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I can’t help the little smile that forms. Even though he is frustrating at times, he’s been so sweet and caring these last few days. I’m not sure how I could have made it without him. I look over at Matthew, sleeping soundly in his bassinet. He’s been so good to Matthew, too. We’ll both going to miss him.
I hear whistling from the direction of Ethan’s bedroom. He comes out, drying his hair with a towel. “I was thinking we could order some dinner and maybe watch a movie,” he says as he plops down on the couch beside me.
“That sounds good. But Ethan. I was hoping we might be able to talk tonight.”
He looks at me dubiously. “That sounds ominous.”
“No, seriously. With everything that’s been going on, we’ve been avoiding some things that need to be discussed.”
He throws the towel onto the coffee table, puts his arms behind his head, and leans back on the couch. “Sure, babe. Whatcha got on your mind?”
He looks very unconcerned, almost nonchalant. He does not understand the seriousness of this conversation.
Before I can say anything, we hear Matthew fussing in his bassinet. We both turn to the sound. “We have about thirty seconds before he starts screaming his head off,” I warn.
“Yep! I’ve got baby, and you got the bottle. Deal?”
“Deal!”
We both jump up to take our positions, me at the fridge and Ethan with Matthew. I get the milk warmed and hurriedly fix the bottle.
When I return to the living room, Ethan is rocking Matthew and talking to him soothingly. His face is beaming down at the baby. He’s telling him how much he loves him and making silly faces. Matthew looks back at him with an adoring expression on his little face. He reaches up with his tiny fingers and grabs Ethan’s lips. Ethan just laughs and nips his fingers playfully.
When Matthew smiles back at him, I feel the love and bond they share.
Ethan doesn’t look up but holds out his hand to me. “Got the bottle?” He immediately goes back to cooing and rubbing noses with Matthew when I hand it to him.
I just stand there watching them. Matthew puts his little hands around the bottle and sucks generously while Ethan watches him, love written all over his face.
Ethan doesn’t look up when he says softly, “We make an excellent team. Don’t you think?”
He’s right. We make a great team. But that’s about to change. “We need to talk about my move. I still have a lot to do and only a little over a week to get it done. The movers are coming to get my stuff on Friday, and I still need to get to the apartment to pick up a few things that the movers can't take.”
“Hmm?” He leans back and closes his eyes while still holding Matthew. His posture is relaxed. It seems he didn’t hear what I said.
“Ethan! Are you listening to me?” I tap him on his leg to get his attention.
He opens his eyes lazily and looks at me with a slow smile. “Don’t worry. It’s taken care of.”
My brow knits in confusion. “What do you mean it’s taken care of?”
“Sounds straightforward to me. It’s taken care of.” He shrugs.
I have the overwhelming urge to punch him in the chest. He’s being deliberately obtuse. “I need to get over to my apartment and grab a few items they couldn't pack.” No answer. “Ethan, do you hear me?”
“How can I not hear you? The neighbors next door can probably hear you. I told you, it’s taken care of. I sent someone over there to finish your packing.”
“That’s all you had to say,” I grumble.
So, that’s it. He doesn’t care. He’s just sitting there with that little, annoying smile. He doesn’t care that I’ll be gone. If it didn’t make me so sad, I’d be pissed at him.
“Is that all you wantedto talk about?”
I look at him in disbelief, but he doesn’t see it because his eyes are closed again. The asshat looks like he’s about to fall asleep. “Yeah…I guess so...”
“You sound mad. Are you mad at me for arranging the packing for you?”
“No, I’m not mad. It’s just that I have a lot to do. I need to call the movers and ensure they’re still coming on Friday at eight o’clock.”
