“I don’t like Fiona anymore,” he says as he chews his sandwich.
I’m getting to know all of Isaac’s friends. He talks about Fiona a lot. I’m alarmed to hear that he doesn’t like her. “How come?”
His little face falls, and tears spring to his eyes. I reach out and touch his hand.
“She didn’t want to play with me. She wanted to play with Abby.”
Fiona is all of five years old, so I can’t really get angry with her for refusing to play with Isaac.
“What about the boy you told me about yesterday? Joseph.”
“He wanted to play, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to play with Fiona. She’s my best friend.”
“How about tomorrow you ask Joseph to play with you. I know Fiona is your best friend, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have other friends too. Right?”
He nods. I’m not sure how much of what I’m saying he understands. My heart expands and constricts. It must be really difficult to be a mother.
“I’ll remind you in the morning,” I tell him, and he embarks on another story. This one luckily is happy, giving my heart a rest.
After his snack, we go to the trampoline and bounce on it, though I do more lying down than bouncing. I’ve never spent this much time with a child. I feel guilty now and sad because I didn’t spend a lot of time with Jessica’s kids. She had them so close together that going to their house was intimidating. I missed out on a great relationship.
Later, we go back into the house, and I start cooking dinner while Isaac goes to his room to play. It’s so different from the life I was used to. I like it. It’s simple, undemanding, and just what the doctor ordered.
The closer Brad’s home time gets, the more excited I become. I remember his question before he left.
I can’t wait for this evening. I want to fuck you again, Mila, may I?
Desire pools in the pit of my stomach, and I stop stirring for a few seconds. I remember the feeling of his cock buried deep in my pussy, and my legs tremble. My nipples harden against the material of my maxi dress.
I return to my cooking and try to distract myself before my horniness becomes unbearable.
Chapter 9
Brad
I’ve been grinning for no reason at work all day. More than one person has asked me what I’m so happy about. Still, there’s one thing that is marring my joy, and I work through it in the course of the day.
By evening, I’ve come up with a solution. I don’t want to hurt Mila, but giving her hope that there can be anything more between us is wrong. She’s beautiful and sweet, and she deserves better. I don’t want to be the man that raises her hopes and then crushes them.
I only want her body, nothing else. She probably dreams of a real relationship. That’s not something I can give her. I’m just not emotionally available. That part of my life is closed. My aim is to raise Isaac to be a good person, the best person he can be. And while at it, enjoy my life with a few physical affairs if they happen to fall my way. There will be no walking down the aisle a second time for me, and Mila deserves to know that. I decide to have that talk with her.
I stop and buy a bottle of wine on the way home. I’m frightened to lose her. She’s brought a lot of happiness into our lives, and I don’t want to lose her just when we’ve found her.
But more than that, she’s giving Isaac a mother figure. I’ve noticed how often they hug and cuddle. He seems happier, more excited to be home. And it’s all due to Mila. But I can’t lead her on even if it is to make my son happy. I’ll gently tell her and hope that it doesn’t drive her away.
Armed with a bottle, I get into the house and immediately smell dinner. Mila is good at that. Guilt floods me at how relaxed I’ve become. I haven’t cooked dinner once this week. I have to remind her that she doesn’t need to cook for us. I can do that.
Isaac hears the sound of the door and comes running from his room.
“How was your day, buddy?”
“Good,” he says and goes into a conversation devoid of periods and commas as he brings me up to date.
Afterward, I go to the kitchen and pause at the entrance at the sight of Mila in a beautiful, flowing dress. It almost touches the floor, but what grabs my eye is how it brings out her curves. She turns to get something and sees me. She comes straight into my arms.
We hold each other for a few seconds without speaking. I inhale her sweet scents and enjoy the feel of her soft body pressed against mine.