What Keeps You Warm at Night

~
”I can't live like this” I sighed with tears in my eyes.
We were standing in our kitchen, I was holding our 1 year old daughter Quinn.
”I have to find out who killed her.” Mike simply said.
”It's been two years now and you still haven't found anything.” I tried reasoning with him.
”I'm sorry but I can't give up” Mike said and walked out.
I tried holding back the sobs but wasn't able to, they fell down my cheeks and Quinn just looked at me.
~

This was three years ago, I still remembered it like it happened yesterday.
I was now living on a farm in Australia with my two Children Warren and Quinn.
We were vacationing in Australia when I met the most wonderful man ever, we later moved to Australia to be with him and now I called him my fiancé.
~
”I think you should go for full custody of the children” my lawyer told me before the meeting.
I looked a him and sighed ”I don't want to take them from him” I had told my lawyer this many times before but he still insisted that I go for full custody.
”I think you are making a mistake Mrs Delfino” He said.
”I can't do that to him” I said as Mike entered with his lawyer.
~
”Last but not least before we finalize the divorce, the custody agreement” The judge said as he flipped over to a new paper in the compendium before him.
”My client has made herself very clear that she want's joined custody” my lawyer said.
”Noted, what say your client Mr Kemp?” The judge asked Mike's lawyer.
”He is willing to give Miss Ramsey full custody of the children with the exception that he still gets to see them every now and then” Mr Kemp said.
For the first time since we walked in I looked up and spoke to Mike ”How can you just give them up like that, Don't you care?” I asked angrily.
”Because it's what's best for them” Mike said.
~

That was how I could take the children and move to Austraila, things were good between me and Mike. The divorce was not bad at all and whenever we saw each other after that we never argued, he wasn't even mad when I told him we were moving. He was happy for me and wanted what's best for me, Warren and Quinn.
”Hey Honey” Nate called when he came in.
I turned and faced him ”Hi, did everything go ok?”
He nodded, came over and wrapped his arms around my waist hugging me from behind ”I had to come in, you looked so beautiful looking out the window”
I smiled, Nate was the sweetest, cutest most adorable man. He wasn't bad to look at either his softly curled dirty blonde hair, baby blue eyes, tan skin and muscles from working at the farm since he was a little boy.
”What are you thinking of?” He whispered in my ear.
”How lucky I am to have met someone like you” I turned to face him.
He had a wide smile that went across his whole face.
”Mommy Mommy” two very excited voices shouted as they ran into the house.
”Hey kids, what's up?” I asked.
”When is daddy coming?” Quinn asked.
When Nate and I started dating it was really awkward whenever the kids talked about their father but now it was all good, Nate was fine with Mike and Mike didn't mind the fact that Nate and I live together. Mike had a son of his own with his ex-wife Susan, guess things didn't work out there either.
”We'll pick him up tomorrow after lunch” I said ”Your half-brother is coming too, remember?”
Both kids started jumping up and down in excitement, it was a really big deal when Mike came to visit since it happened so rarely with us living in Australia.

At the airport the children were going ape, Warren was violently shaking because he was so nervous, Quinn was jumping up and down as the arriving people started to flow out of the gates.
When Mike finally emerged I was hit by excitement and almost ran into his arms, luckily I remembered that he was not my husband anymore.
Guess distance makes the heart grow fonder because right now all I could think of where the good times we had shared and how much I had loved being Mrs Heather Delfino.
”Daddy” Both children shouted and ran towards him.
He crouched down and caught both of them in a big hug.
Nate held his arm around me as we walked up to them.
”Hello Mike” I greeted him.
”Hi Heather” He said, I couldn't hold it in so I pulled him into a hug and couldn't help but take his scent in. He smelled so nice even after the long flight.
”This is my son M.J” Mike said after releasing me from what seemed like a very long hug.
I looked at the boy, I knew he was about three years old and he looked like Mike when he was younger.
”Hello M.J I'm Heather” I said as I crouched down to his level.
”You arle a wely pwettly lady” he said and smiled.
”Oh, aren't you the sweetest” I laughed.

