“Uncle Alex!” Sarah squeals as Lucy knocks right into my knee.
“Fu—” I suck in a breath as Britt shoos them away from my legs. I brace myself against the door, trying to breathe.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asks.
“Fine.” I grimace as Britt corrals them into the house, and I manage to push myself off the door.
“Sorry about that,” she says as she nods for me to come in.
“It’s okay, maybe she knocked my tendons back together,” I mewl. Britt laughs.
“I come bearing gifts.” I hold up the bags.
“Alex…”
I pull out the package of candy I got her as I make my way to the couch. “Don’t yell at me; I got you gummy bears.”
Britt grabs them and takes a seat next to me. I watch as she opens her gummy bears and dumps them right on top of her ice cream. I can’t help but smirk at her like this. She’s adorable when she’s pregnant. And her kids are pretty adorable, too.
“How long you staying?” she asks, flashing me a smirk of her own. I can hear the girls chatting and fighting down the hall over God knows what. A second later, Sarah’s barreling down the hall and jumping on the couch next to her mother.
“I don’t know. Might be a while.”
“How long’s a while?” she asks, shoving a spoonful of gummy bear-ified ice cream into her mouth.
“Doc said it could take anywhere from six months to a year. I hope it won’t be that long.”
“You think you can handle your mother for that long?”
“No, but I’m not staying with Mr. Perfect and Mrs. See You Next Time.”
Brittany rolls her eyes.
Lucy comes running down the hall and dives onto the couch, right into my lap. I catch her with precision and flip her.
“Know what a Batista Bomb is, Luce?”
“Do not Batista Bomb my child, Alex,” Britt says apathetically.
I stick my tongue out at her. “You’re no fun.”
I wrap my arms around Lucy and squeeze her tight instead.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay here,” Britt says softly. “I know the girls would have loved it,and—”
I wave her off. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
My phone rings again. “Daddy Issues.”
I shut it off, then notice the time. Fuck! I need to head out now or I’m going to be late.
“I gotta go. I have therapy,” I say with a sigh.
“Where at?” she asks as we both get up.
“The place in the next town. Dan’s something or other,” I say as I grimace.
I can’t wait to get to the point where it doesn’t hurt to just fucking stand.
