Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“I already had a couple of outfits brought in,” my mother says from beside me. Of course, she did, I think to myself. I don’t know what I would do without her.
“Well, I guess it’s settled then.” I smile at Aiden, and he runs to high-five my father, and thirty minutes later, my parents hug us both and leave.
“Today has been a big day.” I look down at him as we wave to my parents as they pull away from the house. “I think it’s time for a bath and then bed.”
“I’m not even tired,” he says, trying to fight the yawn but failing. “Let’s go see our bedrooms, shall we?” I grab his hand, walking back inside. After I lock the door, we walk up the stairs and look into the room facing the stairs and see that it’s Aiden’s. The walls are painted a soft blue, and his queen-size bed sits in the middle of the room with a big A hanging on the wall above his bed.
“This is my room, Mom,” he says in awe and walks over to the side where a white toy chest sits. On the wall just above the chest hangs every single superhero costume with the words ‘HERO UP’ and then a ledge on top of that with the figurines on the shelf.
“That’s so cool,” he says, going to grab a costume, but I reach out to stop him before he wastes anymore time.
“Bath time,” I say, and we walk into the next room, which is a bathroom. The white tiles on the wall give it a rustic feel, the big white sink that is built into the cabinets match. A drawer on the bottom of the cabinets is pulled out, showing you that it’s a step for him to stand on to reach the sink. I walk over to the tub and turn on the water. “Bath or shower?” I ask him, but he walks over to the towels hanging behind the door. And of course, they are superhero ones.
“Bath,” he says while he grabs a towel and brings it to me. “And this towel.” I start filling up the tub and grab his towel while he undresses, leaving his clothes in the middle of the floor.
“Your clothes.” I point at them, and he does a heavy sigh before walking to the pile and putting them in the basket in the corner.
“Bubbles?” he asks, and I open the cabinets and find one with lavender. I pour a bit inside, and he climbs in as the bubbles start to grow. He plays with the water a bit, so I sit on the toilet while I watch him.
I grab my phone and text the person who has taken over my thoughts. Luca.
Me: I think we need to talk.
I press send, not expecting him to answer right away, but he does.
Luca: Name the time and place.
I start typing and then stop for a second, not sure if I should invite him here. It’s my home, but the way he was talking, he’s going to be in Aiden’s life, so he’s going to want to see where his son lives. I turn the water off as he plays with a basket of toys that were sitting in the corner.
Me: We just got to our new home. Aiden is going to bed in about an hour, so you can come by.
The response is right away like before.
Luca: Sure, what’s your address?
I give him the address, and the only thing I get back is.
Luca: I know where that is. See you in an hour.
I try to not overthink it or get to me, but it does. Bath time goes off without a hitch, but honestly, I’m just going through the motions. We walk back into his room and open drawers until we find his pjs, which, surprise, are superheroes. Aiden decides he’s going to be Superman for the night, and once he gets dressed, he asks for his snack. We walk back downstairs for a snack, and I’m not surprised that everything is already stocked up. He grabs some cheese and crackers, and he has his first snack in the house sitting at the island on his stool. He asks for a glass of milk right before we walk back upstairs, and then he brushes his teeth. I tuck him into his bed and kiss his head, walking out of the room. “Bonne nuit, Cherie,” Good night, love, I tell him in French. I close the door, leaving it just a bit open, then go to my bedroom.
I finally take it in, and I know my mother definitely decorated this bedroom. The room is painted a light gray color with white moldings. My headboard is a light gray material that goes halfway up the wall. The duvet is a soft pink that looks like a light satin with a throw pillow the same color as the headboard. A bench sits in front of the bed, holding a throw blanket and a robe. The side tables are all mirrored and hold vases of fresh flowers on them with small picture frames of Aiden and myself. When I walk into the room, my feet sink into the plush cream carpet. Walking to the bathroom, I look straight at the tub. “Me and you are going to be well acquainted by the end of the night.”