CHAPTER 39

Deidra tsked as Angela peeked through her curtains again. “ Standing at that window isn ’ t going to get them here any sooner. ” She touched her hair to be sure it was still in place.

“ It might. ”

“ This is the happiest I ’ ve seen you in ages. ”

“ This is the first time I ’ ve seen Lexie in ages. ” Angela moved away from the window only to approach from the other side. “ I didn ’ t notice you crying over the fact that Rob will be here any minute. ” She glanced at her sister. “ You look beautiful. ”

Deidra touched her hair again. “ Thanks. If all goes well, this should be a great weekend. ”

“ What do you mean, if all goes well? As long as they get here, everything will be perfect. ”

“ No offense, but I don ’ t trust Mitch not to ruin it. ”

“ Please. He doesn ’ t have to look at me for three whole days. He can assemble the crib, ” she sneered, “ without the guilt of hanging down there all day. ”

“ Yeah, and when he ’ s done, he could pop up over here to do a headcount. ”

“ He can ’ t count past three. The baby, its mother, and Nathaniel … I don ’ t want to talk about Mitchell. Oh! I see the cab. They ’ re here! ”

.     .     .

A three day weekend with Lexie, Tank, and Rob: for Angela, it wasn ’ t Halloween. It was Christmas. Friday night, Angela and the kids made s ’ mores and watched Halloween movies. Deidra and Rob went out.

Saturday morning, Angela took the kids shopping for the ‘ greatest costumes in the world ’ according to Lexie.

Deidra and Rob stayed in.

In the afternoon, they trick-or-treated at the mall. Early evening, they trick-or-treated at the homes of co-workers and friends. Later came a haunted hayride and a grand Halloween party to attend. Finally, Angela took the sugar-shocked, dead-tired, super-hyper, over-stuffed fairy/pirate team back to Deidra ’ s to detox, while Rob and her sister stayed for the adult after party.

Nobody moved much on Sunday.

Lexie didn ’ t want to pack. She didn ’ t want to leave. She clung to Angela and they hung out on the sofa, procrastinating.

“ I like it here. ”

“ I like having you here. ”

“ If my mom and dad okayed it, would you keep me? ”

“ In a heartbeat. In fact, I would cheat. ”

Lexie scrunched her face.

“ If I got one of them to agree, I ’ d pretend the other one said yes too and call it a deal. ”

“ That ’ s easy. You can call my mom right now. She ’ d say yes. ”

Jackie wasn ’ t the parent Angela wanted to talk with. “ I doubt it. Your mom doesn ’ t know me. ”

“ She won ’ t care about that. I was mad because I didn ’ t want to leave Daddy ’ s. When I got home, I ran away. I was gone all day and she didn ’ t even notice. ”

Angela sat up, breaking the snuggled position she and Lexie formed. “ You ran away? ”

Lexie shook her head to ward off the worry. “ I only ran across the street to the Wineo house. They watch out for me, and Dooney got me a steak sub and gave me a sip of his M anichevitz ‘ cause he didn ’ t have enough for a soda. ”

“ Okay. ” Angela pulled Lexie against her and leaned back, pretending to relax. “ Do you do that a lot? Run away. ”

“ Not a lot. It doesn ’ t work anyway. That ’ s why I want to stay with Daddy … or live here. ”

“ I see. We ’ re going to have to see if something can be done about that. I want you to promise me if you run away, or if you ’ re just by yourself too long, or something ’ s going on with your mom or anything, you call me. Do you understand? ”

Lexie nodded, pleased with the instructions. “ I will. ”

“ I mean it. Anytime you ’ re not where you should be, I want to know about it. I ’ m serious. ”

Rob chose that moment to make an appearance. “ You ’ re bucking to make us late, kiddo. Are you packed? ”

Lexie poked her lips out at him. “ No. I ’ m not going. ”

“ She can stay. ” Angela smiled at his frown.

