Fifty Shade Forever

Pathetic Fallacy

"You look lovely," Christian murmurs. Wrapping an arm around me, he kisses me under my ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Mrs. Jones's smile. I flush. 

"Good morning, Mrs Grey," she says as she places pancakes and bacon in front of me. 

"Oh, thank you. Good morning," I mumble. Jeez—I could get used to this. 

"Mr. Grey says you'd like to take lunch with you to work. What would you like to eat?"I glance at Christian, who is trying very hard not to smirk. I narrow my eyes at him. 

"A sandwich . . . salad. I don't mind." I beam at Mrs. Jones. 

"I'll rustle up a packed lunch for you, ma'am."

Please, Mrs. Jones, call me Ana." 

"Ana." She smiles and turns to make me tea. Wow . . . this is so cool. I turn and cock my head at Christian, challenging him—go on, accuse me of flirting with Mrs. Jones. 

"Morning Daddy," Theo yawns and practically collapses on Christian. 

"Usually you get Pheobe out of bed yourself," Christian muses.

"She wasn't in her cot," he shrugs and tries to reach for the bacon on the kitchen island. 

Christian looks up at me alarmed and dashes to Pheobe's room, calling loudly for her. 

When he slams the door open, I follow close behind. He scans the space frantically. Neither of us can see her. The cot side was down though. He turns on the light and runs further into the room.

"Morning dada," Pheobe coos.

We both startle at the voice on the floor behind the wardrobe. 

"Pheobe," he breathes out and scoops her up, smelling her hair as if it provided proof that she was here. "Pheobe how did you get out of your cot?"

"It was open."

"Fuck," Christian hissed. "I must have forgotten to close it last night."

"Language," I warn him delicately. "It's okay, it happens sometimes," I tell him.

"Don't make light of this Anastasia. Something could have gone seriously wrong with our daughter because I was unable to keep her safe."

"Christian-"

"I have to go, baby. Taylor will come back and drop you at work with Sawyer." 

"Only to the door." 

"Yes. Only to the door," he says with broken eyes still on Pheobe as he hands her to me. 

Taylor, Sawyer and Ms Taylor were retreating from Pheobe's room realising the false alarm.

"How long have you worked for Christian?" I ask Gale, joining Theo who was blissfully unaware at the table.

"Four years or so," she says pleasantly, as she sets about making my packed lunch. 

"You know, I can do that," I mutter, embarrassed that she should be doing this for me. 

"You eat your breakfast, Ana. This is what I do. I enjoy it. It's nice to look after someone other than Mr. Taylor and Mr. Grey." She smiles very sweetly at me. My cheeks pink with pleasure, and I want to bombard this woman with questions. 

She must know so much about Christian, and although her manner is warm and friendly, it's also very professional. I know I'll only embarrass both of us if I start quizzing her, so I finish my breakfast in reasonably comfortable silence, punctuated only by her questions about my food preferences for lunch.