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She smiled sheepishly, fingering through her below the shoulder length locks.
“Eric forbade me to cut it,” she replied. “He wants it as long as it was when I wore that wig. Do you believe it?”
“Yes,” I said. “That’s Slate.”
“Why do you still call him Slate?”
“Why don’t you call him "Slate" is the better question?”
She shrugged, wiping Bryce’s face clean.
“I don’t know, I guess because the name "Slate" was what I knew him as when I was someone else. I’m not that person, anymore.”
“Maybe so, Mom, but Slate is still that person.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. I was curious as to why it seemed to be a big deal with her. Was she ashamed of being ‘Diamond’ for that period of time? Maybe I should ask Taz since he was studying to be a shrink.
Taz, there he was once again in my mind for the hundredth, strike that, for the millionth time since our brief, non-sexual interlude a few weeks back. I had to confess, the thought of seeing him again gave me butterflies.
Bryce was fussing now. Having finished eating, his chubby little hands were gripping his sippy cup while it sounded as if he was smack dab in the middle of squeezing one out.
“Uh oh,” Mom said, her thoughts temporarily interrupted.
“I’ve got this, Mom,” I said, unlocking the tray from his high chair so that I could lift him out.
“Come on big boy,” I cooed to him, planting a wet kiss on his chubby little cheek. “Big sissy is going to change that nasty diaper.” He gave me a gummy grin sporting a couple of new teeth.
His bedroom was downstairs, next to the master suite.
I passed Slate on my way in coming out of the master suite. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a tight black tee shirt that accentuated his muscular physique.
Instantly, a memory of Taz dressed in jeans and a black tee that Sunday morning a few weeks back came to my mind.
“Hey, Lindsey, do you want me to change him?”
“It’s okay, Slate. I need some bonding time with my baby brother.”
He chuckled, his dimple making a rare appearance. “I’m not too sure what you have signed up for with my little man here could be classified as ‘bonding.’ You’re a good sister, Lindsey.”
He gave me a wink and headed down the hall towards the kitchen where I heard him bellow playfully to Mom: “Come here woman, feed your man.”
I had to smile. I never would have thought those two would make a couple. Now I couldn’t imagine Mom with anyone else. They were perfect for each other. He was her lobster, she was his.
I gave a wistful sigh as I placed Bryce on his changing table and prepared myself for some toxic bonding.
Much later, I lay awake in my bed upstairs thinking about seeing Taz the following day. I had heard Slate on the phone with him earlier in the evening, reminding him what time dinner was planned for the following day.
I flushed crimson when I heard him tell Taz to make sure he utilized proper manners because his sweet, impressionable step-daughter was home from college.
Really, Slate?
I smiled into the pillow that I was hugging close to me now, wishing my arms were wrapped around Taz. I guess this is what a 'crush' felt like.
I had just dozed off into a peaceful slumber when sounds from below awakened me.
They were knocking sounds that got progressively louder, then faster. It took me a few moments to figure out that my room was just above the master suite downstairs.
Oh God! I so do not want to hear this!
