Chapter 34
Noah
Two months later . . .
“Hey, Mom.” I close the door to my apartment. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“Hope you don’t mind. I was in the city and stopped by to see my grandbaby.
” Max has a soft spot for my mom. He’s a perfect angel for her.
She jokes that he knows she can’t deal with much, so he goes easy on her.
Whatever it is, it’s working for them. Their relationship has grown by leaps and bounds. The kid loves his Nana.
Even when I squat down to say hi, he’s running to her. “Nana.”
I laugh. “How fast they forget us.”
She pushes up to greet me with a hug. “Liv’s not feeling well. I ordered some soup. If I had known sooner, I would have made it for her.”
“I’m sure she appreciates it.”
“She hasn’t eaten yet. I checked on her about thirty minutes ago, but she was going to lie down. I didn’t want to disturb her again. I stayed so she could rest, and the perk is that I get to spend more time with my Max.”
Glancing toward the bedroom, I ask, “Do you mind staying with him a little longer?”
“Take your time. Max has been fed, and I already bathed him. I’m in no hurry. I’m staying with Lark and Harbor for the rest of the week. We’re on baby watch.”
“Yeah, she’s due, right?” I slide my jacket down my arms and leave it draped over a chair, anxious to get to Liv. Rolling up my sleeves, I make my way back to the bedroom and peek inside. The room is dark, matching the day outside.
I worked late but wouldn’t have stayed if I knew she was home sick. Keeping my voice low, I say, “Liv?”
“Noah, you’re home.” The sound of the sheets shuffling is heard through the dark. “I would have gotten up.”
“No, stay, babe.” I cross the room and sit on the edge of the mattress. My eyes finally adjust, and I see her eyes looking into mine.
She says, “You shouldn’t be this close to me. I’m sick.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.” Stroking her hair back, I stop and feel her forehead for a temperature. She’s not hot. She’s not cold or clammy. “How do you feel? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I got chills and lost color in my face at work. Then I was sweating. No amount of caffeine this morning could get me moving. I felt like I was fighting something all morning, so I came home to lie down. Cassandra was here, and then your mom stopped by.”
“I saw her.” I glance at the nightstand to see a cup of water barely touched and half a bottle of a sports drink. The electrolytes are good, but I’m not sure the sugar will make her feel better.
“Are they okay?”
“She’s fine. They’re having a good time playing.” I run the back of my hand along her cheekbone. “She ordered soup. You think you can eat?”
She sighs out loud, her eyes closing as she rolls to her back. “I’m not hungry, but it might make me feel better.”
I stand. “If you can eat, you should, to gain your strength back.” I get the remote and turn on the large screen across the room. “How about you have a night in here, try to eat, rest, and watch movies? You can recover, and I’ll take care of everything else.”
“You make it sound like you don’t do that already.” A halfhearted smile appears on her pretty face. Forcing herself upright, she leans against the headboard and reaches for the glass of water. “I think it’s just a bug, but I shouldn’t be around you guys.”
“I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Let me take care of you.” Heading for the door, I wait to open it. “I’ll bring the soup. Tonight, you just need to heal and rest. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Noah?”
With my hand wrapped around the doorknob, I turn back. “Yes?”
“I miss you guys already.”
I grin, understanding completely. We spend every evening together.
We sleep together each night. We make love in the middle of the night.
But it’s her arms around me that I’ll miss the most. She’s a bed hog and never leaves me much space to spread out.
If we’re talking percentage of mattress to body mass, I’m getting screwed out of my share.
I happily give her all the room she wants because I’m the guy who gets to wake up to this beauty every morning.
“Me too, but if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be right out there. Just call, and I’ll be here for you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
When I return to the living room, my mom carries a sleepy Max with half-closed eyes. “I think you wore him out.”
“He wore me out,” she replies, laughing quietly. “How is she?”
Washing my hands, I reply, “She doesn’t have a temperature, but she thinks she has a bug.”
“Oh, that’s not good. What can I do? I can stay and take care of Max or be here for Liv.”
I know she means well. After drying my hands, I press them to the counter because I’m also very aware that my dad let her run the household and deal with us kids most of the time.
Unless we majorly fucked up, of course, and then he stepped in.
