^^ Lenni ^^

My feet are killing me and I'm shattered. I can feel a headache starting up just behind my eyes, and for once I find myself hating my boss. I've worked for him for six months now, and usually he's great. He's a shark of a lawyer and an arsehole in the courtroom, but with his staff he's pretty laid back. Until recently, that is. He's got a massive case coming up and he's been working us all like dogs. I'm thanking god it's Friday today, and after working late all week, I've finally managed to clock out on time. At least I've got two days off now.

As I push the door to Shelby's cafe open, the first thing I notice is the screams of my goddaughter. I look towards the counter and see Mel bouncing her on her knee while trying to eat one handed. I drop my handbag on a table and make my way over to them. Mel doesn't even notice me until I reach for the baby. As she looks up at me I notice the tears flowing down her cheeks, and the dark circles under her eyes. Picking Lena up, I bounce her on my hip while pacing next to Mel.

"Hey beautiful," I say, nudging her side with my free hip. "What's wrong?"

She sniffles and looks up at me. "I'm just tired. She's teething and this screaming seems to be all she does at the minute. Nothing I try is good enough." Her voice breaks and I see the tears hit her eyes again.

My heart breaks at the sight. The Mel I've known before has been bright and cheerful, and one of the most confident women I know. It hurts to see her so worn down and unsure. I try to quiet Lena down, but she's having none of it. I can see her eyes drooping but she's fighting it hard. I turn back to Mel.

"Eat your food. I've got her, okay?" Her only response is a sniffle, but she turns back to her plate, able to use both hands now. As I look around the cafe I notice how quiet it is, with only an elderly couple sitting in a booth at the back. I spot the ice bucket behind the counter and walk round to grab an ice cube. "Let's try this madam, huh?" I say to Lena. I rub the ice cube against her bottom gums, and she quiets almost instantly, with just soft sniffles as she tries to lick the ice cube. Her bottom gums are red and swollen but I can see the edge of her first tooth trying to poke through. She seems to like the cold of the ice so I turn back to Mel with a smile. It drops off my face instantly when I see her crying again.

"How did you know to do that? God, I'm her mum and I didn't know that. I'm so useless!" She breaks off into a sob and her shoulders shake.

"Hey! You stop that right now! You are not bloody useless; you're incredible. I just made a guess and got lucky. Where's this coming from?" I ask her, shocked beyond words at how insecure she feels.

"She doesn't stop crying, nothing I try works, I've barely slept for days, I'm pretty sure she just hates me. And Ash is bored of me already! My boobs are starting to sag, I've got lumps and rolls where it used to be firm, and I'm not surprised he barely touches me these days. And on the rare occasion he does, we're interrupted by screaming!" She's breathless by the end of her rant, and I think my jaw just hit the floor. I feel Lena's head resting against my shoulder and realise she's finally fallen asleep. I place her in her buggy and sit on the stool next to Mel.

"Look at me," I say softly to her, smiling when she does. "You're exhausted, physically and mentally. Slept deprivation is a total bitch. She doesn't hate you; you're her mummy! She's in pain, which is normal with teething. But she can't sleep properly because of it, so she's cranky as hell. Kinda like you," I nudge her shoulder gently and smile when a small laugh escapes her. "This is normal. Her tooth is almost through, and as soon as it is, this will all get easier. As for Ash! Honey, that guy is enthralled by you! He watches you like you're the sun and he's freezing. He adores you both. This is all a massive change for you both. You're both exhausted and all of a sudden there's an extra little human demanding attention. You need a break, that's all. I promise, okay?"

She sniffles again and leans her head on my shoulder. "When did you become the level-headed wise one?" She asks.

I snort and laugh with her. "No idea, but I'm pretty sure the devil is covered in ice right now!" We both laugh again and I look up when Robbie walks out of the kitchen. He smiles when he sees me and brings us two coffees.

"Where's the monster?" He asks quietly, looking around with wide eyes.

