"You'd be bored in a week. You'll find something."
"I will." She wiggled up, her body against his, the friction creating heat. She kissed him soundly on the lips, her tongue seeking out his mouth.
He kissed her back for a moment and then pulled back. "As good an idea as this seems right now. We'd better get some sleep. Neither of us seem capable of sleeping in."
She sighed. "In the morning then."
"Yeah, and then you promised me pancakes. You know how long it's been since I had home-made pancakes?"
Mandy laughed. He loved the sound, it thrilled him down to this toes. God, if the guys in the locker room could see how goofy his thoughts of her were, he'd never have any respect. He'd have to figure out a good story to tell him of his conquest of the high school sweetheart, that would get them off his back and he could get on with getting his game back in order. There was some work to be done there.
"Elevenish years?" she ventured. He kissed her. "Try not to snuggle to hard." He kissed her again. "Sweet dreams." She kissed him back, squirming into the warm bed to get comfortable. "Sweet dreams. I love you." "You too, darling." God, he worried about how much he did. **** Mandy left the following afternoon with a heavy heart. By the time she parked her car in her driveway, the desire to cry had passed. It wouldn't always be like this, she told herself. Either they would move to be together or they would separate again. She had to keep that in mind.
She looked at Colton in the rearview mirror as they left the city. "Did you have a nice time?" she asked.
He paused his video game to look back at her. "Yes. Kip is lots of fun."
"He is. I'm glad you get along." She expected him to go back to his video game then. But he continued to look at her. He had something to say, but he wasn't sure how to say it. "Just say it," she prompted. They'd had the discussion many times.
"Well," he dragged out the word as he gathered his thoughts, "it kind of made me sad."
Mandy felt the question on the tip of her tongue, but she forced herself to keep quiet.
"I kinda y'know feel sad about Dad. Like he never comes to visit. And I don't visit him. Like that." He was hanging his head and Mandy forced herself to focus on the road. It was all ready late and she couldn't pull over and give her son the hug he needed. She wasn't sure he would welcome one right now.