“She got called in,” the babysitter explains.
“Uh-huh. Was that last night or this morning?”
She just looks away because this isn’t the first conversation like this we’ve had.
I turn my focus to my son. “Hey buddy, how was your night? Did you have fun?”
He shrugs before releasing her hand and jumping up into my arms.
I give my little man a kiss on the forehead. “I missed you. Are you excited for the movie?”
“I smell pizza.”
I laugh. “It’s in the oven. We can eat before the movie.”
“I want popcorn. And candy.”
“I’ll think about the candy.” Sugar doesn’t always agree with him. Sometimes it makes him edgy. “Thanks for dropping him off,” I say to the babysitter, but she’s already halfway to her car.
With a shake of my head, I shut and lock the door, only to hear a knock on it before I make it back to the kitchen. Opening the door, I find Liam on the other side, his eyes glued to his phone.
“Hey. You’re early.”
“Yeah, I was close by, so I thought I’d just come over.”
I step back so he can enter and everything inside me feels like shit. Especially as I hear Knox yell for his uncle. Watch as Liam lifts him up in his arms, giving him a hug and ruffling his hair. I had my brother’s ex-girlfriend in my house, in my bed, only a few short hours ago. Pressed up against the cabinet he’s now opening.
I shouldn’t have texted her this morning. I shouldn’t have taken her home with me last night. Still, it’s like I told her. I don’t regret it. And I wish it could have been more. Even if I feel guilty as hell now.