'Sephy hurry up, go get your shoes on' Lucas groaned, hastily trying to pack a lunch box, which was proving more difficult than usual with his youngest daughter clung to his leg. 'Elodie, darling please go finish your breakfast, daddy's busy'

'I want you to draw with me' Her little hands tugged on his trouser leg, demanding his attention.

'When Aunt Haley's picked up your sister' He answered distractedly, wrapping a cheese sandwich in some foil and shoving it into the green flowery box. The three year old ignored his plea, sitting herself on his foot and wrapping her starry pyjama clad legs around his shin, refusing to move.

'Nooo now' She whined.

'Elodie' He sighed, walking over to the table and dragging his right foot behind him, trying his best to ignore her presence on the end of his leg. He quickly skimmed over his eldest child's spellings, checking for any apparent mistakes.

'Daddy will you do my hair in a french plait?' He glanced up, running a hand over his weary eyes.

'Sephy I'm sorry I don't know how to do that' He shook his head. 'I can do a normal plait'.

The eight year old pouted 'Mummy could' He dismissed her comment, taking the brush from her hand and setting to work. 'All the other girls have french plaits, not normal'

'Well it's good to be different' He said brightly. 'You nearly got all of your spellings right- apart from asking, it's a kicking k not a curly c'

'A-S-K-I-N-G?'

'That's right, well done' He nodded. 'You're going to do great on your test'

'Daddy I wanna draw'

'I know Elodie, in a minute' He speedily plaited Sephy's straight blonde hair, tying a blue hair tie at the end. 'There, all done. Go get your jacket, Aunt Haley will be here in a sec' He directed her out of the kitchen.

'Daddy' Lucas averted his eyes to the little girl still wrapped around his leg.

'Yes Elodie' He exhaled heavily, bending down and lifting her into his strong arms.

'I wanna-'

'You want to draw, I know. In a minute' He stroked her messy blonde curls away from her face and pressed his lips to her round cheek.

'Morning' Haley appeared via the back door.

'Hey' Lucas stifled a yawn, gladly allowing his sister in-law to take his whining three year old and issue her with kisses.

'You ok Missy?' Haley smiled at her little niece.

'Uhuh, Dada won't play with me though' She sighed dramatically, shooting Lucas a glare that made him cringe. It amazed him how she seemed to inherit so many of her mothers mannerisms.

'I'm sure Daddy will play with you lots in a little while' Haley said convincingly. 'Where's your big sister? We're going to be late'.

'I don'ts know, she's taking a long time' Elodie responded as Sephy traipsed back into the kitchen now wearing her jacket.

'Hey Seph, you ready? Jamie and Matt are waiting for you in the car' Haley informed her. Sephy's pout disappeared and a small smile graced her lips at the mention of her cousins.

'K, bye dad' Lucas retrieved a brief hug before she scarpered out the back door.

'I love you too' Lucas mumbled sarcastically, rolling his eyes while he shoved her lunchbox and homework in her blue backpack before handing it over to Haley. 'Thanks Hales'

'It's fine' She shrugged, setting a squirming Elodie back down on the tiled floor. 'You want me to pick her up from school too? I could come by and get Elodie too, give you some time to go see Peyton'

'No, it's ok, I think I'll get her today'

'Luke you haven't gone to see her for nearly a week now' Haley glanced at Elodie, making sure her niece was out of ear shot. 'And it will be a month next week that the girls haven't seen her'

Lucas avoided her concerned eyes, glancing at his watch distractedly. 'The kids are going to be really late if you don't get going' He ignored her. Haley exhaled heavily through her nose.

'Ok. I'll see you later then' She ruffled Elodie's hair affectionately as she exited.

'Daddy?' Elodie chirped as soon as her aunt had gone, her blue eyes wide and pleading.

'Alright, alright. I know- you want to colour right?' She smiled a toothy grin that made him chuckle. 'Come on let's find your crayons and some paper then'.

'Snuggle down Seph' Lucas instructed, turning the main light off and turning the lamp on.

'Daddy?' Sephy questioned apprehensively, watching her father untangle the bedsheets from around her little sister's sleeping form, carefully repositioning them over the three year old and placing a kiss on her forehead before responding to his other child.

'Yes?' He yawned, grabbing the pile of freshly ironed clothes he'd bought up and carefully placing them in the set of draws. 'What is it Seph?' He asked quietly, glancing at her as he moved on to tidying away some of the toys that scattered his daughters bedroom.

'I, I miss Mummy' He temporally stopped what he was doing, swallowing thickly at her words. He closed his eyes tightly for a few brief seconds before dropping the soft toys he was holding back into their rightful box. He softly padded across the room, sinking onto his eight year old's bed.

'Me too Sephy' He brushed her golden hair out of her green eyes and cuddled up next to her.

'Will Mummy ever come back?'

He nodded confidently, he had to believe that, for his own sake and more importantly for his two children. 'Of course she will'

'I've forgotten what she sounds like Daddy'

'Oh sweetie' He swallowed thickly. 'You just have to listen to yourself, you sound more and more like her everyday.' He lifted a brightly coloured picture frame off the bedside table, holding it out to her. It was a photo of the four of them, two years ago at the beach. Elodie had nearly been two, Lucas was holding her, wrapped in a large blue towel, his other arm wrapped around his Peyton, who was looking down lovingly at Sephy. 'You have her green eyes' He draped his arm around her, pulling her to his side. 'And her perfect lips.' He tapped her parted rosy red lips and she smiled. He worried about her beauty, both Sephy and Elodie took after their mother and he knew they were going to be just as pretty as her when they grew older which worried him a lot; he didn't want any boy to ever look a mile in their direction.

'Do you think Mummy misses me?' Sephy's voice distracted him from his thoughts.

'Of course she does. You and your sister are her whole world. She loves you both so much'

'Why can't we go and see her anymore?'

Lucas closed his eyes, leaning back against the headboard. He knew he was being selfish but he was finding it harder and harder to go back there. 'Do you want to see Mummy?' She looked up at him quizzically, as if searching for the right answer in his eyes. She nodded hesitantly. 'Well it's Saturday tomorrow, we'll go tomorrow' He said simply.

'We'll go see Mumma?' Waves of guilt washed over him at her excitement.

'We'll go see her' He confirmed.

'Promise?' She held her little finger out and he reluctantly linked his with her own.

'Promise'. She shuffled up pecking his nose. 'Right you, it's really late' He laid her back down, arranging her covers over her and tucking her in. 'Night night' He kissed her nose. 'I love you'

'Love you' She murmured back sleepily as Lucas pulled the door to behind him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to get to his own room before he allowed his pent-up tears to finally fall. Collapsing on the bed, he reached aimlessly under the pillow, tugging a black silk night dress out and bringing it up to his nose trying to smell her, but it was getting hard to decipher her scent seeing as both children, Sephy especially would end up crawling into bed most nights clinging to her mothers nighty like a baby does a comforter. He sniffed loudly, frantically wiping his eyes. Until now, he'd not cried once since that awful night but finally all his bottled up emotions had escaped. The long days, sleepless nights, looking after the children, trying to juggle work and housework had all gotten too much. He laced his fingers over the silky material, closing his eyes tightly, willing sleep to come. He needed some strength if he was ever going to get through tomorrow.