Page 120 of Running
“Lainie, I’ve got you.” Johnson’s voice is choked up now too. “I’ll take care of it all. I just want all of you to be well. And happy.”
She looks up at him, a knowing look in her eye.
“Let me get us all something to drink,” I offer, wanting to let them talk in private if it makes Lainie more comfortable. “Waters?”
They agree, and I find my way to the kitchen. After locating the shelf with cups, I pour three waters from the filter in the refrigerator. I move slowly so they have time to chat.
When I get back to the living room, Lainie’s tears are gone and Johnson’s holding Leo.
I’d seen the photo of him holding his nephew as a newborn, but in person, it’s a whole other level. The sight of him cradling the little guy, his big arms sheltering Leo’s little body.
Be still my heart.And my ovaries...
“He should sleep well now, he ate a ton,” Lainie says. “He sleeps a lot better than when you left.”
“The crib is still in your room?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take him up and come back down.”
After Johnson leaves with Leo, Lainie’s shoulders loosen. Shetracks his movements up the stairs with relief spelled across her face.
“Johnson’s really happy to help. I know he keeps saying it, but I can vouch, he means it.”
She smiles at me. “It’s good of him. It’s just—he has a big life, you know? I want him to enjoy it, not be stuck helping his older sister.”
I give a small nod, but the truth flashes through my mind—Johnson’s been lonely in that massive house, missing his equally “big” life with his family here. It’s not my place to mention that to her, though.
“So are you missing work for this trip?” she asks. “I hope it didn’t mess you up too bad.”
“No, not at all. I’m in business school at Tolliver, and I don’t have any Friday classes.”
She perks up. “Oh, Tolliver. Such a great school.” She asks me about my plans, and I share my interest in sports management.
After a couple of minutes of small talk, the sound of footsteps comes from the stairwell. Johnson emerges, and his mom is with him. She speaks up first.
“Lainie, you need rest, and these guys are probably tired from rushing to get here. Why don’t we all go to bed and regroup in the morning.”
The collective agreement is a resounding yes. Lainie and I stand and follow Johnson as he heads upstairs, while Pam slips to the den. Once we reach the second floor, Johnson’s hand gently touches my back, guiding me to our room.
He closes the door behind us as we step into the guest room. “You good?” he whispers.
We’re going to need to stay quiet with all the sleeping little ones. “Yes, I’m fine,” I respond, also whispering. “Your mom and sister have been so nice.”
“They’re the best.” He walks over to the bed, sitting down on it. “So now you see where I sleep when I visit. It’s not glamorous?—”
“Like I care, you know me.”
He smiles, grabs my hand, and pulls me to him. “I just realized I have the most important people to me under one roof. And that’s special.”
I lean down to kiss him, and he falls backward on the bed, our mouths staying connected.
Lying on top of him, I can feel him starting to get hard. His arms swing over my body, his hands cupping my ass.
“Remember, quiet.”
And he proceeds to make that very difficult for the next hour, before we collapse into sleep.
