If there's one adjective I had to describe getting back on the bus that following day, it was awkward.
George and I made only brief exchanges though I knew he longed for more, but I just hadn't the strength in me, especially because when I saw the sight of Maureen, I felt nauseous, going beyond just the pregnancy nausea.
"Is this spot taken?" Cynthia looked down to the spot beside me hesitantly, with a sorrowful and somewhat sympathetic grin.
"No," I paused standing up and sliding out into the aisle, "take it." I spoke knowing well that she had been concealing her knowledge of George and Maureen's kiss since she'd been aware.
"Poppy." She nearly pleaded.
"I'm going to get some fresh air before we go." I looked farther up to the front of the bus feeling suffocated with the abundance of people everywhere.
She let me pass and I began to make my way to the front of the bus, through the sea of extras and crew, and I felt a migraine beginning to invade my head with little warning.
As I stepped outside my eyes met Paul's, whose grin was exceptionally large this morning.
"Pop Star." He said with delight, trying out once again the nickname that failed to catch so long ago, and I couldn't help but giggle at it.
"The cute one." I mimicked what the papers had always called him and he scowled playfully as I brought him into a hug, to which he rubbed his hands up and down my back comfortingly. I smiled to myself nuzzling into his chest slightly, Paul always knew how to make me feel better almost instantaneously, and I was thankful for that right now.
"How are you and your plus one?" He looked so gleeful as he looked down to my tummy as he pulled away from the hug, as if waiting for a bump to show immediately.
"We're good. Doctor says it was only a scare what happened, but we do have another checkup coming up soon. I just hope that George and I are able to go together." I let a sigh slip from my mouth accidentally.
"Is everything okay?" Paul looked concerned
I wanted to tell him that it was, but I couldn't, I couldn't resist the urge to tell someone of what had happened the night before, and how it only seemed to bring back out the difficulty I had in trusting George once again and George with trusting me.
"Eric was out of line." He shook his head in distaste after I had finished recounting yesterday's events.
"I want to be okay with George, it just shouldn't be this hard." I rubbed my neck with my hand in thought.
I could tell Paul resonated with my words though he tried to conceal it the best he could. The American photographer popped into my mind for a brief moment, knowing how they'd bonded when she had first met him. I admired that immediate attraction to one another on instinct. It's what I had with George, and it was the type of attraction that kept me by his side even in hard times.
From a distance I could see John carrying Julian in his arms and my mood brightened as I noticed how hard of a time he was giving John in a playful mood, squirming and laughing in his fathers arms as John struggled not to let him fall.
Paul noticed too and had a childish grin illuminating his face.
"You're late." Paul laughed knowing exactly why.
"He wouldn't get dressed." John stared at Julian blank faced in a playful annoyance, beginning to tickle Julian's sides when he begun to grow intimidated by his father's stare.
"Auntie P!" Julian cried as he saw me, trying desperately now to escape his fathers grip.
John let him go, assuming now that it was safe that he wouldn't run off.
