TWENTY TWO

Time is a strange thing. It comes and goes as it pleases, completely unaware of the impact it has on the people who build their lives around it. On the one hand, whenever I spend a couple of hours with Jordan, time seems to fly by. I'd swear it was working against us and speeding up when I wasn't looking if I didn't know any better. On the other hand, those same two hours spent doing anything else, whether it's cooking, cleaning, or otherwise occupied with Andrew, seem to come to a halt as time crawls by at a snail's pace.

I used to spend my days off at home reading books and doing unneeded housework, but since meeting Jordan, I prefer to spend all of my free time with him. One thing I adore about him is that there is never a dull moment. Even the dates we've had at his house, cuddling, sipping wine, and watching TV, have been exciting. We've gone out a few times now, and thankfully, no two evenings are the same. I thought my life was pretty good before Jordan, but Jordan is the icing on the cake.

I cast a glance down into the stroller at Andrew, who is fast asleep. He's been sleeping since we got in the car to start our day's adventure. I enjoy our weekly outings because they provide us with a much-needed change of scenery, but this trip to the zoo is turning out to be a colossal flop. This was supposed to be fun for us, and more importantly, it was supposed to take my mind off Jordan for a little while, but it's turned out to be useless. Andrew's extended nap has thwarted my plans, and all I've done so far is push him around the crowded zoo. If he was going to be such a sleepyhead, I could have just taken him to the park.

When we get close to the elephant exhibit, I'll wake him up. I'm sure he'll light up when he sees his favorite toy alive and moving around.

I can't help but smile when I think about how his eyes will light up. My phone vibrates in my pocket, breaking up my happy moment, and I reach for it, hoping it's Jordan.

I'm wondering if he can take an hour or two off and come to the zoo for an impromptu date.

Unfortunately, it isn't Jordan, and my heart sinks a little. Rachel's name flashes across the screen, and I debate whether or not to respond. I'm sure she'll be annoyed that we haven't spoken in a while.

“Hello? ”

"Oh my goodness, Aliyah! "I was about to hang up and call your parents," Rachel says.

I walk over to a covered bench and sit down. Anything involving Rachel is a "sit-down" conversation.

"Why would you call them?" I inquired, turning the stroller around to face me so I can observe Andrew, who is still snoring peacefully with no care in the world.

"I assumed you were dead or something," she explains. "I haven't heard from you in weeks, and we haven't seen each other in more than two months!" I chuckle and shake my head at her antics. My schedule has always been hectic, but with Jordan stealing all of my free time, I guess my best friend has been getting the short end of the stick a little more than usual lately. After knowing her for so long, I wouldn't expect anything less than her exaggeration.

"Well, since I'm still alive and well, there's no need to call in the cavalry." Please fill me in on everything. What's been going on in your life lately? ”

"Oh no, I didn't call to talk about me." Tell me what's been going on in your life. What's the deal with you disappearing on me? I have a feeling you're up to something. Don't tell me you haven't seen my texts and missed calls."

She's correct; I did see all of her calls and messages, but Rachel is worse than a seasoned police detective looking for the missing piece to an unsolved mystery. She can tell when someone is keeping something from her, and I don't want to get the third degree. I'm not very good at deception. I can do it, but I don't want to. Plus, I'm not sure what to say about Jordan and what we're going through right now. I haven't even worked through how I feel, so I'm not ready to tell Rachel anything.

"I've just been busy," I say, avoiding the question while silently reminding myself that this is the case. "You know, as Andrew gets older, he gets busier, so I spend a lot more time chasing after him."

"Sure," Rachel says, her voice thick with disbelief. "That explains some of the time, but not all of it." I used to be a nanny, so I understand how active children his age can be. A busy baby doesn't require much time, so spill it."

I sigh and decide to tell her anyway. She has an uncanny ability to chip away at a person's layers until they relent and give in to her demands. I'd rather break the news myself than be duped into revealing too much information.

"Well, there's this guy," I say to start.

