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“And that’s dinner,” Colton said nervously and looked at her. Eris immediately turned away, causing him to sigh, but he really couldn’t blame her. They’d been intimate once, years ago, resulting in Zane – and their breakup. Yeah, there was quite a long way to go before they would be comfortable together.
Frankly, Colton was a little surprised she didn’t get upset about the whole ‘men lounging in their underwear on the couch’ moment that he and his son were sharing. He remembered as a boy that his dad would sit in his boxers and a tank top – and he would be there in his Power Ranger UnderRoos beside him.
To him, it was a ‘guy thing’, a bonding moment, and made him feel at home… and he wanted that with his son. In fact, he had already ordered several pairs of Winnie the Pooh boxers for himself, a T-shirt for Zane, and pajamas for Eris - so they all matched.
Hiking up his pants, he announced he was decent to Eris and answered the door. Paying the delivery guy, he turned and saw she was still standing there, looking a little nervous or out of sorts.
“How was work today?”
“It was all right.”
“Did anything happen?” he asked simply, walking into the kitchen to get some paper plates for all of them and needing the small talk. “Zane, come get in your seat, buddy. We’re going to have dinner.”
Eris walked into the kitchen finally and began pouring them each something to drink… only to pause beside him, not looking up from where she was standing.
“I’m not a bad mother,” she whispered in hushed breath. “I just never had time to really…”
“Hey,” Colton began softly, looking at her – and turned her to look at him before putting his finger under her chin to meet her eyes. “I never claimed you were or wanted to make you feel this way. I want to help, to be his father, and it just came naturally today. You didn’t do anything wrong. He recognized the bathroom and what it was for – so I took a chance.”
“I just can’t believe all of this. I mean, he’s doing it. He’s potty trained…”
“If saying ‘potty trained’ means a child running around stark naked… yup,” he joked, trying to make her laugh again and saw a tentative smile touch her lips.
“You’ll have to break that before kindergarten.”
“I’ve got some time.”
They shared a tentative smile, and she nodded, pulling back slightly.
Colton sighed heavily.
Baby steps, he chided himself silently. It’s been almost four years since you’ve seen each other, and you don’t want her to run again. Win her over and figure this out, because you can’t lose her again.
10
* * *
ERIS
Oh, man…
Eris sighed and snuggled against her pillow. She was seriously having the best dream ever despite all the awkwardness of the last two days. She was dry, comfortable, well-fed, and oh-so warm, and even Zane was potty trained and didn’t have an accident. So the diaper-changing wrestle-a-thon was over.
Maybe.
Were things tough? Sure!
Like last night was a rough one full of uncomfortable conversations that she never expected to have.
“Um, I think you should give Zane’s room one more day so it doesn’t smell heavily of paint,” Colton tossed out there quietly, reaching for another slice of pizza. “I’ve still got to get another mattress, and well, I had to touch up a few spots of paint.”
“I can sleep on the couch,” she offered simply.
“We’re adults, and Zane is the ultimate protection from me,” he chuckled, looking up at her gently, giving her a half smile. “I can’t imagine that conversation if Zane saw us fooling around. ‘Oh no, Daddy, where’d it go?’ or worse yet… ‘Why is Mama making a face?,’” and that small smile turned into a full-blown satisfied grin as her face heated with embarrassment.
“Seriously?” she hissed. “Making fun of my face during an intimate moment the one time that…”
“Wait a second,” Colton interrupted. “Who’s making fun? That was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life – besides him.”