I reach over and punch his shoulder. "She's an angel! And she's sleeping. If you wake her, I'm taking Mel home and leaving Lena here with you!" He raises his hands in surrender and backs away grinning. I look at Mel and see a genuine smile on her face, finally. "Why don't you bring Lena over later? We'll stick on some old corny film and pig out on crap," She grins at me and nods. "I've gotta pop by the clubhouse, but go to mine whenever. You know where the key is."

"Thanks, Lenni. You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too. Now keep that smile up. Everything will be okay, you'll see,"

I kiss her cheek and take a last look at Lena before grabbing my stuff and heading out the door.

***

As I pull the car up outside the clubhouse, I turn the engine off and just sit there for a few minutes. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe how everything turned out, but I am always grateful for these guys. They might be frustrating dickheads about 90% of the time, but I love them all. Even Pest, who barely spoke to me at first, has become one of my closest friends. Apparently, he was shit scared of Smiler so he kept his distance at first. I laughed so hard I almost peed when he told me that! On the streets, they come across as these tough badasses who you wouldn't wanna mess with. But in here, behind closed doors, they're all just a bunch of overgrown children. I wouldn't have them any other way.

I glance over at the bikes parked outside and a frown hits my face when I see Ash's parked next to Smiler's. I throw the door open and climb out, slamming it shut without bothering to lock it. As I enter the clubhouse I look around and see Smiler sitting at a table with Ash and Jay. He grins when he sees me and I make my way over to them.

"Hey, ba-" Smiler's grin drops and his eyes widen as he sees my death glare zeroed in on the back of Ash's head. "Oh shit, Ash. Run!" He says, not taking his eyes off me.

Ash turns his head and his eyes widen as he sees my face. He starts to stand and I point at him. "Don't you fucking dare! You sit your arse down," I growl, internally smirking as he does it immediately. I watch Jay and Smiler exchange a worried glance and can't help but feel smug. I kinda love that they turn into nervous wrecks when one of the girls is on the warpath. I take a seat next to Ash and stare at him, watching as he squirms. "When was the last time you showed your wife how much you love her?" I ask him.

His eyebrows dart up and his mouth opens and closes like a fish for a moment. "I tell her I love her every day!" He defends.

"That's nice, dumbass. I asked when you last showed her you love her!" I sigh as his face still looks blank. The boy is seriously clueless. "Words are great and all, but you actually have to prove it occasionally. I just found her sobbing her heart out in Shelby's!" His face crumples and he goes to stand, but I put a hand on his shoulder and shake my head. "She's okay now. Lena wouldn't stop screaming and Mel was just stressed." His shoulders relax slightly but I can still see the concern in his eyes as he looks at me. "I'm not going to tell you what she said, that's breaking girl code. But maybe you could arrange a babysitter one night and show her how much you adore her, and that you are still attracted to her?" I suggest, trying to hint as much as I can without saying too much.

Realisation hits his face and he drops his head into his hands. "I'm such an asshole!" He moans.

"Yes, you are. But you're male so it's expected," I grin, ignoring the shouts of complaint from Smiler and Jay. "Look, every girl needs some reassurance once in a while. Especially when their body's changing and they have a mini human depending on them. She's a mum, but she's also still your wife. And for god's sake, let her have a nap every once in a while! The poor cow's shattered!"

Ash nods and rubs his hands down his face. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. "Thanks, Len," he sighs, and I reach up to kiss his cheek. "But when did you get so wise?" He asks and I pull away to slap his arm.

"Why is everyone so shocked that I have a brain?" I exclaim, even though I'm probably more shocked than the rest of them.

Smiler laughs and reaches a hand out to me. "Do I get my hello yet?" He grins and I can't help but return it as he pulls me into his lap and kisses me hard. Even after all these months, the boy still gives me butterflies. He pulls away from my lips and presses a light kiss to my forehead. "How was work?"

