Turning A New Leaf

Sixty-Four

Krist came home with thick-cut New York steaks, quinoa salad from Costco, fresh asparagus, and roses for Atira.

"You miss me, baby?" He asked, planting a kiss on the side of her face.

"Always, how was work? They let you off early?"

"It was work," he grimaced, "Just a bunch of people who can't afford cable bitching that they can't afford cable, and yeah I got off a little early."

Atira smiled, "Sounds lovely."

"I don't know about that," he told her, glancing at the clock. Not even three. "You off at four, baby?"

Atira looked away from her computer, "They need me to work until five today."

"Bummer," he replied, massaging her shoulders.

"It's really no biggie, I'm going to be missing a lot of work pretty soon, once they start doing my NSTs," she told him, reaching back and squeezing his hand.

Krist kissed her on the face one more time before finding Rocco who was playing his Switch on his bed.

"Aye, bro, lets go outside."

Rocco sat his Switch down, scowling, "It's hot out," he pouted.

"Bro, come on, it ain't even that bad out. We got a big ass yard, you don't need to be cooped up inside all day."

Groaning, Rocco followed his father outside. Krist sat down on the porch with a bottle of Body Armor while Rocco played on his swing set.
He snapped a couple of pictures of Rocco, posting them to his Facebook.

****

Atira peeked out of the window from her home office, watching Krist sit on the porch, texting someone on his phone.

He'd been distant for a good week or two when she would ask him if he needed to talk, he would shrug his shoulders or say he was fine when he obviously was not.

They hadn't been as intimate much during that period as well, they still had sex but whereas it was once or twice a day, it was more like every two to three days.

Atira knew part of it was the fact she feeling gross, baby Gabriel was getting big and had begun punching her in the ribs. Not to mention the weather outside was hot so she felt sweaty and overheated, even with the central air going.

Krist was big on physical affection which meant more often than Atira intended, she was rejected his touch. She didn't want to be held, she didn't want the added heat of his body against her already warm body.  Because of this, she felt guilty, trying to be mindful of the fact that Krist thrived off touch and forced herself not to recoil when he came near.

On top of that, she had become immensely self-conscious of her body, another reason the intimacy had declined. Her belly touched her thighs when she sat and got in the way when she tried to shave down below. Krist had offered to do it for her, something she'd agreed to but didn't actually follow through with.

Atira had made a mental note to spoil him that night, just because she was not feeling sexual didn't mean Krist had to go without getting his needs met, especially with how he'd picked up slack around the house.

Krist had caught her watching him, he flashed her a big lopsided grin and gave her heart hands, she grinned and blew him a kiss before returning her attention back to her screen.

Once Atira finished following up with the remaining emails in her work inbox, clocked out and made her way into the kitchen where Krist was on Facebook live, streaming himself making dinner.

"We're making dinner!" Rocco announced, he was standing on a step stool, peeking over the counter to "assist" his father.

Atira patted the top of his head, "Smells good!"

Rocco beamed with pride, "Do you think Baby Gabe will like the dinner?"

Since Atira had told Rocco that babies can taste what their moms eat through the amniotic fluid, he made sure to ask her every meal whether or not Baby Gabe approved. Other than when she had eaten Birria and gotten heartburn, Baby Gabe appeared to be a fan of most things, getting extra energetic when she ate trail mix or her peanut butter-filled pretzels.

"I think Baby Gabe will love it," she assured the little boy.

"Atira, my dad says when I go back to school I get to ride a real school bus!"

Atira was well aware Rocco had been enrolled in the local headstart program and would be bussed to and from their home but played it off as though she didn't.

"That is so exciting!" she told him.

"Dude, he's gonna be going to in Kindergarten next year, how fuckin' crazy is that?" Krist said.

"Fuckin' crazy right?" Rocco asked Atira who exchanged a wide eyed look with his father.

Krist gave a heavy breath, "Bro, how many times do we have to talk about those words."

Rocco looked at Atira, flashing one of his mischievous grins that showed all of his teeth, "You say bad words all the time," he pointed out.

"Yeah, because I'm an adult," Krist informed him.

"Victor says bad words and he is not a grown up," Rocco countered.

Krist rolled his eyes, "Yeah but Victor is a little badass kid who is always in trouble, do you want to be like him?"

Rocco shrugged, "Maybe," he replied cheerily, stepping down from his stool.

"Bruh...go wash your hands then come help set the table."

Atira hugged Krist lightly from behind, "You're a good dad."

"Thank you, baby," he replied, "How do you want your steak?"

"Ugh...medium, I guess? I want it super rare but obviously that's not safe..." she gave him an exaggerated pouty lip.

"Only...eleven weeks to go," he smiled, rubbing her distended belly.

"Did you hear that you have a brand new niece?" Atira asked.

Krist scrunched his face up, "How?" He stopped to think, "Ohhh....Brads little girlfriend had her baby?"

"Yeah, Kali sent me pictures, her name is Camila," Atira pulled up her phone, showing Krist the newest member of the Samson family.

"Cute baby for being Brad's," he laughed.

"Can you believe he's gonna have another one in like two months?"

Krist shook his head, "Dumb fuck, all the raw doggin' he apparently does is gonna make his dick fall off."

Atira wrinkled her nose, "I don't want to think about that!" she exclaimed.

"Just think, if I hadn't swooped in, he coulda been your first husband," he teased her.

"My hero," she laughed, Krist pulled her into his arms.

****

After dinner, Krist sent Rocco for a bath while he cleaned the dishes and Atira showered in the other bathroom.

"How did your steak turn out?" Nina messaged him.

He replied with a picture of his dinner, "Bomb as hell, what you end up making?"

Nina sent him a photo of Chilaquilles.

"Damn Imma need your recipe," he replied, glancing up as he sent the message.

Even though there was nothing inappropriate in the conversation, he couldn't help but feel guilty about talking with Nina. The stupid thing was that he knew Atira wouldn't have made much of a fuss about them being friends, she may not have been super keen on it but she wouldn't have tripped the fuck out like Lainey or Heather would have.

When he was a kid, his mom always would tell him "If you do something and feel guilty, that tells you that you're doing something you shouldn't be."

Was having a friend who happened to be an ex really so wrong?