Page 67 of Instant Bond

“You sound upset,” I noted, stroking up and down his blanketed legs. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” he stuttered out quickly. “Can we turn on a movie or something?”

“Sure,” I instantly agreed, snatching up the remote. “Whatever you want.” Anything to get his mind off whatever was making him act so weird.

When it was time to get Ty off the bus, I picked him up, and ordered food in for he and I. Cameron was still only able to nibble at things, but at least he didn’t get sick again. He’d retreated into our bedroom to keep resting, so I had Ty to myself for the night, which suited both of us fine.

“Daddy’s going to be okay, right?” Ty asked, while we were eating dinner.

“Of course, buddy. He’s just feeling a little sick right now. Probably because of the weather.”

“It’s cold out,” he acknowledged my statement with a nod, chewing through another salty French fry. He’d chosen burgers tonight. I didn’t know if I was supposed to find it cute that he and Cameron basically shared a palate, but I did. “I think it’s going to snow soon!”

“I think so too,” I said. “Do you like the snow?”

“Yep! Me and Dad build snowmen and make snow angels and everything. You’ll play with us too, right?”

“Absolutely,” I promised him. “It’s actually been a really long time since I’ve played in the snow. Not since I was a kid.”

“How come?” He wondered, tilting his head at me.

I thought about it for a second, taking a sip of the soda I’d ordered with my meal. I couldn’t keep eating like this and skipping sessions at the gym or I’d lose my physique. But I had a hard time telling the kid no about anything.

“I guess I haven’t had anyone to do it with.”

“You didn’t have any boyfriends before Dad?” He asked, giving me a suspicious look.

I cleared my throat, trying to suppress a laugh. “I did have some, but…” How could I explain myself to a six-year-old? “I didn’t really get too serious with any of them because I didn’t think they were who I was going to end up with.”

“You mean forever?”

“Right.”

“Soo…” He pursed his lips, glancing up at the ceiling. “You think you want to be with my Dad forever? You aren’t going to make us leave?”

“I won’t ever make you guys leave,” I said. “I want to be with your dad as long as he’ll have me.”

“I don’t think he wants to leave,” Ty pointed out. “And I don’t want to either! I like my new room,” he added. The uncertainty in his voice was a little heart-breaking. Just like Cameron, he was already kind of used to life screwing them over.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I promised him. “We’re all going to stay together and be happy.”

“Okay,” he said, immediately perked up by my reassurance. “Can we watch another Epic Power Squad before my bath?”

“Definitely.”

Later, because we didn’t know what kind of sickness Cameron had, Ty stood in our bedroom door and told his dad goodnight and that he loved him before letting me tuck him into his bed.

I briefly worried that he would ask me a few more hard-hitting questions before letting me leave but he seemed completely reassured and secure in my words to him. It was sweet, having that kind of power with him.

When I slid into bed next to Cameron, he was already asleep. I wasn’t too worried about getting sick, and if I did, it would be worth it for him. Settling in close, close enough that I could hear his soft, rhythmic breathing, I fell into sleep too.

CAM

I’D SOMEHOW CONVINCEDKarter to let me put Ty on the bus, and for him to stay inside. Well, it was more like I’d begged him. I’d insisted that I felt better (I didn’t) and that I needed to get out into the fresh air (also no) and that there was no point in him joining me since at least one of us should stay warm and comfy in bed.

When Ty’s bus pulled away, with Ty waving to me from his window, I took a deep breath, resting my palms on my knees for a moment so I didn’t collapse onto the sidewalk. I felt completely nauseated, but this time I wasn’t sure if it was because I was ‘sick’ or because I was so nervous I wanted to puke. But the longer I took to carry out this supremely unpleasant task, the higher chance I would be caught, so I scurried off around the corner as fast as my weak body would let me.

There was a little drugstore not even half a block down, open 24/7. The bored cashier barely spared me a glance before returning to scrolling on her phone when I creaked open the door and stepped inside. I shivered, glad to be out of the cold. It was windy, and tiny flakes of snow had started forming in the air, melting before they could stick to the ground.

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