eighteen (PF47)

chapter five

"Come one, Ronnie. We have to pack, we are leaving very early tomorrow" said Lara "but I wanna go with Dad" protested the 4 year old "Ron" she leaned down to him "you'll see him tomorrow but til then you have to stick with me" she hugged him as he pouted "you can sleep in his bed tonight" "okay" he sniffled "high five?" he gave his mother a high five and smiled. "Let's pack" she picked him up and went to his room "We are leaving friday and we'll be back on Monday, we need 3 outfits, pyjamas and-" he cut her of "my jersey" "obviously" Lara laughed as she sat him down "your jersey, here you go" she threw it to him and he ran up to get his backpack. He began putting th jersey inside it and then putting a book inside of it (his good night stories) and a drawing book. "Momma, where are my headphones?"asked Ronnie while his mother packed normal clothes for him "they are in my bag, I'll take care of them" after she had everything and Ronnie was looking at his drawing book, she went to her and Phil's bedroom. She put Ronnies clothes inside of her suitcase and began packing her clothes. Afterwards she went to the bathroom to pack their 'plane save' things. When she came back to Ronnies room, he had his Paw-Partroll pyjamas in his hand "you forgot to pack them" "don't you want to wear them tonight?" asked Lara "I wanna wear them there" he didn't know where the champions league final was so instead he just said there "okay, I'll put them in the suitcase" he followed her to the bedroom. After she put the pyjamas in the suitcase, Ronnie sat down on the bed and watched her. She went back to her closet. She grabbed one of Phil's jerseys and put it in the suitcase as well, before she got one of his shirts to pack as her pyjamas. Ronnie as still watching her as she closed the suitcase. "Can we watch a movie?" asked her son "It's almost past your bedtime, buddy" "please, mommy, please" begged Ronnie "fine, if you change into you pyjamas and brush your teeth then you can maybe watch an episode of ninjago" "Yess"

15 minutes later Ronnie laid tucked in on Phil's side of the bed and was watching his favourite show. Lara was still brushing her teeth as she watched him from the doorframe. Once she was finished getting ready for bed she went to check her phone and a few moments later she got a call from Phil. "Hey Lara" Lara glanced at her phone and saw Phil's name flashing on the screen. She quickly swiped to answer the call and held the phone to her ear. "Hey, Phil," she greeted him warmly, a mix of anticipation and excitement in her voice. "I just wanted to call to check on you and to say goodnight to Ronnie before your big travel day tomorrow." Lara smiled, knowing how much Ronnie missed his father. "That's really sweet of you, Phil. We packed everything and the driver is ordered for 6 in the morning. Ronnie was a great help in packing after he finally got over you leaving him" she smiled "He would love to talk to you." She walked over to the bed and sat down beside Ronnie, holding out the phone for him. Ronnie's eyes lit up as he took the phone eagerly. "Hi, Daddy!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with joy. "Hey, Ronnie!" Phil responded, his voice exuding warmth and love. "I heard you've been a great helper today, getting ready for our trip.""Yeah, Mommy and I packed everything," Ronnie replied proudly. "I even packed my jersey and my Paw Patrol pajamas." "That's fantastic, buddy!" Phil praised him. "You're going to have a great time. I can't wait to see you tomorrow at the hotel." "I can't wait to see you too, Daddy!" Ronnie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the bed with excitement. Lara watched her son's joyful interaction with his father, her heart filled with happiness. She knew how much Ronnie adored Phil, and seeing their bond made her feel grateful for the family they had created. Lara watched the conversation between her son and Phil, her heart swelling with love for both of them. She knew that despite their separation, they were determined to make every moment count for Ronnie. After a few more minutes of chatting, they said their goodbyes, and Ronnie handed the phone back to her, a wide grin on his face. "It's me again" said smiled "I miss you" aid Phil "you saw me this morning" laughed Lara "pff, so you don't miss me?" "you are really silly. Of course I miss you" she could feel the smirk on his face "you saw me this morning" mocked the footballer his girlfriend "okay and?" "I love you Lari, I can't wait to see you and Ronnie tomorrow" "I love you too, we will see each other tomorrow" after a few moments of silence she heard someone yell on the other side "sorry, i gotta go. Love you, bye" and with that he hung up. Lara smiled, even though the call ended abruptly. She understood the demands of Phil's career and the unexpected nature of his schedule. With a sigh, she placed the phone on the nightstand and turned her attention back to Ronnie, who was snuggled comfortably under the covers. "Okay, buddy, time to turn off the iPad and go to sleep," Lara gently instructed, reaching over to switch off the show. Ronnie reluctantly obeyed, handing her the remote control and settling back down onto the pillow. Lara sat beside him on the bed, running her fingers through his hair as she spoke softly. "I know it's hard when Daddy is away, but he loves you so much, and we will see him tomorrow. We're going to have a fantastic time together at the champions league final." Ronnie nodded sleepily, his eyelids growing heavy. "I love you, Mommy," he mumbled, his words barely audible. Lara leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep tight and dream of all the wonderful adventures we'll have tomorrow." She watched her son drift off to sleep, knowing that tomorrow would be a special day for both of them. As Lara prepared to join Ronnie in bed, a sense of contentment washed over her. She looked forward to reuniting with Phil and creating more cherished memories as a family. Tomorrow would be a new chapter filled with love, laughter, and the bond that held them together, no matter the distance.