The rest of the day had gone by so slowly, and even though Erin had spent as much of it as she could holed up in her office, she had still heard whispers being bandied about behind her back whenever she had had to use the bathroom. Helen had told her not to let the gossip mongers get to her, but it was difficult when she was already feeling discombobulated from her argument with Aaron. Finally, though, she made her way home, letting Helen know that she would most likely be early for the rest of the week. Her assistant had given her a small nod before shooing her on home, and Erin wondered just when she had given Helen so much leeway to take care of her. Not that she was complaining, since it was clear that the younger woman didn't mind watching out for her.
Erin found her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Aaron, Helen, and the baby for the entire drive home, and she somehow managed to pull into her spot in the garage without quite registering the fact that David's car was parked in the drive until she had exited the car and went to lower the garage door. Letting out a heartfelt sigh, she smiled as she made her way into the kitchen and breathed in the delicious scent of supper. "Mom! You're finally home!"
Her children stopped what they were doing and came over to her side, hugging her tightly. Erin felt a wave of happiness sweep over her heart as she cuddled her darlings close to her chest. They were still trying to come to terms with the idea of the divorce and her pregnancy, but they hadn't rejected her as she thought they might. "Yes, I had a meeting run late, and I forgot to call and let you know about the change in schedule. I think that Helen must have called David to let him know, since it seems that supper is almost ready."
"He was here when we got off the bus," Tabitha replied, keeping her arms around Erin's waist as Karen and Bruce went back to helping David. He gave her a small wink before patiently explaining to Bruce how to fix the rest of the dish that was going to be the main part of their meal. Karen was working on making a salad, and Erin smiled as she rocked Tabitha back and forth a little. "When will we feel the baby move?"
"Well, I'm about eight weeks along, and I won't feel them move for another twelve weeks or so. Once I'm really showing, then you'll be able to feel them kick out against your hand." Erin took a seat at the table as she watched the others work. Tabitha pulled her chair close to Erin's side and rested her head on her chest. "How was school?"
"Boring. We're learning math that I already know how to do, thanks to Bruce, so I haven't been paying the closest attention, and Mrs. Myers called me out on it. When I proved that I could breeze through what she was trying to teach us, she made me help all the slower kids. I'm not getting paid to do her job, Mama."
Erin giggled as she nodded. "Just do your best, Tabby, and if she continues to ask you to help, I'll call the principal and we'll work things out. I promise."
"Thank you!" Tabitha kissed her cheek before letting her head thump back down on her chest as they waited for the food to be finished. The meal went by quickly, and Erin found her heart so full with the talk that was going on between David and her children, glad to find them bonding.
"All right, kiddos, I know that it's still early, but your mom and I really need to talk about some things, so would you please clean up in here and then head up to bed? I'm certain that she'll come look in on you before she heads to bed."
She was surprised when they all nodded, having expected some pushback from them, and she let out a long breath as she pushed away from the table and followed David into her living room, curling up next to him on the sofa. He closed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly to his chest as they sat there quietly for a few moments. "Let me guess, Aaron talked to you today, too?"
"That he did. And he does not believe that I am the father of your baby. He was…"
"Strident? Furious? Full of rage?"
David nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Yes, all of that. He told me that he had gone to your office to try and get the truth out of you, and that you refused to tell him the truth, even after he said that we were best friends."
"I thought that Helen was going to physically push him out of my office at one point, because she was not pleased with him yelling at me. I know that she's my assistant, but it's rather sweet that she is so protective of me and the baby."
"She seems like a good egg, so I'm glad that you have her, Erin. I just hope that Aaron can learn to accept that we're presenting a united front in this matter."
She shrugged before adjusting how she was sitting, making herself more comfortable on his chest as she thought about what to say next. "He'll have to come around. Because as far as I'm concerned, this is your baby." David kissed the crown of her head once more before they fell into a conversation about how her appointment had gone, talking for a good three hours until she was yawning too much to be ignored.
"Here, let's get you up to bed." She nodded as she let him help her to her feet, holding her hand as they went upstairs, though he held back when she peeped in to tell her children good night, which made her heart feel all the more tender towards him. "All right, I think that this is where I leave you for tonight," David said as he hung back on the doorway of her bedroom.
Erin shook her head a little as she moved over to her dresser and pulled out a nightgown to wear. "Stay? Please?"
"I don't think that Alan would be happy to have another man under the same roof as his children, Erin."
"We're a couple, David, or at least that's what we're trying to pretend we are for Aaron. And I need to grow more accustomed to being intimate with you, to make things more believable to Aaron and the others. I'm not asking you to make love to me, David. It's just that, after the day I had, I would really love to have someone hold me in their arms as I fall asleep. Please?"
He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her. "And if the children ask why I'm still here, making us all breakfast?"
"I'll tell them that it got too late, and I didn't want you driving home when you were so tired. I know, you'll have to sleep in your undershirt and boxers, but please? Humor me?"
Finally, he nodded and stepped into her bedroom, closing the door behind him as he started to loosen his tie. Erin flushed a little as she opened the closet door and hurriedly stripped down to her panties before tugging the nightgown over her head and letting it fall down around her shins before crouching down and picking up the clothes and taking care of them. By the time she was heading towards the bed, he was already there, she smiled softly as she slipped beneath the covers and pulled them up around her shoulders. "Oh, the lights. Get comfortable, and I'll turn them off." She nodded and felt him pop out of bed. Within moments, the bedroom was plunged into darkness, and she allowed herself to relax as she listened to his feet pad against the carpet as he made his way back to her.
"David?"
"What, Erin?"
"You call everyone bella. I want my own pet name, in time. Something that's just between us."
He shifted his position on the bed, scooting closer to her as he slung his arm around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. "I will strive to think of something that will be just ours, Erin, yes."
"Good," she murmured through a yawn, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I don't know how I'll ever begin to thank you." Erin barely managed to get those words out as she gave in to sleep, but she still managed a little smile when she felt him kiss her forehead tenderly, a part of her wishing that this was a true relationship, not just something of convenience in order to keep her baby safe from the hurt that Haley had tried to inflict on them.
