Susan felt as though she'd been working for days. In reality, it was one shift. Busy for Phoenix but nothing compared to what she'd survived in Chicago. Back then she could have done a double shift at that intensity. Right now she wasn't a hundred percent sure she could make it up the last flight of steps to her apartment. The anticipation of getting off her feet, holding James and seeing Mark got her through the door.
"Hi." She called and shut the door behind her.
"Hey." Mark called from the living room.
She followed the sound of his voice and found him kneeling in front of a naked baby, part way through changing a nappy.
"Having fun?"
He just grinned at her.
With a sigh she dropped onto the sofa.
"So you survived your first day back?"
"Just."
He checked the waistband and picked James up. Susan reached over to take him while Mark put away the dirty nappy and wipes.
"Hey you." She kissed James forehead, then his nose.
"Guess what?" Mark came back into the room.
"What?" she looked up at him as he sat beside her.
"I found an apartment."
"Oh." She didn't quite hide her disappointment.
"Yeah, it's a nice place. Small, but that's all I need really. And only three blocks away... on East San Miguel."
Susan smiled. "Nice."
Mark nodded – a little awkward. "You'll still have to put up with me for a little while longer."
"Are you kidding?" she looked at him earnestly. "Really, no hurry whatsoever. Stay as long as you like."
He smiled. "So, what do you feel like for dinner?"
"Sleep." She laughed. "Sorry, I'm exhausted, I won't be much for good company this evening."
"It's okay, you can sleep. I'll take James and pick up some take out – you can just heat it up when you wake."
"That'd be great." She could definitely handle that. He was so good to her. "Just a box of Chinese or something. I don't really mind." She stood up and handed James back to Mark.
"The one with the crunchy noodles right."
She grinned. Then yawned. And he laughed at her.
"Go on, go to bed."
Her eyes were grateful and he knew how much she appreciated it. Then she reached up to give him a hug, speaking softly, her lips just beneath his ear, "thank you."