‹ Prequel: Dear God
Status: ACTIVE
Almost Easy
If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised
Liz’s POV
Colton was curled up against my side, his unruly light brown hair shoved up against one side is his face, each breath out his nose slightly moved the stands as he slept through the last half of his favorite movie: Finding Nemo . The credits were rolling and I was nervous to move in fear of waking him. Tonight was our first night without Danny home, he was in Indianapolis helping to decide an office location. He would be there for the weekend looking at buildings and talking to contractors about reconstructing the inside and design ideas.
I hadn’t spent the night away from him since we got serious a year after Colton was born. It was different and definitely freaking Colton out, but I wasn’t sure who was more on edge. Him or me. The idea of being alone was giving me gives and I had already taken a Benadryl after dinner when it finally set in. The reminder now was the daunting darkness of the hallway to our bedrooms.
Mentally I made the executive decision and gently picked up Colton off the couch, his small arms wrapped themselves around my neck as I carried him down to Danny and my room, begrudgingly turning off the lights along the way. I placed him on my side and climbed in beside him, fully clothed, fuck getting ready for bed.
I took my phone from my pocket after waiting a few minutes to make sure the minimal light wouldn’t stir Colton awake. Carefully I managed to take a picture of his peaceful face against my pillow. I logged in to my Facebook account and wrote a small post about his ability to sleep in any condition while I was wide awake. I sent the post and opened the multiple texts from Danny that I had apparently missed during the movie.
I smiled at his inquiries if we were ok and responded a thumbs up and told him I missed him. I locked my phone and plugged it in on Danny’s side table. I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, I had checked the front door lock multiple times and even the dead bolt. The garage was locked up tight with my car inside and the back porch was double locked. But still every creak sounded new, not like the house we’d lived in since Colton was two. My heart was just starting to slow down and my eyelids were getting the best of me when I heard a loud knock on the front door.
I almost fell on the floor I scrambled so quickly, I checked to make sure Colton was still asleep and checked the clock. It was only eight, I breathed carefully and climbed out of bed then towards the door. I crept down the dark hallway to the now dark living room and mentally thanked myself for turning the lights off. There was another knock and I peeked out the kitchen window to the driveway. I sighed in relief and ran to the store, flinging it open.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I laughed at Jeff, Danny’s older brother, smiled evilly.
“Well if you checked your phone you’d know I was coming over woman. I brought wine.” He came in as I moved aside, “I texted you and said I was in your driveway with wine.”
“I literally just my phone down to charge after I checked Facebook. I finally got Colty to fall asleep to Finding Nemo like half an hour ago.” I navigated the way in to the living room and turned on a table lamp as Jeff got glasses from the kitchen and opened the bottle while he was there, “Did Danny call you?”
“No I just show up at eight at night to drink wine with my sister in law for no reason.” He came back in the room and winked, internally I rented his statement because at one time that was exactly my life, “Yes, he called me about an hour ago, when you stopped responding to his texts, and told me to come hang out and keep you company.”
“Well you don’t have to be here if it’s an inconvenience for you.” The statement was meant to be joking but had an edge of bitch attached, “Sorry I’m just on edge tonight.”
“Liz don’t worry about it. You and Danny are rarely ever apart for long. Night’s especially. It must be tough.” Jeff took a sip of his wine and handed me my glass after filling it up, “Listen I kind of suck as a brother in law, I should hang out with you guys more.”
“It’d be easier if you were my sister in law.” I shrugged off the phrase, “Also more socially normal at eight at night.”
“Well Danny said he was worried about you, so if you mean that much to him you mean that much to all of us. I honestly haven’t seen Danny this happy since we were little kids. Growing up, college, work, it all really grew him up fast. But he’s his old self now, it’s good to see.”
“Well I’m glad. He really is the best thing to happen in my life, I don’t know what he was thinking dating a single new-mom… But I’m glad he did.”
“Believe me he was nervous.” Jeff laughed a little, his mannerisms were so much like Danny it was comical, “He’ll kill me for telling you this… Five years later. He actually asked my parents about a thousand times if it was a smart idea…”
“What’d they say? I mean you don’t have to tell me just like-“
“Oh from the first time he asked my mom what she thought she was planning you guys’ wedding.” Jeff nodded a little, my cheeks flushed slightly, “My mom’s been on the mission for us all to get married and have kids since we graduated high school. College was never a big deal to my parents. But we all wanted to get out of there as soon as we could so we jumped right in to it after high school. I think she hates me for leaving Kristen and ditching that dream for her, but she had you and Danny to occupy her… And she was born to be a grandmother so there’s that too. Colton is probably the biggest blessing for her.”
“She’s absolutely incredible with him. I still feel bad sometimes when Danny asks them to watch him, cuz like… He’s not really their problem.” I mumbled and blocked out the thought of who really should be watching him.
“Don’t let my mom hear you say that, she’ll cry. Then tell you never to call him a problem again-“
“You knew what I meant.” I groaned.
“Regardless!” Jeff held his drink in the air, “Have you made the decision if you’re going to move to Indianapolis yet or not? Danny said you’re going to be a stay at home mom if you move so you better be smart and take that option because then you can just take lessons from my mother in how to hover over your kids like a Black Hawk.” Jeff smiled and waited for a response as I sighed and began thinking of a pros and cons list.
