Theo is almost six. Ollie is almost four. Max is six months old.

Bad Liar

Five months.

One hundred and fifty-two days.

That's how long Trevor had been living out of our home. I'd like to think that it was me that drove him away, that pushed him into saying what he had said and doing what he had done, but no, in the end, it had been Theo. Everyone knew that she was my daughter to every extent of the word. She resembled me at that age, she had this... coolness about her, and at her young age she could con you out of your last bite of food. She was also, as stubborn as a mule.

We'd gotten to this point not just because of one particular sentence that had broken this camel's back, but because of the continuous alluding to it.

A couple of months back, Trevor had been working from home as per his contract with RBE. I completely understood that he needed some peace and quiet, but it had been snowing heavily throughout the entire week and the kids had been locked inside with a newborn for the entirety of the day. Tensions were running high and he had yelled at Theo for God knows what and she had stood her ground, clutching her little fists by her side, and furrowing her brows in distaste.

Now, the words that had left his mouth were beyond hurtful. Not because of what he had said, but because of the way they'd been said. We had joked in the three years of our marriage with the words, 'why did I marry you' to the point that they were always said in jest. Never did we ever meant for them to bring out any insecurity or hurt the other yet that day, when he had shouted to his daughter's face, 'I should've never had kids in the first place' and I had seen Theo's little body relax in confusion at what the words meant to her had damn near broken my heart.

I'd kicked him out then and there, but that had been five months ago.

It was weird sleeping in such a big bed without the gargantuan man next to me, but I sought warmth and love in my children and newborn. He'd begged time and again to come home, he'd apologized countless times too, but this wasn't something that could be fixed with an 'I'm sorry'; if Trevor really wanted to be kid-free, then he would be—out of our home.

I knew that he had just said what he had because he was upset, under pressure to meet a somewhat unrealistic deadline, and he was tired, but if he wanted someone to insult or front-stab, that was what I was for. I knew to discern that he had just said what he had said in the heat of the moment and I knew our daughter, whom was pushing six years of life, could push your buttons when she really set her mind to it, but all that she had wanted at the moment was some much needed attention from her beloved Papa.

I didn't know where he was staying. I never cared to ask where he had gone. I didn't know if he was eating or sleeping. I didn't care either. My priorities were the kids and that was where all the focus I could spare went.

"Have you spoken to Trevor?" Alex asked, smiling at my newborn, Maximus.

I scoffed, shaking my head. "No, but you have," I smartly retorted, slicing some watermelon for Theo's last game of the season.

She tut-tutted her tongue as she flicked Max's chin repeatedly. "I did. He does sleep in our guest bedroom from time to time, you know," she shifted in the stool across from me. "Noa, how long are you going to keep this up, huh? It's been what four—"

"Five."

"—months since he's slept under the same roof as his children. Don't you think you're being a little hard on him?" she finished, her blue eyes shining behind her dark rimmed glasses.

I tittered in amusement, dropping the knife in my hand. "No, Alex. I don't think I'm being too hard on him," I said with a cock of my head. At her hesitance, I picked up the knife and continued chopping the fruit in front of me.

"These are his children—"

"He sees them every weekend and whenever he wants. I'm not denying him that satisfaction."

"All he does is mope—"

"Should've thought about that before opening that big mouth of his," I mumbled.

"He can't sleep. He barely eats—"

"He'll survive," I said unamused.

"—he misses you!"

I stopped at the words that had fallen from the blonde woman's lips. I'd spent many a night pondering on whether or not he did or did not miss me. I knew, for a fact, that he was missing his children. Not being able to wake up in the same roof as them or help with the night feedings of Max was most definitely killing him, but he'd shown no anguish when it came to me.

He'd shown up many times during the week for bedtime, after work, for dinner, and none of those times had I seen contriteness in his eyes. Unless he'd been doing what I had to do: show resilience for my children's sake. But, Trevor was a bad liar when it came to me. I've always been able to read him like a book so when Alex had said that he was missing me, it truly came as a shock.

"Well," I begun softly, rubbing my wrist over my brow, mindful of the sharp object in my hand. "Serves him right for saying what he said. And, to Theo nonetheless."

Alex snickered, "Oh, Max. I hope you're not as stubborn as your mother."

I shook my head, smiling softly. Maybe Alex was right, maybe I needed to hear him out, see what he had to say for himself.

"I know there's no winning with you," she said, and I rolled my eyes, slamming my hands against the island. "Let him come home, Noa."

"No. And, that's final."

Monday morning had caught on to me quite early. Max had woken me with screams that could wake the entire neighborhood if allowed with a spiking fever of one hundred and two and getting worst by the second. He'd been teething and if he was like any of his siblings, this wouldn't be over for another month or so.

