The Little Decisions Series (Jai Courtney)

Say It

"Honey, sorry I'm late." Jai bent to kiss her cheek before pulling out a chair and sitting. "I was on a call."

"It's fine." She smiled politely, taking a sip of her water. "I haven't been here too long. Besides, it gave me some time to go through another e-mail from a babysitter."

"And?" Jai asked adjusting himself in the small diner chair.

Pausing to allow the waitress to approach, they gave their order and she picked up their conversation.

"She is currently coming back to work after a day care lay off. So she has experience and references look good. I am going to call them later today." She informed the concerned looking father.

She had put out a couple of ads on a few websites that catered to professional babysitters and nannies, a woman in her office had used one to find her nanny and swore by it. So far the response had been overwhelming, there was a serious boom in babysitting and they were striking it hot.

After she had a generous pile of resumes the interviews were to begin. She and Jai had agreed that the initial interviews were best done at an outside establishment, until they got down to the final one or two. The plan was to set up interviews at a local coffee shop and weed out anybody she felt wasn't going to be a good fit, by the third interview the potential sitters would meet Jai and then Denzi. It was a lot of work.

At this point, she too was considering just asking her mother to quit her job for full time Denzi care. Why couldn't real life be as simple as Laura Linney finding Scarlett Johansson in The Nanny Diaries?

"Hmm." Jai hummed, leaning back for the waitress to place his water on the table. "Can you send me the e-mail?"

"Sure." She picked up her phone. "There, it's sent. You know, I don't want to push you, but we need to find someone soon. When do you leave?"

"Two days before Denzi's birthday." Jai pouted. He wanted to spend his son's birthday at home, doing something with Denzi, not being stuck in a table read on the other side of the globe.

"Right, we'll figure something out about that. If we can't find a babysitter, then I will arrange my schedule until we do." She nodded firmly.

Jai was lucky to have her.

It was cliché and corny, but he was and so was Denzi. Without her, there were days when his world would fall apart. She was a pain in his ass and him in hers, but he loved her regardless of those moments. As much as they argued and fought, Jai adored her none the less.

"I love you." He lowered his voice reaching across the table to stroke her arm.

No reply, as expected, just a simple smile.

Jai wanted to groan and ask her why she could say it this morning, but not now? Maybe that was the problem and she hadn't said it? Maybe it was all in his head? His personal trainer, Deric, had laughed when Jai expressed his feelings about it this morning.

Poor Deric, the man heard far too many of Jai's life problems. The other man must be truly in love with the days when Jai wasn't around. Jai needed somebody to talk to, somebody who wouldn't immediately run back and tell her everything, Deric was the perfect person. Whether or not he wanted to be.

"Dude, chill out. She'll say it when she wants to, don't put so much stress into it." Deric had lectured his client.

After all, she had been more than half asleep when Jai thought he'd heard it.

He had woke to his alarm ringing and her arms wrapped tightly around his mid section. She was clinging to him and he knew moving would wake her. Still, he had to go. Waking up was nicer when she wasn't banishing him to the couch, he had partly deserved the night spent on the couch.