When Love Fails

Part 7

We get home and Jack carries Koen's suitcases inside.

"How much stuff does this little dude have?" Jack asks as he carries three bags in.

"We were moving out of Sloane's dad's apartment so we took all his toys and clothes." I answer. Jack takes Koen's things upstairs and I follow him. I look into the room and realize that this isn't his old house. "Hey, did you get your own house?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm 21 so my parents let me." Jack teases, knowing I'm six months younger than him.

"Shut up." I reply.

"Daddy, is this my new room?" Koen asks.

"Yeah, buddy." Jack smiles.

"Can we decorate it like Thomas the Train?" Koen excitedly questions.

"Sure." Jack shrugs. "Help me unpack your stuff though, bud. Then I have something you can watch in the t.v. room."

"Okay." Koen happily agrees. I watch from the doorframe as Jack and Koen unpack Koen's bags.

"Kim, you can go take your stuff up to my room." Jack tells me.

"Mkay." I say. I grab my suitcase and take it into Jack's room. I see it's basically the same as his old room. Just less posters. "Jack! Where do I put my stuff?" I yell.

"Just put it in the dresser, babe!" Jack yells back. I get a warm feeling when he calls me babe and smile to myself. But it made me wonder what we are. I decide to ask Jack about it later and unzip my suitcase. I unpack all my clothes and put my clothes in his dresser then take my straightner, curling iron, make-up bag, and everything else that belongs in the bathroom into his bathroom and under the sink. I walk downstairs and see Koen watching some t.v. and Jack in the kitchen.

"Jack, can I ask you a question?" I ask.

"Just did." he replies.

"Jack."

"Sure. What?" he says.

"What are we?" I question.

"We're humans." he responds in a 'duh' tone.

"No. You know what I mean." I sigh.

"I don't know, Kim. What do you want us to be?" he asks.

"What we were before I left." I answer honestly.

"Me too." Jack agrees.

"Then what's stopping us?" I ask.

"I guess nothing." he shrugs. He goes back to what he was doing before and I notice the clock reads 7:30pm.

"Koen! Bed time." I announce as I walk into the living room.

"But mommy!" Koen whines.

"No 'but mommy'. It's bedy-by-time." I tell him.

"No!" Koen cries as I pick him up. He cries and kicks me as I carry him upstairs.

"Koen, can we please not do this tonight?" I beg the three year old.

"But I wanna watch t.v!" Koen replies.

"I know. But you need to go to bed." I tell him.

"No!" he yells at me. I hear Jack come up behind me. He takes Koen out of my arms and holds him.

"Ko, you need to listen to mommy." he tells the boy.

"But I don't want to. Mommy's being mean." Koen lies to Jack.

"No, Ko. She's not. Go up to your room and we'll tuck you in." he says. Koen squirms out of his arms and runs into his room.

"Thank you." I say.

"Sure. Is he always like that?" Jack asks.

"Yeah." I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. "I feel like it's my fault though."

"It's not your fault. He's just three and doesn't realize he can't have everything he wants." he tells me. I nod then follow him up to Koen's room.