Sequel to Dear Nick. This story continues where Dear Nick left off, in the epilogue. If you haven't read Dear Nick, read it to see how they began. Their love is deep & pure, having been perfect since they finally got on the same page. Now, their per...
Not only did Nick's question shatter me, it also stunned me & I was at a loss for words, for a minute. I sighed, after a moment, looking down at the floor, then I turned to pick up Evan. When I spun around to face Nick, he was staring at me, waiting for me to answer his question. "Can we talk about it after I give Evan a bath? Better yet... after I put him to bed?" I suggested, my eyebrows up.
"After you put him to bed...." Nick nodded, his lips together as he looked up, at the ceiling. "I guess you're used to doing it all alone. Good to know you were doing so well on your own. I'm starting to wonder if you would have been better off if I never came back."
I sucked in my breath, quietly. "Nick, don't say that. I am glad you're back. Glad isn't even close to describing how I feel that you're back, honestly. Of course I would not have been better off if you hadn't come back. Yes, I had to get used to doing things on my own. I had no choice. I had a new normal & we will have a new normal, too. It's an adjustment, so we'll have to be patient. I asked you if you wanted to help me give him a bath, so do you want to?" I asked, trying not to burst into tears. I was feeling overwhelmed with different emotions & I didn't know which emotion I wanted to acknowledge first.
"Fine. Let's go give him a bath." Nick said, sounding a little sad, as he walked past me, to the bathroom, upstairs, next to Evan's bedroom. I heard him turn on the bathtub faucet, as I walked down the hall. When I got to the bathroom, I saw Nick looking around the bathroom, his hands on his hips, a scowl on his face. "You changed it."
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"Yea, I made it more for Evan since it's his bathroom. Our bathroom still looks the same." I sat Evan down on the toilet & started undressing him.
Nick sat down on the edge of the tub to watch me get Evan ready for his bath. I put Evan in the tub & he immediately looked over at Nick. "Does he like baths?" Nick asked, his tone flat.
"Yea, he does." I answered, smiling at Evan, who started splashing the water with his hands, as if he was answering Nick's question, himself.
"He hated baths before..."
I looked over at Nick, a frown on my face. "Now, he loves them. Listen, Nick. It's going to be an adjustment. You're alive & we need to be grateful for that. Don't sweat the little things, okay?"
"Little things?" Nick chuckled, sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Is you dating a little thing?"
I closed my mouth, tightly & inhaled, deeply. I started washing Evan, ignoring Nick's glare & his question. I didn't like that he was so angry about this & it made me scared to tell him anything else. I knew I needed to be honest with him, but I was so terrified. I decided to take my time with Evan's bath. As I bathed Evan, I started telling Nick about the things Evan was doing, now. Nick kept a straight face, for a bit, then when Evan started babbling & giggling, Nick's mouth turned up in a smile. Once I heard Nick chuckle, I knew he was warming up, some. He got down on his knees, beside me & started playing with Evan. He grabbed a toy boat & made engine noises, which fascinated Evan. I sat on my heels & watched them play for several minutes, tears stinging the back of my eyes. I wanted nothing more, than for things to be back to the way things were before. Sadly, I knew things would never be the same. We had to create a new normal.
