like forever but not nearly long enough. Yanking us out of the moment too soon, Emma’s alarm clock blared through the monitor.
“Shit!” I jumped back in a tizzy. “What time is it? Holy shit.” I scrambled. “You have to go! She can’t see someone here.”
“She gets up at five a.m.?” He gave me a confused look.
“She’s overly proficient. She has to be at school by seven-thirty and it takes her forever to get ready. Besides, she goes to bed at like eight-thirty. I’m telling you, she isn’t the average nine year old.” I chuckled.
“What about the door over there?” He pointed.
“No, it’s bolt locked. I don’t have my keys.”
He looked over to the fire escape.
“No, you can’t, it’s broken,” I said in a panic.
“Well that’s not safe or legal.” He scowled at me.
“Okay, Fire Marshal Bill, lecture me later. Right now I’m so sorry but you have got to hide!” My voice was a few octaves higher than normal.
“Well, can I at least hide inside, with some coffee?”
I laughed. “Yes, sure, of course. I’m sorry. I’m panicked. Just goes to show you how new this all is to me.” I shrugged and we headed down the fire escape.
“Mom?” Emma called up to me, all sorts of groggy.
“Be right down, honey.”
“I’m going to shower,” she muttered.
I turned to Nathan. “Oh good, she’s going to shower. You can get that coffee to go.”
“Kicking me out already?” He arched one eyebrow up.
What? Already? I just spent three hours pouring my guts out up there, and he wants to stay? The kissing was nice, though.
“Hello? Jordie?” He waved his hand in my face to get my attention.
I quickly snapped out of it. “Sorry, I was... Nevermind. Um, no that’s... fine... or um... okay.”
Shit! Fine? Okay? Those were words describing a walk in the park—not the message I wanted to send out. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly with my eyes closed.
“Yes, I’d like if you’d stay,” I said shyly. “I’d like it a lot.” I opened my eyes and looked up, smiling at him, and that smile of his was already waiting for me. He walked over and put his arms around my waist and kissed me again.
Oh my Lord, I’m melting . I pulled back this time, but he kept his arms around me, pinning our hips together so I had to arch my back to see his face.
“I need an hour to get her ready and off to school. That okay?” I broke away from his gentle hold.
“Sure.”
I turned to make my way downstairs and he smacked my behind playfully.
I CAME BACK IN from walking Emma to the bus stop to find Nathan on the couch drinking coffee and watching TV. He shut it off when I sat next to him.
“Hey,” he said and set his cup on the coffee table.
“Hey, you. I don’t know about you, Nathan, but I’m exhausted. I need some sleep.”
“Okay, so sleep.” He patted the cushion next to him.
“Uhh no, I don’t do couch sleeping. It’s too light in here. I like it dark when I sleep.”
“You don’t sleep with a TV on?” He sounded shocked.
“I don’t watch TV period. I think the last time I watched television I was a teenager. I was always out when I was younger. After Emma was born Nickelodeon was the only thing allowed on. Now that she’s older, neither of us really watches it.” I shrugged. “Just not big on TV, movies, Internet. I like to read, but I haven’t had time for that in a while. I do skim the New York Times occasionally to stay somewhat connected to the world.” I laughed and got up to pour myself another cup of coffee.
“This is your plan of action to sleep?” he asked me as I walked back in holding my cup.
“No. This is my plan of action to spend some more time with you.” I sat back down next to him and took a sip.
We talked, and talked, then talked some more. We discussed the bar, Rachel, and Emma. We even discussed how our love lives over the last few—okay, over the last decade almost—had been non-existent. Which left us both with the hard
“Shit!” I jumped back in a tizzy. “What time is it? Holy shit.” I scrambled. “You have to go! She can’t see someone here.”
“She gets up at five a.m.?” He gave me a confused look.
“She’s overly proficient. She has to be at school by seven-thirty and it takes her forever to get ready. Besides, she goes to bed at like eight-thirty. I’m telling you, she isn’t the average nine year old.” I chuckled.
“What about the door over there?” He pointed.
“No, it’s bolt locked. I don’t have my keys.”
He looked over to the fire escape.
“No, you can’t, it’s broken,” I said in a panic.
“Well that’s not safe or legal.” He scowled at me.
“Okay, Fire Marshal Bill, lecture me later. Right now I’m so sorry but you have got to hide!” My voice was a few octaves higher than normal.
“Well, can I at least hide inside, with some coffee?”
I laughed. “Yes, sure, of course. I’m sorry. I’m panicked. Just goes to show you how new this all is to me.” I shrugged and we headed down the fire escape.
“Mom?” Emma called up to me, all sorts of groggy.
“Be right down, honey.”
“I’m going to shower,” she muttered.
I turned to Nathan. “Oh good, she’s going to shower. You can get that coffee to go.”
“Kicking me out already?” He arched one eyebrow up.
What? Already? I just spent three hours pouring my guts out up there, and he wants to stay? The kissing was nice, though.
“Hello? Jordie?” He waved his hand in my face to get my attention.
I quickly snapped out of it. “Sorry, I was... Nevermind. Um, no that’s... fine... or um... okay.”
Shit! Fine? Okay? Those were words describing a walk in the park—not the message I wanted to send out. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly with my eyes closed.
“Yes, I’d like if you’d stay,” I said shyly. “I’d like it a lot.” I opened my eyes and looked up, smiling at him, and that smile of his was already waiting for me. He walked over and put his arms around my waist and kissed me again.
Oh my Lord, I’m melting . I pulled back this time, but he kept his arms around me, pinning our hips together so I had to arch my back to see his face.
“I need an hour to get her ready and off to school. That okay?” I broke away from his gentle hold.
“Sure.”
I turned to make my way downstairs and he smacked my behind playfully.
I CAME BACK IN from walking Emma to the bus stop to find Nathan on the couch drinking coffee and watching TV. He shut it off when I sat next to him.
“Hey,” he said and set his cup on the coffee table.
“Hey, you. I don’t know about you, Nathan, but I’m exhausted. I need some sleep.”
“Okay, so sleep.” He patted the cushion next to him.
“Uhh no, I don’t do couch sleeping. It’s too light in here. I like it dark when I sleep.”
“You don’t sleep with a TV on?” He sounded shocked.
“I don’t watch TV period. I think the last time I watched television I was a teenager. I was always out when I was younger. After Emma was born Nickelodeon was the only thing allowed on. Now that she’s older, neither of us really watches it.” I shrugged. “Just not big on TV, movies, Internet. I like to read, but I haven’t had time for that in a while. I do skim the New York Times occasionally to stay somewhat connected to the world.” I laughed and got up to pour myself another cup of coffee.
“This is your plan of action to sleep?” he asked me as I walked back in holding my cup.
“No. This is my plan of action to spend some more time with you.” I sat back down next to him and took a sip.
We talked, and talked, then talked some more. We discussed the bar, Rachel, and Emma. We even discussed how our love lives over the last few—okay, over the last decade almost—had been non-existent. Which left us both with the hard
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