The Unexpected

Chapter 28

Tyler takes Addison from my arms then glances at Alex nervously. Alex stares at him for a long moment before turning to me.

This will be the first he goes back to his dad's house after he told me he didn't want to anymore. Hearing him call Tyler dad makes me so happy. He needs a male role model to look up to - someone to talk to. Most of all, he needs a father and I'm glad Tyler wants to be there for him.

I look at Tyler and give him a sad smile. "Can you give us a minute?"

He nods. "Of course. Let yourselves in when you're done."

He goes inside and closes the door behind him. I sit down on the top step and pat the space beside me. Alex sits beside me and crosses his arms across the top of his knees. "What's the matter, baby?"

He looks down at the flowers around the porch. "I'm your baby. Addison is Tyler's baby."

I furrow my eyebrows, feeling a pang in my chest. This is so hard. How do you explain things like this to a five year old? He shouldn't feel unwanted. He shouldn't call his only father figure by his first name. My emotions get the best of me and tears roll down my cheeks. "You're both my babies, and you're both his. He's your dad."

Standing up, he stands on the in front of me and wipes my tears. "I don't like it when you cry, mommy." He walks down the steps and picks a flower. "This flower is pretty like you. Here."

I take the flower and sniffle. "Thank you."

He puts his hands on my cheeks and smiles. "I love you mommy. I'll stay with daddy."

Leaning in he presses a kiss to the tip of my nose - just like I used to do to him when he was a baby. The gesture only makes me cry more. "I love you too."

I give him a hug and kiss before standing up. Grabbing his hand, I take him inside. Tyler has Alex's favorite cartoon on in the living room so Alex sits on the recliner and watches it. Tyler stands up holding Addison against his chest and joins me in the next room. "Hey, are you okay?" He asks, concerned.

I nod. "I'm fine."

He glances back at Alex. "Thanks for talking to him. I'll try to spend more time with him." I wrap my arms around him, being careful with Addison. "What's this for?" He asks quietly, wrapping his free arm around me.

"For being there for the kids and for me. I truly appreciate it." I say as I pull away. "I love hearing him call you dad. I couldn't do this without you."

He smiles a little. "I couldn't do it without you either. If something would've happened to you in the hospital, I -"

His voice cracks so he stops, looking away embarrassed. I smile. "You never would've had to do it alone. You have a great family."

"Yeah but it wouldn't be the same without you." He says softly.

I open my mouth to speak but Tyler's mom walks in. After talking to her for a bit, I make my way to the door. Tyler and I stare at each other for a long moment before I leave.

When I get home I begin cooking dinner for Dominic and I. We haven't had much time to ourselves so I thought it'd be nice to make us dinner. I make steak, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and some veggies on the side. I have candles lit, our plates set, our cups filled and music playing softly. I even light the fireplace for effect.

The last time I used the fireplace was when Tyler and I -

That was the night Alex called him dad for the first time. Maybe that's why Tyler told me he loved me. That was also the night he said he wanted to have a baby. I have so much history with him. The good barely outweighs the bad in our relationship.

Dominic said he'd be here at eight but it's already eight thirty and he's not here. The food is getting cold and the fire is beginning to go out. I grab my phone and dial his number but he doesn't answer.

Anger fills me as I begin cleaning up. I wash the dishes, scrub furiously at the counter, and pick up around the already-spotless house. When there is nothing more to clean, I grab a glass of wine and sit in front of the fire. We finally get a night to ourselves and he isn't even here.

I finish the bottle of wine just as the door opens. It's almost nine thirty and he's now just showing up. What's the point? He should've just went home. "I am so sorry." He says apologetically. "I was got a call about a truck on the side of the road and I took it. My phone was in my work truck and I didn't get done until twenty minutes ago. I lost track of time."

I glance at him to see his work uniform all dirty and his hands black from oil or grease. "Why would you take the job if you knew we were gonna have dinner?" I ask, staring at the flames.

"Because they said it was a minor fix that should only take twenty minutes. But when I got there and began looking into it, I found some other things. If I don't fix everything and do all the checks on it, it'll get red-tagged and I'll get written up. If I get written up, they could fire me."

"Then you should've known it would've taken long, damn it. I sat here waiting for you like an idiot." I snap, standing up. "I can hardly get any sleep because of Addison but I worked my ass off to cook for you tonight. I'm exhausted but I still made time for you. Why don't you make time for me?"

"Babe, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you."

He wanders over to me, taking the wine glass away and setting it on the table. He grabs my hand and pulls me into my bedroom. Our lips meet as we reach the bed and his tongue dips into my mouth. His scent fills my nose and I scrunch my nose. "You smell like oil and diesel and -"

He chuckles. "I get it. I smell like my work." He holds up his black spotted hand. "Let me clean up first."

He presses his lips to mine once more before going into the bathroom. I let my dress fall to the floor before crawling into bed. My eyes begin drooping closed but I force them open. The comfort of my bed and pillow pull me into a deep sleep.

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