When we came home the children were left to play whilst I caught up with Mike, Nate had to leave and fix some of the fencing around the property.
We were sitting by the kitchen island and he was telling me about Susan.
”I'm sorry things didn't work out with Susan” I said when he had finished telling the story why they split up.
”Yeah, so am I” He said looking defeated.
I leaned over to put my hand on his, I wanted to comfort him.
”It'll get better.” I said trying to encourage him.
”I don't think so” He said and looked deeply into my eyes.
”Mike don't be like that, I know you'll find someone to spend the rest of your life with” I said ”It might feel like the end of the world now but you know it'll get better”
”I hope so, but the greatest thing that ever happened to me will always be you” Mike said and leaned forward, I looked on his lips and thought about how much I wanted to kiss him.
But I knew it would be the worst thing ever if I did, I wanted to badly though.
I let my body decide and it went with the kiss, it was just like I remembered soft, caring and totally amazing.
When my brain finally started working I pulled away and covered my mouth and looked at Mike, I ran outside to the back yard.
I felt sick, how could I do this to Nate?
He was the best thing that had happened to me since the divorce, he had taken me and the children in even though he didn't need to.
I sat down on the back porch step and buried my head in my hands, things had never felt so confusing.
Part of me wanted to be with Nate but the other part of me felt like if there was a chance of me and Mike being together I owed it to our children and to be honest I still had feelings for Mike.
I heard the door open and footsteps approaching.
”I'm sorry about that” Mike said as he sat down next to me.
”So am I” I said and stared straight ahead.
We were both quiet for a while then I spoke again ”Let's never talk about this again and just have a great week, Quinn and Warren have been waiting for this a long time now.”
”Ok” Was all Mike said.
I got up and went back inside to get dinner started.
I was totally out of it, I cut my fingers a few times and burned myself on both the oven and the frying pan.
”Ouch” I cried out as I hit my head on a open cabinet door.
”Honey, are you ok?” Nate asked, he had seen the continuing small accidents that had happened and was getting worried.
”I'm fine” I sighed ”It's just one of those days”
He walked over to the freezer getting some ice and put it in a bag so that he could put it on my head.
”Thank you” I said and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
”Do you want me to finish this?” Nate asked looking at the lasagna I had started making.
”No, I'll do it. But thanks for the offer” I said and gave him another quick peck.
The dinner was awkward, you could cut the tension with a knife. The children devoured their food so that they could go play before it was time for bed.
This left Mike, Nate and I at the table with nothing to talk about.
The silence was killing me, all I could think of was what had happened before and I desperately wanted to talk about something but nothing came to mind.
Half an hour later the dinner was over and it was bed time for the kids.
”Do you want to tuck them in with me?” I asked Mike.
”Yeah, I'd love to” He said and looked happy.
We started with Quinn, I handed Mike the princess storybook collection so that he would read it to her. She fell asleep almost instantly, Mike had only gotten to the fifth page but that didn't matter.
All that mattered to Quinn was that her daddy was here to tuck her in. I could see it in both children's faces, they really loved having Mike here.
We continued to Warren's room where MJ would be sleeping as well since Warren had a bunk bed.
Warren had recently pointed out that he was to old for bedtime stories so I just kissed him on the forehead and said ”Good night sweet heart”
”Good night Mom” He said back.
Mike had just said good night to Mj and he came over to Warren and me.
”Good night kiddo” Mike said and kissed Warren as well.
”Good night Dad” Warren said.
I closed the door behind me and Mike.
”I guess you're kind tiered from the trip” I said to him.
”Yeah, I think I'll go to bed to. If you don't mind” Mike said.
”That's ok, I understand” I said a bit happy that I'd get some time alone with Nate ”I'll show you the guest room”
I lead him down the stairs to the second floor and opened the guest room door.
”I cleaned it before you came and changed the sheets just in case” I informed ” You have your own bathroom right there”
”Looks good, thank you” Mike said.
I was about to leave when I remembered one more thing I had to say ”Remember to always check the bed, toilet and shower before you use any of them. There are a few stories about people finding all kinds of wildlife there so to be on the safe side, just check”
”Will do, Good Night” Mike said before I left.
I walked back to the living room (on the first floor), that's where I found Nate sitting on the couch obviously waiting for me because he had a glass of white wine waiting for me.
”Hi” I said and sat down next to him.
”Hell you” He said and handed me the wine ”Thought this might be in order”
”Yes, Please” I said drinking some and leaning up against Nate.
”Don't get mad” Nate said and looked a bit worried.
”What?” I asked.
”Seriously, Don't get mad but I have to work tomorrow” Nate said.
”No Nate, Seriously” I said really disappointed. ”You promised”
”I know honey but a few of the neighbors wanted to look over the fencing. I'm really sorry” He said looking apologetic.
”Fine, I'll go to the Zoo without you then” I said getting up and going to bed.