NANNY FOR MENDES.

Eighty-three

𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

Today, Shawn left for work a little later than usual; I bribed him with a make-out session. An intense one.

Now, it's almost 7:00 PM and he should be home anytime soon. He's even a little late.

At 7:30, as I am about to call him—he is an hour later and I'm anxious—he appears in the doorway of the living room. I didn't even hear him when he came home, because I was too worried to think about anything else.

"I was very worried!" I run over to him and wrap my arms around his neck.

He wraps his arms around my waist and says, "why? Here I am."

"You're too late."

"I had some much shit at work today."

We pull apart, but I put my hands over the two sides of his waist.

"Where's Bear?"

"He took a shower, and is getting dressed in his room."

"On his own?"

"No. I was with him and helped him, of course, but with his underwear on. I just gave him a few minutes on his own afterward."

"Oh. Okay. I'll go change my clothes." He kisses me very briefly and goes to our bedroom to change.

I go then to the kitchen, to set the table.

Shawn and Bear walk into the kitchen, hand in hand, and sit at the table.

In the middle of our eating dinner, Shawn says, "I'm going on a business trip in Spain."

"What?" My fork falls off my hand.

"Woah, Soph. Relax."

"When?"

"In a couple of days."

"And when will you be back?"

"Sunday."

"So I won't be seeing you from Wednesday to Sunday."

"Soph, it's for work, baby."

"I don't want you to leave me, to leave us." I mean Bear and me.

"Me neither, but it's important. I think we'll spread our business, by going on this trip. That's why I've been working a lot, lately. That's why I came too laye today. I was arranging everything for the trip for many employees."

"Oh. So Noah will be going, too?"

"Yeah...."

"Okay." I continue eating in silence.

After dinner, we all settle down in the living room. Me with a book in my hands, Shawn watching the TV and Bear on his iPad.

"You're silent...." Shawn says to me.

"Just reading." I say without looking up from my book.

He nods.

I can't really focus on what I'm reading. We've never spend so much time apart, and now I won't see him for four days, starting from Wednesday. I'll miss him a lot. Hell, that's an understatement.

I sigh loudly, and say, "I'm going to bed."

I walk to the bedroom quickly and lie in bed. I don't want to sleep. At all. But I needed to just lie in bed, thinking.

Suddenly, I hear the bedroom door open. Shawn.

I sit up quickly. "Bear?" I ask him when I don't see my son.

"In bed."

I nod and lie back on the bed.

Shawn lies on his side, next to me, his elbow supporting his weight.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Now I'm sure you're not okay. Talk to me."

"I don't want you to go...."

"It's very important for our business, baby. Otherwise, I wouldn't go."

"I know, babe, I know."

Neither of us says anything for a minute.

"Let's sleep, Shawn."

"Okay."

We shift on bed, until we're lying next to each other, with me curled in his arms.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you."

And we sleep.

*********************************************
Tuesday. Which means Shawn's leaving tomorrow. He'll be late today, and he's leaving tomorrow. Lovely.

I need to get my head off of it for a while. I need a distraction. So I call Aaliyah.

"Hey, Soph."

"Hey, Aaliyah. How have you been?"

"Good. You?"

"Not bad."

"Oh."

"Did you hear about the damn business trip?"

"Oh yeah. Tell me about it. Both my brother and boyfriend are leaving tomorrow."

"Both of my boyfriend and best friend are leaving tomorrow."

"Fuck it."

"Hell yes. I'm dreading tomorrow."

"Me too, Soph. Hell, me too. But it's good to know that I'm not alone, you know?"

"Yeah. Good to know that I'm not alone, too."

"Let's a do girls night, then. What about, after they leave, you come to my apartment and we do a girls night?"

"Sounds good to me. But what about Bear?"

"He'll be with us, of course."

"Okay. I'm up for it."

"It's settled, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Soph."

"See you, bye." And I hang up.

A girls night sounds good, honestly. It'll be a good distraction for both me and Aaliyah.

"Bear."

"Yes, Mommy?" I will never ever get enough of him calling me 'Mommy'.

"After Daddy leaves tomorrow, we're going to Aaliyah's, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. That's great."

I'm both anxious and excited about tomorrow. Weird mix, I know. But it is how it is.