"Are you sure you can handle this?" I raise a brow, cutting up Marissa's French toast as my eyes stay locked on Joplin.
"Of course, I can." She shrugs, pouring Alex another glass of orange juice.
"Aunt J is the best babysitter." Marissa mumbles, showing off the blueberries that she's still chewing.
"Mhmm," I nod softly, "One at a time, baby." My hand settles on the counter, heart racing as I watch her chew carefully... I get so nervous with them sometimes, it's not healthy- not according to my therapist at least.
"We got this," Alex holds up his hands, silently telling me to take a chill pill.
I let out a little laugh, kissing the top of his head quickly. "Daddy should be up soon, dear." I point towards Joplin, making sure she's still listening. "I put his medicine in his thingy, just make sure he takes them as soon as he gets downstairs." I know she knows what I'm talking about- she's been through this routine with me a million times.
"Okay, mom." She smirks, pouring an ungodly amount of syrup on her pancakes... I'll be taking care of her soon too, I'm sure. "Where are you going again?" She back tracks, probably just now realizing that I had never actually specified where I was headed.
Pausing, my mind starts to work fast. "I broke my nail the other night and it's really been bothering me, so I made a nail appointment." I have to lie, because I can't possibly tell the truth.
I know she doesn't really mind me seeing someone else, though she's never meet him, she never will and she doesn't know the real details of our relationship, I still want to keep her out of it. She doesn't need to know everything... We're all allowed to have secrets, sometimes.
"You gonna get pink?" Marissa reaches out slowly, little hand meeting mine.
Scrunching up my nose, I curl my fingers in between her much smaller ones. "Next time, we'll all go and get pink nails." I give her a gentle wink, hoping to move on from this topic.
"And flowers?!" Her eyes grow wide, a big smile dancing across her face.
"Yes!" I nod my head quickly, "Of course, my dear," I laugh, eyes melting into Joplin's once again... She knows I'm lying. "But for now," I break eye contact with her, moving around the island to grab my purse. "I must go, babies."
~
"Did you have a good weekend?" She's sitting next to me on the bench, one leg resting on the wood in between us as she turns to face me better.
We met at the coffee shop this morning, but after waiting in line for fifteen minutes and finding absolutely no where to sit, we decided to take a short walk to the park.
"I had a good one, yeah." I let off a gentle nod, "How about you?" I lean back a little more, eyes scanning over her face.... She just gets prettier and prettier the more I get to know her.
Shrugging her shoulders softly, she glances out at the people walking by with their dogs for a short moment. "It was busy, but not that exciting." She didn't mention it the other day, but I know that she took her husband home over the weekend...
Sunday afternoon when my son and I stopped by to see Jenny, she told me that the "sweet writer" came the day before with her daughters to take Jerry back home, which is just a little odd to me... Or maybe not, I don't know and I don't plan on asking.
"But you told me last week that your son found out what they were having?" This sweet, enthusiastic smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.
I can't help but smirk- I barely brought that up last week, I'm surprised she remembered. "They're having a boy." I half chuckle, shaking my head softly.
"Well, that is super fun." She pats my leg, still showing off that effortlessly gorgeous grin.
I stare at her for a second, trying to find a single flaw, but I don't come across any. I mean, I'm sure she isn't perfect- who is? Everyone has their own little quirks and maybe she's hiding hers incredibly well... Who really knows.
"God, I think your beautiful." I can feel that weird pounding in my chest- the one that takes me back to my senior year of high school when I asked the homecoming queen to prom... I turn into some nervous teenager all over again.
This feels just like falling in love.
Her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink as she unintentionally bats her eyelashes. "Thank you," she replies biting down on her lower lip.
"So beautiful," I repeat, slowly leaning in to capture her lips.
Wrapping her arm around my neck, I can feel her slide in a little closer, though our mouths never part. "I think I'm falling in love with you," She whispers, hand settling on my cheek.
"I know I'm in love with you." I respond as I gently twist my fingers into her long, blonde strands.
~Stevie~
This stupid, cheesy grin stays stuck on my face all the way home... It seems like a lifetime since I've felt this bubbly and this admired.
I can't describe the feeling I get when I'm around Lindsey. Yes, he makes me feel young and pretty, but he also listens, he cares and he even understands... at least he acts like he does, anyway, which is enough for me.
And though I wasn't really ready to say the L word, I know I meant it. I do love him... I love him in ways I haven't loved anyone in a really, really long time.
Giggling softly, my focus stays directed towards the heavy mid- morning traffic, though my mind is totally occupied. But the sound of my cell ringing causes me to snap back into reality.
"Hello?" I click the speaker button and then set my phone back in the cup holder.
"Stevie?" The tone in Lori's voice causes my heart to sink... something's wrong. "Stevie, Joplin is headed to the hospital with Jerry. They think that he might have had another stroke this morning."
