Love Finds A Way

15

AFTER ETHAN leaves with a big smile on his face, I grab my things, and leave my office. My brain's so fuzzy, and when I'm driving, I end up at the doorstep of the last person I should be sharing these emotions with.

"Xo, Xo," when did he learn to open the door? I kneel down, and pull him into my arms.

"I missed you too," I whisper against his ear, and take a deep inhale of his blonde curls.

"Mommy's not, Mommy's not—" he's trying to find the word.

"Bethany's at a gig," someone walks forward, and I stand with Blue clinging to my shoulders.

"Oh, hi," I stretch my free hand out, as I make sure to steady Blue with the other, before he falls down.

"Xiomara, right?" I nod, "I'm Angie, Bethany's aunt."

I shake her hand, before walking inside, and closing the door, "it's nice to meet you, Angie," I look around, and notice that some things are rearranged.

"Eat winner with us?" He yawns against my chest, as he leans back, and looks into my eyes. I wish that my kids could be babies again. It's so simple when they're toddlers, and they're yet to understand what everything means. I bet he doesn't even know that his mom likes girls. Things like that don't matter when they're so young. But then you have to have the talk with them. And let me tell you, I've done it four times, and it never gets easier.

"Not waiting for your mommy?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Bethany won't be back till late, and this little one has to eat," Angie tickles his belly, "you can wait here for her though. I bet she'll love coming home to you."

I swallow and almost blush. Angie raises a brow and winks, before walking into the kitchen. Bethany's aunt seems younger than me. That's such an ego boost. I sigh and take Blue over to the couch. Turning on the television, he snuggles closer in my arms, and sucks on his thumb. I'm already feeling better from just being around him.

"The horsies are pwaying," he points and giggles. I look at him, and can't hold back a smile. Even though I'm so stressed, he manages to lighten my mood, and make me feel so much better.

"Bethany will be back before midnight. I have to do some stuff. Will you two be okay?" I nod, as she places a plate of chicken nuggets on the table in front of us.

"Yeah, of course. It was nice meeting you, Angie," she smiles at me, and places her hand on my shoulder.

"Take care of them," I bite down on my bottom lip and nod. She grabs her purse and overcoat from the recliner, and makes her way to the door, but not without Blue springing out of my arms, and running over to her.

"Bye, Auntie," he hugs her leg, and she runs her fingers through his hair.

"Bye, buddy. Be good, okay?" She kisses the top of his head, before opening the door. Blue rushes over to me, and jumps onto my lap. When the door closes behind Angie, I let out a sigh, and caress his cheek with my thumb.

"Are you going to keep me company while I wait for your mommy?"

He nods quickly, but I know that his eyes won't stay open for much longer, "I don't want nuggies," he frowns, as he looks at the plate. I don't like processed food either.

"What do you want to eat?"

He rubs his chin, and leans back against my chest, "pancocks!" He bounces on my lap, and waits for my answer. I haven't made pancakes since Mary moved out. My breakfast consists of coffee and toast most days.

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "banana," he intertwines his little fingers with mine, and takes me into the kitchen. Everything is so spotless that I'm afraid to touch anything, "I help?"

I look through the cupboards for a frying pan, and find a really tiny one, deciding to make myself a sunny-side up egg, "how many pancakes do you want?" I lift him up to sit on the counter, as I open the fridge. I've really made myself at home here. But it's nice.

Taking out the tray of eggs, Blue lifts three fingers up at me, "tree. A star, heart, and moon," even with four kids, I never learnt to shape pancakes manually.

"Does your mommy use something special to make them?"

He points to a cupboard, and I open it, only to find pancake shapers of all sizes and shapes. Damn.

"What swape you want?" He asks. I grab the necessary ones, and decide to make myself a heart too. I hold up the heart, and he places his hand against his chest, "you like heart?"

"I do," he lifts up his hands in the air, making his t-shirt rise above his tummy.

"I help," he attempts to get off of the counter, but I rush over to him, "I'm tunning tree on, on," he huffs, "is the," he begins to count his fingers.

"Tomorrow?" Blue shakes his head, "the twenty-first?"

He pouts, "it's the... the uh... wenty, wenty," he rubs his forehead, his cheeks becoming red.

"Twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-forth, twenty-fifth?"

"Tort!" He shouts.

"Twenty-forth?" He smiles widely, "that's in two weeks," I place him on my shoulders, and walk him around the kitchen, as I get everything in order.

"You come?"

I'd love to, but your mommy has to invite me too, "I'll ask your mommy, okay?" He begins to tap his hands on top of my head like he's beating a drum.

"Okay," he helps me pour water into the pancake mix, and gets some on both of us. By the time we're done cooking, I probably look like a snowwoman, and he looks like an angel. I even made a heart-shaped egg, and he looks at it in awe.

"Hey," Bethany enters the kitchen, looking at us with a raised eyebrow. I didn't hear the front door open with the racket going on in here.

"Mommy!"

Bethany picks him up, and sprinkles kisses on his pancake-batter covered cheeks.

"I missed you too," he shows her his hands, and the egg whites that are dripping off of his fingers, "how did you two get so messy?" She asks.

"Xo, Xo's wault, Mommy," he blames me completely and I frown. What happened to teamwork?

"Oh, yeah?" She gives me those playful, narrowed eyes, "think she needs a time-out?"

Blue gasps and places his hand over his mouth, "no, no, don't."

I wash my hands, and dry them with a dishtowel. Placing my hands on my hips, I watch him give me an apologetic pout, "I think cleaning this mess is punishment enough," I sigh, the smile on my face making her smile too, "you're back early, the gig was postponed?"

She holds Blue to her hip, as she walks over to me, "things got wild, and the cops shut the party down," she picks up a sliced strawberry from my plate, and pops it into her mouth.

"Oh," the way her lips purse is so sexy. I refocus my eyes on Blue, knowing that my thoughts will become pure, "I'll clean up while you feed him," she looks at the untouched plate of chicken nuggets on the counter.

"Feed me," Blue gestures to his opened mouth, "I'm hungie."

"So bossy," she places him on the counter, and grabs the roll of paper towels, "and you promise to take a long bath after?"

He shakes his head, "Mommy, is too cole for bath time," he shivers and wraps his arms around his torso.

"Do you want the ants to sneak onto your bed while you're sleeping?" His eyes widen, "you don't want them to crawl on your face, right?"

Blue furrows his brows, "no, Mommy," he answers defeatedly, as she cleans his hands and face.