I had hoped Logan would let me sleep in, but despite how smart he is and how fast he’s growing, his little baby brain has not yet grasped that concept, heh. It was just after 7 a.m., and my little guy let everyone in the house know we still had jobs to do. I had just turned my pillow over to the cool side, too. Rude. Groaning, I threw my legs over the edge to force myself up. My heart still ached from yesterday, and sleeping with my back to my wife didn’t help. My sore hip was a reminder that I can’t continue this for much longer. I shuffled to the kitchen, blindly grabbed a jar off the shelf, and sat him in his chair. One spoonful in, and his whole face crumpled. Eyebrows drawn in, lips sealed tight like, nah, Dad, this ain’t it.
The laugh that slipped out of me was quick and thin, but it cracked the ice glazed over my heart, if only for a moment. I finally looked at what I had given him: mashed peas. Guess we won’t be trying that one again. Watching him grimace reminded me this was still just the start of our journey together. I didn’t know the first thing about alien babies, but just like Sim babies, he’ll never hesitate to tell me when I get it wrong.
Kooper whined at my feet, tail drumming the floor like a metronome. I snorted, realizing all the males in the house needed attention that morning. I didn’t want him running away again, so I told him to give me a few minutes while I finished feeding the young prince. Luckily, Desi had just come down, her energy already filling the room before she even spoke.
“Morning,” I said. “Can you keep an eye on him for me? I gotta take Kooper out.”
She nodded enthusiastically and scooped him into her arms like she’d been waiting all morning for this.
“Heeeey, Logie Bear!” she sang, her voice dripping with that big sister mix of teasing and love. She plopped him gently on his feet. “Let’s see if you’re giving strong legs today.”
Logan squealed in response, wobbling like a penguin while she held his hands. I couldn’t tell which of them was more entertained.
The chilly morning air bit my nose, but I welcomed it. Kooper tugged on the leash, eager to show me what his old bones still could do, and I let him lead the same way. If the spirit carried him all the way across the city, I’d follow. Coming back to the house, though, it loomed in front of me, heavy with everything I didn’t want to face, so I let Kooper into the house and doubled back to the garden instead.
The money tree stood there, shimmering like gold coins in the faint after-sunrise light. I felt like it wanted to cheer me up despite my neglect. Maybe it knows I’ll always show up before it’s too late, heh.
By lunchtime, my fingers were stiff with cold, and my knees reminded me I was nearing middle age again, so I went inside and had leftover breakfast from yesterday. Sophia’s footsteps traipsing down the stairs made the hairs on my arms rise. She slid into the chair beside me, deliberately, as if making sure I saw her. It felt…needy. Her hand drifted toward my arm, and I froze. Her touch would surely undo me, and I wasn’t ready to let this go.
“You okay?” she asked.
My heart raced. The fork in my hand suddenly felt like lead. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Upstairs, Logan screamed as if on cue, and I let out the breath I held. Aliens could read minds. Did he know I needed a distraction?
“He needs to be changed,” I muttered, already pushing my chair back.
She didn’t stop me. Maybe she knew better than to try. I hadn’t finished eating, but I scraped my plate and left her there while I busied my hands with dishes and the dogs’ bowls. Anything to avoid her eyes.
Later, I thought maybe the porch would give me quiet, and I went to claim it, but Desi was already out there with Tami, laughing and trading secrets. It was cool to see them together. I hadn’t seen her since she was a sassy little thing, near threatening Dub about a horse, so I sat with them for a few minutes, smiling at their chatter, nodding at words I didn’t understand until I had an escape plan. After an appropriate amount of time, I retreated inside, where Rosie’s leash awaited me. She was always game to spirit me away.
Inside, Sophia had Logan in the highchair, airplane-ing something pale into his mouth. It smeared his face like war paint.
“He really loves applesauce,” she said softly, like an invitation I couldn’t accept.
“That’s great.”
The words left my mouth flat and foreign, like they didn’t belong to me. Before her eyes could ask for more, I slipped out the door with Rosie.
Evening chilled me straight through, and I dashed to the fireplace when I returned. My heart almost skipped a beat when I noticed Sophia sitting at the dining table. She couldn’t have known this would be my next stop. My hands still needed warming, though, so I brushed past her. The warmth stung my cold hands. She sat behind me, waiting, maybe hoping I’d turn around, but the crackle of fire was easier to look at than the longing in her eyes.
Finally, her chair scraped against the floor.
“I’m going to bed. I’ll take him with me.”
I didn’t turn around.
“Leave him. Goodnight.”
It took a moment for her footsteps to retreat, and when they did, a loud sigh accompanied them. Moments later, she was gone, and I too sighed. The fire popped, making me flinch. And the house—our house—was louder in its silence than it had been all day.