Andi walked hand-in-hand with David, staying a few feet behind Jake as he made the rounds. She hadn't stopped smiling all day, from the minute David arrived to pick them up. Jake hadn't stopped talking the entire hour or so drive to Long Beach. And despite the fact that Andi knew David tended to be a 'silent' driver, he'd carried the conversation with Jake the whole way.
"I'd be willing to bet Jake is going to clear six feet before he's done growing," David said randomly as they traversed the winding gallery toward the first floor.
"Why do you say that?"
"Look at him now..." He motioned toward Jake with the hand he didn't hold with hers. "He's got to be a good head above other kids his age. I saw that at his party. We're not going to be able to keep him in pants, he'll be growing out of them so fast. And if he's anything like I was at his age, we won't be able to keep food in the house."
Andi looked at him, but his attention was on Jake, a wide smile on his lips. She wondered if he even realized what he'd said...
"I can't keep food in the house now," she said, fighting against the rasp in her throat.
"Let's get moving, buddy," David called to Jake. "We want good seats."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're as excited about being here as Jake."
David squeezed her hand and looked down at her. "I am. I never got to do stuff like this when I was a kid."
They walked down the slight incline that led to the first floor. Jake was twenty feet ahead, his hands and nose pressed to the thick aquarium wall, talking with a redheaded boy who stood beside him. The young boy had to share the same enthusiasm Jake felt, because they both had the same excited expression as they pointed to various things in the tank.
Jake turned motioned to them. "Mom! David! Come check this out."
The boy with Jake turned to look as well, and his mouth fell open. They walked just close enough that she heard the boy whisper, "Is that David Bishop?"
Jake looked back over his shoulder, grinned and shrugged. "Yeah. He's my mom's boyfriend."
"Coooolll."
David chuckled. The two boys ran ahead, talking like they'd been lifelong friends. Andi always loved the ability of children to make friends. Later, if she asked, Jake probably wouldn't even know the boy's name. But it didn't matter, because they were here now and they were having fun. It was hard to believe that at Jake's age, David was already working. He was Davey Bishop then, and most likely not a single person had any idea how far he would go, but he was already a paid actor. Who never went to an aquarium or had a birthday party.
"Do you regret going into acting so young?" she asked as they rounded a corner and caught sight of Jake and his friend again. They were nearly through the gallery to the Great Hall of the Pacific.
David's attention was ahead of them, watching Jake, and he broke into a wide grin before looking at her. His smile was the kind that reached all the way to his eyes and made her heart expand in her chest. "I don't know if regret is the right word. I wish some things had happened differently, like my parents' divorce, but I always knew acting was what I wanted." He lifted her hand and kissed the back. "I've got a whole theory on life, though"
"What theory is that?"
They crossed the great hall before he could answer, to where Jake stood with his friend and who Andi assumed to be his friend's parents. The woman held a small child on her hip, a little girl with strawberry blonde ringlets encompassing her head like a halo.
"Mom, Connor is going to see the show, too. Can we sit together?"
"It's okay with me. Just remember to save a seat for Maggie."
The boys shouted "Cool!" in unison. The man, with bright red hair like Connor, held out his hand. "Duncan. This is my wife, Ellyse."
David released her hand to take Duncan's, shaking it firmly. "David."
Andi raised her hand. "Andi. Looks like our sons have hit it off."
"Well, Connor isn't exactly a shy kid." Duncan's gaze kept sliding to David, and finally he smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to stare. But you're--"
"Duncan," his wife admonished, blushing profusely.
"It's okay," David offered, holding his hand up. "It's hard for me and my girlfriend to go anywhere and relax, so if I could just stay 'David', that'd be great."
When he said girlfriend, his hand found hers again and he squeezed it gently. Andi caught the glint in his eyes. He threw that word around now just because he knew it'd get a rise out of her. It was a few more minutes yet before the beginning of the show, and a small crowd gathered in the great hall to wait. They talked with Duncan and Ellyse, learning they were from Burbank and the little girl's name was Corinne. Duncan and Ellyse only seemed aware of David -- the David she no longer saw -- for the first couple of minutes, but then the unease slipped away and the conversation was no different than any other she'd had at a playground or movie theater.
The doors opened a few minutes before the show was supposed to begin and they all entered. The crowd wasn't nearly enough to fill the theater and they picked a row half way down the ramp, with everyone filing in. As promised, Jake made sure he sat beside her even though Connor was already on his other side and they still talked non-stop. David sat on the end of the line on the other side of her, with Duncan and Ellyse on the other side of Connor. As soon as they settled, David took her hand and pulled it toward him so it rested on his thigh and he laced his fingers through hers.
"So, what is the theory?" Andi asked while they had a couple more minutes before the show.
He leaned toward her until their shoulders touched. "My theory on what?"
"Life. You said you had a theory."
He grinned, his gaze shifting down so he focused on her mouth. "My theory is that if you're happy with who you are, and where you are, then you can't regret anything before today."
"Why is that?"
