Chapter 3

Monica did call Simone to touch base the following day. She purposely avoided bringing up Kevin, choosing to wait and see if Simone mentioned it, which she did not. The women spoke several more times over the next week, but Monica did not make the personal visit she had promised for nearly ten days. Simone heard the doorbell ring one morning and was surprised but pleased to see Monica on her front step.

"Hey, you!" Simone exclaimed as she opened the door to invite her friend in.

"Hi, Honey!" Monica exclaimed. "I'm sorry I didn't call first. I just dropped the kids at school and thought I'd pop in to see how you're doing. I hope it's O.K." Simone told her it was fine. "Where's the baby?"

"I just fed her and she's down for a morning nap. Kevin stayed over last night, but he'll be leaving soon for school any minute now, so we can hang out. Want some coffee?"

Monica tried to hide her surprise at hearing Kevin had spent the night. She suddenly thought she should have made her visit sooner rather than later. But she decided to refrain from passing judgment until she could explore the matter further with Simone.

"Oh ... Kevin stayed over?"

"Yea," Simone replied nonchalantly. "He was here late studying. And I actually live closer to his school than my parents, so he just decided to stay here and go to school after breakfast."

"Really ... well," Monica began, before being interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hall.

"Here he comes now," Simone said as she gestured to the doorway. "Kev, look who's here. Do you remember my friend Monica?"

Kevin entered the kitchen and stopped, clearly surprised to find a visitor there. He looked puzzled for a moment, then remembered Monica, whom he had not seen for a long time. He walked over to her and extended his hand.

"Oh yea ... hi," he said.

"Hi, Kevin," Monica replied, giving him a quick glance from head to toe as she accepted his handshake. "Wow, have you grown up since I saw you last!"

"Yea, I guess," Kevin said, shrugging off her comment.

"You all set for school, Kev?" Simone interjected.

"Yep,"

Kevin picked up his bag from the hall, pulled his jacket out of the small closet nearby and headed for the back door.

"Bye, Simone. Nice to see you again, Monica."

And out he went.

"Have a good day, Kiddo," Simone called to his back as he walked away to catch the bus, waving at her over his shoulder.

Monica looked out the kitchen window and watched Kevin walk down the driveway. She stared after him then turned back to look at Simone.

"What's that look?" Simone asked.

"THAT's Kevin? Whoa! I haven't seen him in like two years. I don't think I would have recognized him on the street!"

"Really shot up, didn't he?"

"My gosh! He must be six feet tall! And he's thirteen?"

"Almost six feet, yea. Well, almost fourteen. And he's not even the tallest in his class. Not even in the top ten probably."

"Wow, Simone! I had no idea he had grown up so much!"

Monica supressed an urge to comment on what a handsome young man Kevin was becoming. The word "hot" even crossed her mind for a moment, but she put it away for another time.

"Yep. That's the little bro. Not so little anymore!"

The two marveled at how quickly children grow up. Monica wanted to ask more about Kevin and his visit, but she decided to wait for the right moment.

"Hey, how about that coffee?" she asked.

"Oh, right," Simone replied. "We got interrupted."

Simone got up from the table and went to the cabinet above her sink to get a mug for Monica. She then went to the coffee maker and filled the mug with steaming coffee before handing it to her friend.

"Thanks, Hon," Monica said as she took the mug.

"So what brings you around today?"

"Nothing special. Just like I said, I told you I was gonna drop by. Sorry it took me so long."

"That's O.K. I'm just glad you came."

"How have you been feeling, Simone? How's the loneliness?"

Monica had decided to approach the subject through a check-in on her friend's emotional state.

"I'm better. Thanks for listening to me that day."

"Simone, you never have to thank me. That's what friends are for."

"Thanks, Monica. You really are a friend and that means a lot to me. I appreciate being able to be a little crazy with you."

"Oh, you weren't really crazy. I was just worried about you. That's all."

The two chatted about nothing in particular for the next five minutes, at which point Simone announced that she had to use the bathroom. She excused herself and went down the hall. Almost immediately after, Monica decided she should do the same thing before the coffee and the water she had been drinking that morning got to her.

"I'm going to use the one upstairs," Monica said outside the bathroom door Simone had gone behind.

"O.K.," Simone replied through the door.

"Can I peek in on the baby?"

"Sure. Just don't wake her up."

"I'm a mom ... I think I can handle it!"

Monica ascended the staircase, then passed the guest room and the nursery on her way to to the lavatory. When she had finished and washed her hands, she walked back to the nursery to take her quiet look. This time she noticed the master bedroom ahead of her. The door was open and the bed unmade. Monica made a mental note to offer Simone a hand in picking up, since she knew her plate was full and then some with the baby, even though Kevin was helping out and ... spending the night, she remembered.

A thought came to Monica's mind but she put it aside in order to focus on the beautiful sleeping baby lying before her. She reminisced a few years back at how much she had enjoyed watching her own children sleep when they were that age. After another minute of admiration, she went back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"She still asleep?" Simone asked from her seat at the table.

"Like a baby," Monica replied with a smile. She decided she could avoid the subject no longer. "So, has Kevin still been helping out around here?"

"Oh, yea," Simone said. "Like I told you before, he loves to lend a hand with anything I need."

"Has he slept over before?"

"This is the second time. He came over right after school yesterday to help me with things, then stayed for dinner. And by the time we got the dinner dishes cleared up and the baby dealt with, he just barely had time to get his homework done. By the time that was finished, I just sent him off to the guest room."

"Oh ... that's nice that it works out that way," Monica replied. "Any word on when Greg's coming home from his current trip?"

"Not really. I usually don't know more than a day in advance. And sometimes I don't even get that much notice."

"I'll bet you'll be glad to have him back."

"Truth is," Simone began, "he's gone so much that I'm really getting used to not having him here."

"And, you have Kevin to keep you company and help out, right?"

"That's right."

Monica took a deep breath before continuing.

"Simone, did you say Kevin sleeps in the guest room when he stays over?"

"Mm-hm," Simone replied, seemingly distracted by her coffee cup.

"Does he pick up after himself pretty well?"

"You know how teenage boys are. It's funny, but he's so helpful with things I need done for me and the baby. But he definitely needs some nudging to get him to take care of his own things." Simone stopped and gave a look that implied a bit of suspicion. "Why do you ask, Mon?"

"Well, Hon ... you know what we talked about before?"

"Monica, you're not going to start that again, are you? Please ... I don't need another lecture."

"Simone, I hope I didn't sound like I was lecturing you when we met. I was just worried about you. And I still am."

"Goodness gracious! What are you worried about now, Monica? More stuff about Kevin? He's my little brother. He helps me out. He likes being with me. I told you ... my husband doesn't seem to care if he comes home to spend time with the baby, much less to pay any attention to me. Kevin does both of those things well and he enjoys it. So what's the problem?"

Monica paused for another deep breath.

"Simone, the problem is that when I went upstairs to use the bathroom and look-in on the baby, I passed the guest room."

"So?"

"So, I also passed your room."

"I don't get what you're saying, Monica."

"Honey, the guest room looks untouched. I can't imagine the bed has been slept in for some time. I doubt Kevin could have made it up to look that perfect. And I can't imagine you've had a moment to make it. Plus you just said that he doesn't pick up after himself well at all. Why is your bed the only one that appears to have been slept in, Simone?"