Colton was curled up against my side, his unruly light brown hair shoved up against one side is his face, each breath out his nose slightly moved the stands as he slept through the last half of his favorite movie: Finding Nemo . The credits were rolling and I was nervous to move in fear of waking him. Tonight was our first night without Danny home, he was in Indianapolis helping to decide an office location. He would be there for the weekend looking at buildings and talking to contractors about reconstructing the inside and design ideas.
I hadn’t spent the night away from him since we got serious a year after Colton was born. It was different and definitely freaking Colton out, but I wasn’t sure who was more on edge. Him or me. The idea of being alone was giving me gives and I had already taken a Benadryl after dinner when it finally set in. The reminder now was the daunting darkness of the hallway to our bedrooms.
Mentally I made the executive decision and gently picked up Colton off the couch, his small arms wrapped themselves around my neck as I carried him down to Danny and my room, begrudgingly turning off the lights along the way. I placed him on my side and climbed in beside him, fully clothed, fuck getting ready for bed.
I took my phone from my pocket after waiting a few minutes to make sure the minimal light wouldn’t stir Colton awake. Carefully I managed to take a picture of his peaceful face against my pillow. I logged in to my Facebook account and wrote a small post about his ability to sleep in any condition while I was wide awake. I sent the post and opened the multiple texts from Danny that I had apparently missed during the movie.
I smiled at his inquiries if we were ok and responded a thumbs up and told him I missed him. I locked my phone and plugged it in on Danny’s side table. I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, I had checked the front door lock multiple times and even the dead bolt. The garage was locked up tight with my car inside and the back porch was double locked. But still every creak sounded new, not like the house we’d lived in since Colton was two. My heart was just starting to slow down and my eyelids were getting the best of me when I heard a loud knock on the front door.
I almost fell on the floor I scrambled so quickly, I checked to make sure Colton was still asleep and checked the clock. It was only eight, I breathed carefully and climbed out of bed then towards the door. I crept down the dark hallway to the now dark living room and mentally thanked myself for turning the lights off. There was another knock and I peeked out the kitchen window to the driveway. I sighed in relief and ran to the store, flinging it open.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I laughed at Jeff, Danny’s older brother, smiled evilly.
“Well if you checked your phone you’d know I was coming over woman. I brought wine.” He came in as I moved aside, “I texted you and said I was in your driveway with wine.”
“I literally just my phone down to charge after I checked Facebook. I finally got Colty to fall asleep to Finding Nemo like half an hour ago.” I navigated the way in to the living room and turned on a table lamp as Jeff got glasses from the kitchen and opened the bottle while he was there, “Did Danny call you?”
“No I just show up at eight at night to drink wine with my sister in law for no reason.” He came back in the room and winked, internally I rented his statement because at one time that was exactly my life, “Yes, he called me about an hour ago, when you stopped responding to his texts, and told me to come hang out and keep you company.”
“Well you don’t have to be here if it’s an inconvenience for you.” The statement was meant to be joking but had an edge of bitch attached, “Sorry I’m just on edge tonight.”
“Liz don’t worry about it. You and Danny are rarely ever apart for long. Night’s especially. It must be tough.” Jeff took a sip of his wine and handed me my glass after filling it up, “Listen I kind of suck as a brother in law, I should hang out with you guys more.”
“It’d be easier if you were my sister in law.” I shrugged off the phrase, “Also more socially normal at eight at night.”
“Well Danny said he was worried about you, so if you mean that much to him you mean that much to all of us. I honestly haven’t seen Danny this happy since we were little kids. Growing up, college, work, it all really grew him up fast. But he’s his old self now, it’s good to see.”
“Well I’m glad. He really is the best thing to happen in my life, I don’t know what he was thinking dating a single new-mom… But I’m glad he did.”
“Believe me he was nervous.” Jeff laughed a little, his mannerisms were so much like Danny it was comical, “He’ll kill me for telling you this… Five years later. He actually asked my parents about a thousand times if it was a smart idea…”
“What’d they say? I mean you don’t have to tell me just like-“
“Oh from the first time he asked my mom what she thought she was planning you guys’ wedding.” Jeff nodded a little, my cheeks flushed slightly, “My mom’s been on the mission for us all to get married and have kids since we graduated high school. College was never a big deal to my parents. But we all wanted to get out of there as soon as we could so we jumped right in to it after high school. I think she hates me for leaving Kristen and ditching that dream for her, but she had you and Danny to occupy her… And she was born to be a grandmother so there’s that too. Colton is probably the biggest blessing for her.”
“She’s absolutely incredible with him. I still feel bad sometimes when Danny asks them to watch him, cuz like… He’s not really their problem.” I mumbled and blocked out the thought of who really should be watching him.
“Don’t let my mom hear you say that, she’ll cry. Then tell you never to call him a problem again-“
“You knew what I meant.” I groaned.
“Regardless!” Jeff held his drink in the air, “Have you made the decision if you’re going to move to Indianapolis yet or not? Danny said you’re going to be a stay at home mom if you move so you better be smart and take that option because then you can just take lessons from my mother in how to hover over your kids like a Black Hawk.” Jeff smiled and waited for a response as I sighed and began thinking of a pros and cons list.