Father Figure

"Daddy!" Beau yelled out as he ran after us to Sidney's car. We both stopped to look at him.

Beau pulled Sidney down so he could whisper in his ear. Sid smiled widely at his son as he stood back up. "Alright. I promise," he assured his son, his hand teasing Beau's hair.

Beau grinned at us before running back to Marc-Andre. Marc waved to us as we finally got into Sidney's car and headed on our way. "So, off to dinner," he announced.

I smiled over at him. "What did Beau tell you?" I asked. I was excited for our date. I hadn't been excited like this for a date in a long time. It was refreshing and new.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret between me and my son," he replied with a teasing smirk.

I scoffed. "That's not nice! My sons are supposed to tell their mama everything," I stated.

"Well this is a special secret, one meant for only me and my son," he quipped. 

"I'll get it out of him," I assured him. "Beau, Gab, and Kris tell me everything."

"Did they tell you about skinny dipping in Daddy's hot tub?" he replied with a sly grin.

I gaped at him. "You took them skinny dipping?" I asked.

He chuckled. "They thought it was pretty fun," he said. 

"I'm sure they did," I mumbled before laughing. "Makes sense why they yelled out 'let's go skinny dipping' when they took a bath the other day now."

Sidney drove us to downtown Pittsburgh for dinner. We kept up a small stream of jokes as he drove. I think both of us were in good moods because of the date. He seemed just as happy as I felt. This was like a night off for the both of us. No worries or stressing, only having a good time. 

"Mario knows we're going out," I mentioned as he entered downtown Pitt.

He swallowed hard. "What'd he say?" Even at 24, Sidney still looked up to Mario like he did when he was 18. I knew just how much the Frenchman's opinion meant to Sid.

"About time," I responded. I could see a blush rise to his cheeks as he let out a laugh. "Have you... Have you been planning this for awhile?"

He chewed on his lip as he thought over his words. "Define awhile," he said slowly. His brown eyes glanced over at me. 

I let out a laugh. The butterflies that had laid silent in my stomach for a long while began to flutter around. He'd always had a way of making me feel... Different. In a good way, of course. There were times like now where I felt this giddy teenage excitement, times like at Christmas where I felt complete happiness, and time like when we talked on the phone late after the boys were asleep where I felt an easiness my life had been missing since the birth of my sons. 

"Where do you think this whole thing will take us?" I asked after a few moments. 

"Well, to dinner first and then to a movie. After that, we'll pick up the boys and then go to Mario's place to drop you four off," Sidney explained slowly. 

I lightly swatted his arm as I smiled. "I meant with our... Relationship and with the boys?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It's kind of the risk or reward, you know? Like this could blow up in our faces and make things awkward forever or it could work out well and things go even better with the boys," he replied calmly. 

I studied his face as he spoke. He really had thought this over for awhile.

Sidney parked his car in front of a nice restaurant we apparently had reservations at. The valet took his keys as we walked to the entrance, his hand on the small of my back. 

The hostess gave us a warm smile. "Table for two, under Crosby," Sidney told her. 

Her eyes fell to whatever was on top of the podium. "Right. Robert will show you," she told us and gestured to a young man. 

He gave both of us polite smiles. "Right this way," he said before walking off. 

Sidney filed behind me as we navigated towards the back of the room. Robert set down or menus. "Anything to drink?" he asked. 

Sidney looked to me. "I have to drive the boys home later. I'm fine," I said. 

He nodded his head. "Just some ice water," he ordered. 

Robert nodded his head and have us smiles. I felt his eyes linger on me for a moment longer before he hurried off. "This place is quite shnazzy," I mumbled as I looked around. 

His eyes flickered over the couples eating out. "I guess so. We got Max to take his girlfriend here last year dress up like hobos," he informed me. 

I laughed at the thought. "That is definitely something Max would do," I commented.

He smirked. "The only server that would help them got the biggest tip he had ever seen in his life."

"Kid probably deserved it," I replied. 

We continued to talk as we glanced through the menu. I decided quickly on a simple pasta dish, but read through everything else they served. "Liver?" I questioned. 

Sidney chuckled. "It's supposed to be good for you."

"Nasty," I whispered out. 

"Says the vegetarian. Yum says everyone else," he commented. His eyes sparkled teasingly. I liked this side of him, the worry free and happy Sidney. 

Before I could reply, Robert appeared. "Ready to order?" he asked me. 

I nodded my head. "I'll just have a fettecini alfredo," I told him as I held out my menu. 

He took it with a large smile. "And for you, sir?" he asked Sidney. 

Sidney recited some steak dish off of the menu that went over my head. I had never understood any of the terminology involved with ordering meat. "How are you liking work?" he asked curiously before taking a sip of his water. "You haven't talked about it much lately."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's not bad. Some of the patients that have been there for awhile left last week. It was good to see them walking out healthy and happy."

He smiled genuinely. "Bet that makes everything else worth it."

I nodded my head as I leaned back in my chair. "It really does. It makes every death and unsolved case a little easier. You can't win them all," I stated. I let out a small laugh as I realized how much that applied to him. Sidney chuckled as he caught on. "When is your next doctor's appointment?"

He shifted a few of his silverware around. "Next Wednesday. I have to fly to California on Tuesday. He thinks he's figured something out," he told me with a small, hopeful smile. 

"They're for sure set on it being your neck?"

"Yeah. My top two vertebrae. They're inflamed or something like that and he's got some ideas," he continued. 

I picked up on his hesitant mood quickly. "Do you think it's going to work?" I asked carefully. 

He shrugged his shoulders as his eyes followed the drop of water that was racing down his water glass. "I don't know. I hope so..."

I watched him look over the other tables. "Are you nervous?"

His eyes finally met mine. "It's a little scary. It's my neck. One wrong thing and..." His words drifted off to imply what he meant. "What if they diagnose it wrong and it makes things worse? What if it ends my career?"

I reached over to take his hand. "It'll be okay. He's one of the best out there. He knows what he's doing," I assured him as I ran my thumb over the back of his hand. "We're all behind you supporting you, too," I reminded him. 

He nodded his head as his other hand connected with mine. "Do you think there is any way you could come with me?" he blurted out. "I mean, I know you're not a doctor, but you're a nurse. And you have to have some medical training for that. It'd just make me feel better since I trust you.."

I bit my lip nervously. "I'll ask about it tomorrow. I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best," I told him. 

A relieved smile graced his face. "Thank you," he whispered.

I squeezed his hand. "Anytime, baby daddy," I replied with a joking smile. He chuckled in response to his nickname.