Tessa’s P.O.V
I layed Iris back in her bassinet, she was sleeping peacefully allowing me to catch up with Collin. Letting us heal our relationship instead of growing apart.
I walked out of the bedroom and closed the door, I was holding the baby monitor in my hand, when I spot Collin in Iris’s nursery. I walked in quitely, I was going to talk but what he was doing was mesmerizing me.
He traced the mural with his index finger, he was wiggling his toes in the very soft carpet, the one he specifically told me -over the phone- would be the best choice for our daughter.
"From the center of my life came a great fountain, deep blue shadows on azure seawater.“Collin sited the quote on her wall from the “Wild Iris” poem by Louise Gluck.
He hovered over the crib which was covered with stretch wrap, preventing saw dust and paint from getting inside the already finished crib pieces.
“Is it how you pictured her nursery?” I said whispering, getting Collin’s attention.
“It’s more. I can’t believe how much it’s come together. You did amazing picking out all the detail.”
“You told me what to get.”
“I only said the carpet. The mural was us, but you, you picked the crib, the curtains, the dresser, the wall color, you’ve done most of it, Tessa.”
He came in for a kiss, but I turned my face, preventing him from kissing me. I’m angry that he thinks he can just think our relationship is the same after every single argument we have, and the last one really affected me, and the fact that he didn’t call me really upsets me.
“What’s wrong?”
I walked out of the nursery and Collin followed behind me, I’m sure he’s upset, but I just want to have an honest conversation with him. I sat down on the couch, the laundry still on the floor. The house was messy, but it was clean enough not to be embarrassed.
“Collin---” I breathed out, my voice was shaky, and I fidgeted with the promise ring on my ring finger. “Our relationship was amazing, and all of the special moments we had when I was pregnant with Iris, and even before. But I kind of don’t remember a time we weren’t fighting.”
“It’s how we grow Tessa. We learn the flaws we don’t like about he eachother and we learn to fix them. I’m sorry for not replying back to the messages and texts when I was suspended. I just didn’t want you to be mad at me.”
“I’m mad at the fact that you thought you could come here and think that it’s exactly the same as when you left it almost a month ago.”
“Lets go somewhere, spend some time together.”
“Are you crazy? We have court in two days. We can’t leave Colorado with Iris, my parents would probably file for child endangerment or something.”
“How about we take leave tonight, go to Colorado springs get a hotel and go on a date tomorrow, bring Sydney and Nickolas so they can watch Iris.”
“Iris is asleep, we can’t wake her up. She’s a nightmare when I wake up her beauty sleep.”
“The drive will help her sleep, it helps a lot of babies.”
“You can wake her up. But you’re driving your car, so I can sit in the back with Iris in case she needs a diaper change or needs to eat. But this isn’t what I was talking about for fixing our relationship.”
“Think about it. What’s more appealing than getting away from all the drama we’re currently living in.”
“I swear you’re to old for me, Collin.” I grabbed the duffel bag full of clothes that I didn’t use last time I took a spontaneous trip.
I walked into the living room where the pile of clothes sits. I folded some of the clothes that were super cute and the diaper covers and threw them into the duffel bag, the rest of the clothes were thrown back into the dryer.
“Still sleeping.” Collin whisper shouted as he quietly put her in the car seat.
“She must really hate me, because if I walk into the bedroom she’ll start crying.”
“Maybe you scare her. Maybe you should change something, I’ve read some of those women blogs and a lot of them say they just needed to cut their hair or change the color.”
“I’ve worked too hard to grow this hair, and the only color changing would be koolaid on the tips. Like those ratchet nine year olds from 2009. Thank god I didn’t fall into that category.”
“Hey, I fell into it, but I wasn’t nine. My mom murdered me when I dumped the whole thing of kool aid on my hair and stained the floor and certain parts of the carpet.”
“I would’ve murdered you too. Carpet was not cheap back in 2009.”
“Let’s go.”
I grabbed the keys, yes, keys from the key hanger and locked the door on my way out. Collin took a left to the elevator, I followed him but walked a little further to the stairs, meeting him down there.
I’m not allowed to work out yet so I kind of found a loop hole, if I go up the 4 flights of stair from the fifth floor (after getting of the elevator) carrying Iris in her carseat I could loose pounds and gain more muscles in my legs. But if I slowly run down nine flights of stairs I can build my stamina slowly before I get cleared to work out.
“Why didn’t you go down in the elevator?”
“I didn’t lose six pounds taking the elevator now, did I?” I grinned. I saw the apartment front desk lady still sitting and staring at the screen of the entire empty hallways of the complex, when I had to ask.
“Why do they ask you to stay here all the time? I mean it’s one in the morning and you’re here.”
“Believe it or not, tennants need people all the time, and I’m not watching security clips all night long, I watch Ghost whisperer during my shifts.”
“I would get freaked out, have a great night, Lea.” I waved, walking out the door behind Collin.
“You have the clothes for you and Iris?”
“Yes. I kind of brought a bunch of my clothes, I wasn’t sure what to bring. But Iris has a lot more than me.” I laughed, kind of sleep deprived.
“I got our reservation. I already planned this in the airport on the way here, only hoping you would agree.”
“I would seriously argue with you right now but I’ll be nice since you’re driving.” I patted him on the shoulder and continued to attach the car seat to the attachable part in the car. Collin started the car that has been sitting in the parking garage for the last month. His jeep isn’t my most favorite car in the world with a baby in the car but it’s the best for traveling, good milage, bright lights, and he added so many grills and stuff to it that hitting a deer wouldn’t be that dangerous I’m sure.
I walked behind the jeep and got in the back seat in the middle, allowing me to see the road, and be close to Iris. I buckled the lap seat belt and took my coat off.
Collin took off and headed for I-25 South driving the long hour and a half.