“What!" she yells. "Did you meet a guy and not tell me? I thought I was your best friend, and you're hiding something from me! ”

"It's not what you think," I explain. "I haven't seen him in a long time, so there's not much to say. We're still getting to know each other, as is customary. Isn't it true that slow and steady wins the race? ”

Rachel sighs, "Bullshit." "Don't think you're going to blow smoke up my ass and downplay this situation." I've known you long enough to recognize when there's more to a story than meets the eye. When you really like someone, you always start avoiding me for whatever reason. I'm not going to run a background check on him or anything."

I roll my eyes and settle into a good storytelling position. "Right, just like the last time?" ”

"In my defense," Rachel says, "Eric was awful, and he deserved to have someone looking into his past." You should be grateful to me for saving you from that bullet."

"Thank you," I sarcastically say. "I don't think it'll be necessary with this one."

"Go on," she says, perplexed. "Please tell me everything."

"So, I met this guy outside my building, and he asked me out." I decided to take a chance and go on a date instead of staying at home reading. So far, all of the dates have been fantastic, and I'm just having a good time."

There. Short, to-the-point, and to the point. I didn't even have to tell a lie. I just had to be picky about which details I included.

"No way," Rachel says. "That's not nearly enough backstory." I'm sure there's more. What's his given name? Where does he go to work? Is he a father? Send me a photo, I'm sure you have one."

There's Rachel, whom I know and adore. This is exactly what I've been trying to avoid, and a small part of me feels justified in my decision to keep the details private.

"His name is Jordan, he owns his own business, he doesn't have children, and I absolutely will not send you a picture of him," I say, taking care not to reveal too much.

"Damn it, Aliyah," she exclaims angrily. "None of that is particularly interesting. What happened to the juicy bits? Why is there so much secrecy? Oh my gosh... is he married? Isn't that the end of it? Are you keeping a low profile because he's married? I completely understand, but come on, you know I'm not going to say anything and I certainly won't judge you."

I screamed into the phone. "He's not married," I remind her, "and you know me well enough to know I'd never share a man." "I'm not being secretive; I'm just being private for now." I promise you'll be the first person I call if we get serious."

"Fine," she said at the end. "I'm going to hold you to that, but based on your behavior and the fact that you've completely ignored me for this guy for weeks, I'd say you're on the wrong side of the tracks."

"Right now, we're just circling the block and having a good time," I explained.

Andrew squirms in his seat, and I know it's the start of his waking up process.

"Listen, I'm at the zoo with Andrew, and there are a few more exhibits I'd like to see before we leave."

"It's all right, Aliyah. Take care of yourself and don't scare me away with another disappearance. "At the very least, respond to my text messages," Rachel says. "Or I'll show up with the SWAT team at that swanky place you live the next time."

"I promise to be more prompt in returning your calls, especially since I know you're serious about joining the SWAT team," I chuckled. "Bye, talk to you later."

I hang up the phone and stuff it back into my pocket. Andrew is awake and squirming now, his intense green eyes staring at me.

"Hello, sleepyhead," I say as I get to my feet. "Since you're awake, let's go see some animals before it gets too dark."

I ruffle his hair and walk over to the elephant show. The beautiful animals appear as soon as I turn the corner. I push the stroller into the fenced-in area and kneel beside Andrew.

"Let's get you out of here so you can see, buddy," I say as I unhook his straps.

I hoist him into the air while holding him against my hip. "Look, Andrew," I say, pointing through the fence at the elephants.

As soon as he sees them, he starts blowing spit bubbles and jumping up and down.

I'm fortunate that he's such a good baby. It doesn't take much to keep this kid happy, and the biggest reward is his smile.

My phone rings once more, and I reach into my pocket to retrieve it.

I need to give Jordan a unique ringtone so I don't get my hopes up for naught.

"Your mommy is calling; let's see what she wants."

