NANNY FOR MENDES.

Nineteen

Shawn took us to La Palette, which is a French restaurant.

We sat in a booth and that's when Shawn gets a phone call.

"Hey!" He says, excitedly.

"I'm good. What about you?....... I can't wait to see you on Saturday."

Bear?

I sign for Shawn to give me the phone.

"Hey!! Give me the phone!" I whisper loudly.

"Sophia is fine." He says, looking at me. "Well, yes. I do call her. Okay, go. Your mother would probably kill you if you don't got to eat. Bye!"

"I wanted to talk to him!"

"I can't let him know that you're with me."

What? Now I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

"It would seem weird. That's it. I have nothing to hide. 𝘞𝘦 have nothing to hide."

I just nod.

My phone rings. Bear!

"Bear! Hi!" I say, a little too loudly.

"Hi Soph! I miss you!"

"Miss you too Bear! How are you?"

"I'm good. What about you?"

"Oh I'm fine. Just missing my 8-year-old boy."

I get a laugh at this.

"Hey. Look. Let me tell you something. Just promise me you won't tell Dad, okay?"

I look at Shawn. And he looks back. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Of course, Boo. Go ahead."

"I talked to Dad this morning. He was at work. But that's not the problem. The problem is that I kept ringing and he didn't answer at first. That's weird for Dad. And when he finally answered, I asked him why he didn't answer and he said he was sleeping. At work, Soph! That's very unlike Dad. And he sounded sad. That's the first time he sleeps at work. And every time I go to spend time with Mom, I think he gets upset. Can you check on him, please? Or call him?"

"Wow, B."

"Yeah... I kind of feel guilty for going to my mom's house. But I missed her. And I see her every month or so. But then... it's my mom. It's okay if I go see her... right?"

"Of course it is."

"Yeah. Anyway. Gotta go. Mom will kill me if I don't go eat." He quotes his dad. "Bye! See you on Saturday!"

"Bye." I say, non-excitedly.

"Bear?"

"Yes."

"You okay?" Shawn asks.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You sounded and looked sad at the end of the phone call."

"No. I'm fine, Shawn."

He looked me as if telling me "Seriously?"

"Let's just say that your son cares about you a lot. More than you think. And that he notices more than you know."

"What did he say?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because he told me not to tell you."

"Oh. Okay."

A waitress comes over to take our drink order.
I took a soda and Shawn had wine.