Culpables years later

Nick

I didn't know why I had said that to my mum. I just didn't like it when people didn't tell the truth. Of course, I felt Noah's gaze at me, but I shook him off and Andrew who was so excited to have his grandma here, tied her right into his daily plans and together they went to the park. When they both left the house, I stayed behind in the kitchen. My gaze was fixed on the vase of flowers in front of me. I still hadn't overcome my problems with my mother. It was moments like this that made me realise. I tried to look away and looked for Noah. She was upstairs doing the laundry. My feet automatically found their way to her to help her. "Can I help you?" She looked at me and smiled as she handed me the clean laundry. "If you would be so kind, could you put Andy's laundry in his closet?" I nodded and put it neatly folded in his closet. I finally stood in the doorway and watched Noah do the laundry with ease. "You know other women would complain about having to do the laundry. Why don't you?" It took a few seconds for her to answer my question. "You know, I'm not complaining because I have to do the laundry. I mean, you're mostly the one who works hard and brings home the money. You make so much possible for us. The least I can do is do the laundry. I'm a bad feminist, but whatever. I'll lay down on the bottom during sex." I had to laugh and continued to look at her, fascinated. "But I know if I asked you, you would do the laundry too. Not like the other men, Nick." She smiled at me and started the next round of laundry. "What are you doing today? Do you have to work? Or go to the hospital?"

I came up to her and hugged her from behind. "Yes, I have to go for an examination. Do you want to come with me? Afterwards we can get something to eat?" She thought about it and stroked my chin. "Yes, I could. We could also say hello to Jenna. She's in the hospital at the moment and not at the university."

My head rested on Noah's shoulder and I breathed in her scent. She smelled of flowers but there was still something fruity in her scent. "You know I love our family, right? Freckles?" She turned around and kissed me. "We know that. You show us every day." Our kiss became more and more demanding, but Noah broke it off. "Can I ask you something? What was that earlier with your mother?" Now the mood was depressing. "I don't know. She seemed so hypocritical and I hate that kind of thing. It shouldn't have been in front of you and especially not in front of our son, but there was no other way. Was I too strict with her?" Noah looked at me intently and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, sort of. I mean, of course she was sad, but what if it was the truth? You have to work on your relationship. I'm not getting involved again. Otherwise I'll be the bad one. Make time for each other, well, she's living with us now. Make the best of it." She was right in some ways. But I didn't want to. "Come." Noah pulled me into the dressing room so we could get going. At the hospital reception we were directed straight to my doctor. He was very nice, but he was more interested in my wife than in my back and head. While I was doing exercises, Noah excused himself to freshen up. "Do you feel a lot of pain when doing the exercises, Mr. Leister?" I didn't think much of yoga before and I don't think much of it now. "Yes, I do. But I don't do exercises like that in my everyday life anyway." He had to laugh and carried on for about half an hour. When the treatment was coming to an end, Noah was still not there. Was everything okay?

I thanked him and he made his next appointment with me. Now it was time to find Noah. Luckily I found her leaning against a counter with Jenna. They were both having a hearty conversation and when they saw me they suddenly stopped talking. "Hey Jenna. Is everything OK?" I hugged her and she nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure. You guys?" I looked at Noah and nodded. "How's your body? Doctor Fischer is one of the best in his field."

I shrugged my shoulders and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "He's OK. His exercises are stupid, but he said they'll help me. How much longer do you have to work?" Jenna had files in her hand and looked at her watch. She exhaled loudly and looked at me sadly. "6 more hours. Then university with final exam preparation. It won't be long before I'm a real doctor."

Noah hugged her and smiled. "You'll be the best doctor." It was a nice moment, but then Jenna was called to come into the operating room. "It was nice to see you Leisters and Noah, we'll talk more soon and give my godson a hug!" If we were in a cartoon, Jenna would be in a cloud now. I took Noah's hand and we walked to the car together. "Was everything okay with Jenna? You had such a heartfelt conversation?" She nodded absently and strolled into the passenger seat. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Noah thought about it and scrolled through her phone. "The Italian restaurant on 64stem is open. Can we order there? They have the pasta we like so much." Pasta would be nice. "That would be good. With some garlic baguette. Let's go." While I was driving, Noah was playing the radio. Personally, I never listened to music while driving because I appreciated the silence. Noah, on the other hand, loved listening to music and singing along. Then suddenly Shake it off by Taylor Swift came on the radio. Noah loved this singer and especially her albums. I think her favorite album was 1989. But Noah knew that this song was exactly what I loved. I hated to admit it, but Shake it off made me sing inside. She started singing along and I hummed quietly. After half an hour we arrived at the restaurant and placed our order. While we were waiting, Noah hugged me from behind and danced a little. "Have you heard anything from Steve? Is everything OK with him?" I took her hands and couldn't stop grinning. "He's in Italy with his family for a few days. But he wants to come back soon because he doesn't feel good leaving us alone."

She mumbled something I couldn't understand.

