Page 120 of Loving Wild

“Are you two gonna stay here having more sexy time, or are you getting up? I’ve got heaps of presents to open, and Pops is waiting because he wants to take the boat out,” Ava folds her arms across her chest.

“Dear God,” Lauren whispers loudly from beside me. “The child knows we have sex.”

“Of course I know, I hear you enough. You’re adults, I don’t care what you do. Just hurry up and get up so I can open my pressies.”

“Okay, I’m done. More done than a dead thing. Give me a nudge when they’ve all gone,” Lauren says before laying down and pulling the sheet completely over her head.

“If,” I look between Ava, Zac, and Dani, “you all fuck off, we can get showered and dressed, and Ava can open her presents,” I say in a voice sounding calmer than I feel.

“Fine, but hurry up,” Ava says and leaves.

“Open a window,” Dani orders as Zac throws his arm over her shoulder and steers her towards the door.

“Yeah, seriously, dude, just open a fucking . . .”

“Shut your mouth and shut the fucking door,” I bellow at my brother and sister.

Zac slams the door shut and I sit and stare at it for a few seconds before Lauren says from beneath the sheet, “Did that really just happen? Please tell me it didn’t just happen.”

“It didn’t happen. You’re still asleep and dreaming . . . Ren, Ren baby. Time to wake up, we need to get showered and dressed so Ava can open her presents.”

I watch as Lauren sits up, stretches, and says, “I just had the weirdest dream.”

It takes about three seconds before I lose it and we both start laughing.

* * *

There’sa collective round of applause as we come through the sliding doors leading to the alfresco area.

My family are seated around the round dining table my dad had custom made to seat us all.

Lauren flips everyone her middle finger as I pull her in and kiss her temple.

“Ignore them,” I tell her. “They’re just jealous that they’re not getting it as good as we are right now.”

After a huge breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, hash browns, fruit, and pancakes, it’s now present time.

My eyes meet Lauren’s each time Ava unwraps another gift I know nothing about, and I give my head a slight shake. My daughter has been thoroughly spoiled.

New jeans, a couple of hoodies, perfume, makeup, a new pair of Nikes, and we’ve now only just reached her main present.

We’ve blatantly lied to my daughter over the past few weeks, and I can’t wait to see her face when she realises that.

“Last one,” Lauren tells Ava with a shrug. “Just a little something extra from me and your dad.”

Passing her the long flat box wrapped in pink paper and a silver ribbon, I watch as she inspects it.

“But you’ve got me so much already,” Ava protests, but not too loudly because I know my daughter and know how much she likes receiving presents.

Ava takes a deep breath in, pulls at the silver foiled ribbon, then carefully takes off the paper.

“Just rip it off,” Dani shouts. Ava gives her a glare.

“My pressies, I’ll open them my way,” she tells my sister.

“Good girl,” my dad says. “Mind your own business, Dan.”

No one else knows what’s inside, and I’m surprised that after everyone has watched her open so many, that they’re all so invested.