This Is Us

Chapter 27

The day after my birthday is usually quiet, mostly due to the fact that it's also when Walker is continuing to crash from his birthday. Normally we take it easy and go at his pace. If he wants to play with his new toys we do, until it becomes too much or he changes his mind. We watch a movie or two and enjoy his favorite foods. Whatever keeps him calm while coming down from the excitement of the previous day, I make happen.

So it's an odd feeling to not be woken up just a couple of hours after going to bed by a boy who is still wound tight. In fact, it's strange being woken up by a phone call instead of an alarm whether that be by a clock or my son.

It takes a few moments for my mind to register the ringtone is something different than my normal alarm as my hand slaps against the bedside table. If anyone else was in this house with me right now, they'd be wide awake from the crash of the phone hitting the floor.

The ringing stops suddenly so I drop my pursuit of the annoyance. But as I roll back over, it starts again. I nearly fall off the edge of the bed while reaching for it, just to notice it's a FaceTime call.

From Chris.

Can I send him a message instead? I'm positive I look like a mess, and not a hot one, more like a train wreck. It's rare that I get to sleep in, and after the energy filled night with Chris, I fell into a blissful sleep reliving each and every moment. I'm sure my hair looks like a rat's nest and a line of drool is probably dried all the way from the corner of my lip to my jawline.

I argue with myself long enough that the ringer cuts off again. Air blows out between my lips, blowing my hair out of my face as I flop back onto the pillow. I notice a couple of messages that I must've missed, or rather slept through, from Ally telling me they're taking Walker to the zoo and then a trip to the splash park late this afternoon. She even tells me she'll be sure to drop him off just in time for bed this evening. I'm typing out a full message when a knock at my door startles me. Instead of the full message she gets a small 'okay' before I'm leaping off the mattress.

Just a few steps into my hallway, I stop. "Who is it?" I call out, wondering if maybe there's a package I need to sign for from the mailman, but then remind myself it's Sunday.

"Chris!" the person answers.

"What are you doing here?" I yell, sprinting back into my bedroom to grab a robe. I yank the closest one I can find off of a hanger, wrapping it around quickly before tying it off at the belt.

He doesn't answer me with words, instead I hear him actually cackling on the other side of my door. I dash into the bathroom just long enough to double check the drool remains and splash one handful of water onto my face.

"Come on, AnnaBelle!"

My feet need to move faster apparently, although I have one more stop to make. I spy the hair band Chris pulled from the top of my head last night, still laying on the couch. Lovely memories flood my mind and I believe I'll never look at that couch the same way again.

With my hair knotted on top of my head I finally reach the door. With one hand gripping the tie to my robe, the other is pulling the door open, my eyes staring dumbfoundedly at the wide eyed, bushy tailed Bostonian standing there with a grin on his face.

"Morning," he says, presenting a cup of coffee towards me.

I eye him and the cup warily. "What are you doing here, Chris?"

"Well, if you'd answered your phone," he takes a step up, "you'd have known I was bringing you breakfast."

"Sorry," I admit. "You kind of woke me up. I'm not use to waking up on my own, guess it threw me off." I take a step back after finally accepting the coffee from him and move aside to invite him in. He carries the bag off into the kitchen as I trail behind him. "You didn't have to bring coffee. I could've made some here."

By the time I enter the kitchen, Chris is standing there pointing at my coffee cup tree rack. The empty tree, reminding me with his smirk exactly why I can't make coffee this morning. After settling the bag on the counter he takes a step towards me, hands reaching out to my hips while a blush covers my cheeks. "Oh, that's right," I say quietly, ducking my head down a little.

Chris begins looking around the room with a high level of urgency. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to decide what else we can break when we pick up where we left off last night," his voice husky as he dips his head down. His lips barely brush against mine as he finishes the joking statement, my hand pushing against his chest making him back up while laughing. "Breakfast?"

"Sure."

I go to grab plates from the cabinet but stop once Chris' hands wrap around my waist, changing the direction of my body. "Not necessary. They're already separated into platters." He gives me a little push towards the table before grabbing the forks out of the dish drain we'd used the night before.

When he pulls the platters out, I realize it all looks very familiar. My eyes flit between the food and Chris until he's smiling widely at me like he's been caught. "Is this from my restaurant?"

"Yep."

"How did you know what was any good?" He surprises me by setting one in front of me, filled to the brim with stuffed french toast covered in fresh berry compote. "Better yet, who told you this was my favorite?"

A small chuckle sound comes from his throat as he sits across from me. "I am not going to reveal my sources," he tells me. "However, if you're the one who does the tip payouts at the end of a shift, you might be able to figure it out."

"Well, then your secret is safe. I'm not working today so I won't find out." I take a heaping bite of the still warm bread, humming around the deliciousness. "I really need to give Leroy a raise."

Once Chris has popped a bite of his own food into his mouth, he's nodding emphatically in agreeance. "So, what's the plan for the day? Walker coming back soon?"

I take a quick sip of coffee. "Actually, our birthday weekend is continuing. I woke up to a text from Ally that they're taking him to the zoo and then the splash park before promptly dropping off his tired self here in time to crawl into bed."

I expect to hear him give me some type of sweet and sultry look, realizing that I have the house to myself and we can pick up where we left off last night. Instead, I'm met with disappointment. Chris' shoulders actually drop, and the big smile he was wearing falters. A quiet, "oh," slips past his lips before he decides the bacon on his plate is the most fascinating thing ever.

"Is that a problem?" He shakes his head, but doesn't appear like everything is fine. "When do you leave?"

The idea that when his car pulls out of my driveway will probably be the last time I see him isn't lost on me. We've had a fun weekend, enjoyed some laughs and a bit of tonsil hockey, but I'm not crazy enough or high enough in the clouds to think this is much more than a weekend fling.

"My flight is tonight, actually. Ten o'clock to be exact."

"Oh," I respond taking another bite when it dawns on me.

He wants to see Walker.

He WANTS to see Walker.

A man, with no blood related ties to our family, wants to spend time with a boy who is complicated. A boy who is precious and amazing, but complicated none the less.

"Feel like a day at the zoo?"

The smile on Chris' face lights up the room. "Sounds perfect."

*Okay, I was gonna write a longer one, but decided to just split it up.