Unexpected Love

My little man

"I pumped enough milk for the weekend, so you should be fine.  Make sure she falls asleep with lamby, or she won't have nice dreams!  Give her, her binkie if she's still fussy when you try to put her down, and powder her little booty so that she smells like a flower." Jessica goes over the list over and over again with tears in her eyes as she lightly bounces up and down holding Isabella's blanky.

"I've got it, baby.  You two better get going."

"Yeah.. One more kiss!"

Evan puckers his lips, and Jessica grabs the baby.

"Mama's gonna miss you so much, Isabella! 

You be a good girl for daddy!  Mommy will be back in just a few days!"

"MaMa!" Isabella smiles and playfully slaps her hands on her face.

"Baby!" She smiles.

"I love you so so much!

... Ah, maybe I should just take her with me!"

"No Jessica!  This weekend is about you and Chris!"

"Yeah.. You're right.

... Well I guess we better go.  Chris honey, you ready?" She shouts.

"Coming, mom!"

"Bye bye. Bellie!  Mommy loves you!" She kisses her and cuddles her tight.

When Jessica hands her back to Evan, she pouts and looks at Jessica with watery eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Jessica said with a sad face.

"Mama.."

"Mama's gonna go bye bye." Evan tells her.

She looks at Evan, then turns back to Jessica and tears up a little more.

"Evan I can't.  Look at her face!"

"Hey what's wrong?" Evan turns her towards him and kisses her cheek.

"You and daddy are gonna have so much fun!"

She starts crying in the sweetest little cry, and Jessica's heart breaks.

"Bellie, don't cry please!"

"MAMA!" She reaches for her.

"I'll be back soon!" Jessica gives her another kiss, then kisses Evan on the lips.

"I love you." He tells her.

"I love you too.  Bye Bellie, mama loves you my sweet sweet girl!"

As she walked out the screaming got louder and louder.

Jessica covered her face and cried hard.

Christopher rubbed her back, and she looked at him and said, "I'm sorry!  I just-"

"It's fine mom, I understand."

"Thanks... Alright, you ready?" She wipes her face.

"Yep!" He smiles.

"Okay, let's go!  Minnesota, here we come!"

***

After hours on the road.

"You wanna stop to get something to eat, baby? I'm starving!"

"Yes please!"

"Okay, what do you feel like eating?"

"I'll take whatever you want."

Jessica looked over and smiled at him, then grabbed his cheek and leaned over to kiss him.