The Fling

18

Shawn put the bowl of eggs in the fridge while I sent Bert a text. I asked him to explain why our children were with their grandparents when he was supposed to have them all weekend. We then went out to the driveway and Shawn unlocked his SUV.

"Shouldn't we take my car so I can take my kids home after Bertie is treated by the doctor?" I asked.

"I doubt the gummy will be worn off by then. I'll drive you home and will bring your car to you tomorrow."

"You don't have booster seats." It then dawned on me that I didn't either. "Shit! Mine are in my garage. If we take 27 we will pass by Pacific Palisades. Do you mind stopping at my house to get them?"

"Not a problem."

I gave him my address and he plugged it into his GPS. Then I texted Gina that I was on my way but it would be at least forty-five minutes before I arrived. She replied that they'd gotten Bertie registered and thanked me for giving her a copy of our insurance card before the Florida trip since they'd needed it. I asked her to give my baby a kiss and to let him know I'd be there as soon as possible.

Once we were on the road, my emotions got the best of me and I started to full-on cry. I knew Bertie would be fine, but I was crushed that I wasn't with him when he got hurt. It wasn't rational, but I felt like the worst mother ever because I'd been having sex with Shawn, which was why I missed the initial calls and texts. Obviously I was allowed to have a life, but it still felt very wrong to me.

"He's going to be fine," Shawn said before opening up the center console so I could get a tissue. "Kids break bones all the time and having a cast is considered cool. Is he in school yet?"

"He's five, so he is in kindergarten."

"You said booster seats, plural. You have other children?" I couldn't read his tone, but it didn't sound angry.

"I have a daughter, Hannah, who is seven, and a sixteen year old step-daughter named Lizzie." My words were followed by a short yet uncomfortable period of silence. "I'm sorry I never told you about them," I added.

He exhaled loudly. "It feels like a pretty important thing to leave out, but it's not like you've been forthcoming in general."

"Being a mom isn't sexy and I wasn't sure if it would change things. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not...mad," he said before turning on some music, which I took as a signal that the conversation was over.

When we got to my house, he followed me inside where Cosmo jumped up on him, excited to meet a new friend. Shawn knelt down to pet him. "Hey, buddy! You are a gorgeous dog!"

"I need to take him out to pee." I'd already texted Mia to let her know what happened and that she didn't need to come by.

"I got it. Backyard?"

"Yes, thanks."

I watched as he took my dog outside and then I went into the garage for the boosters. I'd gone to a lot of trouble to hide my children from Shawn which left me feeling even more guilty than I already was.

After giving Cosmo a treat, we went out to the driveway and put the seats in his SUV before heading to the clinic. He didn't say a word to me, and this was probably for the best since whatever we had was definitely over now. I sent Bert several more texts while getting periodic updates from Gina. Traffic was surprisingly light, so we got there sooner than I anticipated, which was good since the ride was tense and silent. He dropped me off and I hurried inside, scanning the waiting room for my children and their grandparents. They weren't there, which meant Bertie was being treated. I approached the reception desk. "Hi, my son is here. His name is Bertie and he broke his arm."