Now that Trevor wasn't home, I couldn't rely on that other parent to jump in and take over when I needed a little reprieve nor was I going to call him at five o'clock in the morning to come help. I had just finished dropping off Theodora at school and was on my way back to our home with the boys from the pharmacy. I'd picked up some teething pellets for Max and some more medicine for his fever when I noticed Trevor's Escalade parked in front of the house.

I shook my head in amusement, easing my Acadia onto the ramp. I slipped out and opened the door behind me, promptly unbuckling Ollie. He made a face at me and I stuck out my tongue, receiving jovial giggles from the boy.

"Wait for me, and don't go to the street."

Oliver nodded and as I made way to the other side where my other boy was, was when he shouted: "Papa, you back!"

I bit my lip and attempted to listen to Oliver and Trevor's conversation.

He grunted, no doubt picking up from the ground his three year old carbon copy, "What are you doing home, bud? Aren't you supposed to be at daycare?"

"Mami say I stay with her and Max," Ollie explained.

At that moment I appeared in front of the man with a fussy Max in my arms, "Is—Is everything all right, Noa?"

I nodded, handling my keys as I approached the door. "Max is teething," I said simply, allowing him to follow me inside.

I felt Oliver run past me and I knew Trevor had put him down. He immediately reached for the bag hanging on my elbow and I shook my head, handing him the now crying baby in my arms. I made quick work of the contents in the bag, quickly shaking two pellets out and giving them to Trevor so that he could give them to our son as I busied myself with the medicine and the syringe. I could hear my husband shushing and cooing at our son. I gave him the syringe with the correct dosage of medicine and saw, as the boy seemed to calm. I walked towards the living room, unlocking and opening the door to our patio in order to let Oliver out with Billings.

I sat on the couch, in the corner closest to the door that awarded me view of the outside so that I could monitor my son. I sighed; adjusting the camisole I'd been wearing in order to breastfeed Max. Trevor handed me the fussy baby and sat a couple of cushions down, "So, how long have you been casing my house."

Trevor scoffed and shook his head as Max latched successfully, "It's my shortcut to work."

I snorted, glancing sideways at him quickly, and looking down at our son, wiping away the stray tear running down his face. "No, it isn't," I said matter of factually.

"Yes, it is."

"It isn't," I said with a rogue smile, turning to gauge his expression.

"I've been taking the ferry to work," he solemnly mentioned after a moment of silence. "It—It's easier if I want to see the kids."

I parted my mouth in amusement, shaking my head in tandem as I listened carefully to both what Trevor had just said and the suckling noises my son was making. I couldn't seem to wrap my head around what he had just said: he was taking the ferry to work. A man who hated to wait, hence the reason he drove in the city.

A man, who in our dating stage, loathed the fact that I could beat him places when I was taking the subway; the same man that was now sitting beside me telling me that he was riding the ferry to work, and a shortcut to the ferry? Lies.

I laughed soundly, biting my lip. Our street was a cul-de-sac, there was one way in and one way out, if he was staying with Tommy across the canals that connected our neighborhood of Port Liberté, he needn't to come all this way when I knew the ferry left from the other side.

He touched my elbow and I could feel the warmth surrounding the area he was now touching, spreading all through my arm. I whimpered pathetically and he stroked his thumb over my flesh, smirking at the goosebumps he'd created on my arm. "Listen, Noa," he begun softly. "I know we're not particularly in a great spot at the moment, but I'm free this afternoon. How about I come by with lunch and you can sleep while I hang out with the boys. I'll even pick up Theo early from school on my way back. You deserve some quiet and some time to rest."

I smiled, hiking up the half asleep baby across my stomach up, giving him more reach to successfully lactate. I nodded, "I'd like that. Thank you."

He gave a quick nod and a wry smile before leaning over to kiss Max's thigh, whispering his love to his skin and pressing his lips to the boy's flesh once more. I had momentarily held my breath, thinking for a second that he was leaning over to kiss me, but I'd been mistaken and he noticed my anticipation. He cleared his throat and stood, walking to the door that gave access to our patio to say goodbye to his other son that had looked upset and teary from what I could discern. He had managed to calm him down before leaving, which was something I was appreciative of; nothing worse than having to deal with an inconsolable toddler.

The week progressed by effortlessly with Max having taken a turn for the better once the actual teeth had broken the skin. I could feel them when he breastfed and could tell by the faint teeth imprint he'd left on his teething toy. After Monday, the entire situation had left me thinking, maybe it was time for us to converse, and finally put an end to this.

