better at aiming his broom than his wand.

"Be my guest." She flashed Jason a grin as she moved past him to take the drinks out to the table. As she set the glasses down on the table she could hear the little boys making growling noises at each other -- clearly they were playing dragons, one of Lewis' favourite games. She called back through to Jason in the kitchen from the table, "Is it time to let the little dragons in? I think they might be hungry." As though he had been waiting by the door for his cue, Aidan suddenly appeared with a toothy grin, Lewis close behind.

“Right…” Scratching the side of his head, Jason tried to fathom what it would be like to not be there for Aidan. The thought made him a little queasy, and so he settled it down by taking a sip of wine. Thomas had missed out on a lot of the fun beginnings. But did he deserve the chance to see the rest of it? He knew if it were reversed (in some awful parallel reality), Jason would want to be given the chance to redeem himself. To prove to his son he could be a good dad.

But this was their reality. And Sam wasn’t very happy with Thomas and how he’d left things, understandably so. Jason just had to watch how he stated his opinion; no need to get her upset over it all over again. Or upset at him as well.

When she didn’t take the offered chip, he popped it in his mouth instead. No use in letting it go to waste, after all. Mid chew, he stopped at her response, watching her walk past him to the table. He’d meant he could support her in her efforts of helping Lewis. Emotionally. Mentally. From a distance. And when they went out to restaurants. Maybe Lewis needed a guy to show him the ropes, though. Aside from the last few days, he’d been fairly constant in the little boy’s life the past few months. Trust was built.

He turned back to the dinner, however, picking up plates and the chips and walking after her to the table. “I think they should starve a little longer.” Smirking as the two came in, Jason put a few chips on the boys’ plate first, leaving Sam to help them to the table as he went back in the kitchen for the fish and green beans. Have to encourage eating veggies with the growing boys after all…

Once back at the table, he finished fixing the boys’ plates, cutting up the fish in to bite size portions, popping a small piece into his mouth. Aidan saw and made a shocked noise, pointing at his dad as if he’d just stolen the crown, whining. Laughing as he chewed, Jason cut off another piece and put it back on the plate. His son was serious about his food… "Relax... I was just making sure it wasn't poisoned."

As the two focused on their food, setting aside their toys gripped in their hands, Jason focused on making his plate, sitting down beside Sam. Since he was not a toddler, he gave himself more chips than green beans. Pulling his wand out, he waved the wine in, handing Sam her glass before lightly clinking them together. “Enjoy. It tastes delicious.”

Sam knew what would be going through Jason’s mind without even having to ask. The way he chewed thoughtfully on the chip that she had ignored as she poured out the juice was almost as though he couldn’t comprehend something, couldn’t fathom out the answer to a particularly difficult problem. Thomas was the problem in this scenario. Jason would be imagining what it would be like if Fiona ever stopped him from seeing Aidan. What would Sam say then? Would she say it served Jason right, that he deserved it? Or would she say that he should be allowed a second chance at being a dad? And why should there be one rule for Jason and a different rule for Thomas? Thomas had made mistakes – big ones, and lots of them – but he was back, and he was claiming to want to make things right. But there was one screamingly huge difference; Jason had never abandoned his son.

She didn’t even wait to see Jason’s response to her comment about potty-training, knowing that the thought of helping a child before his own probably horrified him. Sam guessed that he was probably still mentally preparing himself for having to go through all of that with Aidan – having Lewis thrust upon him desperate for a pee and with no pull-ups on would probably make him pass out right there and then. Sam smirked to herself. Lewis was pretty much trained anyway. There was just the odd accident on a night, and since she’d completely taken the pull-ups out of his life, he was a lot better than he used to be. Plus his little underpants were just too cute.

Sam picked some of the fish away from the batter and savoured the taste, chuckling slightly as Jason tested his son’s patience when it came to food. Over the last few months, Sam had come to learn that Aidan took his food very seriously. Lewis liked his food too, but he had a tendency to kill whatever was on his plate before he would contemplate eating it. Thus, the fish on his plate looked more gutted than battered.

Sam swallowed and nodded in agreement that the fish was delicious, as she plucked her wine glass out of mid-air and allowed Jason to chink them together in a toast. It was even better than the fish and chips they got from Signature, but maybe Sam was biased because it had been made by the loving hands of her boyfriend.

After enjoying their fill of dinner and watching the kids play with their food, eat their food, play with their food a little more, contemplate eating, play with their food whilst eating, stuff a posh chocolate into their little mouths, then nod off into their plates, Sam sighed. It was a sigh of content. She had missed this over the last week. She had missed them all spending time together, and Lewis having a friend to play with. Lewis had missed having Jason and Aidan around, too. Aidan was a little younger than he, and he enjoyed having someone who looked to him for guidance. But, on the same side of the galleon, Lewis looked to guidance from Jason, so it was obvious that the little boy was pleased the man was back.

She glanced at Jason out of the corner of her eye, but quickly averted them back to the tired boys. Moving her hand across, she let her palm rest on Jason’s knee, smiling slightly. “Thanks for this,” she offered squeezing his leg gently. “It was really nice.”

Jason wasn’t really sure about the potty training phase. He knew about it, sure, but he didn’t… know how to dive into that, really. Did you just one day say ‘hey, let’s try and make it into this bowl of water’? He’d have to figure it out soon enough, though, so maybe Lewis would be good practice. The idea of tackling the hurdle together was really the point he liked. Not so much the actual task to be done.

The fish was delicious, if he said so himself (and he might have once or twice). Throughout the dinner, he would nudge Sam with his knee, or watch her out of the corner of his eye. He also noticed the way the boys were acting: when Aidan paid attention to Lewis, he copied him, and Lewis was attempting to copy Jason. The nature versus nurture debate would continue on, even at the dinner table. Attempting to keep some resemblance of manners, Jason smirked and chewed with his mouth closed, cheekily focusing on Lewis, competing in an unspoken staring contest.

Or laughing contest. Either way, they both lost. Laughing, he focused once more on his food, enjoying the light hearted childish conversations that came up. Of course, when it was more of Sam’s voice echoing his, he realized his fish had gotten the better of the boys.

Smiling as Sam’s hand made contact with his knee, Jason picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth off. “Thanks for letting me do this.” His arm lightly went behind her, resting comfortably on the back of her chair as his fingertips caressed her shoulder. “I’ve been craving fish. Though it would be tastier with beer.” Grinning, he filled up her wine glass and then his, taking another sip. “I was thinking pancakes for breakfast.” Always thinking ahead…