His lip ticked up a little more when she spoke, and slow warmth spread through her. Andi had read about men who could excite a woman with their glance, and women who felt an erotic rush when a man looked at them with hooded, dark eyes -- she'd even written similar things in her own books because it was a common ploy -- but never once had she experienced it until David looked at her that way. Like he enjoyed every move she made, every smile she gave, and every word she spoke.
"Because everything from your past brought you to where you are. Good. Bad. Painful. Wonderful. All of it brought you here."
"What if you're not happy?"
His eyes shifted up to look into hers, and her breath caught for a moment. Then he reached across with his free hand and touched his fingertip to her chin, tilting her head just a little bit. "It's just a moment to bring you to something better later."
"I like your theory."
David leaned in closer, his breath warming her cheek. "So, what is today?"
"Today?" It was getting hard to think, he was too close and the lights dimmed in the theater... just enough to hide a quick kiss...
He changed the question by asking, "Is this something better?"
The weight of his voice moved over her like a wave of warm water. Andi drew in a hitched breath and nodded. "Yes," was all she could manage, even though a thousand different answers ran through her head.
She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his just as the music for the show rolled. David's lips opened and his tongue brushed hers. His hand squeezed hers and with a final quick, and painfully inadequate as far as she was concerned, kiss they settled in for the movie.
*****
"I say we put in another hour or so, and then head back north. Catch dinner on the way home."
Andi nodded, settling beside David on one of the benches facing the shark lagoon. "That sounds fine to me. I don't know if Jake will actually make it home," she said with a chuckle, watching her son with Connor as they pet the small sharks in the lagoon. "He's played hard today. I give him until we hit the highway to be out like a light."
"He'd better wake up for dinner," Maggie sa
id. "I love fish and chips as much as the next person, but I'm ready for a nice steak."
David leaned back and draped his arms across the back of the bench, one behind Andi and the other behind Maggie. "I can't argue with that logic."
Andi settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. The mid-afternoon sun was bright and warm, and she figured she probably gained some color today. Unlike David and Maggie, she could just look at sunshine and get pink. But for now, it was nice. She closed her eyes and released a long, slow breath.
The heart-piercing sound of Jake's scream snapped her from her repose. Andi sat up and blinked her eyes open, trying to find him. But David was already gone, leaping the bench in front of them to reach Jake where he sprawled out on the wet concrete around the lagoon. Andi rushed to the end of the aisle, Maggie right behind her, to jog down the steps.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Jake cried, his knee pulled to his chest so he could hold his lower leg.
"What happened?" Andi demanded when she reached David, who already knelt beside her son.
"He slipped on the wet concrete," David explained, his expression tight.
"It hurts, Mom! It hurts!" Jake cried.
A wide and long scrape ran from his knee to just a few inches down his leg, but it was only a surface scratch barely drawing any blood. The way he held his leg, she figured the scrape was the least of his pains. He held his foot at an angle, rocking on his tailbone.
"Is it your ankle, honey?"
Jake nodded, hissing. "It hurts!"
David shifted on his knees so Jake could lean against him, rubbing his hand up and down Jake's arm. "How bad is it?"
Andi gingerly took Jake's foot in her hand, thankful that he had on sandals so she could see the ankle without having to remove a sneaker and sock. He had another scrape on the outside of his ankle, and it looked like it had swollen slightly, but when she carefully moved the foot the movement only garnered a sharp hiss from Jake and not a scream. It was probably nothing more than a slight strain.
"You just twisted your ankle, honey. You'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" David asked. "Should we take him to the ER?"
Jake looked from David to her, a look of sheer panic on his face.
"No, that's not necessary."
"If you think it could be broken--"
Andi reached out and touched David's hand, cutting him off. "David, it's okay. He'll be fine. But, I think we're done for the day."
"Aw, man. That stinks," Connor declared from nearby with a stomp of his foot.
"I'm sorry, Connor. Maybe you and Jake can get together some other time."
Jake blinked his eyes hard, fighting the big tears that threatened to fall. "It really hurts, Mom," he said softly, his voice rough. "And my knee hurts, too."
"Well, that I can take care of right now." Andi turned her purse, which she had worn across her chest, and dug into it for the small first aid packet she always carried. Just enough triple antibiotic ointment and bandages to fix up minor dings and scrapes.
"I'll head back to the café and see if I can get a small bag of ice," Maggie offered, standing.
"Thank you."
"Are you sure it's not swelling too much?" David asked as she smoothed the ointment on Jake's scraped knee. "You can't be too careful with ankles."
Andi looked up from her task and started to say something light until she saw the tight line of his lips and the way his eyes pinched at the corners. He still supported Jake against his chest, his hands rubbing the boy's arms, and Andi wondered if the act of comfort was more for Jake... or David. She smiled, trying her best to look convincing.
"I'm sure. It'll be fine. He's just going to have to stay off it for a day or two."
When David's expression didn't relax, Andi felt a small tug at her heart. She couldn't remember a single time that Jake's own father showed a fraction of the genuine concern David showed now for a boy that wasn't his son. When Jake was little, Lawrence was more worried about how quickly Andi could stop the crying than why Jake might be crying. She focused on lining up the cartoon character bandages over the scrape, crumbling the wrappers in her hands as Maggie returned with a small bag of ice in one hand and a milkshake in the other. Andi arched an eyebrow and Maggie shrugged.
