Skinny Love

Chapter 38

I check the address one last time on my phone as I sit in the parking lot below what should be Mark's apartment building. It looks like I'm in the right place so I zip my coat up - prepared for the January weather. As I get out to unhook August's car seat, a wave of dizziness over came me and I had to stand for a minute with my eyes closed. I thought it was probably because I barely got any sleep last night and to top it off my head started to pound. I figured it would make the most since to just bring in the seat in case she gets tired. But right now she was wide awake and cooing, playing with the toys that hang above her on the car seats handle. I drop my phone and keys in the diaper bag and haul the car seat out of the car. Nat decided that he needed to give us some space to talk things out and so it was just me and August. I tried telling him Mark told me to invite him but he wasn't budging. I take the elevator and in minutes I'm knocking on Mark's door. 

But when the door opened it wasn't who I had expected. It was a girl, she was pretty, about my age and had extremely curly blonde hair. The poofy kind that you can't brush out.

"Hi?" I said confused. "I'm sorry I must have the wrong door number." I hitch the seat up on my arm and back away from the door staring the the door to the right's number. 

"Elle!" I turn back to the door in front of me where Mark has suddenly appeared next to the girl. My eyebrow goes up as I notice his arm around her shoulders and he quickly let's it fall. "Come in!" I do, hesitantly. His apartment is small from what I can see when I first walk in. The living room is also the dining room with a small dinner table which was set and a small kitchen to the right. I could see a small closet and what I assumed was the bathroom and two other rooms which were probably bedrooms. "It's not much but it's decent." he gestures around. 

"I like it." I say. 

"Here you can set your bag on the counter. " I do and I unhook August from her seat which was making my arm ache. Instead I hold her in my arms. I can't help but notice that girl hovering in the kitchen. She looked as uncomfortable as I felt but I could tell she was trying to hide it. "Is Nat with you?" I turn back to him.

"Oh, um no. He couldn't at the last minute." he nods "You know work and all." He walks over to the girl and slides his arm around her waist. 

"This is Lisa, we've been together since September." his mouth goes into a straight line. Immediately I disliked her, not because she was dating Mark. But because I had the sudden thought that if August stayed here with him too much she might think this Lisa is her 'mommy' instead. I swallow the lump in my throat and decide the best thing for the situation is for me to not freak out and instead stay cool. 

"Hello, Lisa." I hold out my free hand and she reluctantly takes her hand from her pocket and shakes mine. 

"Lisa, Noelle. Noelle, Lisa." he gestured back and forth then nods as if to say okay this is good were good for the moment. He seemed jittery like he was so excited to finally show me around and introduce us. 

"And this is August." I say. August tries to hop up and down on my side and giggle. 

"Oh Ella, you're going to love this." he gestured for me to follow him. "Lisa helped, well she really did most of the work and I built and assembled the shelves and playpen." he opened one of the doors that I had guessed was a bedroom and I had been right, it was. We walked in. The room was set up with a rug in the center and playpen in the corner. There was a shelf with several pairs of shirts and pants folded on a shelf with a stuffed animal sitting on the top. I realized how much effort he'd put into all of this and I could only get the word 'wow' out of my mouth. Once my head cleared and I looked around again and noticed the twin bed on the other wall. I spoke again.