Back Together?

ROXANNE 

"The world is going round and round. Round and round. Round and round. The world is going round and round..."

Ethan and I kept singing to one of his favorite nursery rhymes, dancing and following the demonstration of Miss Pickett — the blonde lady with a kind expression dancing on the screen. 

This was our fifth time replaying the video and Ethan didn't seem to be tired. 

Whew! Kids had some next level energy. 

"Mommy, are you tired?" He eyed my frame slowing down to the song. 

His bandage had come off three days ago and he was declared healthy and perfectly strong to continue doing what energetic kids his age did. 

"A little. Can mommy take a little rest while she watches you dance?" I asked almost pleadingly.

"Okay." He nodded.

I placed a kiss on his forehead, "thank you, baby."

I made myself comfortable on his bed, stretching my tired bones. 

I watched him keep singing and dancing along, a huge smile on my face. I picked my phone to make a call.

I dialed Rochelle's number, but it was unavailable.

It's been a little over a month since I'd last seen Kylian and it was that night at his house. And he'd kept to his word and hadn't called since.

I wouldn't say it bothered me, but I, sometimes, found myself wondering what he was doing and if he was thinking of that kiss in his kitchen last night. 

"The number you're calling is..."

I slid the red button to cut off the service provider's annoying automated response. 

Rochelle's number had been unreachable for the past three weeks. I had decided to take Kylian's advice and call her. I didn't involve mom, nor asked her any question pertaining this sister I was supposed to have and that had supposedly gone to high school with me.

There came a knock on the door. 

"Who's there?" Ethan yelled over Miss Pickett's voice. 

"It's me, son."

"Oh. Daddy!" He ran to open the door to let Josh come in. 

A huge smile spread across my features once he stepped in, looking handsome and smelling good as usual. 

"Hey." I greeted with that foolish smile that usually took over my expression for the past few weeks since his attitude changed towards me. 

He paid more attention to me. Had even taken me out on a date once when Vanessa had gone out. 

And to my surprise, Patricia hadn't objected or given me that crazy glare she had made a signature look just for me. 

I saw the gift before he even said it was mine. 

Maybe he had changed, and it had taken spending the night with his brother twice to make him realize he loved me, and didn't want to lose me.

For now, we were going behind Vanessa's back, but before long, he would be telling her she was no longer needed in his life. 

He handed Ethan a box wrapped gift. 

"Thank you, daddy." Ethan grabbed the box, grinning, all of his white baby teeth in view. 

"You're welcome." He straightened, his eyes lit affectionately once they laid on me, "hey."

Unable to control myself, I went to wrap him in a hug.

His arms slowly came about me, "how was your day?"

Inhaling the potent scent of his cologne, I answered with that same foolish smile still stuck on my face, "fine. And how was yours? Is business doing any better?"

He'd told me about the problems he was facing in his company on that date night. I felt pity for him. When he'd complained about how he was going to pay all of his staff, he looked so forlorn that I had to tell him to pay me whenever he could. 

He kissed me and told me I was a very understanding woman and it was why he was very pleased to have me in his life. 

I'd been on cloud nine that night and when I'd told mom, she'd said nothing. 

I knew she didn't approve, but she also loved me enough to not want to ruin whatever made me happy. 

She wouldn't understand how much of my heart belonged to Josh for the past five years. It wasn't easy to just let go. 

"This is for you." He outstretched the small pink shopping bag towards me. 

I took it, my heart jiving excitedly. In our five years of marriage, he'd never treated me to special gifts before. 

But in the span of three weeks, I'd received more gifts than I ever had in my life. 

Jewelry, chocolates, flowers. 

"Thank you." My gaze held his lovingly.

"Daddy, kiss mommy." Ethan's small, confident tone broke me free from the staring contest I was engaged in with his father. 

We both burst into chuckles. 

"Now, daddy." He folded his little arms to watch. 

Josh quickly leaned in to place a quick kiss between my brows. Then turned to his son, "satisfied now?"

Ethan nodded. "Yes. Now go, daddy. Mommy and I were having fun before you came in."

The little boy was already shoving his father by the leg out the door. 

It was a funny sight that had laugh bubble in my throat. Josh, unoffended and laughing, pretended like Ethan was strong enough to push him out. 

Once he was at the door, I waved at him and blew him a kiss but before I could get a reaction from him, Ethan was closing the door in his face. 

"Ethan." I called, quirking a brow, not losing my smile. 

"Daddy is going to distruct us." He shrugged, not regretting his actions.

My brain tried to process what he meant by 'distruct'. "Oh, you mean distract, honey?"

"Yes. Distract." He accepted my correction with a nod. 

"Okay, fair enough."

I went back to watching him keep jumping and dancing and just generally doing whatever the famously-loved-by-kids Miss Pickett was doing on the screen, while I opened my gift and marveled at the sparkling bracelet. 

"Oh wow." I murmured, heart caught in my throat. 

And in that moment I knew that Josh's feelings for me was real. And that with Vanessa, he was just trying to curry favor using her family's name.

All I had to do was just let him get what he wanted from her and then he'd come back to me. 

I clutched the bracelet to my chest, my eyes misty. "I'll wait for you, Josh. I'll wait till she's gone from your life."