“ See. I ’ m staying. ”

Rob exaggerated his sigh. “ I ’ m picking up an attitude of resistance. That would be why we made a deal before we left. Do you remember that? You promised if I made this visit happen, you would not be a pain in my butt when it was time to go. ”

“ I want to renegotiate. ”

“ You want to get off that sofa and get ready unless you want to board the plane in your pajamas. We ’ re leaving in less an hour. ”

“ Uncle Rob —”

“ Rob —”

“ Less than an hour. ” He cut off their duel whine.

Lexie stomped off in a huff, pouting while she packed her bag.

Rob made the most of his opportunity. “ Are you coming down for Thanksgiving? ”

Angela frowned at him. “ No. Are you nuts? ”

“ Nolan misses you. According to Deidra, you miss him too. ”

“ Deidra has a big mouth. ”

“ It ’ s obvious. You ’ ve been here all weekend and you ’ ve talked to your husband how many times? ”

“ He knows where I am. ”

“ Do you know where he is? Sorry, ” Rob amended. “ I shouldn ’ t have said that. I was out of line. ”

“ But correct. ” She didn ’ t flinch. “ I have no idea where he is and I don ’ t care. I know where he ’ s supposed to be. But, I can ’ t do anything about it if he isn ’ t. ”

“ If not you, then who? ”

Angela ’ s phone rang.

Rob ’ s brow crinkled in confusion. He recognized the ring.

Angela reached for her phone and yelled into the kitchen where Deidra was making Tank a snack for the plane ride. “ Unless you want something, quit calling me. ”

“ Not my fault, ” Deidra yelled back.

.     .     .

Mitchell wandered around the condo. It was cold and lifeless. They ’ d tastefully painted the walls beige and used layers of brown and tan and cream with hints of wine and rose to make their home warm and inviting. It was neither. It didn ’ t look like Halloween. It didn ’ t look like anything.

Angela always decorat ed and gave out treats. But not this year. This year, she was at Deidra ’ s sharing her holiday with Nolan ’ s kid. She didn ’ t invite him. Angela could have brought the child home … where he could see if she came with her father.

He thought about going over to check, but decided it wouldn ’ t be a good idea for him to appear jealous or mistrusting. He didn ’ t have the track record for that.

Mitchell walked past the guest room. Angela ’ s room. What kind of life were they having? They were out of options. It was time to get some counseling. He hadn ’ t wanted to admit it, not even to himself, but they weren ’ t going to survive without help.

Especially when they had to start working on a nursery. This was his child ’ s home too. They had to get ready for it. Angela slept in the bigger guest room. It should be the nursery. She had her own room … with him. But she wasn ’ t with him. She was with Nolan ’ s kid. Maybe Nolan …

He had too many thoughts. It was too quiet, not at all like a holiday. He ’ d see what was going on downstairs.

.     .     .

Mitchell let himself into the condo. “ Where is everybody? ”

“ Baby ’ s room, ” Keira called out.

Mitchell found her on the floor, lying on her back, rubbing her belly. “ What are you doing? ”

“ We ’ re listing to music. ” She pointed to her iPhone sitting on the baby ’ s dresser. The room had a forest theme, with soft green walls with darker green accents. The oak furniture gave it a woodsy vibe. A pair of white bunnies hopped along one wall and a robin and two bluebirds flew along another. The accessories were still missing. Adventurer or princess had to wait for the sonogram.

“ May I ask why you are on the floor? ” Rather than continue to stand over her, Mitchell sat down beside her.

“ The baby wanted to be here. ” She grinned.

“ That ’ s your favorite excuse, I ’ m noticing. ”

“ It ’ s infallible. Who ’ s going to deny the baby? ”

He rubbed her stomach. “ Who would dare try? ”

“ Exactly. ” She closed her eyes, enjoying his massage.

Mitchell enjoyed it too. Watching her lay there, affected by his touch had an immediate effect on him. It had been too long. “ Where ’ s Nate? ”

“ Hmm? ” She blinked up at him, almost drowsy.

“ Nate? Godfather. Roommate. You ’ ve met him. ” He pulled her shirt up and rolled the top of her maternity pants down to expose the firm roundness of her soft, tight skin. He rubbed her with both hands.

