Debt

36: Love of My Life

Shawn entered his room with Vincent in his arms, the baby sucking greedily on the nipple of his bottle. Abrielle sat in the bed with her nose in a book, a blanket Shayla had knitted around her shoulders.

"Baby, if you cold, turn on the heat," he suggested.

"No. I don't want everyone to suffer being hot because of me," she told him.

"Bri, that's noble and all, but you not about to be in here all cold all the time."

He moved to the thermostat and put the heat on for her, turning the air off.

"Shayla is h-"

"I don't care. You not about to be in here cold all the time."

She stopped trying to protest it. She wouldn't win.

Shawn sat down to burp the baby, and Bri sat there, engrossed in her book. Then she got up.

"I'm hungry. I'm going to cook. Do you want anything?"

"No. Thank you, baby."

"Okay."

She kissed his lips on her way out of the room and to the kitchen.

When she got downstairs, fajitas was seeming like a good idea. So she found some steak and tossed it in the skillet. Sapphire, who had been in the dining room came running in when she heard food.

"How did you get in here?" Bri cooed to the dog, rubbing her fur, looking around before she gave her a piece of steak.

The dog wagged her tail in satisfaction, eating her little piece of steak.

Just as Abrielle finished making lunch, Shawn came down and thumped her thigh. "You gon get yo ass beat," he told her.

"What?" she asked innocently, putting sour cream in her wrap.

"I told you about feeding human food to the dog."

She pouted. "But she likes steak."

"I wonder how you know that."

She smiled and put her arms around Shawn, looking up at him, grinning.

"Dogs can have meat. It's good for them."

He scowled and she stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. He put his arms around her and he parted her lips. She rubbed his shoulder as he pulled away.

"Where is the baby?" she wondered.

"Learning the valuable skill of lying to your relatives."

"Salty, much?"

Shawn bit her lip, and she giggled, turning around to have her food, going to sit down.

"Aye, make sho you get dressed, 'cause we gotta be at my nephew graduation tonight."

"Okay."

She finished her food and went to get ready to go.

Shawn went and got all the bags they had been packing. Right after Evan got that diploma in his hand, they were going straight to Naples.

Sapphire was put in her travel bag and they started for the car. Shayla put her nephew in his carseat, nuzzling him. It was like having Evan as a baby again.

They went and got in the car, heading to see Evan in his graduation.

Abrielle sat in the backseat with her baby, cooing to him. Shawn looked at her through the rearview mirror and shook his head. She held the dog in her lap.