"There's nothing ice cream won't cure. But, I figured a milkshake would be safer in the car."
"Do you think you can walk to the car, honey?"
Before Jake could whine an answer, David scooped her slight son up in his arms, swinging him effortlessly onto his back to carry him piggyback. "No need. I've got him."
By the time they reached the doors leading to the parking lot, Jake's tears had dried. But, David's expression was still tight and dark. He set Jake in the back seat of his car -- a four-door SUV today -- and when he shut the door, Andi touched his arm.
"David."
He turned to look at her and she reached up to lay her hand against the side of his face, smoothing away the lines at the corner of his eye with her thumb. "Thank you."
"For what?"
Andi smiled and toed up to kiss his cheek before walking around to the passenger side.
*****
Andi unlocked the house door and pushed it open to let David in. She tossed her keys on the counter and headed into the kitchen.
"Could you take him upstairs? I'll just get him some ibuprofen and be right up."
"Yes, ma'am." David winked at Jake and he chuckled. He seemed to get a kick out of being carried around, so David turned a little sharper than required, lifting Jake higher, and Jake chuckled.
He carried Jake up the stairs, and waited while Jake leaned over to turn the doorknob. Just inside the room, he turned so Jake could flip on the light switch. The room was large, big enough for a full size bed, long bureau, desk and drum set in the corner with more than enough room to move around. Dirty clothes littered the floor and the bed was unmade. A door on the left wall opened to an attached bathroom. The walls were painted blue with a sea theme border and one wall had a massive mural of a blue whale painted across the entire width of it.
"When your mom said you liked the aquarium, I get the impression that was an understatement."
"I want to be a marine biologist."
David made an effort to look impressed as he kicked aside a pair of pajamas on the floor and laid Jake down on the bed with a purposeful bounce. Jake laughed. Obviously, the ankle wasn't bothering him all that much anymore. David sat down beside him, bouncing the bed again.
"I'll help you with your sandals."
"Thanks, David."
His ankle was cold to the touch from the bag of ice -- which was a bag of cold water by the time they got home -- and the skin was red, but there was no swelling. The bandages Andi had put on the ankle scrape had fallen off on one end, flopping to the side with the pad tinted yellow by the antibiotic ointment. David finished peeling it off while Jake's skin was probably still numb from the cold and tossed the sandals on the floor.
"Do you want more ice?"
Jake shook his head, settling back into the pile of pillows behind him. The sheets and blankets had fish and whales and dolphins, and one of his pillows was a giant walrus. Yeah, like the aquarium was definitely an understatement. At least he knew what to get the kid for the holidays.
David smiled at the idea of being there.
"I had fun today," Jake said, stretched out with his fingers laced over his stomach. "Mom smiled a lot."
"She knew you were having a good time."
Jake shrugged. "I guess." He stared at David, and for a moment David saw the same boy who had informed him just over a week earlier that he wouldn't make Andi cry. The boy who dreaded seeing his father and who didn't want to leave his mother alone. "Mom smiles a lot when you're here."
"I hope so," David answered honestly.
"I like it when you come over."
"Why? Because you always beat me at Mario Brothers? Because I've been practicing at home, and eventually, I will win."
Jake lau
ghed. "No. I just like it when you come over."
"Good." David leaned sideways so he rested his hand on the other side of Jake, leaning in like he was imparting some secret. "I really like being here with you and your mom."
Jake smiled, but the smile quickly disappeared into a serious expression. He drew in a long, slow breath before saying, "My friend Travis' mom has a boyfriend."
David glanced down to see Jake working his fingers together nervously. His face was calm, but obviously there was something more going on in the statement. "Does Travis like him?"
Jake shook his head against the pillows. "He told Travis that if he doesn't do what he says, he's going to send him away to a school where he would have to live. He couldn't even come home on weekends."
"That must be pretty scary for Travis."
"He doesn't want to go. His dad is dead."
David nodded, swallowing. Somewhere in another part of the house a phone rang. He looked down, watching Jake's hands, hoping like hell he said the right thing. "Do you worry that something like that will happen to you?"
Jake's fingers stilled, and David looked up into the boys face. Jake nodded slowly. David lifted his hand and laid it on top of Jake's. "Buddy, I care a lot about your mom. I think you know that already." Jake nodded. "But, I also care a lot about you. I would never ever send you away from your mom because I know how much you love each other."
"Never?" he asked, his voice cracking a little.
"Never," David reiterated. "Besides, who would I play Mario with?" he said with a chuckle as he ruffled Jake's hair.
The soft sound of someone clearing their throat preceded Maggie's entrance into the bedroom. "I've got something that should make you feel better, Jake-my-boy."
Jake pulled a face when Maggie handed him a small dosage cup half-filled with a thick, orange liquid. "Can't I just take the pills?"
"This is what your mom sent up, and this is what you get."
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