Daytime
Maria woke at her normal time and started the pot of coffee she knew would be sorely needed. She washed Danny's dirty items from his bag so he would have something clean to wear. Then she put some cereal in a bowl, and some cut up fruit in a smaller bowl ready for her daughter to eat. The nanny would be down shortly bringing Elena with her. They gathered in the kitchen, Maria explained what had happened and that they had someone in the guest room. Elena was taken back to her room, dressed for the day and began playing with her toys. The nanny settled down in the playroom with Elena and began working on her next assignment for school while supervising the toddler. Maria checked her refrigerator looking for what she might cook for dinner. With their schedule, Maria rarely made it home for dinner and the nanny cooked something simple for herself and Elena. She heard some noise coming from the second floor and decided to see if Danny was awake. Maria still had his cell phone and brought it with her. She climbed the stairs and knocked gently on the door. She cracked it open and called out to her partner.
"Danny, are you awake?" She listened for a moment and heard the toilet flush. She waited until she heard him moving about the room. "Danny, may I come in?" He called out to his partner, and she opened the door all the way. The room was still dark, the only light was coming from the bathroom light he had left on. He was sitting up in bed using the blankets to cover his legs.
"Guess we're gonna be late for work. I'll need to get home to get some clothes…"
"Well, I don't think I have anything that will fit you but before I went to bed last night, I texted Mike and told him we had something to eat last night that didn't sit well so we're both off today. I checked your bag in the trunk of your car, but everything seemed to be dirty. I washed what I could, and they should be dry soon. Coffee is ready and I can make you something to eat if you want. I hung up your suit and shirt in the closet. If you want to take a shower, it's right across the hall and I left towels, soap, razor and toothbrush in there for you. I'll bring up your clean clothes so you can get dressed; come downstairs when you're ready."
"Before you leave, I need to apologize…"
"We can talk about that when Elena goes for her walk down to the park. They'll be gone for about an hour and that should give us enough time to talk. See you downstairs when you're ready. Don't worry about the bed, I'll take care of it later. Elena loves to help me fold sheets." Maria closed the door and returned to the kitchen. Danny stayed on the bed for a moment before he saw the aspirin and bottle of water next to the bed. He swallowed the pills followed by the remaining half of the bottle. Waiting a moment for the dizziness to pass, he had time to look around the room. Danny didn't really understand women and the need to decorate but the room was comfortable for him. No really bright colors and having the half bath close by was nice. He sighed and headed to the shower.
Twenty minutes later
When Danny returned to the bedroom after his shower, he found the clean and dry clothes waiting for him. He dressed, made it downstairs and walked into the kitchen. There was a large mug on the table with steam rising. "Freshly made, sit down and enjoy," said Maria. Danny did as he was told, sipped some of the dark brew and smiled.
"New coffee?" he asked.
"Yes, my sister found it in a bodega near her and she convinced me to try it. The nanny and I are hooked. I'm glad you like it," said Maria. "Now that you're up and drinking your coffee, what would you like to eat?"
"Right now, maybe just some toast, if possible?" he asked.
"I've got some peanut butter, would you like that?"
"Sounds great, thanks." Maria put two slices of the multigrain bread she preferred in the toaster. She took the peanut butter out of the cabinet and found a knife. The toast popped up and she smeared both slices of bread with the preservative free butter. She put one slice in front of Danny then sat down opposite him and enjoyed her slice.
"Where's Elena?" asked Danny.
"She's getting ready for her walk to the park. They try to go everyday so Elena can run around and get rid of some of her excess energy. Right now, my next chore is to find a preschool that meets my standards."
"She's old enough for preschool? Where has the time gone? I remember the day you brought her home from the hospital. She cried for two hours straight, and you were about to return her to the hospital." Danny smiled at the memory.
"But you helped me calm her down, get her fed and go down for a nap. How many times did you come over and get me out of a jam? Seems like a million but now, thanks to you, I feel confident in my mothering skills. I couldn't have done it without you." Maria reached out for Danny's hand, and he permitted her to caress his fingers. Then, Maria heard Elena and the nanny approach the kitchen. Elena saw Danny and ran to him.
"Papi, papi, papi," she cried. "I miss you; you didn't come see me for a long time." Danny bent down and picked Elena up and put her on his lap.
"I have missed being here with you. You're getting so big; I hardly recognize you. Have you been a good girl for Mami?"
"Yes, and I was with my abuela two days ago." She proudly held up two fingers. "She talked to me like Tia Ana does. I'm learning new words every day."
"Elena, it's time to go to the park. I promise papi will be here when you get back. Now, give papi a kiss and then give me a kiss, please," said Maria. Elena gave her papi a kiss as only a toddler can manage and then gave her mami a kiss. Elena waved goodbye then headed out the door with the nanny. "Do you need to go home? Are you good to drive home or should I take you?" asked Maria. "I had hoped you might come back and spend the day with us," asked Maria.
"That sounds like a plan. Is there something I could bring for dinner?"
"How about stopping at your favorite store and pick up four boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bring them back with you. I've got lots of veggies and we can make a casserole we'll all enjoy." She stood up and gathered the dirty dishes.
"Let me help you," said Danny. He brought his dishes to the sink and kissed Maria on her cheek. "I'd like to spend more time with you and Elena. Is that something you would like?"
"Yes, I would love to spend time with you, away from work, so you can show my daughter what a good man looks like and what he does for those he loves." She moved closer and kissed him, briefly. "How about I get these dishes in the dishwasher and go with you. That way I can tell you all about my drink last night with Wes and the dinner invitation we have but not for about two months." Danny looked at his partner, wondering why the invitation would be so far into the future but decided he would wait for the ride. They worked together to clean the kitchen, remove the dirty sheets and towels from the guest bedroom and start a load of laundry. Danny gathered his suit; Maria texted the nanny and they headed out.