“Oh, you’re gonna regret that,” Liam says before attacking Jack with tickles. Beside me on the bed, the two of them toss and wiggle but Liam doesn’t relent until Jack is gasping for air. Pulling back, Liam pins Jack down on the bed.

“Say it, say I’m your favourite.” When Jack doesn’t answer right away because he is still catching his breath Liam pokes him in the side once more.

“You’re my favourite, I promise!” Jack laughs out, smiling up at Liam like a son looks at his father and my heart stops. The whole time I have had all this mum guilt and Liam has stepped up to parent Jack. He isn’t just looking after him until I’m better, he is being his parent.

“Good. We have an hour until dinner if you want some screen time.” Liam stands back up and Jack scrambles out of the bed but before he runs from the room he turns back to give me a kiss.

“Love you, Mum!” he shouts before bolting off again.

“Love you, bud!” I yell after him.

Liam kicks off his shoes before sliding onto the bed beside me where Jack was just sitting. He fusses over me for a moment, fixing the pillows behind me, and hands me a glass of water off the bedside table.

“How are you doing?” he asks.

“Going crazy in this room,” I answer, the same way I have every time he has asked today.

“I’m sorry Sunshine, but you know it’s right for you and the baby,” he tells me again.

“I feel so useless,” I sigh.

“You are growing a whole ass baby, you’re doing more work than most people just by sitting here.”

I wish he was less sweet. Wish he would tell me to get over it and to stop complaining.

“When can I go back to the shop?” I ask after a while.

“When the baby is born,” he reminds me, ignoring my groan of protest. “I was going to take Jack to the shop today after school but Anders volunteered to go instead.”

“Okay…?” He said that like it’s strange, but I thought the guys were taking turns to check in on my business to make sure it doesn’t burn to the ground.

“I think something is happening with him and Lyndsey,” he tells me with a sneaky smirk.

“What?” I almost yell. Remembering that he dropped her off at work the day of my accident, I snap my posture ramrod straight beside him.

“I don’t know for sure but every time I even mention Bloom and Blossom he either blushes – blushes! – or volunteers to go and check on it for me.” I can’t believe this is the first I’m hearing about this after Lyndsey’s protests, but I know Liam. He will have been doing his own investigating so he can give me as much information as possible.