The Stolen Wife.

Chapter Six.

Elizabeth was in the kitchen drinking her morning coffee and trying not to think about the man asleep in her basement.

Jordan stumbled down the stairs late in the morning clearly nursing a hangover from hell, he collapsed onto one of the stools at the kitchen island.

"Liz, coffee, please?"

She made him a cup of coffee the way he liked it and then set it in front of him, not sure what to do next.

"I thought maybe...we could take Alex to the movies this afternoon. since I'll be leaving Sunday and I did promise."

"That would be nice," She said, then remembered the man in her basement.

"I...I'm not sure I'm up to the movies today, I feel a little queasy."

He sighed setting his cup aside, clearly fed up with whatever his wife was going through.

"What do you want me to do Elizabeth, take him alone?"

"It wouldn't hurt." She said softly.

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, something he only did when he was really frustrated.

"Fine, I'm going to shower. Have him dressed and ready when I get out."

He took a drink of coffee and disappeared upstairs, she hesitated a minute. Jordan was a good dad when he was around, he had played with Alexander when he was a baby even changed a dirty diaper or two but Alex was a little boy and he could be mischievous sometimes, Jordan wasn't used to it. He barely spent one on one time with his children, she wasn't sure how he would do.

She walked upstairs to Alex's room, going inside and turning on the bedside light and forcing a smile.

"Come on munchkin, time to get up."

She pulled his blankets down and leaned over to kiss his soft cheek, ruffling his hair.

"Guess what," She sat on the edge of his bed.

"What?" He asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Daddy is in the shower right now cleaning up and then he wants to take you to the movies."

"Why?"

"Because he's going away and he wants to spend some daddy and Alex time with you before he goes."

"What about you?" Alex asked, sitting up.

"I'm going to stay home," She replied.

"I don't want to go without you."

"Oh, come on. It will be fun." She gave his leg a quick pat and then stood and walked to his closet.

She pulled down a striped shirt and heard his tiny feet hit the wooden floor, he rushed to his dressed tugging the drawer open.

"No, I want my dinosaur shirt!"

"Okay, dinosaurs it is."

She reached into the drawer pulling out his green t-shirt with a t-rex dominating the front, pairing it with a pair of tan pants and his favorite blue and green sneakers.

"Let me brush your hair," she insisted as she stepped into the bathroom across the hall.

"No, it doesn't need to be brushed." He called back from his room.

"Yes it does," She replied crossing the hallway and back into his room.

He was sitting on his bed, his tongue caught between his teeth as he struggled to tie his own shoe but only made a mess.