This Love

6

Miranda checked her bag, making sure everything she needed was there before she picked her son up from school.

"Keys, phone," she murmured under her breath, seeing it inside her bag. She nodded in satisfaction and walked towards the exit.

She sighed as she got in her car. The events from today flashed across her mind.

Ben's fight, his lips against hers, his body touching every part of her, his hands molding to her curves.

She hadn't seen Ben after he left her high and dry inside her office. She'd asked around too, if anyone had seen the handsome Anesthesiologist, but there were no signs of him. It's like he'd vanished out of thin air.

Miranda scoffed out loud as she drove to her son's school. She surveyed the place, seeing Tuck chatting with some kids.

She smiled, pushing back the thoughts from today. She got out of the car, and she smiled wider as Tuck spotted her. "Mommy!"

"Hi, baby." She signed him out to the guard and he threw himself at her, hugging her tightly. "How's your week been, my favorite son?"

He giggled. "I'm your only son."

They headed to the car, and she made sure he was buckled in before she got to the driver's seat. "I know. So, how was it at your father's?"

Tuck shrugged, looking outside the window with a smile. "It was okay. Daddy was at work a lot."

Miranda frowned slightly. She didn't know that. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

Silence filled the car, and she was a little uncomfortable that they weren't talking so she opened up a conversation as she turned right. "Well, how was school?"

The young boy shrugged again. "It was okay too."

Miranda sighed. "Okay, out with it," she said gently, knowing that it took some time before he told her the truth.

Tuck moved his lips side to side, and fiddled with his seatbelt. She was patient, looking at him in the mirror from time to time.

After a couple of minutes, he spoke. "When is daddy coming home?"

She bit her lip. She hoped the questions wouldn't come, but at 4 years old, Tuck was too smart for his age.

As she parked into their driveway, she sighed. She licked her lips before turning in her seat to look her son in the eye. "Honey, remember when we told you your dad and I were separating?"

He nodded, telltale signs of tears shining in his eyes. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. "Yeah."

"Well, it's… permanent." She said slowly.

"What's permamen?"

"Permanent. When things won't change."

He nodded, mouthing the word silently. She watched him blink, trying to keep the word in his vocabulary. "We told you it wouldn't be the same as your classmates; they have their moms and dads together. But your dad and I aren't together like that anymore, okay?"

Tuck frowned. "Why?"

"We changed."

"Well, why don't you change again?"

Now that was a good question. But she knew the boy would never understand the truth; she doesn't want to change for Tucker, or for anyone. She'd spent enough time molding herself to be the woman and the wife Tucker wanted, whoever that was. No, she just wanted to be Miranda.