When I see Carson duck behind Gianna, I’m aware that tonight may not go according to plan. “Yours isn’t happy either?”
“No,” Gia sighs. Her tight curls bounce all around her face, giving her a youthful look, but I see the bags under her eyes. “I guess even older kids can have sleep regression periods. He’s been waking up at three in the morning. I end up going to work by five because I can’t sleep, then crashing in a spare room at the hotel after lunch.”
“What if there aren’t any vacancies?” I ask as I carefully place Violet’s car seat against the wall, then slide into the booth. I grab Oliver’s arm, dragging him in beside me, so I’m able to reach both of them whenever needed. Oliver glares at Carson, who buries his head in his mother’s shoulder.
“I will sleep in my car. I have no issues with that. I’m too tired to care most days, and our house is too far away,” she laughs, sliding an arm around her son, patting his back. “Carson, this is Oliver. He’s four. How old are you?”
“No,” Carson replies.
Gia looks at me with a lopsided smile. “Can’t fault him for that answer. I don’t want to tell anyone my age either.”
“That’s because we’re old,” I complain. “Honestly, I don’t judgeyou one bit for sleeping in your car. My lunch break three times this week was a nap at my desk. Violet is getting up a lot right now as well.”
“Is there something in the air? Mercury in retrograde? A sun spot? Leap year? Something?” Gia wonders aloud.
“Whatever it is, I’m tired, and I don’t have the energy to research it.”
Our server comes over to take our drink orders, and we resume chatting. Neither of us push the boys to interact. We wait until they’re ready. Carson has the guts to speak first.
“I’m older than you,” he says.
Oliver glares at him. “Well, I’m taller than you.”
“No you’re not!” Carson shouts, making Gia slap a hand over his mouth.
“No shouting!” she hisses, eyes darting from side to side as she watches to see if anyone is listening. Her face screws up in distaste as she removes her hand, wiping it on the front of Carter’s shirt. “He licked me.”
Gross. I stifle a laugh as I look down at Oliver. “Bud, Carson is probably taller than you, but mostly because he’s older. When you’re both adults, you might be taller. Or you could be the same height. And it really won’t matter who is taller.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “Do you likeBluey?”
Carter’s eyes light up. “I do likeBluey!”
I pull out my phone, opening theBlueyapp. Carson stands at the edge of the table, as both boys whisper about the game and show. Honestly, whoever came up withBlueyis a damn genius. It’s the only surefire way to settle Oliver down when he’s really overstimulated.
After we order our food, Gia leans over the table, lowering her voice. “How are you doing? Are things better now?”
I shrug. “I guess. Nothing better, nothing worse. That’s really all I can ask for at this point.”
“Have you talked to Leo yet?”
I shake my head. “After I unceremoniously kicked him out, I’m not expecting an unplanned visit. We don’t even have each other’s phone numbers.”
Her eyes widen. “You changed yours? Wait. You didn’t. I’ve called you.”
“No, mine is the same, but I assumed he’d have changed his by now.”
“Nope. Still the same. He even kept it on for that entire last deployment, which I assume was for you to call if needed. Usually he turns it off, and only texts our family chat. He’d call occasionally, but it was pretty rare.”
“I’m well aware of that,” I mutter. The word “deployment” leaves such a sour taste in my mouth. Sometimes I’d go a few weeks without a word from him. I knew he wasn’t doing it purposely. He was on a mission, or somewhere in the country where they didn’t have communication set up. But it drained me, both emotionally and physically. I’d usually lose twenty or so pounds with every deployment, because I couldn’t stomach food.
“Why didn’t you tell either of us you were suffering so much?” Gianna asks quietly, reaching over to lay her hand over mine.
“What was I supposed to say? It wouldn’t have changed anything. Leo couldn’t come home, and it may have screwed up his mission if he wasn’t completely focused.”
“What about me?” she asks.
“You were newly in a relationship at the end. I wasn’t going to butt in with my problems.”
