Whiskey for Elephants

12.

When I woke up, it was because I had to pee. I had no idea where anything was and I wasn't going to wake him to ask. I went through his clothes until I found a pair of briefs and a tee shirt to walk down the hall in. No sooner do I sit down to pee, I hear panicked shuffling.
"Shit," I heard him say. "Shit Tyler I have no idea where she is, last night got a little.. intense, we got to this argument and had to fight it out. I think she left her work stuff in the car." His little spiel gave me enough time to pee, so I finished everything I was doing. When I saw him, he was standing buck ass naked-no shame, in the kitchen. He heard me come in and a mixture of panic and relief washed over his face.
"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here. What's happening?" I say taking the phone from Ronnie, who leaned shamelessly against the counter.
"TMZ was following Craig Mabbitt around and I guess he may have name dropped you. Nothing major, nothing new anyway. Stuff everyone knew." Tyler confirms that after i fell asleep in my car a month or so ago, Craig went and told everyone I was homeless and asked him for money. A witness said that she heard him say something like, 'Burn me? I'll set you on fire.' Before leaving.
"Now," I said to Ronnie after calling all the suits and informing them of what happened and the truth. "Where were we?" He'd put briefs on and stood with me during the phone call fiasco.
"I-First, I'm totally... ugh, dude this is kinda hard to say. I feel like I'm being super needy." He complains. I lean into him, thankful for last night to know that there's not nearly as much tension between us any longer.
"Just tell me what's going on, then we can watch a movie in bed or something. I'm still pretty tired." I say, still standing against him. He grabs my hands and pulls them down to play with them as he spoke.
"I thought you left this morning, like, for good. Maybe I pushed last night onto you or something and you freaked out while I was asleep," he sighs, taking a second to collect himself. "Like I scared you off or it was too serious. I don't want you to go anywhere." He wrapped his arms around me and brought me to him. He leaned his head on my stomach. I absentmindedly played with his hair until he spoke next.
"I.. You make me feel so many different emotions." He says softly. "It makes me feel normal."
We stood like that for a second before getting serious about our life. He jumped in the shower while I cooked biscuits and gravy. I threw my hair up in a messy bun and took my contacts out while the gravy cooked down. I wore my nerd glasses today while sweats and a band tee. This was my vacation too. I busied myself cleaning up around the house we were staying in. I vacuumed and mopped. I came to our room and started to pick up all our clothes from last night, changed our sheets.
Ha, our room. Was it actually our room?
Regardless, I carried the basket of dirty laundry to the small room with the washer and dryer inside. I threw whatever clothes Ronnie had in the washer into the dryer. I remade the bed with new sheets and blankets, put the fifty throw pillows on the bed. I wanted to do the dishes, but alas, he was still in the shower.
I was reading from Our Numbered Days by Neil Hilborn when he finally got out and walked into the kitchen.
"Mmm. Breakfast. Thanks, Ba-Danika." He caught himself, causing me to laugh. He giggled too. "Well, I would call you babe but there's the whole issue of me not knowing what we are at this stage in the game." He said, sitting down with a plate and handing me one so that I'd stop reading and eat, for once.
"Well," I said, tearing my biscuits up and dropping them into the gravy. "Last night was fanfuckingtastic. I wouldn't mind having that exclusively." I say, raising my eyebrows and taking a bite. He chuckled at me.
"Hahaha, hahaha,"He was laughing really hard at this point. "If all else fails, just think instead at least you know I'm good in bed." He quoted, causing me to laugh along with him.
"You're stupid," I said laughing. "Eat your food."
"You love me though," He said smirking over his food. "Everyone does. Did I tell you this little kid made an I love Ronnie shirt at Warped? It was so cool." He gushed.
"Ronnie, eat your food." I say again, getting up and starting the dishes.
"Ugh, I'm trying but you're nice on my eyes? Can you not be?" He said, teasing.
"I'll take the plate away." I said simply. Behind me, I heard him scraping his fork on the plate. "Thank you." I turned around.
"Ha! You thought I was eating, fucking dip shit." He guffawed. "I'll eat now though, promise."
When he finally finished eating, we started the new season of Shameless on Netflix. About halfway through the first episode, Willow called.
"What's going on baby girl?" I paused it and listened. "Daddy's okay baby. Danika is right here. We're watching TV. No baby we can't come get you, you've gotta go to school tomorrow. Let me talk to mommy. You can talk to Danika when I'm done." He said, smiling and kneeing me under the throw blanket. He got up to talk Chrissy and told me to go ahead and watch without him. I didn't though, I waited.
"Here She is Willow baby. I love you too." I took the phone from him.
"Hey Willow!"
"I want to come back. I don't wanna go to school." She said, whimpering.
"I know honey, but daddy said no. I bet mommy said no, as well."
"But I don't wanna go to school!"
"I know. How about Daddy and I fly you out this weekend, Okay? Is that okay with your mom?" I looked at Ronnie who was cheesing super hard. I could tell that even though it's only been a day, he missed her more than anything.
"Mommy said okay, Mommy D!" That was new.
"Okay baby well we'll see you then!"
"Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese?" She asked.
"I'm sure we can work that out."
"I miss toys r us. They had cool stuffed elephants. Daddy loves elephants. I want to get him one for his birthday!" She exclaimed, causing me to chuckle.
"Okay well I'll see you in a week or so."
"I love you!"
"I love you too, kid."
"Bye bye!"
"Bye!" When we hung up, I handed Ronnie his phone. I raised an eyebrow. "She called me Mommy D."
"I love that kid."
"She's literally a mini version of you." I say, hitting play.
"You love her though?"
"Dude," I gape. "I loved her when I only knew her from your insta."