The Day I Kissed An Older Man

After ending the call and tossing the phone, Corinne took out a tissue and wiped Joey’s messy face. She then lifted the little guy. “Are you full?”

Joey wrapped his arms around Corinne’s neck and said, “Mhm! I’m full!”

Corinne then gave him a mini-lecture, “That’s good. You need to learn how to use a spoon so you can eat without an adult’s help in the future. That way, you won’t get hungry even if there isn’t anyone to feed you.”

Joey looked at Corinne somewhat anxiously. “You…won’t be with me all the time?”

Corinne smiled at him gently and avoided answering his question directly. She said, “Your father will always be with you, but he’ll be very busy with work. He can’t be with you all the time, so you need to learn to be independent.”

Joey nodded obediently. “Okay. Joey will work hard and learn to be independent! You and Dada won’t worry about me all the time.”

Ever since she started taking care of Joey, she frequently spoke to him whenever she had time to spare. Their exchanges allowed him to pick up more words and learn to speak too. Although it was still somewhat incoherent baby language, Corinne could understand him.

Joey was a smart kid, but his learning curve had been delayed because of Anya’s and Phoebe’s antics.

leaned on Corinne’s shoulder and muttered, “Can I call you

because it came out of nowhere. “Why do you

said you’ll be my mother from now on. I need to listen to you and protect

felt her chest tighten. “When did

were asleep, but

Joey because the little boy accepted her more? Does he want her to do that in addition to raising her

dearly and did not mind taking him with her, but she felt that doing so would let Jeremy get the easy way

take me for?’

feeling a little

‘Mom’.

felt a little