Page 35 of Something Like That

“What is it, baby?” Alex whispered the words, but he was so focused, he heard them.

“Mom, would you stay with me?” And there was that young sounding voice again, the one that made every protective instinct in his body leap to attention.

“Of course, sweetheart.” Alex lowered herself to the edge of the mattress and from this angle, it looked like she took Em’s hand. Em made the sweetest little noise.

After a handful of heartbeats, Alex climbed into the bed and pulled Em close. The need to wrap his arms around the two of them, hold them and never let them go, ripped through him. The pain in his chest intensified, almost crushing his lungs. The prickle in his scalp slid down the back of his neck and across his shoulders.

Alex kissed the top of Em’s head. “Feel better, baby.”

And then she started to sing.

The ache crawled up his throat, making it thick and hard to breathe. Heat burned the back of his eyes. He needed to get out of here right now.

He spun and hurried downstairs as quietly as possible. His breath came out in gulps and gasps. The second stair from the bottom squeaked when he stepped on it and he stopped, his heart pounding so hard against his ribs he thought they might crack. He strained to hear beyond the blood rushing through his ears.

Nothing.

He bolted through the townhouse, making a bee-line for the front door, snapping off the lamp in the living room on his way through. The light from the range hood cast an eerie, cold light through the main floor.

His emotions were all over the place, and he didn’t know why. He just knew he had to get out of here. Be by himself for a bit. Stop and think without the distraction Alex and Em were turning out to be.

He slipped on his shoes, quickly tying the laces, before reaching into the closet to grab his coat. The scent of coconut hit him. He closed his eyes. The ache in his chest pulsed, making him light headed. He grabbed his coat and slipped it on.

The doorknob was cold against his fingers.

He hesitated for a second.

Then he opened the door and stepped onto the front porch.

The freezing, damp, windy air rushed against him, making his cheeks and forehead sting. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped off the porch. The walkway stretched in front of him.

He hesitated again.

But then, once again, he moved forward. It was, after all, what he’d always done. Put one foot in front of the other. So that’s what he did now.

He hurried down the walk and onto the sidewalk. The residential street was quiet, the streetlights highlighting the emptiness. Suddenly, he felt lost, adrift, and he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Closing his eyes, he took another deep breath. The cold air burned his lungs, but it helped to clear his head. He opened his eyes and blinked. The ice on the edge of the sidewalk sparkled in the light. He took a step forward, and then another. Kept his gaze forward. He’d call a cab when he got down the street.

And like always, he refused to look back. Even though he really, really wanted to.

Alex woke with the worst crick in her neck. She blinked her eyes open. It took a few moments to realize she was in Emily’s room instead of her own.

She rolled over and came face to face with her daughter.

“Morning.” Em mumbled the greeting through a yawn.

“Good morning.” Alex tucked Em’s hair behind her ear and pressed her palm to Em’s forehead. No fever. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” Em yawned again.

Alex glanced at the clock. 7:30am.

“How did it go yesterday?”

She glanced at Em. “How did what go?”

“Your date? With Nick?”