like that she was going away.
“I will.”
“Call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Sad, but fine.”
He hugged her tight and then kissed her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Oh, before I forget. Thanks for punching Ethan, but now you have to make up with him. He won’t come to you. He’s too ashamed.”
“I’m pissed at him.”
“He did nothing to you. He hurt me, not you. I should be the angry one.”
And I shouldn’t be defending him right now.
“Are you angry?”
“I’m plenty angry. Just good at hiding it. Kiss and make up with him. Okay?”
He grumbled. “I’ll try.”
“Thank you. If it makes it easier, go ahead and hit him again,” she said with a dark smile. She kissed his cheek and entered her car.
“Seriously?”
“What do you think?”
He laughed. “Okay. Bye, sweets.”
“Bye,” she said before pulling down the driveway.
The ride went just as she said it would. Thankfully. They arrived home and she let the boys play in the yard as she brought all their luggage inside. Bridgette had texted her to say that she’d arrive on Wednesday, cutting her vacation short. Mia would make sure to pay her to make up for that.
So Mia would have the boys for five days by herself. She knew that she could do it. It had just been awhile since she had done so. Since their first year.
Taking a seat on the step, she watched the boys run around outside. She’d give them a half-hour to play before they headed to the grocery store.
“Oh, God,” she groaned. Two rambunctious boys in a grocery store. This wouldn’t be fun. She needed reinforcements. Now who would she pick? Marty, Clark, or Todd? She did eeny, meeny, miny, moe, and landed on Marty.
“Hi, Marty,” she said brightly when he answered the phone.
“What’s up, brat?”
“I’m in Chicago.”
“Really? I thought you were heading back to Indy …”
“I did,” she replied shakily.
“Mia, what’s wrong?”
“Can you come over?”
“Of course. Give me twenty minutes.”
True to his word, like always, Marty entered the backyard only to be tackled by her sons. As he played with the boys, she saw the question in his eyes. Where’s Ethan?
Eventually the boys let him up and he sat by her side and as she told him what had happened, he remained silent and listened, his hand holding hers, supporting her.
“Oh, Mia …” he said when she finished.
“It gets better … or worse, depending on how you look at it.”
He looked up from the boys. “What do you mean?”
“I’m eight weeks pregnant.”
“You’re pregnant?”
She smiled. “I am.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Congrats. I can see you’re happy about this.”
“Just this part. The rest? I’m a big ol’ mess.”
“Whatever you need, know that Bekah and I are here for you.”
“I’m glad you said that. I need a favor.”
“Of course.”
“I have to go grocery shopping and there are two options. One, you can come with me and the boys, or two, you can stay here with them while I shop.”
“Uh … option one,” he said, looking a bit scared.
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“Man, this sounds scary.”
She laughed. He had a right to be scared. “That’s why I called you. I needed reinforcements.”
Mia
Chicago, June 2015
For the first week, Ethan left Mia alone, only calling at night to talk to the boys before they went to bed. She made sure they were plenty exhausted at that time. She took them running with her every day along the lake. They went to the zoo. She took them shopping for more clothes and a small pool that she set up in the backyard. And with that, they spent their afternoons playing outside in the pool. The constant activity plus being two months pregnant added up to an exhaustion she had not seen in years.
She was happy when Bridgette arrived mid-week to help. She was even happier that Bridgette was back when she received a text from Ethan asking if he could see the boys sometime that weekend. She replied back with Saturday, saying that they had plans on Sunday. They really didn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.
She was nervous about seeing him, especially with the boys around. She didn’t know how she’d react and she didn’t want the boys to see that and sense something was wrong.
On Saturday, a little bit before he’d arrive, she kissed her boys, told them to be good for Daddy and went upstairs to her office. Bridgette would handle that exchange for her. Thank God. At night, Mia would have to see him and