“ The baby loves when you do that. ”

“ That ’ s why I do it. ”

“ Nate ’ s gone. He went to a party with Adele and some people from the office. ”

“ Oh yeah. ” He remembered. Vaguely. He and Angela were invited. Without her, he wasn ’ t interested. He didn ’ t regret it. “ I hope he has fun. ”

“ Me too. I was supposed to go, but I —” Keira ’ s breath caught.

Mitchell leaned over and kissed her belly button. “ That ’ s my baby, ” he whispered into the wetness and kissed her again. Traveling beneath her top, Mitchell caressed her breast, weighing the heaviness, lightly teasing the nipple.

Keira moaned and held him to her when his mouth followed his fingers and he suckled her. She was needy. There was no question that she wanted him. What he did was delicious. His fingers worked their way into her pants, pushing aside her panties. She was already wet.

But, no.

Even as she pulled away from him, she yearned for more of his touch. “ We are not doing this. Remember what happened the last time. ” She sat up, adjusting her clothes.

Mitchell took a deep breath that did nothing to calm him. “ The doctor said it was okay. We were too rough before. You hadn ’ t been resting. But, it ’ s been a while. You ’ re stronger now. I ’ ll go easy. I promise. ” He stroked her nipple with his thumb.

“ No. ” She batted his hand away. “ I know what the doctor said. I also know what he didn ’ t say. That was a warning. I only need to be told once. I ’ m not jeopardizing the baby. ”

“ We ’ re not jeopardizing the baby. Couples have sex all the time when they ’ re pregnant. ”

“ Yes. Exactly. ” Keira tried to get up.

Mitchell was faster. He was on his feet, easily lifting her to an upright position. In two steps, he had her pinned against the crib where he ran his tongue along her neck. “ Baby, I need you. ”

It was delicious. “ You ’ re not listening to me. ” Keira tilted her head back to help him along.

“ I ’ m listening. ” He kissed her shoulder and squeezed her ass as he pressed into her.

“ We ’ re not a couple. Screwing around on your wife is wrong. ” She let her words clear her head. “ Okay, yeah, we did it. ” She wiggled out of his embrace. “ But to keep doing it is wrong. Can you imagine how terrible it was to have her drive me to the hospital because I overdid it giving her husband a quickie before work? Mitchell, that ’ s low, lower than I ever want to be again. I already told you. I am not sleeping with you anymore while you ’ re married. ” She stepped further away. “ And I ’ m not. Period. ”

Mitchell studied her. Knowing she was right didn ’ t change his desire to make love to her. Knowing he would say anything to get his way, he kept his mouth closed.

.     .     .

Keira moped. The shower didn ’ t help. The cup of chamomile tea remained untouched. Her evening was ruined. Mitchell ruined it. What the hell was going on? How did she get this life? Life. The word made her think of the baby. She rubbed her stomach. Everything made her think of the baby. “ Don ’ t tell anybody I said this, ” she whispered, “ but sometimes your daddy ’ s a butt. ” Sometimes. She glanced around the luxurious condominium. He had manned up. He took care of them in grand style. She didn ’ t lack for any material thing. But emotionally she was sad and tired. It was not all connected to pregnancy hormones either. She was lonely. She didn ’ t like having to share her man. Humph. He wasn ’ t her man. If he were her man, she wouldn ’ t be sharing him. Every disrespectful, vile thing Angela thought about her was true. She was the home-wrecking ‘ ho clinging to the bottom of the social order.

Angela had referred to her as ‘ his baby ’ s momma . ’ Baby-momma. Never in her wildest imaginings did she ever think she would become a baby-momma. Baby-mommas were supposed to get public assistance because their baby-daddies were irresponsible dogs. Baby-mommas had issues with the other women their baby-daddies were involved with. Baby-mommas did their thing without a man ’ s hand. Apparently, some baby-mommas were equivalent to well-kept call girls. Keira wept. She rubbed her belly for comfort.