"Oh, sweetheart, I don't think it's anything against you…maybe she just sees you as a safe place for baby vomit." Nathan was laughing in the hallway, Kayla in his arms wearing only a diaper. She had once again found it funny to throw up her food on herself as well as Sydney…although this time Sydney's hair faired worse than her clothes.
"I suppose I'm ever so privileged then," Sydney replied, laughing as well. She was in the new robe she bought to keep at the house, loosely tied, her hair wet from her impromptu shower, making her way to the kitchen for a glass of water when…
"Miss Turner?" Charlie sat at the kitchen table, wide-eyed.
Sydney quickly cinched her robe tighter. "Charlie!"
"Charlie?" Nathan asked, still upstairs.
The day had been going…better. Nathan and Sydney were starting to enjoy what David had referred to as "playing house" together. Susan had volunteered to go out and get Chinese for all of them right before Kayla decided to douse Sydney.
Charlie's eyes seemed permanently widened at the sight of his damp, nearly naked English teacher. When Nathan appeared with a baby in his arms, the poor young man could barely breathe.
"Shit," Nathan muttered. "Not how this was supposed to go."
"I believe I misunderstood Susan's text," Charlie said, his voice raspy.
"I'm thinking that's a safe bet," Nathan replied.
Sydney's face – her entire body – was red with embarrassment. "You got an A on Friday's test," it was the only thing she could think to say.
"Ah…good. That's…good. Um, do you and Mister…" He put his hand up, pointing to the baby. "I've been here before and no…"
"Not mine, not hers, Charlie," Nathan said, his voice calm. He sighed. "Call Susan and tell her to grab some extra food."
"I…okay." He did as Nathan asked while Sydney ran to Nathan's room to get dressed. When she came back downstairs a few minutes later, sweats and a t-shirt in place, she smiled at the her student and he was almost able to look her in the eye. "Please don't be offended if I get a little weird in class, Miss Turner."
"No worries, Charlie, promise." She took Kayla from Nathan's arms. "This is Kayla. To make a long story short-ish, she's my gay best friend's deceased sister's daughter who he's in the process of adopting, but his significant other is having some major issues and she's spending the night here…also, Nathan and I are in a relationship." She took a breath. "Don't ever put a sentence like that together in any paper I grade. I'm terrible with run on sentences when I'm nervous, but I think that pretty much covers everything…right?"
"Uh…"
"I'm gonna let you guys…talk." She disappeared into the living room leaving Charlie and Nathan alone.
"You're…sleeping with Miss Turner?"
"That always seems to get the focus," Nathan said, recalling what Sydney said Susan's first words to her were after walking in on them. He scratched his head. "It's more than that. We've been dating since January and it's serious, Charlie." He took a seat at the table. "We're…" He smiled, unable to help himself. "…in love and keeping it to ourselves until the end of the school year. Susan found out couple of weeks ago and only told us this weekend that she didn't say anything to you."
"I wouldn't say anything to me either, you know my mother."
Nathan chuckled. "Just don't be mad at Susan."
"I'm not. It makes sense, both of you on probation and all." Charlie smiled. "But if it makes you feel any better, if people did know, you'd get even more respect."
"I would?" Nathan asked, curious.
"Yeah, first you kicked coach's ass and now you're dating Miss Turner. You do know some of the guys at school think she's kinda hot right?"
Nathan's mouth hung open for a minute. "I…do now…and sort of wish I didn't." He smiled to himself again. "I mean…I know she is, but…" He cleared his throat.
"Explains your big mood change too, that's been a subject of discussion at more than one lunch table."
"I didn't realize teachers were such big topics," Nathan said sarcastically.
Charlie shrugged. "Depends on the day. In fact, the day that Miss Turner wore that light brownish v-neck sweater…" He blushed and stopped talking.
Nathan chuckled, confessing, "I know the sweater." He put his head in his hands. "You can keep this quiet?"
"Sure thing, Mister Gardner."
"Charlie, I told you when you're here Nathan is fine. Susan calls your mother Marilyn after all."
"My mother isn't her teacher…or her girlfriend's father who, again, kicked the ass of the gym teacher."
Susan came through the front door and into the kitchen. "So…did things get unnecessarily awkward?"
Charlie looked up at her and said, straight faced, "My girlfriend's father, my history teacher, is dating my English teacher, who's caring for a baby that isn't hers and I saw her wet and almost naked. Nope, not awkward at all." The three of them laughed, while Sydney still tried to turn her skin back into a normal shade in the next room.
"And to think there are currently far stranger things going on in the world," Susan mused. "Food?"
"Yes, please," Charlie and Nathan both responded.
Sydney heard the rustling of the takeout bags in the kitchen and her stomach growled. Kayla in her arms she returned the kitchen, most of the redness gone from her cheeks. "So…we're good?" she asked timidly.
Nathan nodded. "Susan reminded us that the world has things far more awkward happening at this very moment." He pulled out the chair next to him and Sydney sat, relieved. He watched as she tried to balance the baby and grab a fork. "Here, honey." He took Kayla and somehow managed to cradle her in one arm while perfectly using chopsticks with his free hand.
"Superman," Sydney laughed, amazed. "I can't use them with two free hands and you're half disabled by a baby."
"Used to do this with you, Susie Q," Nathan said, smiling. "Guess it's one of those things that just stays with you."
"Do you want more kids, Mister Gardner?" Charlie asked, the question innocent.
"Yeah," he answered without any hesitation, looking down at Kayla. He glanced up at Sydney, his eyes certain. "If that's what life has planned for us, I do." Sydney blushed, hoping that was, indeed, what life had in store for them.
"You guys really are serious." There was a sense of wonder in Charlie's voice and he smiled. Nathan continued to look at Sydney, but he didn't say anything else.
Susan decided to break the silence by flinging her arms around Sydney's neck and proclaiming, "Mom!" It could have been an uncomfortable moment, but it passed with laughs and Sydney internally thrilled to be so accepted by her lover's daughter.
A few rounds of Apples to Apples later and Charlie and Susan retreated to the game room downstairs while Sydney and Nathan put Kayla to bed in his room. They were side by side on his bed, intimate kisses passing between them, when the baby started to cry.
"New place and no Daddy to tuck her in," Sydney said, getting up. "She's been through so much in her short little life." She returned to the bed and reclined, Kayla on her chest and beginning to calm.
Nathan stroked Sydney's hair, then Kayla's. "Syd," he said softly.
"Hm?" She kept her voice just as low.
"You think this is…practice?"
Sydney looked over at him, knowing how impossibly perfect the last couple of months had been with him. "I…I really hope so. We seem to be pretty okay at it, huh?" She looked down at the now quiet baby, then back at Nathan. "I'm waiting for something to go wrong…I know it's twisted, but it's what I'm used to. We're still…we're in the 'honeymoon' phase of our relationship, aren't we?"
"Maybe," he said, his tone thoughtful. "It's unrealistic to say we'll never have a fight, but…" He sat up. "Sydney, I'm ready for this. I think we've both waited a long time to find…" He leaned down and kissed her. "I love you. Honeymoon phase be damned, baby, I'll take us any way we are."
"Why?" One small word was so weighted.
He caressed her face. "We light up one another's eyes." It was a simple answer, but it was all she needed. He positioned himself so he could hold her as she held Kayla and couldn't have felt more at peace as they both fell asleep in his bed.
