Page 44 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
“Don’t worry.” He nuzzles his face against my neck and his barely-there stubble rasps against my skin. “She’s still in her room.” He kisses the spot where my neck meets my shoulder. “Seriously, I gotta go. I’ll see you tonight.” He drops another kiss on top of my head.
“I love you.”
“Love you more.” He kisses my cheek and then he’s gone.
Down the hall, I poke my head into Roe’s room, finding her on her stomach flipping through one of her books at a speed that tells me there’s no way she’s reading the words on the page. “Roe,” I sing-song. “Time to go.”
She sighs dramatically, rolling to her back. “I’ve decided school isn’t for me.”
“Hm, is that so?” Folding my arms over my chest, I lean against her doorway. “And why is that?”
She lets out an aggravated sound—a cross between a scoff and a scream. “It’s so boring, Mom. I’m six now, I’ve learned all I need to.”
I have to stifle my laugh. “I don’t think so.”
Rolling her head in my direction, her light blue eyes are too intelligent for her age. “I know about the birds and the bees and once you know about that you’re an adult. That’s what Drew in my class said.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “The birds and the bees, huh? Interesting. Care to explain it to me.”
She sits up, pushing her sandy blond hair off her face. Her skinny legs swing over the edge of the bed. “Yeah, it means you and dad had sex and then a bird left me at your door and the bees … I forgot what the bees do.”
Oh my God.
“Sex, huh?” I repeat, trying not to laugh. “What’s that?”
She rolls her eyes in exasperation that I’m even asking. “It’s when you play with lightsabers and donuts. Duh.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, torn between wanting to laugh or cringe. “And did Drew mention where he learned this?”
“From his big brother. He’s a fifth grader so he knows a lot,” she says in a matter-of-fact tone.
I press my lips together and cross the room, crouching in front of her. “Listen, Roe, now’s not the time to talk about this or we’ll be late, but I promise you that Drew’s brother is wrong. We’ll talk about this more later.”
Do I really want to have ‘the talk’ with my six-year-old? Hell no. But Drew’s brother has left me with little choice and I have to say something. I can’t let her believe something so untrue. Monroe has always been a smart kid who wants to know the facts and I refuse to be that parent who lies just to get out of being honest. Thank God I’m meeting Spencer for lunch today, and I can pick his brain for the best way to go about it. Especially as co-parents we need to agree on how to handle certain things.
“Do I still have to go to school?” Her nose scrunches with annoyance. No doubt she already knows my answer.
I narrow my eyes. “Yes.”
“Fine.” She hops off her bed and grabs her backpack. “Let’s go waste a bunch of hours of my life I’ll never get back.”
I pull up outside the restaurant Spencer told me to meet him at in Malibu. It’s an obscure place tucked between two large buildings. The sign on the door says Hot Buns, just like his text said.
After parallel parking, I grab my phone from the cupholder and send Spencer a text to see if he’s here yet.
Spencer: Yeah, I’ll come meet you at the front.
Slipping my phone in my purse I get out of my car and can’t help but notice it’s the oldest one parked in the vicinity. I give my tried-and-true car a pat on the hood, silently telling her that she’s way better than those expensive models.
Stepping into the restaurant I smile at the hostess, sliding my sunglasses into my hair.
“How many?” She reaches for the menus.
“Oh, I’m meeting someone.”
She smiles and nods. That’s when I spot Spencer weaving through the restaurant. Eyes follow him as he goes, and the hostess’s eyes widen when she realizes he’s who I’m meeting.
“There you are,” he says in greeting. When he reaches me, he places his hand on my waist, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Table’s this way.” He jerks his head, urging me to follow as his hand falls away from my body.
