"Daddy!" Brian shouted bringing her out of her thoughts. Astra had been so deep in thoughts that she did not hear the door ring. She was just sitting down and looking at Brian but not really at him. Brian bounded down out of the chair and ran to meet his father. Nicholas who was looking all dapper caught Brian and lifted him up.
"How are you doing little man?" Nicholas asked.
"I am fine. How is grandma?" Brian asked and Nicholas chuckled the little boy had been singing his grandmother's praises since he first got back from her place which was one month ago. Brian had gone back to spend another weekend and with his energy, he was clearly ready to spend another weekend.
Nicholas was excited to spend time with his family as a whole, he did not expect to be nervous, but he was. He wanted everything to be perfect. It occurred to him that family man did not exactly suit him very well. He just wanted Astra to be happy. He felt like they were happy over the time, and it was good. He wanted to continue being happy with her.
"Astra," Nicholas said to his ex wife and the mother of his children with a smile. He had started to think of her as his girlfriend, but it was hard not to think of her as his wife. He remembered looking at a ring in the jewelry store and thinking it was still too early. He was willing to wait for her. He did enjoy the courting process.
"Nicholas," Astra replied in the same sweet voice like she always used. He put Brian down and walked to his girlfriend and kissed her on the lips. He loved how she seemed to melt in his arms. He held her tight as he explored her lips and he put his hands into her head. God he had missed her.
"Why are you sucking Mommy's face Daddy?" Brian said and Nicholas had half the mind to ignore him. The boy had probably seen them kissing before, and he would see it multiple times, but Astra extracted her lips from him. She seemed red and shy when they separated. Nicholas was just laughing at her.
"Not in front of Brian," Astra said with a blushing smile.
"You have a child and another coming and you are blushing for a kiss, very funny," Nicholas said.
"Daddy when do we go to the zoo?" Brian asked.
"Soon Brian," he said and then looked to Astra. "Is there anything you would want to do before we leave?" Nicholas asked her. Astra smiled at how sensitive to her needs he was.
"Are you not hungry for breakfast at least before we go?" Astra asked him instead.
"No, I am good. I ate at home, but we can do it next time. A breakfast date," Nicholas said with a smile and Astra shook her head. She liked this part of him, her boyfriend could be so romantic.
"Sure we could do that when we come back," Astra agreed.
"Alright, Brian let us go to the zoo," Nicholas said to his son who looked so excited by the prospect.
"Zoo!" Brian shouted and Astra laughed as both her, her ex husband now boyfriend and their son went on a family outing.
The drive was fun and entertaining as Nicholas drove the car and they told Brian a lot of stories. Astra loved how he engaged their son, he not dismiss him and make him feel like he was a little boy, it was something that Astra knew would make Brian very confident and she was proud of it. She was proud of him. They talked about cartoons and about school and all.
"I am thinking of enrolling him in a school here. We are settled here after all, we are not going back, and I think that he should be with his peers. He is cancer free now and I think he is strong enough for preschool," Astra told Nicholas once Brian had gone go sleep in the car. The drive was quite a long one. Nicholas was happy that he was a part of the decision and also glad that Astra knew that she was staying for good, but he also wished that all of that was not a question.
"That would be very okay. I would like that. He barely has any friends his age, that is not very healthy," Nicholas said. His son was surrounded by adults and Astra did not have many friends with children since she had not moved with her child and she was just making a few friends now.
"At least he has his cousins," Astra said and Nicholas nodded. She was not just talking about Theo, but Charise's children too, Diana who was ten, and Trevor who was eight, none of them was Brian's age. It hurt him again that Brianna had died. Brian would have a sister his age then, this would not really be a problem.
"He will be fine Nicholas, when school opens he can be enrolled. We will go together," Astra said and Nicholas nodded. They were at the zoo. Nicholas parked at the parking lot and came down with Astra. He tapped at Brian slowly.
"We are at the zoo Brian," Nicholas said and his son's tired eyes opened.
"Already?" Brian asked with a yawn.
"You know he refused to sleep all night because he wanted to come to the zoo. That is why he is so tired now," Astra said as Nicholas carried him. The place was full of people mostly with children. They checked in and Brian all but jumped down from Nicholas when they began to see the animals.
Astra saw her son's animated responses and his eyes widen in wonder as he saw the animals. She basked in his innocence and the energy that he portrayed. It reminded her again how much she loved him.
"Daddy the fish are jumping out, they are so big! Are those people touching them? Mommy can I touch the fish? Can I?" Brian asked as they looked at the dolphins. Brian looked like he was very scared of the dolphins and would not be able to touch them if they even let them. She smiled as she remembered the manner that he had run away from the horses then.
"It's too big," he had exclaimed.
"Don't worry Brian, another time, let's go look at the birds," his father distracted him and Brian took the bait. His eyes opened up in wonder.
"I want to see the birds, I want to see them," Brian said and they all laughed. Astra had never seen her son look so excited it was quite a sight to behold, she always wanted to see him look so happy.
"Oh that bird is really really big!" Brian shouted as they saw the ostrich. He looked terrified but in awe.
"That is an ostrich and they cannot fly like the birds in the air," Nicholas told Brian and he nodded.
"That is because they are too big," Brian said and Astra laughed.
"Maybe," she replied. They looked at other animals and they got snacks and ate at the zoo and then it was time to go home.
"I don't want to go, I want to stay with the dolphins," Brian cried when it was time to leave. His choice of animal to stay with was a little comical.
"The dolphins? You want to stay with them in the water? Won't you get cold? Can you even swim?" Nicholas asked him and Brian frowned and stamped his foot. All of that clearly did not matter to him, he just wanted to stay with the dolphins.
"I want to," Brian said, the tears had started to flow. Astra was beginning to feel a little frustrated. She was tired since she had been on her feet for so long and now she had to deal with a whiny child.
"How will you give the ring at Aunt Sarah an Uncle Jared's wedding if you stay here? You will miss the wedding if you stay here and you will not get to go to preschool anymore," Nicholas said. Brian was the ring bearer at Sarah and Jared's wedding and he was very excited about his role. It was the perfect thing to use to hold him.
"I want to give the rings!" Brian said and Astra smiled. Her phone rang and she wondered who was calling, she picked the call and listened a smile appeared on her face.
"Stephanie has given birth, she has a girl," Astra said.