The Hook-Up (Part Two)

Chapter 255

Lauren stood by the passenger side door of her car later in the evening. They had spent the whole day together and everything seemed perfect for the four of them. "I wish you could come with me to New York..." he said leanng his head into her forehead.

"I knowwwww..." she whined holding onto him.

"It's just a week, mama..." he reassured her seeing Ezra throwing something at his sister making her cry. "Ezra!" he laughed at his son watching Lauren turn around to see them.

"They'll be okay. I just need to get them home." she told him.

"I know." he said leaning in to kiss her. "You have to go to work, too. I will call you when I get to New York tomorrow."

"Okay." she responded with a sad face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her reaching over to touch Ezra to calm him down.

"Are you going to see her when you're there?"

"Lauren...." he looked at her with the same sad face. "No, baby. I'm not going to see her."

"I just worry..." she told him.

"Please don't worry." he answered her. "Don't worry about a thing." he said holding onto her hands lifting them up to kiss them. "Please don't worry."

"I will try." she answered pulling away. "I have to go. They're going to lose it."

"I know." he said kissing her cheek. "Good night, Lauren. Good night, Ezra." he said to his son kissing his head leaning over to get to Everlee. "And you too, baby girl." he said watching her hand reach for his curls. "Good night, Evee." he said pulling her hand away kissing it the same way he had kissed Lauren's hands just second before. "Be nice to your brother."

**

"You're here for a week, mijo....what are you going to do with the little bit of time you're here?" Bruno heard his grandmother ask him over a steaming pot of spicy latino cuisine.

"I don't know." he said. "I might just stay here. I just want to stay away from anything that will make things worse."

"How are you two doing?" his grandmother asked.

"We're okay. We're trying to do things right." he told his grandmother.

"What are you doing to make things better? She asked him.

"Umm..." he paused trying to explain where their relationship was. "We're spending a lot of time together. Alone and with the babies. With everyone else....we still fight. But it's not as bad and we talk about it instead of getting really mad at each other."

"That's good Brunito." she said to him handing him a spoon. "Taste."

"Mmm. That's good." he answered. "Nana, I'm still scared she's not going to rescind the motion. What do I do?"

"You keep doing what you're doing. It's working." she told him hearing a knock at the door. "Bruno go get the door."

He stood up holding a piece of bread in his hand opening the door. "Bruno, we need to talk..." he was pulled out the door by the only person in the whole world he didn't want to see.