“Thanks. It was exhausting—for Jen, more than us, obviously. But when I left, she was talking about getting full custody and child support, so I think the idea of taking the baby daddy down gave her some energy,” I said.
“Spite can be an excellent motivation when it comes to child-rearing,” he said, though I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic.
“At least my parents should counteract any less desirable energy.”
“Maybe that’s how they got along with Jen for so long. You were there to balance things,” he said.
“Is that how you get away with being such a brat?” I giggled.
“Hey, is that how you treat your personal chef?” He rolled over to smother me in hugs and kisses.
I squealed with delight, trying to keep up with the onslaught of affection without spilling. “I was kidding! I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you,” he said dramatically. “But I should get going. Will you be all right?”
I nodded and rubbed his tight shoulders. “Will you?”
“Yes. I get to come home to you.” He pecked my nose with a kiss.
“Oh.” I clapped my hand over my heart and slumped against the pillows as if he’d shot me with Cupid’s arrow. “Room serviceandromance? You really are the whole package.”
“And don’t you forget it. Bye, cutie.” He winked and headed out.
“Love you,” I called through the apartment.
He shouted something indecipherable just before he slammed the door shut.
I grinned and shook my head. He’d almost said he loved me. Almost texted it too. I had a feeling the actual phrase would be coming soon. Meanwhile, his actions spoke loudly enough.
After I ate and had one nice little carb nap, I had the rest of the day ahead of me. I didn’t have to go to work. Or study. Or anything.
It was a gift. But it also made me itchy.
I opened the curtains, which helped a little. Went for a walk. The frigid breeze woke me, and the following hot shower calmed me down again. I could watch TV. Text Kat. I should eventually go grocery shopping, although the store had delivery if I wanted to be lazy.
Oh, wait. Delivery.
Out of idle curiosity, I looked up the hourly wages of those drivers.
With tips? Not bad. Especially with peak hour bonuses. And it was freelance, like my driver said the other day.
The only big drawback was it didn’t have health insurance options. It wasn’t exactly a resume-builder either. Not like The Closette had been a huge help in that department, but it did give me sales experience.
I messaged Kat for her opinion, and she called me on her break.
“It’s probably not a bad gig, especially now that you’ve got a car,” she said. “Why don’t you come by tonight? Victor and Zero can pimp your ride with anything you’d need.”
“Oh, I don’t need anything.” I’d hate to impose on them.
“Trust me, they’re going to insist on checking everything for safety.”
Victor's rumbling voice joined the call. “Of course, darling. You're family.”
Family.
I smiled, warmed at the idea of our little pod spending our lives taking care of one another. I couldn’t wait for Victor to propose to my sister.
“Can I see the ring?” I asked.
