I wait outside the shopping centre, looking back at the car clock once again and then back to the front door as more people walk out. Emilia and I just closed the tattoo parlour before picking up Lily from Auntie Meg’s house. It was about three years after my recovery that Emilia and I decided to open a shop, and hired some professionals to teach me. Emilia runs the accounts as well as her full-time wedding planner work she loves to do.

“Maybe we should go and see where he is?” Emilia suggests and I shake my head.

“It’s his first date, we can’t interrupt sweetheart,” I reply, and she sighs, leaning back in her seat. I reach over and tuck a strand of her wavy black hair behind her ear, before cupping her cheek.

“I guess it’s a good reason as any to be late to Harley’s birthday,” she says. Emilia hates being late for anything. Part of her job as a wedding planner, I guess. Being late isn’t a good thing.

“Everyone is usually later than we are, so don’t worry,” I say, leaning over and kissing her gently. I look back into the backseat, seeing our beautiful five-year-old daughter, Lily, sleeping soundly. Her black hair is curly around her face, and she is the spitting image of her mum.

“Oh, there he is!” Emilia whispers and I turn back, seeing Parker walking out the main doors with his date. I smirk when he pulls her in for a hug before gently kissing her, and I look away at Emilia who is smiling at me.

“What?” I ask her.

“I’m lucky, that’s all. We have two amazing children, and we’re free. I never pictured our life, but this is everything,” she admits. I think back to when her divorce came through all those years ago, and I asked her to marry me the very next day. We had a big wedding a year later, surrounded by everyone we loved. Even Eric and his new family got an invite.

“I love you,” I say, leaning down and kissing her once, loving how she still reacts the same way to my touch as she did when we met. We pull apart as Lily lets out a little snore and we both chuckle. Lily is always sleeping. She tells us every day that sleep is life. I look back at the girl as she gets into her parents’ car and Parker jogs over to us. He pulls the back door open and gets inside.

“Looks like your date went well,” I say, and Parker grins.

“I have another date next Saturday,” he replies, and I lean back, high giving him before turning the car on. Parker’s phone rings as I start the car and drive to my brothers.

“Hey, Dad. Yeah, I’m coming to yours tomorrow night. Yeah, I will tell him. Okay, bye!” Parker puts the phone down. It’s always been difficult to hear him call Eric dad, but we both got used to sharing Parker over the years. I wouldn’t say me and Eric are friends as such, but we both get along.

“Dad asked if you would drop me off at his tomorrow after school because his car wouldn’t start this morning,” he asks.

“Sure, I can,” I reply, smiling back at him as he looks at his sister and rolls his eyes.

“Should we wake her up?” Parker asks.

“You know better than to wake your sister up. Are you suddenly feeling brave?” Emilia replies, and we all laugh which has the effect of waking up Lily. She groans, stretching her arms out and I look back at her to see her usual unimpressed with the world expression.

“Are we at Uncle Harley’s and Aunt Tilly’s?” she asks. “Is there food here yet?”

“Nope,” I reply.

“Then I’m going back to sleep,” she says, and we all can’t help but laugh at her. It’s a fifteen-minute drive before we get to Harley’s house and park behind Elliot’s and Sebastian’s cars. I see that Izzy and Blake aren’t here yet, so we aren’t the last ones. Awesome. Emilia picks up the bag of gifts before getting out. Parker undoes his sister’s seatbelt before escaping the car at the same time as we do as she wakes up. I wait for Emilia to get a sleepy Lily out the car before I wrap an arm around her waist and follow her up to the house. The kids run ahead, heading straight for the smell of the BBQ in the back.

“Hey, you two!” Tilly happily says, smiling at us as we come into the kitchen. “Could you help me a second, Em?”

“Of course,” Emilia says, handing me the gift and going to help Tilly with the prep of the food by the looks of it. I walk out into the garden, seeing Elliot and Seb chasing the twins around the treehouse. Harley is standing with Parker and Jake at the BBQ, showing them the food. Lily has joined Hope and Isabelle who are sitting on a blanket on the grass, watching a movie on their iPad. Maisy is sitting with Allie, talking quietly with big smiles on their faces.

This is what family is about, and I’d do everything again to get here. To have this, it’s perfect.