Perfect Doesn't Last Forever

Chapter Eleven

            “Brad and Bella got back together?”

            “Yeah, he finally realized he was being stupid and she let him move back in,” he confirmed.  “So you can come over if you want.”

            “No, that’s okay.  I’ll probably just go hang out with my parents or Ella or someone.”  But probably Noah, I thought to myself.  “Thanks for the invite though.”

            “Don’t mention it,” he said.  We sat silently for a moment before I turned back to my book.  Damien slid down to the floor to play with Hayley.  “Oh, don’t forget midterm grades come out today.”

            “Perfect,” I sighed midsentence, before tuning them both out. When I finished my chapter, I looked up, coming out of my Sociology haze, to see the living room empty.  Taking a deep cleansing breath, I put my book aside and began picking up Hayley’s blocks and tossing them into the empty basket.  Cleaning was something Hayley had yet to learn and I made a mental note to talk to Damien about starting to teach Hayley to pick up after herself as I walked down the hall to the bathroom. 

            I could hear Damien and Hayley in Hayley’s room picking out clothes as I splashed my face with cool water and brushed my teeth.  Damien’s laugh echoed through the small unit, filling me with a confusing warmth.  Damien’s carefree laugh and the new domesticated life we shared were beginning to take a toll on me.  Yes, my relationship with Noah was better than ever, but Damien and I were also starting to build a relationship.  Damien and I spent more time alone together more than we ever had without fighting or having a little argument about responsibilities.  Neither Damien nor I felt suffocated by each other and it was obvious we no longer felt any resentment towards each other. 

            We were both presently working to have a good relationship for Hayley’s sake, but it was reminding me of the days when we first started dating.  It was like we were getting to know each other again.  I was being introduced to this new Damien; the responsible, fatherly and respectful Damien, and Damien was getting to know me as Hayley’s mother.  We weren’t the teenagers we started out as, we were mature adults and I was really beginning to like this new Damien. 

            I poked my head into Hayley’s room at the end of the short hallway to see Hayley dressed up in the most outrageous outfit.  “Wow.”

            “Mommy I pretty!” Hayley exclaimed, jumping up and down. 

            “You sure are Hayley,” I smiled, examining her outfit.  She had at least three layers on: a dress, a long sleeved shirt, and a short sleeved shirt as well as a pair of leggings.  The colors she had on clashed so badly and on top of all of that, she was wearing a small boa I’d bought for her a few weeks ago. 

            “She dressed herself,” Damien snickered, kneeling down behind her to braid her hair.  “I think she did great.”

            Damien kissed the back of Hayley’s hair and began parting Hayley’s hair.  “She did fantastically,” I agreed before going into the other bedroom.  Looking into my closet, I laughed at Hayley’s colorful ensemble and pulled out a pair of jeans from beneath Damien’s jeans.  Damien was probably getting annoyed with my tendency to mess the closet up and forgot to separate our jeans, but it didn’t really matter.  Damien was so responsible now.  He was the one in charge and taking care of the place and it was an attractive quality.  Shaking my head, I absentmindedly grabbed a random shirt and slipped it on.  I really needed to get the thoughts I had of Damien out of mind. 

            I looked into Hayley’s room again to say goodbye before grabbing my laptop and purse and leaving.  I drove to campus, hating myself for being mildly attracted to the new Damien, and began convincing myself that what I had going on in my life was too precious to jeopardize.  A relationship with Damien could ruin the stability in Hayley’s life and potentially cause Damien to revert back to himself.  I knew I couldn’t risk anything just because of some new and random feelings bouncing around in my head.