Hamilton peeled off his wet clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor,
and stepped into the shower. He let the hot water run over him, and closed
his eyes as it slowly heated him up. He could have fallen asleep standing
up he was so tired, but he had so many thoughts running through his head.
So many questions. He stood there for a long time, thinking.
Jake dragged herself into the living room after shutting the front door. She flopped into a chair, took a deep breath, and promptly fell asleep.
Hamilton finished dressing and looking at his reflection. The clean, dry clothes made him look less like he'd just been pulled out of a river. More like the Hamilton we know and love.
He looked into his own tired eyes. He knew how much he loved Jake, how much he wanted to touch her when she was near him. But it had taken a while to settle in. *Jake's a mom.* He could still barely believe it, but he knew it was true. *She lied to me.* Yeah, that had sunk in. *Not like she hasn't done it before!* he thought bitterly. *God, why am I thinking that? She had a perfectly good reason for not telling me last time. Why should this be any different?* Hamilton took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.
He turned the corner in the stairs, and stopped when he saw her sleeping. She was curled up in a chair, and looked so peaceful. He sat on a sofa at right angles to her chair, and watched her silently. Suddenly, she jumped awake, and smiled when she saw him. Then she seemed to remember and looked down.
"Sorry", she said quietly. There was a silence, but it wasn't awkward. Then Jake seemed to remember something.
"Urm, Em's gone to playgroup. Her friend's mom took her."
Hamilton nods and looks down. There was a short silence.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Hamilton put his head on one side, and looked at her. Jake looked right back, changed position in her chair, and began.
Jake dragged herself into the living room after shutting the front door. She flopped into a chair, took a deep breath, and promptly fell asleep.
Hamilton finished dressing and looking at his reflection. The clean, dry clothes made him look less like he'd just been pulled out of a river. More like the Hamilton we know and love.
He looked into his own tired eyes. He knew how much he loved Jake, how much he wanted to touch her when she was near him. But it had taken a while to settle in. *Jake's a mom.* He could still barely believe it, but he knew it was true. *She lied to me.* Yeah, that had sunk in. *Not like she hasn't done it before!* he thought bitterly. *God, why am I thinking that? She had a perfectly good reason for not telling me last time. Why should this be any different?* Hamilton took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.
He turned the corner in the stairs, and stopped when he saw her sleeping. She was curled up in a chair, and looked so peaceful. He sat on a sofa at right angles to her chair, and watched her silently. Suddenly, she jumped awake, and smiled when she saw him. Then she seemed to remember and looked down.
"Sorry", she said quietly. There was a silence, but it wasn't awkward. Then Jake seemed to remember something.
"Urm, Em's gone to playgroup. Her friend's mom took her."
Hamilton nods and looks down. There was a short silence.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Hamilton put his head on one side, and looked at her. Jake looked right back, changed position in her chair, and began.