Single Parent

Chapter 11

"Hang on a second, so you're sleeping together and she leaves early hours of the morning and goes home?"

"Is that a problem?" I turned to look at Meg who rolled her eyes at me and pulled me to sit down at the table with her. "What?"

"Nate, you know I love you, so I'm saying this because I care about you. Stop screwing around with her."

"I'm not-"

"You are. She's been through a lot and clearly trusts you, but even forgetting that, most women would take offence to what's going on. You can't just have sex with her and let her leave really early to avoid your daughter. You either wait and only get together when one of us is watching Sophia, or you have to make some decisions. How long have you been doing this?"

"A couple of months. Since Sophia's birthday."

"Seriously?!" She slapped my arm and I was really confused. Call me a guy, but I just could not understand women. 

"What?!"

"Nate, again, I love you, but you are a complete idiot sometimes. Look, every couple has to reach this point. Chris and I took about four years to get there, because when you're together as kids nothing moves as fast as this, it's more about making out on the couch than real feelings, but my point is, you have to reach that point and make a decision."

"About what? Meg babe, I have no idea what you're on about anymore." I shook my head and she sighed and flicked my cheek in annoyance.

"Where do you want your relationship to go Nate? Is she just fun to you, or do you want to make it serious? Right now, all you're doing is sleeping together and enjoying each other's company, but for all women, there comes a time when we get sick of that and want there to be more than just sex, when we can come over and know that even if we don't have sex you'll still want us here. You think Chris and I sleep together every night?"

"From what he says, yeah."

"Well you'd be right, but that wasn't my point. You guys aren't supposed to talk about crap like that."

"It's more bragging, trying to boost egos." She laughed, accepting my reassurance and I picked up my phone when it buzzed with a message. "She's coming over tonight."

"Great, in that case, I'm calling Tom and telling him that he's going to get Sophia for a sleepover tonight, and you are going to sit here whilst I go and call him and I'll drop her stuff off to his place on my way home. I'm not leaving yet though."

"Why am I sitting here?"

"Because you are going to think Nate, and you're going to grow up. You stopped being a player and a jerk to be a good father, and now you need to stop yourself from sinking back into that for the sake of being with someone."

"Call your guy."

"Why?"

"Because. He'll come over if it's for you, and Mark."

"Are you really going to do what you ridicule me for and call your mates over here for advice?"

"Meg, the reason we mock you isn't because you want advice sometimes, it's because you come armed with ice-cream and movies and tissues and cry like someone died over maybe a fight about leaving the toilet seat up. We only ask for advice when there is something that scares the crap out of us, or when it's a pretty big decision that we just want to reassure ourselves about."

"Fine. I'm staying though."

"Fine." I stood up and walked away from her and went upstairs to take a shower, wanting to have some space.