Hannah wrestled with her pillow as the noise disturbing her sleep got louder. She was exhausted; trapped between awareness and the inability to move. Groaning lightly, she rallied, propping herself up as a gentle hand stopped her.
“Hey...I got it…” he whispered. His hair was a mess, and his scruffy facial hair matched her own lack of sleep.
“Are you sure?” she yawned.
“Annie...I got it…” JC smiled, repeating himself “Go back to sleep.”
He kissed her cheek before leaving the room. She fought her eyelids as her instinct kicked in, relaxing when the baby’s cries got softer to a stop. In their place, the faint melody of his voice lulled her into relaxation.
Feeling the weight of the bed shift as he crawled back in, she beamed, eyes closed, as he pulled her to him.
“Shhh I’m sleeping…” she teased as she melted in his embrace.
“So is she,” he whispered back.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
“For what? She’s mine, too, Hannah…”
Hannah’s eyes jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest, as she let out a loud breath. Her eyes searched the bed around her as her brain caught up.
“ANNIE...annie…” She was met with concerned eyes as JC gently touched her arm. “Hey...You ok?”
She sighed as recognition hit her “Yeah...Weird dream…” she smiled weakly at him.
“Must have been...a bad one?” he studied the look on her face.
“No,” she touched his cheek. “Not bad...Just not real…”
He grabbed her wrist, kissing the inside of her palm. He glanced at the bedside clock.
“What time do you have to head out?”
Hannah glanced at the clock for herself and sighed, reaching for her bag to disable the alarm on her phone “About an hour. Picking her up at 7.
JC smiled. “Coffee before you go?”
Hannah nodded “How do you still know me so well?”
“Easy...Never forgot,” he smirked.
They sat finishing a cup of coffee each in his living room, Hannah checking the time and sighing “I better go.”
JC smiled. “Glad you could come over.”
She blushed “Yeah. Me too...Dinner this week?”
“Ok,” he grinned “You let me know when.”
“When I know, you’ll know. “ she kissed him quickly.
“Ok…”
Hannah sighed “I’m sorry I’m so flakey. “
“You’re not flakey, Hannah...You have a life...and a kid.”
She smiled, her face falling a little as she remembered her dream. “Jace I...want you to meet her, I just…”
“Hey,” he took her hand “It’s ok. I get it. It’s a big deal. “
Hannah nodded. “She’s just so young and...Well her dad…”
“Hannah,” he looked at her sincerely, “I can wait. It’s FINE…”
“Ok…” she bit her lip.
Starting her car as she pulled out of his drive, Hannah smiled to herself. She didn’t know how long they would last this time. She didn’t know when he would meet Olivia. She didn’t even know if she could trust her own feelings after so long, but she knew one thing- She was happy. Happier than she had been in a really long time.
******
“LIVIE...BABY...Come on we gotta go…” Hannah called up the stairs. She had fed her, bathed her, and helped her get dressed, but Olvia was still in her room early on a Tuesday morning. Hannah was trying to be patient, but she had a meeting with her editor she couldn’t be late for.
“MOMMY I need KITTY!” she pouted as she walked downstairs.
“Baby you don’t need kitty at school.”
“School?”
“Yes, honey you’re going to see Ms. Carly today…”
Olivia gave Hannah a confused look “Not grammy?”
“No Livie...It’s Tuesday...Remember...Mommy is going to work and you go to hang out with your friends.”
Hannah was fortunate enough to write from home most days, but two days a week she had business meetings and Olivia went to daycare.
“Am I going to Grammy’s again tomorrow? You have another meeting?” she asked.
Hannah sighed. “No baby...Not tomorrow..Come on...Let’s go...You’ll see kitty later…”
Hannah looked in the rearview at Olivia in her car seat.
“Livie?”
“Yes, Mommy?”
“Do you like going to Grammy’s?”
Olivia nodded “Yes, mommy...When you have meetings!”
Hannah looked away for a second, feeling guilty.
“Honey...Mommy has to tell you something…”
“Tell me what, mommy?”
“Well...Did you know adults have friends, too?”
Olivia nodded “Uh huh, like Auntie Jade!”
Hannah smiled “Yeah baby...Kinda...Well...Mommy has a new friend, and sometimes, I go hang out with him…”
“To go play?”
Hannah laughed a little to herself “Um...sort of...But, well it wouldn’t be very fun for you, so you get to go to Grammy’s…”
“What about daddy?” she asked, a serious look on her face.
Hannah’s face fell as she sighed “Yeah...and sometimes daddy…”
“I like Grammy!” Olivia smiled, making Hannah smiled back.
“Good. Grammy loves you. Baby...Is it ok that mommy has a new friend?”