I love my dad, but I want to be more present, not just there for the fun or bad times.
I want to take an active role in my family.
Max and Liv are my family. I want to be here for them through everything.
“It’s okay, Mom. I can take care of them.”
“Who’s taking care of you? You look tired, Noah.”
“It’s called work for a reason.” I hate that she might think I’m being short. “It’s just different than I expected. Not as rewarding. I’d rather have more than a few minutes with Max, but that’s all I’ve been getting lately.”
“I know it’s hard on you.” She comes to me. Dragging hair off to the side from my forehead, she says, “I watched your dad burn out. It took a long time to recover. And even though he was doing it for his family, we would have preferred time with him.”
“Yeah. I hear you.” I look at my baby in her arms. He’s almost outgrown them. “Liv takes care of me.”
Glancing up at me, she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t have to. Knowing I’m being loved is enough.
She hands Max over almost reluctantly. I smile, watching her admire my son. I couldn’t have asked for more. Resituated in my arms, he’s almost asleep when he rests against me. “Want me to call you a car?”
“I’m good. I’ll catch a cab out front.” Caressing my cheek, she says, “You’re a good partner and father, Noah. They’re lucky to have you.”
“No, it’s not luck. We make the effort to be there for each other every day and every night.”
Her eyes begin to glisten, so I wrap an arm around her and bring her in to kiss her cheek. “I was lucky to have such a great role model.”
Dabbing the corner of her eyes, she says, “I’ll make sure to tell your father.” Her laughter follows her toward the door.
“You brought the jokes.”
After picking up her purse, she turns back. “He’s a good man, too, but I’ll be bragging about the role model compliment for weeks. Love you, honey.”
Chuckling, I reply, “Love you.” I lock the door behind her, then walk slowly toward Max’s bedroom. His night-light is already on in the corner, so I kiss his head when I slip inside and set him gently in his crib. “Love you, buddy.”
He’s out for the night, so I leave his room and return to the kitchen to heat the soup.
It smells good, causing my stomach to growl.
I’ll figure out what I’m going to eat when I have time.
When I enter the bedroom with the bowl of soup, I notice she’s watching Sons of Anarchy again. “You cheating on me with Jax Teller?”
“Do you believe in hall passes?” She sure looks eager and wide awake all of a sudden for someone who’s sick. She readjusts on the bed before I hand the bowl to her. “My stomach just growled.”
“For Jax or the soup?”
“Can’t it be for both?”
Although she’s not laughing at all, I say, “I see your sense of humor is intact.” I watch her take a sip of the broth.
She hums and does a little wiggle. “It’s good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I go into the closet to pull some shorts out of the drawer. With them in hand, I add, “Max is in bed. I’m going to set up camp in the living room.”
“Not the guest room?”
“I’m going to watch TV and wind down.”
She clears her throat. “I really appreciate how you take care of us, Noah. I hate being a bother.”
“You’re never a bother. I just want you better.” I’m about to close the door to the bedroom, but stop to add, “I don’t believe in hall passes. Nothing about me could handle the thought of you with someone else.”
“I’m not running at full capacity. So why do you have to be so swoony tonight and take me down so easy?” I recognize the up-to-no-good grin sitting on her face. “And for the record, I don’t need a hall pass since I have you.”
“Not even for Jax Teller?”
“Not for Jax Teller or Charlie Hunnam. They don’t hold a candle to you or that great ass of yours, Noah Westcott.”
I balk with laughter, returning to hold my hand to her head. “You sure you don’t have a fever?”
“I’m already feeling better because of you.”
Popping my collar, I say, “You sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself.”
“I’ll promise to make you feel even better when I’m well again.”
I give her a wink, thinking it’s best if I don’t kiss her right now since she’s sick. “I’m holding you to that. Both the well and the better parts.”
This time, when I leave the room, I’m wearing the goofiest grin. I scratch the back of my neck and shake my head because the woman makes me smile even while not feeling her best.
I find a take-out container tucked in the refrigerator from the same restaurant the soup came from with grilled chicken, green beans, and potatoes.
It’s not a big meal, but it will do. I’m just grateful my mom ordered something for me because I’m too tired to mess with figuring out what to eat after the weeks of long days I’ve had.