“I can call you at lunch and we’ll eat together, okay?”

“Yep. You eat lunch and I’ll eat breakfast.” Nick gave Rosalie an Eskimo kiss and swiped a lick of icing from her cinnamon bun.

“Eat your own icing, Nicky…” Ro pointed to the drips on Nick’s plate and moved her own plate away from the thief.

“Mom, she’s not sharin’ with me…” Nick put on a fake pout and looked up to Lani who was too preoccupied to have even noticed their silliness. Kicking her softly under the table, Nick tried again. “Mooommmm…”

“Huh?” Lani took one look at Nick and Rosalie’s posture and faces and shook her head. “Ben, what am I going to do with them?”

“You’re askin’ the wrong guy. I’m about to snag Ro’s bun too if she doesn’t hurry up and eat it.”

The airport was uncharacteristically empty for 8 am on a weekday, but this particular table was grateful for the quiet. The week had been uncomfortable at best, Nick stopping by or calling primarily to check in with his Muñe, not really spending much time with Lani. He was too angry and confused and she was too stubborn to cave to Nick’s requests simply because he wanted her to.

So, here they sat, killing time eating cinnamon buns and avoiding the uncertainty that faced them. One month apart was something they’d done before. It was something that, while frustrating and lonely, they had become somewhat accustomed to. But this time, for the first time, geographical miles weren’t the only miles that would separate them. The chasm between their hearts seemed almost insurmountable.

And to Ben’s eyes…seemed stupid. He couldn’t believe how stubborn both Nick and Lani were being. Oh, they were being polite and loving in front of Rosalie, but he didn’t miss the fact that they barely touched or looked at one another. That the fire of passion that used to dart from their eyes in the name of love had a new name and feeling. Resentment. Animosity. Polite friendliness for the ‘kid’.

Adults. The dumbest of the species. Ben was convinced.

“How much longer, Nicky?”

Nick looked at his watch and sighed. “I’ll need to board in about 15 minutes.”

Rosalie’s sigh matched Nick’s as did Lani’s. When their eyes locked, Lani quickly began picking up everyone’s plates, even snatching Ben’s out from under his final bite. “We’d better head to the gate then.”

As she walked away to toss out the trash, Ben knocked Nick’s hand out from under his chin. “Dude. You guys are being retarded. Would you fix this before you board that plane?”

“You got an idea how, oh wise one?”

“Just kiss her, Nicky. Your kisses always take my sad away.”

And with her input of worldly wisdom, Rosalie hopped off her chair and ran over to her mother, jumping up into her arms and whispering something in her ear that put the first smile on Lani’s face that Nick had seen since they picked him up over an hour prior.

“Nick and his healing kisses. I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Ben made retching noises and Nick smacked him upside the head. “You’re getting out of school for this, dude…you’d better be nice.”

The girls joined their boys and Nick dumped his bag onto Ben’s shoulder, wrapping his arm around Lani and tickling Rosalie’s side. She squirmed down and grabbed onto Ben’s hand, somehow intuitively knowing that her Mom and Nick needed as much alone time as they could muster in these final minutes before his departure. Lani rested her head on Nick’s shoulder as they walked, saying nothing, saying much.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at security and Nick was being asked for his i.d. Not ready to let go yet, Nick walked them to the side unhooking from Lani long enough to fold Ben up into his arms. “When I get home, we’ll do more, okay?”

“Yep…either that or I’m gonna quit mowin’ your lawn.”

“Deal.” They ‘man-slapped’ each other’s backs and Nick picked up Ro, standing her on a bench so they could be a little more eye to eye. “You take care of Mamí for me. And be nice to Neron.”

Rosalie took a deep breath and conceded. “I’ll be nice. But, you have to call at bedtime and sing me to sleep sometimes.”

“Who’s gonna sing me to sleep?”

“You’re a grown up…you don’t need songs.”

“I need you…”

“I’m right here, Nicky.” She jumped up into his arms and hugged as tight as she could, her curls tickling Nick’s neck and ears, the squeeze of her legs around his abdomen making him warm inside. “Te amo.”

“Te amo, Muñe.” He kissed her neck, her cheeks, her forehead and finally her lips before he put her on the floor and popped her on the behind as Ben called to her.

“Come on, kiddo…let’s go find a new Dora book.”

