Summer would simply laugh when he’d cut off her rambling.“Woman slow down. Your mouth is moving too fast. You’re giving me a migraine.” Bringing some excitement to her day, he would answer every question as she hung onto his every word.
Summer decided to join one of those Baby and Mommy exercise classes to get her out of the house. She’d get to meet other new mommies, women she’d have something in common with. She had been so excited about the classes only to find out NJ was too young. He had to be at least six months old for them to join any of the classes that were offered.
Nick listened attentively over dinner at how thrilled she’d been about the classes only to be disappointed. “I love NJ, but sitting in the house all day is driving me bananas. You know I’m not used to sitting in the house all day.”
When he responded, “Uh-huh,” Summer felt foolish. She felt like she was complaining about nothing.
♥♥♥
Brrrrrg. Brrrrrg. Brrrrrg.
Placing the baby in his crib, Summer ran to her bedroom shoving her left breast back into her bra.
“Hello?” she breathed heavily into the phone. I really need those exercise classes.
“Hey, baby, why you so out of breath?”
Summer smiled. She loved it when he called her baby. “I was running from the nursery and shoving my boob back in my bra to get the phone.” He’s gonna say something smart.
Nick chuckled. “That was a lot of shoving, huh?” He loved how nursing had further filled her out. Not that there was anything to complain about before.
Summer sucked her teeth. She hadn’t underestimated him. “Do you think you can ever keep your mind out the gutter nasty boy?”
“You make me that way,” he teased.
“Yeah right. You were that way looong before I met you.
Nick chuckled again. “Girl, I was a perfect gentleman with you.” He could sense Summer’s smile as she softly said, “Yes you were.”
During the silence that followed, both Summer and Nick remembered a time so sweet. Clearing his throat he asked, “Are you busy this afternoon, Miss Summer?”
“Other than taking care of your son? No. Why do you ask?”
“It’s a surprise. Just be ready by one.”
“Okay. We’ll be ready by one.”
“Summer?”
“Yeah?”
“The baby won’t be coming with you.”
What is he talking about? The baby went everywhere she went. They hadn’t been separated since his birth.
“Nick, what―”
Nick cut Summer off before she could finish her sentence. He could tell she was going to have a problem with being separated from NJ.
“Baby, don’t you trust me?”
“Yes.” Summer answered softly.
“Do you think I would do anything to harm our son?”
“Of course not, Nick.”
“Then trust me. I’ve taken care of everything. Okay?”
“Okay.”
At twelve forty-five, Summer stood looking at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. Peeping over her shoulder at the baby lying on his back in the center of her bed brought a smile to her lips.
“Your momma doesn’t look so bad, huh, little man.”
The burgundy long sleeve jersey knit dress clung to every curve on Summer’s petite body. The v-neck neckline plunged just enough to show a modest amount of cleavage. The hemline stopped just above the knees showing off shapely legs. Matching burgundy pumps added three inches to her height.
Further inspecting her reflection, Summer’s attention was drawn to her hair that was pulled back in a bun.
“This won’t do.” Pulling out hairpins, she mumbled, “I look like a librarian.” After the last pin was removed, Summer went over to her dresser, picked up a wide-tooth comb and began to comb through the black silky strains that now fell slightly below her shoulder blades.
Everyone was shocked when she talked her longtime hairdresser Julie into coming to her house and cutting several inches of her hair off. She would rationalize, “It’s easier to take care of my hair this length now that I have the baby, ”to all those, especially Nick, who’d asked horrified,“ Why you cut your hair?” Each time she’d roll her eyes thinking, my goodness one would think I shaved my head clean bald. It’s only hair it’ll grow back.
“Why am I so intent on trying to look so good for that man?” Because you still love and want him, the tiny voice in her head jeered at her. “Oh shut up,” Summer mumbled to herself.
Picking up a sheer burgundy lip-gloss coating her lips just enough to give them a little color, she said to her reflection, “I guess I’m ready now.”