“Hello? ”

While I know it's Romina on the other end of the line, I can't understand what she's saying. I gently push Andrew back into the stroller, freeing up my other hand so I can give my full attention to the phone call.

"Slow down, Romina, I'm having trouble understanding you," I say.

What I do know is that she is crying and completely incoherent.

"Take a few deep breaths," I advise.

For a brief moment, the crying stops, and I try to figure out what's going on once more.

"Now, slowly tell me what's wrong. Why are you so upset? ”

"Jonas and I just had a fight," Romina says.

So, what else is new? You could have waited until I got home to tell me that.

"Is everything all right?" I inquired, feigning interest and concern.

"He threatened to take the condo away. I'm going to lose everything and end up on the street! " she sobs again.

Shit. Things must have heated up for him to threaten to take away the condo. He doesn't usually go that far.

“Wow! What happened to cause him to say such a thing? ”

"That's all there is to it," she says. "There was no action. Everything was fine one minute, and the next he was trying to pick a fight with me for no apparent reason. I believe he wants to kick me out so he can bring in another woman. I'm not sure if I mentioned it to you, but I discovered lipstick on his collar a few days ago."

We're at it again. You, of course, discovered lipstick on his collar. If he brought you around more often, you'd probably find lipstick on all his collars.

"I'm certain it's not that," I say, attempting to soften the blow. "He wouldn't deprive Andrew of the only home he's ever known." He was probably just upset and yelling out of rage."

Romina screams into the phone, becoming incoherent once more.

"You don't get it," she says. "I believe this is it. I believe he is looking for a way to end his relationship with me. I can't lose Jonas; he's all I've got left, and I won't be able to survive without him. What am I going to do, Aliyah? ”

I'm not the right person to ask about this, but how can I tell my boss I'm useless?

"Um," I think instead. "First and foremost, I believe you should relax. Next, speak with Jonas and try to get some clarification on what happened. If I don't know anything else, I know Jonas adores Andrew and would never put him in such a dangerous situation."

Romina pauses for a few moments before responding. "You're correct. I'll get dressed and go over there."

That was NOT what I meant.

"OK, so we're still at the zoo, but we'll be home soon," I explain.

"That's fine," she says. "Give my love to Andrew."

We end the call, and I'm left stunned, staring at my phone. Seeing Romina go through hell is what causes me to question my relationship with Jordan on a regular basis. I feel sorry for her. Actually, I feel sorry for her because her self-esteem is so low that she believes she deserves to be treated this way. I'm confident she's not concerned about losing the relationship, but rather about the prospect of losing her way of life.

Jonas' money provides a level of comfort that most men cannot match, but perhaps she will finally be able to find someone who truly likes her. I know Jonas usually means what he says, and if she's not careful, he'll take the condo away from her.

Because those two are completely dysfunctional, I'm going to end up on the streets and without a job. I wouldn't be surprised if Jonas served her with an eviction notice and sent a moving truck her way.

If he does fire me and fires Romina, I'll just use it as motivation to go to culinary school. I suppose that's the silver lining to all of this craziness.

Andrew coos loudly as he bangs on the tray in front of him. In this situation, he is the true victim. Stuck between two parents and the chaos that comes with them. He's a helpless infant held hostage by their immaturity.

"Poor kid," I say quietly to myself.

I sigh and start walking to the exit, mentally preparing myself for whatever happens next. Before taking another deep breath, I stretch my arms wide, loosening my muscles. Romina unexpectedly appearing on Jonas, especially when he hasn't sent for her, never ends well. In fact, that may be what pushes him over the edge enough for him to follow through on his threat.

Working for these people is exhausting.

What I need is a good release, and nothing beats an evening with Jordan. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet soon because I need to vent, and then he'll be able to work his magic and take my mind off things.

I take out my phone and dial the number for the driver to return us home.

Romina's heart will be shattered into tiny pieces, and I'll be there to console her with grilled sandwiches, chocolate, and copious amounts of wine.

Maybe I should resurrect my resume... just in case.