Nick’s heart raced as they disappeared into the magazine stand and then it triple-timed as he pulled his gaze from them and centered it into Lani’s doe-eyed stare.

“I didn’t want you to go like this.”

“I didn’t either, Lani.” When she looked away, he cupped her chin in his hand and brought her back to him. “We’ll make it. This just might be good timing. Let you sort stuff out.”

She nodded and collapsed in his arms, grateful for the fact that while closed off, he hadn’t locked up. She wouldn’t be able to bear the separation had he been ice cold. “I love you, Nick.” She pulled back and reached up on her tip-toes placing the gentlest of kisses on his lips. “Please never doubt that.”

“I don’t.” He didn’t think he did anyway. Looking into her eyes one more time, he tried to dig deep. To see the things that her actions and words couldn’t say. And he knew. There was no doubt needed. Just time.

“No Dora books!”

Rosalie’s announcement broke their solitude, but gave Nick another chance to snuggle with her. “You be good.”

“You fly safe.”

Nick’s kiss with Lani lingered more than it should have, a gruff male clearing his throat interrupting their moment. “You’re next, young man.”

“Oh, oh…yeah.” Nick grabbed his bag from Ben and showed his i.d., smiling shyly at the pilot who’d spoken to them. “Sorry.”

“What flight are you on?”

“Um…” Nick looked at his ticket, wondering what half of the numbers on it meant. “I’m goin’ to LA, um…1523.”

“Ah, that’s my flight.” The pilot turned back to Lani, Ro and Ben. “Come here, sweetie.”

Rosalie ran to the rope beside the gentleman and smiled her brightest smile when he crouched down to her. “I’m gonna take good care of your Daddy, okay, sweetie?”

Ro took a breath to correct him, but caught Nick’s eye as he silently shook his head. “Okay…you fly him home next month too?”

“Oh, I don’t know…but I’ll let them know to be extra careful, alright?”

“Alright.” Rosalie smiled at the pilot and then up at Nick. “Bye, Daddy. Call us when you get there.”

Nick blew her a kiss and tossed his bag onto the security belt, a million monumental thoughts racing through his mind.

“You’re a lucky man.”

“Yeah,” Nick looked back one more time and watched his family walk away, Rosalie’s head buried in her mother’s hair. “…yeah, I really am.”

“You eatin’ grape jelly on your toast?” Nick softly chuckled as Rosalie tried to talk around her sandwich. Her sandwich loaded with peanut butter and only a hint of grape jelly. It wasn’t home, but he could swear he smelled the garlic and spices Lani used to make her monthly batch of sofrito wafting through the phone. All the way to California. He missed them horribly.

“Yep…just put it on. You took a bite before me.”

“Dats cuz I’m hungry. Hurry up and eat.”

Nick crunched his toast extra loud and their breakfast/lunch meal time banter began, Rosalie telling him about her week in school and Nick telling Ro all the silly things the guys in the group had been doing. A week had passed since he left them at the airport, but it felt like at least three.

“Neron came by yesterday.”

“Yeah? What’d you do?”

“I beat him at Brainquest.”

Nick filtered his thoughts and reminded himself that she regularly beat anyone who was foolish enough to challenge her on it. She nailed the preschool questions and the adults had to pull on old school memories to get their answers right. But, dogging Neron for being stupid was too easy. “He’s not so smart, huh?”

“No. He can’t spell.”

“You okay with him being there?”

“I wish it was you.”

“I do too…” Nick swallowed his final bite and mentally hugged Rosalie. This officially sucked. “Okay, I’m done with my toast and eggs…is Mamí around?”

And so it went. Nick working his tail off, phoning and missing his girls and his girls searching for answers at home, when it was clear to everyone that their answer was in California. It just didn’t feel like much of an answer when it was so far away.

The truth was, Ro did handle Neron’s presence better when Nick wasn’t around. No competition for attention maybe? No pressure on anyone to outshine the other? Neither Lani nor Rosalie knew, but his visits didn’t seem all that bad anymore. And, they were coming more regularly.

“Go brush your teeth and I’ll be in.” Lani popped Ro on the behind and went to answer the door. Why the paper carrier didn’t bother to come to collect until after nine at night, she’d never know.

“Are we gonna call Nick tonight?”

“Tomorrow, baby. Remember?”

