Mommy?

5

Delilah (a few days later)

"What time do you need to be home by, baby boy?" I ask as I help Luke hop onto the counter while I make stir fry for dinner.

"It don't matter." He mumbles, kicking his legs as he hums to some song.

"You sure, Luke?"

"Dad stays at work most nights on weekdays."

"Oh, you're home alone? Will you be ok?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, if you say so." I smile. "Just be safe. Lock the doors and whatnot." He nods as he gets distracted, playing with a spatula he found.

I chuckle as I ruffle his hair and he giggles uncontrollably when I tickle his sides.

When I finish dinner and give it to him he frowns.

"It's veggies." He mumbles distastefully.

"Well, there's steak too. Try it." He pouts and looks up at me.

"Don ike veggies."

"They have yummy sauce on them, they don't taste like veggies. Just try them. If you take 5 bites and still don't like it I'll make you something else."

"If I eat 5 bites can I have dessert?"

"Sure baby. But you'll have to eat some real food too." He stabs some broccoli and reluctantly puts in in his mouth. He doesn't really react much as he eats, then he eats a bite of steak, and makes a yum noise, then he eats 3 more bites of veggies and eats all the steak out.

"All done! I'm full. Dessert?"

"Wait a few minutes." He nods and crawls out of his seat and onto my lap as I eat. I chuckle and bounce my knee and he gasps.

"Don't do that." He mumbles, blushing.

"Oh, I'm sorry baby boy, I didn't mean to." I chuckle. He whines and buries his face in my neck as he waits for me to finish eating. When I'm done, I stand with him on my hip and put our dishes in the sink. I grab out a half full carton of ice cream and two spoons and hand them to Luke as I carry him to the living room and put him on the couch, sitting him o the couch as I turn on the tv.

"What movie?"

"Spirit!"

I turn the movie on, and Luke crawls into my lap as we eat the ice cream until it's gone. When we finish, I put the carton on the coffee table and lay down, Luke on top of me as we cuddle.

"Baby boy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna take you home soon."

"When?" He asks as he looks up at me, pouting.

"When the movie is over." He whines and buries his face in my chest.

"That's really soon."

"I want you to get enough sleep tonight. I know you didn't yesterday."

He nods and pays attention to the movie until it's over.

"Alright babyboy." I sit up and stand from the couch. He yawns and reaches his arms up for me. I chuckle and pick him up, grabbing my phone and keys and carrying Luke to the car.

When we get to his house, he whines.

"You want me to come put you to bed, baby boy?" He glances at me contemplating my offer.

"My house is messy."

"I don't mind baby, but if you don't want me to come in it's fine."

"I want you to put me to bed." He nods. I some and get out of the car, picking him up and carrying him to the door. I find it open and frown.

"You should lock the doors when you go out, love." He shrugs and I hear him yawn. I chuckle. "Where's your room?"

"Upstairs."

I carry him up the stairs and see what looks almost exactly as I'd imagined his room to be at the end of the hall. I carry him to it and lay him in the bed.

"Are you gonna come get me tomorrow morning?"

"I work tomorrow." He looks surprised as he pouts.

"I didn't know you worked."

"I'm an intern a few days a month."

"Can I come?"

"It's gonna be boring." I warn. He frowns.

"Please?"

"Baby boy, its seven to eight hours and I'm not gonna have anything for you to do while we're there."

"I don't care. Please Lili?"

"Babe, we've hung out every day for a week, I think you can handle one day separate from me."

"I don't wanna. I promise I'll be good! I don't care if it's boring! Wanna come!"

"Not this time baby, maybe when I have a shorter day. Don't you have other friends you could hang out with?"

"I could hang out with ashy and Miley and cal. But d rather hang out with you."

"I don't think so, baby boy. Next time, ok?" He sighs and nods, though tears slip out of his eyes.

"Oh baby boy, cmon, don't cry now. It's only when day, and you'll get to hang out with your friends. If you want I can pick you up after work, how's that sound?"

He nods solemnly, and wraps his arms around my neck, giving me a big hug.

"Sleep well baby. I'm gonna go."

"Wait, can you sing me a song? So I can sleep."

"What song?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm..." I hummed as I thought.

"Just stop your crying it's a sign of the times..." I sang most of the song before I was sure he was asleep, then I stood and left his room, making sure to lock the door of his house on the way out.