The kids were most definitely missing him and I was missing him the most. I loved waking up in the mornings knowing that he was there, feeling his arm tighten around my midsection, or the feel of his scruff against my shoulder blade, or my leg wrapped around his. Those were the moments I was missing the most: the intimate ones. The ones that no one else got to witness other than us.

I had asked Alex if it was possible for her to pick up the kids and keep them over night at her place and she had been completely on board, getting an idea of what might be happening tonight. I had worked late that afternoon after receiving a text message from Trevor stating that he was not going to be able to pick up the kids from school or at all today until tomorrow morning since he had some trial prep he needed to finish. I'd taken that opportunity to catch up with my own work, after having missed two days of the week.

I had driven over to Trevor's firm, utilizing my keycard to gain access to the building's garage and office. The front was dark and so were each of the hallways to both my right and left, yet at the end of "Trevor's" hall was a dimly lit light that I could only presume was coming from his assistant's desk. I smiled, reminiscing on the many a time I had sat underneath that lamp atop the desk, my head propped up by my elbow patiently waiting until Trevor was ready to go home. Most of the time he hadn't known I had stayed, but I'd learned that the employee shouldn't leave before the boss, especially if that employee was the assistant.

I had approached his door as silently as possible. I knew he had this tendency of getting lost in his work and being startled wasn't in the plans. He was sitting behind his desk, tie askew, buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, and jacket discarded somewhere I couldn't tell.

I smiled.

I missed this; seeing him so engrossed in his work that time slipped through his fingertips. I leaned on his doorjamb, knocking besides my face on the wood to grab his attention. He looked up; a smile spreading across his face once he saw it was just I.

He leaned back on his chair with a sigh, "I wasn't expecting you. Are—Are the kids okay?"

I nodded, taking a step forward, "They're fine. They're with Alex, but I didn't come here to talk about the kids."

"Huh?"

I bit my lip, slowly approaching his desk. "I have a question for you," he nodded, raising his brows. "How often do you take that… shortcut past the house?"

Trevor scoffed. "Technically?" I raised my brows, stopping at the side of his desk, placing my hands on my hips. "Pretty much every day."

I smiled at the ground, passing his desk and standing in front of the windows that gave view to the city behind him. "You do know that… technically that's stalking," I looked over my shoulder, smirking. "It's kind of cute," I finished with a purse of my lips.

Trevor chuckled quietly, leaning forward to stand and approach me. I could feel his hesitance, but I needed him to shake in his boots just for a little bit longer. "I know I fucked up… royally."

I smiled, turning and crossing my arms, "I'm listening."

"I shouldn't have said that. Not in front of Theo. Not to Theo."

"Yea."

He sighed, "I was so angry and, and stressed and she just kept… pushing my buttons." I opened my mouth to interrupt his thoughts, but he stopped me with his words, "I know, no excuses. I'm just telling you what happened."

I nodded, "You know you're going to have to speak to her, right?"

"We spoke. I apologized to her and she did that pursing thing with her lips when she smiled… just like you did just now."

I snorted, shaking my head, "Well, you do love to say that she's my daughter. You're not wrong."

He took a step forward and I lowered my arms, wrapping them around his body. I could feel what was to happen and I craned my neck to reach his lips. His hands framed my face as he deepened the kiss. My mouth parted willingly, allowing him access inside without protest. Five months had gone by without me feeling him like this that I kept pulling him towards me. He wanted to drink me in. He wanted more access to my mouth, but there was so much we could do and have at the moment.

I pulled back, hearing Trevor's growl as he searched for my mouth. "God, I missed you," he admitted.

I pressed my lips to his, "I'm sorry."

He smiled, running his thumb across my cheekbone. "I deserved this. Maybe not for this long, but I did."

I kissed him two more times and wrapped myself around him, placing my head against his beating heart. I felt his lips on my head and his arms down my back and I could feel the happiness radiating through his body.

In the five months that he had lived out of our home, I'd never knew I could come to miss so much of him on me. And, though I saw him every day in our children, having his presence around was the best thing of this partnership and not having him to share a comment on something that had happened at work or with one of the kids had been hard.

Forget the sex.

Sex was sex and if I really wanted it, I could find it someplace else—not that I would, but—it was the simple moments: a brush of hands, a wink, a smile that I was missing. I was missing his essence.

But, he would be back tonight, and we would make up for those five months that we had missed.

A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! I haven't been in a writing mood for so long thanks to the pandemic, but I have found it and I promise to be back soon with either another update or who knows, maybe a new fic... Please review, and if there's anything you'd like for me to write with these two, do not hesitate to shoot me a message!