Nick

I didn't know why I had said that to my mum. I just didn't like it when people didn't tell the truth. Of course, I felt Noah's gaze at me, but I shook him off and Andrew who was so excited to have his grandma here, tied her right into his daily plans and together they went to the park. When they both left the house, I stayed behind in the kitchen. My gaze was fixed on the vase of flowers in front of me. I still hadn't overcome my problems with my mother. It was moments like this that made me realise. I tried to look away and looked for Noah. She was upstairs doing the laundry. My feet automatically found their way to her to help her. "Can I help you?" She looked at me and smiled as she handed me the clean laundry. "If you would be so kind, could you put Andy's laundry in his closet?" I nodded and put it neatly folded in his closet. I finally stood in the doorway and watched Noah do the laundry with ease. "You know other women would complain about having to do the laundry. Why don't you?" It took a few seconds for her to answer my question. "You know, I'm not complaining because I have to do the laundry. I mean, you're mostly the one who works hard and brings home the money. You make so much possible for us. The least I can do is do the laundry. I'm a bad feminist, but whatever. I'll lay down on the bottom during sex." I had to laugh and continued to look at her, fascinated. "But I know if I asked you, you would do the laundry too. Not like the other men, Nick." She smiled at me and started the next round of laundry. "What are you doing today? Do you have to work? Or go to the hospital?"

I came up to her and hugged her from behind. "Yes, I have to go for an examination. Do you want to come with me? Afterwards we can get something to eat?" She thought about it and stroked my chin. "Yes, I could. We could also say hello to Jenna. She's in the hospital at the moment and not at the university."

My head rested on Noah's shoulder and I breathed in her scent. She smelled of flowers but there was still something fruity in her scent. "You know I love our family, right? Freckles?" She turned around and kissed me. "We know that. You show us every day." Our kiss became more and more demanding, but Noah broke it off. "Can I ask you something? What was that earlier with your mother?" Now the mood was depressing. "I don't know. She seemed so hypocritical and I hate that kind of thing. It shouldn't have been in front of you and especially not in front of our son, but there was no other way. Was I too strict with her?" Noah looked at me intently and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, sort of. I mean, of course she was sad, but what if it was the truth? You have to work on your relationship. I'm not getting involved again. Otherwise I'll be the bad one. Make time for each other, well, she's living with us now. Make the best of it." She was right in some ways. But I didn't want to. "Come." Noah pulled me into the dressing room so we could get going. At the hospital reception we were directed straight to my doctor. He was very nice, but he was more interested in my wife than in my back and head. While I was doing exercises, Noah excused himself to freshen up. "Do you feel a lot of pain when doing the exercises, Mr. Leister?" I didn't think much of yoga before and I don't think much of it now. "Yes, I do. But I don't do exercises like that in my everyday life anyway." He had to laugh and carried on for about half an hour. When the treatment was coming to an end, Noah was still not there. Was everything okay?

I thanked him and he made his next appointment with me. Now it was time to find Noah. Luckily I found her leaning against a counter with Jenna. They were both having a hearty conversation and when they saw me they suddenly stopped talking. "Hey Jenna. Is everything OK?" I hugged her and she nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure. You guys?" I looked at Noah and nodded. "How's your body? Doctor Fischer is one of the best in his field."

I shrugged my shoulders and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "He's OK. His exercises are stupid, but he said they'll help me. How much longer do you have to work?" Jenna had files in her hand and looked at her watch. She exhaled loudly and looked at me sadly. "6 more hours. Then university with final exam preparation. It won't be long before I'm a real doctor."

Noah hugged her and smiled. "You'll be the best doctor." It was a nice moment, but then Jenna was called to come into the operating room. "It was nice to see you Leisters and Noah, we'll talk more soon and give my godson a hug!" If we were in a cartoon, Jenna would be in a cloud now. I took Noah's hand and we walked to the car together. "Was everything okay with Jenna? You had such a heartfelt conversation?" She nodded absently and strolled into the passenger seat. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Noah thought about it and scrolled through her phone. "The Italian restaurant on 64stem is open. Can we order there? They have the pasta we like so much." Pasta would be nice. "That would be good. With some garlic baguette. Let's go." While I was driving, Noah was playing the radio. Personally, I never listened to music while driving because I appreciated the silence. Noah, on the other hand, loved listening to music and singing along. Then suddenly Shake it off by Taylor Swift came on the radio. Noah loved this singer and especially her albums. I think her favorite album was 1989. But Noah knew that this song was exactly what I loved. I hated to admit it, but Shake it off made me sing inside. She started singing along and I hummed quietly. After half an hour we arrived at the restaurant and placed our order. While we were waiting, Noah hugged me from behind and danced a little. "Have you heard anything from Steve? Is everything OK with him?" I took her hands and couldn't stop grinning. "He's in Italy with his family for a few days. But he wants to come back soon because he doesn't feel good leaving us alone."

She mumbled something I couldn't understand.