He Never Did

Replaced by Some Other

I can't get over how stunning Stevie looks today. Well, she does everyday but today I can't touch her, or even make her smile. Jacob is talking to me about his week at nursery, and I shake inappropriate thoughts about her away so I can properly listen to him. As soon as we arrive at my house, he runs off with Will, and I find Kristen and Leelee watching  TV.
"Hey."
Leelee comes to sit on my lap, and Kristen witters on to me about her pregnancy diet.

"Hello? Lindsey? Are you even listening?"
"Of course I am Kit, I'm just a little tired of your stressing, it's all gonna be fine I swear."
She huffs and strides off to begin dinner. Once it's ready we sit down at the table with all three kids, tucking in to the meal gratefully. "Daddy?" Jacob pipes up, halfway through his vegetables.
"What's up son?"
"Mommy said salmon makes me sick."
"Oh, uh...Just leave it at the side then buddy."
"Lindsey he's having you for a fool, I put time and effort into this meal!" Kristen hisses.
"Your mommy is stupid though!" Will adds innocently, and I can tell from his expression he's only parroting something, not meaning to be spiteful, "My mommy said so."
Jacob looks between me and Kristen in befuddlement.
"No she's not. My mommy is the best mommy in the entire world."
"No she isn't!"
"She is! She sings and she dances and daddy loves her a million times more than your mommy."
My mouth hangs open.
"Get out," Kristen demands, both of the boys looking up. "You Jacob, go to your room, leave."
"Kristen it was Will th-"
Jacob runs off and I slam my cutlery down, shooting Will a furious glance before I leave the room.

I find him after ten whole minutes of searching, reading a book with dried tears on his cheeks. "Jacob don't run away like that again, you hear me?"
He nods.
"I'm sorry about what Will said, he's going to get a seeing to don't you worry."
"Salmon does make me sick dad, I didn't mean to be mean to Auntie Kristen."
"I know...She's just...Nit in a good mood today. I knew you didn't say anything you meant to be hurtful, you're a clever boy."
"Daddy why can't you come home with me? I think mommy misses you a lot."
I hold back my sorrow, hugging my son tight.
"You are so smart for your age, you know that?"
He smiles.
"I'm sorry for not being with you everyday, but Auntie Kristen is having a baby soon, and you have to look after them all the time. You're a big boy, you can do lots of things without me."
He sighs, leaning on me as he turns a page and I realise it's actually a photo album.
"Where did you find this?"
"Mommy gave it to me."
I grunted my approval as I focused on the sweet images of me and Stevie many decades ago.
"Was this me?" He asked, jabbing his finger at a grainy Polaroid of Stevie with a bump only noticeable because I was standing with my hands on it in the image.
"Oh no this was a long, long time before you were born."
"I have a sister? Or brother?"
"She was born too early...She...We didn't get to meet her, she had already passed away when your mommy went to the hospital."
"What was her name?"
"I think your mommy wanted to call her Rhiannon."
"That's a pretty name, now I'm sad." So am I, especially thinking about our even more recent loss, and how many chances seem to pass me and Stevie by.
"Daddy, will you take me home? I want to make sure mommy is ok, and I don't want to stay here tonight."
"I guess I could spend time with you at home, would you like that?"

Kristen is not at all pleased about what I had promised Jake, but I emphasise the point that we have a nanny and two maids around the house, so it's like she is being abandoned for the night. I also make her apologise to Jake, who is young enough to be forgetting the entire altercation already, asking her questions about the baby. Stevie doesn't pick up and Karen is on a day off. Arriving at the house I knock to no avail, having to let myself in. Jacob is tired by now and I leave him to brush his teeth while I search for Stevie. I find her bedroom door ajar and I sigh with relief as I see her blonde hair spread across on the pillow as she sleeps, my stomach turning as I recognise the naked man beside her.