I groan and rest my head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad it's the weekend," I sigh when I feel his hands kneading the sore muscles in my lower back. "Mel's coming over soon and we're having a girly evening with Lena. What time will you be finished here?" I ask him.

"It shouldn't be too late, but if you guys want the place to yourselves I can crash here tonight," he offers, and my heart swells a little at his consideration.

I shake my head. "No, come home. Bring this idiot with you," I say, gesturing at Ash. "Maybe an evening of adult company will give Mel a boost." He nods at my suggestion and looks at Jay.

"You fancy it?" He asks.

"Sure," Jay replies. "Wouldn't miss it," He grins at me and nods.

I look at the three men around me and am once again filled with an immense feeling of gratitude for my rather large family. I stand and stretch, swatting Smiler's hand away as he gropes my arse. "Later," I wink at him, leaning down to kiss him goodbye. "See you later, boys," I kiss Jay and Ash's cheeks before heading out to my car again. I cannot wait to get home and change. My knee length pencil skirt feels restricting, and after spending most of the day on my feet, the black stiletto pumps are pinching my feet in several places.

***

Walking into the home I share with Smiler, I can't help but smile at the scene that greets me. Lena is lying on a blanket on the floor, giggling and squealing as Sammy sniffs at her neck. Mel sits next to them with a huge smile on her face, her earlier worries seemingly forgotten. She looks up as she sees me and her smile widens.

"Hey!" She greets me, standing to hug me. "She loves him so much," she says, looking back at where Lena is trying to grab handfuls of Sammy's fur.

"He loves her too. God help anyone who tries to hurt her though!" I laugh, sighing in relief as I finally pull my shoes off. "Let me change quickly and we'll take him for a walk if you're up for it?" I suggest.

Mel grins at me. "I think some fresh air will do us all good!" She laughs. She moves to rejoin them on the floor and I head into my bedroom, groaning as I enter it.

I love Smiler, I really do, but surely he'd have learnt by now that his dirty clothes and towels go in the basket, not on the floor. He could make the bed once in a while too, but apparently, that's impossible. I strip out of my work clothes and grab some leggings and a long shirt from my drawers, before gathering the clothing that's strewn around the room and dumping it in the basket. I consider making the bed while I'm here but decide it can wait. I pull my hair out of its ponytail and brush it through, leaving it hanging loose. I'm pretty sure I just heard my scalp sigh in relief as the tension is eased from it.

Mel and I spend the next hour strolling through the park I discovered not far from the house just after I moved in. She pushes Lena in front of us and we both chuckle when Lena catches a fit of giggles at Sammy chasing a butterfly. Her sore gums seem to be temporarily forgotten with the distraction of Sammy, and I can almost feel the tension leaving Mel as she smiles at her daughter. "When's Shelby back?" I ask her, and her smile widens.

"Sunday. She called me earlier and said it was going really well. She sounded really positive," Shelby had been at a conference in Chicago for women in business. She'd been really nervous last week about a talk she'd been asked to give about the cafe, so it was nice to hear it had gone well. "Jay's asked after her pretty much every day," Mel laughs.

I groan and shake my head. "Those two need a wake-up call!" There was obvious chemistry between the two of them, but they both constantly deny it, saying they're just friends. Apparently, the fact that neither of them had dated anyone else since they'd met was nothing more than a coincidence. I don't know why they bother fighting it, they're obviously head over heels for each other. I shake my head at our clueless friends and look back at Mel. "When was the last time you had a decent soak in a hot bubble bath?" I ask her with a smile.

"God, I can't even remember. The longest shower I've had in months was about ten minutes long, and I had to get out when madam started raising hell,"

"Okay. Here's the plan," I start. "We head back, and you steal my bath for a while. Soak as long as you like. Hell, there's even some candles in there. Go all out. I'll entertain Lena so you can relax. Then we'll order pizza and watch some chick flicks while we wait for the guys. How does that sound?"

She sighs in happiness. "That sounds like perfection!"