After a less than ideal last night, I was ecstatic when Jamie came home from his trip to England. He's been away for about two weeks, and although I've told him about the whole Wyatt thing it's still gonna feel better with Jamie around. I met J about a year after Rosie was born, he knew about her immediately and it didn't seem to deter him from going after me. I finally said yes to a date with him after he was begging for six months. It also doesn't hurt that he's very easy on the eyes...
I suppose it would have to do with the fact that Jamie is five years my senior, but he's so much more mature than Wyatt ever was. He was a perfect father figure to Rose, a perfect gentleman to me, he's hard working, respects me, smart, attentive, gorgeous, passionate. He's perfect. We've been together a few years now, we moved in together last year and things have been great. It's given Ro the stability she needs to develop healthily, it's given me an opportunity to better my mental health and recover from the trauma Wyatt left me with. Rosie couldn't be more excited to see him again, she even calls him Daddy, as per Jamie's request.
She's still sniffling I think as I look down at her.
I hear the rattling of the front door and keys against the metal lock on the door and I get the familiar giddy feeling in my stomach.
Jamie's home!
I carefully get up from Rosie's bed and run to the living room to see James in our living room.
"Hello Darling." He says while holding his arms open for me
I walk over and hug him, feeling immediate warmth and comfort in his arms. After kissing him hello I ask
"Hi baby, when did you get here? I could've gone and picked you up."
"Oh I didn't wanna be a bother, Dear. Besides I'm here now, aren't I? Now where's my little girl? Is she asleep?"
"Yeah but she's sick. Poor baby's burning up."
"Aww" he mumbled as he walks toward Rosie's room
He kneels down and touches Rosie's forehead
"Dear God, darling she's so clammy. What meds have you given her?"
"Eh, some children's cold medicine and vaporub on her chest."
Rosie stirs a bit and wakes up, and smiles a little seeing her dad.
"Hi Daddy."
"Hello my love, how're you feeling?"
God I love it when he gets into Concerned Father Mode ™️
"Hot and damp."
"She's sweaty. What do you reckon we should do, darling?"
I whisper
"Well I only just gave her the cold medicine," I pause to see Rose give a grossed out face at the memory, she doesn't like the taste of artificial grape.
"So I think we should wait a bit to see if it starts to work or if we should increase the dosage."
Rosie gives a little whine and hides her face away, indicating she doesn't want anymore.
"Mami, quien era el señor que estaba aquí? (Mommy, who was the guy who was in here?")
"What did she say?" Jamie asks
"Ooof boy, we need to catch you up." I say, kissing his cheek
"It doesn't matter who that was baby, go to sleep." I say, putting her back in the bed "one of us will be back to check on you in a little bit." I tell her and kiss her forehead, then wiping my lips from her sweat
In the kitchen, he's on a stool and looking at me with his arms crossed
"Rosie asked "Who was he?"." James affirms
"You've picked up on some Spanish."
"I've had to, I live with the both of you. It's Colorado but you make it feel like Miami. Did she mean..?"
"...He came today. Well tonight really. A few hours ago."
"He?"
"Wyatt. He knocked Steven out, took his phone and looked through it till he found where I lived and my number."
He bolted up and said "What?" with acid lacing his tone
"Rosie didn't see him but she heard him, I guess."
He stayed silent for a moment before asking "Does he know what I do?"
"Of course not, James. I don't have a dossier of your activities lying around." I snap
"Alright then." He sits back down on the couch "We should have nothing to worry about." He said curtly
Sighing I sit next to him and put my head on his shoulder
"I didn't mean to snap, I'm sorry." I say
"Don't worry about it, Love. Tonight was stressful for you and I wasn't here to help, I'd be more worried if there wasn't any snap." He smiles down at me and I smile back, getting happier and happier that he's home.
"I missed you." I repeat
He chuckles "I missed you too, Darling."
"Is that guy gonna give you anymore problems?" I ask, knowing that family wasn't the only reason he went to London.
"Pfft, poor lad won't be causing anyone anymore problems. At least from the bottom of a lake he won't get very good mobile reception." He chuckles darkly
I cringe but cuddle up next to him.
"Good. I want you around as often as you can be and you can't do that if you have to jet off around the world taking care of 'problems'." I mumble
"I know, love. You're not to worry, I've got everything handled." He kisses my head and says "been a good bit, should we check on Ro?"
I say yes as I get up to walk to her room and he follows.
*******
"Mami, I still have a runny nose and my throat itches." Rosie said while rubbing her nose with her cupped hand
"Not as bad as before though, right?" I ask, putting down my knife on the cutting board and reaching to feel her forehead.
"No, now I'm just uncomfy." She says
"Okay, go lie down again and I'll get the humidifier started." I say to her in Spanish, tapping her lil butt as she waddles off to her room.
I turn off the stove, get the humidifier from the closet, get it started in her room, get her tucked in her bed, get her cold medicine, spend around 15 minutes trying to convince her to take it and swallow so she could feel better, and get back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.
I hear my phone ring in my bed and I pick it up to see it's my best friend Anika.
"Hey girl, what you doing?" I say
"Nothin, I was just calling to see how you are." She says
"Eh, I got some tea sis."
"Oh lord, what?"
"Guess who found where Rosie and I live..." I say
"Bitch, you're lying! Are you serious? Y'all okay?!" She yells
"Yeah we're fine."
"Did he try anything?"
"Of course he did, he's Wyatt. Asshole thinks he's just entitled to everything."
"Girl, I still can't believe you had a baby with that man. Obviously I love Rosie like she's my own but goddamn there could not be a worse biological father."
"Yeah I know, I know. Believe me, my family has made me more than well aware of my mistakes."
"How is Ro, anyway?"
"Aww, my baby's sick right now. She's getting over a cold."
"Aww, is Jamie helping out?"
"Yeah, as much as he can anyway."
"He seems like a good one. - Oh my god girl, I am speechless over the fact that you said no to his proposal."
"Which one?" I ask giggling
"Bitch-all of them! He's rich, he's handsome, he's smart, he's kind, he got that sexy English accent, he ADORES you and Ro. You really out here tellin him no? Bitch, the fuck?"
"Look I love Jamie, but I wanna make sure I can stand on my own and not have to rely on him for anything. Monetarily or otherwise. I'm an adult, I should be able to take care of myself and my daughter on my own."
"But you've already proven that, babe. You don't need to be out here acting like superwoman, and besides there's nothing wrong with letting a man who loves you take care of you and your daughter whom he loves like his own."
"Thanks love, but it's not so much about proving it then it is about maintaining. My family continuously shits on me for having had Ro, calling me stupid, loose, irresponsible, everything. Girl you know my family, I don't even have to tell you."
"Yeah that's true, ethnic families don't know when to stop." She agrees
"Well I have to get the humidifier started for Rosie, are you still coming over later for wine and mindless entertainment?"
"I wouldn't miss it for anything. See ya, love you."
"Love ya."
YOU ARE READING
No Spare Key
RomanceLucy has made a lot of mistakes, she doesn't regret any of them because they gave her little Rosie. That does not mean however that she would be stupid enough to repeat those mistakes. Without her god-awful ex husband, she's been able to make a go...
