Unremitting Love

Chapter 19

Daniel

I thought Aubrey was kidding about me never seeing her.

She wasn't kidding.

Grayson is a month and four days now.

She already lost all the baby weight now. All that's left is pudge.

She leaves before the sun comes up to go for a run. She comes home and feeds Grayson, and then she pumps, leaves the milk, and leaves. She comes back around four, changes, and then goes out to the bookstore.

It's forth of July.

I'm starting to get mad at Aubrey.

I can't do this with Grayson alone.

I need to have a conversation with her.

It's a holiday though, and we're at her Mom's today.

I shouldn't do it now, but I know I need to.

They're all obsessing with Grayson.

"Do you guys have him for a second?" I ask.

"Yeah." Mom says.

Nodding, I stand up, following Aubrey to the bathroom.

I let myself in.

She's washing her hands.

"I gotta talk to you." I say, shutting the door.

"Okay." She says.

I take a deep breath.

"And you can't get mad at me."

She glances at me.

"Okay..."

"I need you...stop leaving so much. I know you're leaving milk and everything I need, but I'm alone with the baby and it's hard. I need you, Aubrey."

She shrugs.

"Okay."

I hesitate.

"What?"

"Okay." She repeats. "That's perfectly fine."

"You're not mad?" I ask.

"No. The only reason I leave to begin with is because you've been telling me every day you're okay with it." she smiles. "Communication, love." She kisses me.

<><>

I go storming into Finn's house, pissed.

"Finnigan!" I yell.

He walks out of the kitchen.

"What?" he asks.

"I have been laid once in a fucking year and it was almost six months ago and Aubrey had the fucking okay to have sex, and she won't let me stick it in!"

He starts laughing.

"So you're here...?" he trails off.

"To bitch." I say. "And drink. I need a fucking beer."

"Uh, where's your kid?" Sadie asks.

"With my wife." I mutter.

"Did you bitch at her?" Finn asks.

"No." I sigh. "I think she's just very insecure."

"So pull up porn on your laptop, and leave it open on the coffee table when she leaves the room for a long period of time, and when she comes back, get up and leave and she'll see it, and-"