*Two years after Shorty*
"...Kyle, are you even listening?"
I shook my head to snap myself out of the daze I was in. "What? No, I wasn't listening. Sorry."
She groaned. "Kyle."
"I'm sorry but it's really hard to hear anything you're saying when you're wiggling around and stuff."
"I'm trying to get into these jeans."
The jeans were way too small but I was afraid to comment on it. After she gave birth to our daughter, she was feeling really down about her weight and such. I didn't mind the extra weight at all. I thought she looked good.
Any comment about her appearance, good or bad, would either cheer her up or make it worse. I decided to just keep my mouth shut.
"What were you saying?"
"Faith is awake."
I went straight into Faith's room and saw her standing up in her crib. Her cheeks were wet with tears which nearly broke my heart. She reached out for me and started fussing.
"Daddy," she whined.
I lifted her out of the crib and took her into my room where Imogen was still trying to get into those damn jeans. She knew they didn't fit, I knew they didn't fit, and I bet Faith could tell they didn't fit. I don't know why she did that to herself.
"Hey, maybe you want to give it up with those jeans," I suggested as Faith reached for Imogen.
Imogen threw her hands up and wiggled out of the jeans. "Fine." She stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
"Mommy?" Faith asked poking out her bottom lip.
"Don't cry, baby. Mommy's okay."
Seemingly satisfied with my answer she laid her head on my shoulder and let out a content sigh.
That night Amber invited us to dinner. Mostly because Aiden wanted to see Faith and because she knew Imogen was going through something. It was nice of her to offer, really, but when we pulled up in her driveway I knew it wasn't a good idea.
"She just randomly invited us to dinner?" Imogen asked as she checked her makeup in the mirror.
"I mean she knows you've been kind of moody and-"
"Kind of moody?"
There was my mistake. I mentioned that she was being moody. That's where we started off the night wrong. "I didn't mean to say moody. I just meant-"
Before I could finish she got out of the car and shut the door. I got out too and went in the backseat to unbuckle Faith.
As soon as we knocked on the door Aiden was there to greet us.
"Hi, dad!" Aiden said then wrapped his arms around my legs.
Faith didn't like that one bit. She kicked Aiden's head while trying to reach down and smack him. "My daddy."
I set her down knowing that they would be off playing in no time.
***
After dinner I asked Amber if she could keep Faith for the night. Even though Imogen and I were able to put up a front for Amber and Steven I knew that once we got home I was going to get an earful. I didn't want Faith to even be in the house when it went down.
The drive home was silent.
When we got into our bedroom Imogen started getting ready for bed. I stripped and got into bed waiting for her to start the argument. I watched her walk back and forth from the bathroom to the bedroom over and over again.
"Imogen."
She looked at me. "What?"
I guess she was waiting for me to start it. "Can you please talk to me?"
I could see her trying to keep it together but she was slipping. "Why in God's name would you tell Amber that I've been kind of moody?"
"I didn't say those words exactly, Imogen. And if anyone can understand what you're going through, it's Amber. You know I try to sympathize but I'm a dude. Margo can throw kind words at you as well but at the end of the day she's never had kids."
Imogen rolled her eyes which just meant she knew I was right. "Okay, but you put my personal business out there, Kyle."
"I thought maybe you'd like to talk to another mother. You know, woman to woman. I'm sorry if I was wrong."
"I can understand that but not your ex," she muttered.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I hated when she threw that in my face. Like Amber wasn't a good person just because we had a kid together. "I can't change that, Imogen. Amber will be in our lives as long as you're with me."
She sighed. "I know but it just bothers me that you went to her to talk about me."
So that's what upset her. Not the fact that I called her moody but because I went to Amber. "It wasn't like that at all. Come here." I held my hands out for her. She came onto the bed and straddled my legs.
"You're right, Kyle. I should just talk to Amber instead of feeling jealous. I mean she does have two kids."
"Yeah, and she had no one to talk to when she had Aiden," I added. "And you have nothing to be jealous about. I'm happily married and so is Amber."
She nodded. "You're right."
"Damn straight."
"I love you."
"I love you, Imogen. I love all of you. Yeah, you gained weight but you still look amazing and I still love you."
"You always know how to make me feel better."
