When Susan woke Mark was still fast asleep. She sat up slowly so as not to wake him and tip toed out of her room. Chloe was back – she was in the kitchen trying to make some Dinner. Suzie was happily playing on the floor. They were the perfect picture of domesticity.
"Hey." Susan smiled at the mess.
"Hey," Chloe turned to her sister, "Nice nap?"
"Yeah. Mark's still…"
"I know. I can be unashamedly voyeuristic when I feel the need." Chloe laughed. "So what's going on? I mean you looked like two kids having an afternoon nap. It's cute."
"Oh, you know. I was tired after work and he joined me. We just slept. Nothing happened."
"Hey, I didn't ask." Chloe returned to a saucepan.
"What are we having?" Susan crouched down to play with Suzie.
"Hopefully spaghetti and meatballs. But we'll see. My meatballs won't hold together so I might just pretend its spaghetti bolognaise."
Susan laughed. "Nice walk?"
"Yeah. But I think the swings were the highlight."
"She certainly loves them." Susan picked up her niece and pretended to dance with her. "Don't you – nothing but the swing. It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing." She sang playfully.
"He's good for you." Chloe commented
"Who? Mark?"
"No, the cute intern you refuse to introduce me to." Chloe slurped some meat sauce off the end of the wooden spoon.
Susan laughed. "Now that's hygienic."
"Don't change the subject." Chloe put the spoon back into the frying pan. "So tell me, what's happening?"
"He's visiting."
"Really?" she teased, "But who is he – your friend? Boyfriend?"
"He's my best friend." Susan said, keeping her eyes on Suzie to avoid her sister's glare.
"I want DETAILS."
"I know. But it's complicated. He lives in Chicago and I live here."
"So why did you leave?"
"You know why I'm here. And I didn't know he could be my reason to stay in Chicago when I left. Everything has changed. But it'll be fine. We'll figure it out." Susan was still dancing with Suzie when Mark walked in.
"Smells amazing." He blinked the sleep out of his eyes.
"Thanks." Chloe turned around. "You know what it needs thought? Cheese. You can't have spaghetti bolognaise without cheese. Well, I can't. So, if you two would go for a wander and get us some this should be ready by the time you get back." She took Suzie from Susan and put her on the floor amongst her toys. "Go on, too many cooks."
"Right, okay." Susan smiled at Mark, "I'll just get my coat."
Mark followed her out of the kitchen. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay?"
"Yes. Absolutely. Chloe is so keen to know what's going on between us that I'd say we can get away with anything at this point." She laughed.
They sat on opposite sides of Susan's bed and put their shoes on. "Hey, where's your luggage?" Susan suddenly asked as she pulled her coat out of her wardrobe.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. I left it in a locker at the train station. Is that far from here? I'm totally lost."
Susan laughed. "No, it's only 5 blocks, and we can get the cheese at the convenience store there. Are you one of those kids who were told they would have lost their head if it weren't screwed on right?"
"That's the one." He nodded as they exited the apartment.
"Be back soon." Susan called and shut the door.
In the kitchen Suzie squeeled and laughed.
"That's right honey," Chloe knelt down beside her daughter, "She's totally in love."
Suzie laughed some more.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you? Cause it's not really a laughing matter." Chloe felt bad for pulling Susan away from this man she obviously adored. And she spent the rest of the time she made dinner thinking about what she could do to convince Susan to go back.
"Hey." Susan smiled at the mess.
"Hey," Chloe turned to her sister, "Nice nap?"
"Yeah. Mark's still…"
"I know. I can be unashamedly voyeuristic when I feel the need." Chloe laughed. "So what's going on? I mean you looked like two kids having an afternoon nap. It's cute."
"Oh, you know. I was tired after work and he joined me. We just slept. Nothing happened."
"Hey, I didn't ask." Chloe returned to a saucepan.
"What are we having?" Susan crouched down to play with Suzie.
"Hopefully spaghetti and meatballs. But we'll see. My meatballs won't hold together so I might just pretend its spaghetti bolognaise."
Susan laughed. "Nice walk?"
"Yeah. But I think the swings were the highlight."
"She certainly loves them." Susan picked up her niece and pretended to dance with her. "Don't you – nothing but the swing. It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing." She sang playfully.
"He's good for you." Chloe commented
"Who? Mark?"
"No, the cute intern you refuse to introduce me to." Chloe slurped some meat sauce off the end of the wooden spoon.
Susan laughed. "Now that's hygienic."
"Don't change the subject." Chloe put the spoon back into the frying pan. "So tell me, what's happening?"
"He's visiting."
"Really?" she teased, "But who is he – your friend? Boyfriend?"
"He's my best friend." Susan said, keeping her eyes on Suzie to avoid her sister's glare.
"I want DETAILS."
"I know. But it's complicated. He lives in Chicago and I live here."
"So why did you leave?"
"You know why I'm here. And I didn't know he could be my reason to stay in Chicago when I left. Everything has changed. But it'll be fine. We'll figure it out." Susan was still dancing with Suzie when Mark walked in.
"Smells amazing." He blinked the sleep out of his eyes.
"Thanks." Chloe turned around. "You know what it needs thought? Cheese. You can't have spaghetti bolognaise without cheese. Well, I can't. So, if you two would go for a wander and get us some this should be ready by the time you get back." She took Suzie from Susan and put her on the floor amongst her toys. "Go on, too many cooks."
"Right, okay." Susan smiled at Mark, "I'll just get my coat."
Mark followed her out of the kitchen. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay?"
"Yes. Absolutely. Chloe is so keen to know what's going on between us that I'd say we can get away with anything at this point." She laughed.
They sat on opposite sides of Susan's bed and put their shoes on. "Hey, where's your luggage?" Susan suddenly asked as she pulled her coat out of her wardrobe.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. I left it in a locker at the train station. Is that far from here? I'm totally lost."
Susan laughed. "No, it's only 5 blocks, and we can get the cheese at the convenience store there. Are you one of those kids who were told they would have lost their head if it weren't screwed on right?"
"That's the one." He nodded as they exited the apartment.
"Be back soon." Susan called and shut the door.
In the kitchen Suzie squeeled and laughed.
"That's right honey," Chloe knelt down beside her daughter, "She's totally in love."
Suzie laughed some more.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you? Cause it's not really a laughing matter." Chloe felt bad for pulling Susan away from this man she obviously adored. And she spent the rest of the time she made dinner thinking about what she could do to convince Susan to go back.