Page 30 of Coast to Coast

“Sorry, it’s a tight squeeze with the car seat,” I apologized to Calliope as she climbed into the back seat. And then her ass was in my face as she got on all fours to check on Crew’s straps. Fuck me, stop looking at her ass, Tom, as I tried to remember that both my son and his mother were with us.

Callie looked back over her shoulder, still on all fours, and flashed a smile, completely oblivious to the dirty thoughts running through my mind. “I got this, don’t worry. I can manage a simple car seat.”

I backed away, speechless, and got in the driver’s seat, turning the key in the ignition. A quick glance at Kelsey neither confirmed nor denied that she had seen my reaction. While we were usually on the same page when it came to Crew, I couldn’t always get a read on Kelsey. She was prone to periods of silence, which I suspected was related to her anxiety. I hoped that what she had seen hadn’t increased her anxiety about leaving Crew behind with us.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

“Yes, sorry. I was thinking about how quiet it will be with him gone for the next week.”

Over the summer, I had only taken Crew for a few days at a time. We had planned this first stay to be closer to two weeks. He would then return to Boston for the same length of time.

“Yeah, I think that’s the worst part, the quiet,” I said. That and the feeling of uselessness, like there was something I should be doing but wasn’t. Instead, I usually spent that time mindlessly scrolling through my phone or searching Netflix for a show I never watched because it required too much of a commitment.

We were all quiet for the ride home, Calliope taking in the beauty of Colorado while Kelsey and I worked through the emotions of a custody arrangement that required us to be away from Crew for long stretches of time.

When we arrived at my townhouse, it was past dinnertime, but I had prepared some food ahead of time to throw on the grill when we got home.

“What are the odds that Crew will eat a burger?” I asked Kelsey.

“Do you have fries with it? Ketchup? Maybe we have a chance if he can smother it with ketchup.”

“I haven’t been able to get a single nutrient into him since the beginning of the summer,” I commiserated with Kelsey.

Kelsey checked the back seat to see if Crew was paying attention before she spoke. “Smoothies, he loves them. You can bury so many things in them. Never try broccoli. You can’t mask the flavor, and he’s all done after that.”

Callie helped Crew out of his car seat and pulled the carry-on luggage from the bed of my truck. Crew dragged Callie by the hand towards the front door while she hesitated.

“Easy, bud. Callie’s never been here before. We need to show her around first.”

Kelsey looked back at me, “Should I plan to stay in Crew’s room?”

I nodded, “Yes, there is a twin bed in there now. I figured it would be worth getting one now since he’s moving out of the crib.”

Callie scooped Crew up, getting minimal resistance from him as she attempted to slow him down while I caught up with them.

“Kiwi, down?” he asked, squirming a bit.

“In a second, how about you show me my room first?” she asked him.

“Otay.”

Crew pointed the way while Kelsey and I followed them into the townhouse and up the stairs towards the bedrooms. Kelsey dropped into Crew’s room, leaving her backpack there before joining us in what would now be Callie’s room. I watched her face carefully for a reaction.

Callie’s face visibly brightened, and I noticed her relief when she realized that not only had most of her belongings arrived, but the movers Monica had hired had also done a significant amount of unpacking. The few boxes she labeled “private” were on the floor beside her bed.

“You have an en suite bathroom through that door,” I said, pointing at the bathroom door, “and a small walk-in closet.”

“This is perfect, thank you,” she said, dropping her backpack on the bed as Crew slid out of her arms to the floor. I saw a brief flash of emotion cross her face. Was it sadness? Was she overwhelmed? She’d been clear in her interview that until she met us, she hadn’t been seeking employment as a nanny. Was she disappointed with her decision? I hoped if she felt a touch of regret, she would at least give this a shot; I honestly wasn’t sure who needed who more, us or Callie.

“Come,” he beckoned and took off towards his own room, Callie trailing behind him.

I popped my head into his bedroom. “Crew, can you show Callie your toys and where we keep all your clothes? I’m going to make dinner.”

“Yes!” He said, barely looking at me as he started pulling out all his favorite building toys. I knew once he got to his trains, Callie would be stuck in there for at least forty-five minutes to an hour.

Callie looked exhausted and ready to drop by the time I had dinner ready. Yep, he’s a lot, and from the sound of it, he’s kept Callie moving since their early flight out of Boston. I appreciate her stepping in and helping, but I need to make it clear that while we are home, we don’t expect her to be on duty. Easier said than done, Crew seemed to think of her as his personal form of entertainment.

CALLIOPE

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