With Him Comes Completion

Chapter 16

What am I doing?...

Checklist

Drive the man of my dreams insane with lust and deprive him of the pudding...done

Go insane yourself over said man... double done!

What's next on the checklist again?...

~~~~

How is it that this man comes into my life and is funny, smart, and a beefcake to boot?

Right, my mom.

What does a girl do when here beloved mother hands her the key to life? Well, I make a phone call.

"Hello, Dad?"

"Punkin, what's up? You know it's 3 am, not that I mind. Everything ok?"

"You know I call you when I'm stressed over something and well you know mom...she kinda set me up with this guy. And.."

"Your mom huh? Well, you know she's not always that great a judge of character and you don't have to go with the guy. Is he ugly? Does he drink? What do you need, hun?"

"No, Dad, he isn't ugly. He is almost perfect. He just does something to me. And he even likes Simon. I don't know, it's just so overwhelming, we have been been on two dates. One with just me and him, which was our first and it was a blind date. He is a customer of the store. Then he asked me to bring Simon along on our second. It was like the perfect family evening. But then he got fired from his job, and now he wants me to help him with remodeling his house, it's gorgeous, Dad."

"Ah, I see. So, it's really not your mom meddling. It's the 'what if' factor that's running circles in your brain. You know sweetie one of these days you're just gonna have to take that leap of faith you took with that other fellow. Not all guys are like that."

"I know, but it's so hard to trust and let go. I have been so burnt on love that if I was toast the birds would leave me to ground and then the ground would reject me and I would be just a black mark that should be covered up with a planter. I don't want you guys putting a big planter on the dark spot that is me."

"Stop being over dramatic, funny as it is. We wouldn't put a planter on you. I would build fence and charge people to walk by a beautiful dark spot. Sweetie, you have learn to trust again. Abused animals do it all the time with the right owner. Maybe you have to find the right owner." My Dad tells me.

"Maybe. Anyways I'm suppose to help him again this morning so I might need to at least get a couple hours of sleep. Love you Daddy, you always bring me back to earth even though you are over 700 miles away."

"Love you, too. And it's my job as a parent. You'll find that out one day. Goodnight, punkin."

"Night, Dad."

That went well. He compared me to abused animals. Do I need a new owner? Or someone to trust?

With those thoughts running through my brain and the clock saying five minutes till four in the morning, I snuggle into my pillow and pretend to sleep.

----

Friday Morning

BeepBeepBeepBeep

I guess I did fall asleep after all.

7:35!

"Simon!" I hollar from bed as sit up straight!

Crap. Double crap.

We can't be late again. Is this the fourth or fifth tardy?

"Simon?" I call out to him on my way to the bathroom for all the morning rituals, you know pee, washing of the face, and cleaning of the teeth. Done!

Still no answer. I need to get that boy his own alarm clock. Might help. Maybe?

"Mom? Simon?"

Looking in both of their rooms and finding them empty I call the store and see if mom took Simon to school.

"No, sweetie I didn't, didn't he take the bus?"

"I don't know, I just woke up. I guess I hit the snooze more than I thought. I gotta go, he isn't in the house." I tell her while frantically looking through all the rooms of the house.

"Ok, I'm sending Derek over to help. He just came in for his morning coffee. Bye, call me when you know he is safe. Maybe he walked to school?"

Derek was at the door when I was pulling on my shoes and calling the school to find out if he had made it there, if he had walked. It's only five blocks, but there is stop light he has to wait for the signal to cross. Which he knows about because we have had to walk before. Man, I'm such a horrible parent. Why can't I sleep right? This is all my fault. A mother should be awake and get their child off to school. They shouldn't need to depend on themselves so much. I do try. And now I have failed.

Getting the busy signal for fifth time in a row at the school and breaking down, Derek puts his arms around me. He tries getting through to me by I'm not hearing him. All I can see is my baby boy out there on the street getting ran over, or pulled into a rusty old van, or getting lost. He is only eight years old. Yeah he knows some places but this is a big sprawling town. Thankfully not a big city. But still near a highway.

Slap

"Huh?"

"Darlin', are you with me now?" He says like he didn't just smack my left butt cheek.

"Yes. I'm sorry...I don't know where my baby is at the moment. Sorry."

"No, need Darlin', we will find him. Let's go." We fly out to his truck and with the windows down we start down the street that I tell him is the route to school.

Not seeing him on the street, I make a mad dash into the school to the front desk secretary with Derek on my heels.

She gives the look that says what are you doing here and I ask her, "has Simon come to school? He is in Ms. Leah's first grade class. Could you call down please and check?"

"Sure, is everything alright?"

"It will be if he is here. I tried calling and got a busy signal, so I just came up here."

I hear her on the phone talking and she told the teacher thank you, when she turns to me and says, "Simon is in class. Sorry about the phones. We are trying to get new lines put in but that isn't scheduled till the summer break."

"It's ok. Thanks for checking. I overslept this morning and he didn't wake me up and I guess decided to walk to school." I tell her and she is looking beside me at Derek all the while.

Derek comes around to stand at my right side and puts his around my waist, then looks down and says, "crisis averted, Darlin'."

Then looks at Miss Stick Figure with boobs and big hair, and turns me to leave.

"Thanks." I tell her, while she is still is still making googly eyes at my man. So I put my head on his shoulder and fully turn to leave. Looking through the office window on my way out I see the frown on her face as watches us leave like a couple. Yeah, I landed me a man with broad shoulders, a round butt, and is good with his hands. Take that Ms. Blondie!

"Thank the heavens he is safe at school." I tell Derek as we hop back in the truck and head to the store.

"I think my heart stopped a couple times this past thirty mins wondering if he was ok. Thanks for helping out, Derek, it really means a lot to me."

"Not a problem, really. I was headed over to your house anyways when Mrs. McNeil told me Simon was missing and I high tailed it to your house to help. He is too young to be lost like we thought. I'm glad he is ok."

"He had better enjoy his school day, cuz when he gets home it is another story. Gotta call the doctor about my medication. I can not have this much trouble getting up in the morning. Especially when they don't help me sleep."

Crap! What did I just say?! Why did I say all that?

Fuckfuckfuckyfuck

Here comes the questions...