Rosalie bounded down the hall singing a made up song about “mañana” and Lani grabbed her checkbook before answering the door.

“Is it too late for a visit?”

“Ay mierda, Neron. Yes, it’s bedtime. And you didn’t call, dammit.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just was out having a beer with the guys and…” He welcomed himself in, ignoring Lani’s stance to keep him on the porch.

“Come on in…” Lani sighed and closed the door behind him cursing her weak libido so many years before. “You don’t live here, you know.”

“I hadn’t noticed. Where’s Ro?”

“Brushing her teeth and then she is going to bed.”

“Can I…can I help?” His look went from sincere to menacing and back again, Lani never figuring out whether he truly wanted Rosalie or control. The signals shorted out constantly.

“It’s up to her.”

Ro conceded to allow him in her room, but Lani read, tucked, kissed and tickled. Neron could only watch and get her final ‘goodnight’ of the evening. As Rosalie rolled over clinging onto Dora, Lani lead him out, wondering why he was really there.

“What are you doing here, Neron?”

“I told you, I was having a beer and thought I’d stop by on the way home. Why? The boyfriend’s out of town isn’t he?”

“Where Nick is has nothing to do with why you can’t follow a simple request.”

“Lani, she’s my daughter. I’ve missed almost five years of her life.”

Lani simply sighed, sick of his redundant answers, sick of his consistent lack of concern, sick of her inability to take control of this situation. “You want another beer? Or are you going to give me a break and just leave?”

“Another beer sounds good…”

“Don’t get comfortable. You’re drinking it on the porch and leaving.”

Neron leaned up against the door and waited for her to return. He’d already had a few with his buddies, but one more shouldn’t make driving difficult. Especially if he took it nice and slow.

She came back with the bottle and tried to push him aside to open the door. “Pasa. En el porche!”

“Anda, Lani. Es noche fría.” He clinked their bottles together to try to distract her from the ridiculous notion of sitting outside when she had a perfectly fine couch inside. No, it’s wasn’t chilly, but he had other things in mind. “To second chances.”

She stepped back and said nothing, not drinking, just calculating. “I don’t think so, Neron.”

He took a swig anyway and set his bottle down on the small table by the door, making sure to brush up against Lani’s chest and breathe in her scent. His hand slid up her arm and moved her hair away from her neck and he whispered into its cove. “Anda, Mamí.” He softly kissed her neck and she stepped back.

“What are you doing?”

He stepped forward again brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Making up for lost time, Solana. I want to do it right this time.” He tried to kiss her again, but she stopped him, pushing him away, trying to lunge for the door to open it and get him out fast.

“You had your chance, now get out.”

His hand found the edge of the door before she got it too far open and it slammed shut, giving him a perfect angle to trap her there, going for her neck, what he knew full well was the perfect hot spot to get exactly what he wanted. “Mamí, Mamí…so angry…” His tickled kisses down her neck and felt her body easing into every touch of his lips. “…so passionate…”

A moan escaped from her lips as her hands found his chest. He feared she would push him away, but she didn’t; she only grabbed onto his shirt and opened her neck up more to him, her breathing increasing, her will weakening.

“Neron…please.”

“Please what…” He dared to leave the security of her delicious neck, kissing his way up to her face, her lips. “…tell Papí what you want.” He gave her no chance to answer as his mouth took hers full on, pressing her up against the door, reveling in the rekindled memory of her kiss, her touch, her body.

She gave into his kiss, even allowing his tongue to trace her lips and enter her mouth to circle and dance with her own. With a slip of an apparent weakened knee from his touch, she ducked out from under him and went to the overstuffed chair, leaning back on it as she raked her hands through her long, inviting hair.

“Lani?” He approached slowly, watching her sway her body in seduction, her hand trace down the roundness of her unbound breasts, just begging to be kissed and suckled right out of the flimsy nightshirt that she wore. Her eyes drew him closer and she stopped him with a simple lift of her hand.

“Wait right there. No closer.”

He did as asked, his throbbing erection tenting his pants in an almost embarrassing gesture. “What are you…”

Lani’s hand had made it’s way back up to her breast and was now cupping it, her thumb slowly bringing the nipple to a full, erect bud, her chocolate eyes darkening with desire and driving him wild. She licked her lips and hiked herself up onto the back of the chair making one and only one request of the man in her foyer.

“Take off your clothes.”