Surprises
Chapter 7
Mike smiled as Oliver came into the living area the next morning, looking very sleepy and dragging his blanket and teddy bear behind him. Mornings were not Oliver's thing, even with Maddie there. Mike walked around the kitchen island and picked Oliver up. The little boy immediately cuddled close.
"Sleepy?" Mike asked and Oliver nodded. Mike had only been cutting up fruit so he walked to his recliner and sat down with Oliver, the blanket and teddy bear.
"Where's Mommy?" Oliver asked.
"She's still sleeping. Let's let her." Mike said. Oliver nodded and seemed to be trying to stay awake. He thought he might have fallen back to sleep when Oliver suddenly spoke.
"Did you love my mommy?" Oliver asked.
"I liked her a lot but I wasn't ready to love her yet." Mike admitted, wondering if the little boy even needed to know that.
"Do you now?" Oliver asked.
"I…don't know." Mike admitted.
"If you don't, don't make her think you do." Oliver said.
"Aye, aye." Mike answered. The little boy just furrowed his brows at Mike. Within just a few moments, he fell back to sleep in Mike's arms and Mike enjoyed the sweet moments with his young son.
He wondered if he could still have a family. There had been a point he had just given up on the thought. Since he had Oliver now, especially with Maddie back in the picture; he was beginning to wonder.
More than anything, he missed having a family. People at home when he got home. Hugs. Kisses. A warm body next to his in bed. Someone to laugh with and to grow old with. He had thought at one time that it would be Christine, but she was gone and Maddie was there. He felt strongly for Maddie and he shouldn't have let her go. Before he had felt guilt for caring about another woman. Now, he felt guilt because he had let that woman go and she had been hurt.
It would be a long time before Maddie was comfortable having another relationship and they would have to solve why their relationship before had failed to begin with. And they had to keep Oliver their priority.
It was a rainy, gloomy day and they spent their day inside. At one point, Mike and Maddie were sitting on the couch with Oliver between them and Mike carefully slung his arm around Maddie's shoulders. He started to back away when Maddie gave him an odd look, but then she cuddled closer.
He had dated a bit after she left but it was more to fill empty hours and he felt nothing for the women. He was ashamed to say the dating had been more like one-night-stands. He's only ever had two actual relationships. Christine and Maddie. Vastly different women. Christine was soft, feminine, quiet and loved him deeply. Maddie's job required her to be Christine's opposite and the relationship was much more intense. Now that Maddie was a mother, he could see some similarities.
He was just going to have to proceed carefully. He didn't want to jeopardize his relationships with Oliver or Maddie and one was dependent on the other.