Olivia got a thoughtful look on her face.
“Is he nice?”
Hannah nodded “Very nice.”
“Ok, mommy…” she smiled, kicking her feet a little.
“Okay…” Hannah smiled.
****
JC turned down the playback, smiling as he picked up his phone.
“Hey Annie…”
“Hi...What’s that music?”
JC turned down a knob even more. “Uh...Just something I’m working on.”
“Is that English?”
JC smirked “Japanese…”
“You speak Japanese now?”
JC chuckled “No…”
Hannah paused “Huh...Interesting…”
“Turn it up for a second.
JC took a breath, turning the volume back up and holding the phone to it for a few seconds.
Biting his lip, he held it back to his ear “What do you think?”
“It’s...different. I like it. I have no idea what they are saying, but I like it.”
JC’s eyes crinkled as he smiled “All about the beat, Mama…”
“Well that’s the best part, so mission accomplished.”
“Arigato...So what’s up?”
Hannah giggled. “Early Dinner Saturday?”
JC grinned “Sure...Where?”
“My place?” Hannah replied. “Can’t go far, but, my cooking’s gotten pretty good.”
JC smiled “Olivia?”
“She’ll be with my mom.”
JC sighed “He bailed again?”
Hannah nodded on the other end “Yeah, but my mom insisted, so…”
“Grandma time...Makes sense.”
“Yeah...I’m lucky that way…”
“I’ll bring wine,” JC replied, changing the subject.
“Just bring yourself…” she smiled.
“We’ll see…” JC teased.
***
Hannah answered the door with a smile in a cute cotton Max dress and hoop earrings.
JC grinned, giving her a quick once over. “Now who’s trying pretty hard?”
Hannah smirked. “Not really,” She squeezed his side quickly as he stepped inside and pulled her close to plant a kiss on her lips.
“Something smells good,” he grinned, hovering near her mouth.
Hannah grinned “Lasagna…”
“Mmmmm...Yep...Trying pretty hard…” he teased.
She playfully pushed him away as she noticed the bag in his hand.
“I told you not to bring anything…”
JC shook his head “Too bad.” He pulled a bottle out and Hannah recognized the wine from their favorite restaurant.
She blushed, taking it from him “I’ll go get some glasses.”
JC watched her walk to the kitchen, and couldn’t help but staring at her for a minute, appreciating the subtle changes to her curves in time they had been apart. He was NOT complaining.
Finishing an early meal, they sat on the couch finishing another glass of wine, tv on for background noise.
“Sorry this isn’t so exciting. Sunday morning pickup comes pretty fast…”
JC smiled, resting his hand on her leg. “Annie...I don’t need exciting…”
She chuckled, taking a sip of her wine “Good, because boring is kind of my MO these days.”
His eyes twinkled as he looked at her “I don’t think so...Far from boring…”
Hannah grinned as she scooted closer to him on the couch, resting her head against the side of his body as he draped one arm around her.
JC grinned. “Still a cuddler, huh?”
Hannah smiled as she looked up at him “I guess so…”
He leaned down to kiss her, taking his time. Her lips moved to meet his, a blush on her face as they pulled away.
The moment was interrupted when the doorbell rang.
“You order something? JC asked her confused.
“No,” she got up, equally confused.
Opening the door, Hannah’s face fell, her body language changing as JC looked on.
“What are you doing here?” she spoke, her voice even but annoyed.
“Had a meeting nearby. Thought I’d drop by to see Olivia…” a voice answered.
JC was intrigued, trying not to eavesdrop, but curious as to who was on the other side of the door. His voice sounded familiar-but from where?
“You didn’t call first. She’s not here…”
“Why isn’t she here…It’s Saturday” he challenged Hannah.
Hannah sighed “Yes, it is...and you canceled...again...so I made plans. She’s with my mom.”
“Oh...Well, I could go get her...Take her to the park or something…”
Hannah’s voice was hushed now, trying not to draw attention “You can’t...You can’t just make surprise visits. That’s not how this works. We had plans and you couldn’t keep them. Call me next weekend if you want to see her.”
“Hannah! I’m allowed to see my daughter. I ended this meeting early to get here.”
“Then you should have given me a heads up. Now if you’ll excuse me...I’m busy…” She started to close the door, his hand reaching out to stop it.
“I don’t think so. Call your mom. I’ll go get her.”
“I said no...Move your hand.”
“Hannah...Quit keeping her from me…”
“I’m not. You can’t keep plans. I won’t keep letting you disappoint her.”
“She’s MY FUCKING KID TOO, HANNAH…”
That was it.
JC got up from the couch, making his way over to Hannah.
