Maria's doorbell rang at around half past eleven that night. Disoriented, she lay in bed for a moment and then figured out who was at her door at that time of the night.
She picked up her phone and dialed Summer's number. "Ask him to go away. I have already gone to bed."
"But Maria, Bob is there with us..."
Maria's grogginess vanished in an instant. "Bob? What are you talking about? Where is Bob?" She suddenly bolted up from the bed.
"He is outside your apartment," Summer replied in a weak voice.
'What the hell is James thinking, bringing Bob like this?' He really was shameless!
She could refuse to let him in, but she could hardly turn away her own son at her door.
Maria got up and rushed to the door to open it.
Outside the door, the man leaned against the wall, holding the wide-eyed baby in his arms. Hearing the sound from the door, Bob turned his head and saw his mother. In his adorable baby voice, he called out happily, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"
Maria's heart melted the moment she saw her son. As she walked over to him, the pungent odor of alcohol wafted to her nose.
Shooting James a disgusted look, she took Bob away from the drunk man. Her poor son!
It was already late, but he couldn't sleep for his father's sake.
However, before she could grasp her child firmly, James' arms closed around both of them. Softly, he slurred in her ear, "Honey."
Maria was beyond furious. 'Damn it!' "Fuck off!" she vehemently whispered in a low voice so as to not frighten the child.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, James let them go. However, he only walked into her apartment instead of going away.
Still trying to grasp the child securely, Maria couldn't stop him. She helplessly watched as he skillfully opened the shoe cabinet and changed his shoes into slippers.
"What the hell is wrong with you, James? It's the middle of the night, yet you didn't let this growing child sleep as he should. Why are you here?" Maria couldn't keep her irritation from her voice.
With a faint smile, James replied, "I was just respecting his opinion. He told me that he wanted to see his mother. Who was I to refuse him?"
Maria was near choking on her ire.
Raking her fingers through her long hair in irritation, she commanded him, "Bring his stuff inside!"
"Yes, madam!" He had the temerity to kiss her on the cheek when he passed by her.
Maria could only stare at his back angrily.
After Bob finished his bottle of formula milk, she went to the bathroom to clean the milk bottle.
Afterwards, she saw James acting like a fool, kissing his little face over and over instead of letting the child sleep.
He was holding the child's feet and hands immobile, so Bob had nowhere to hide. The baby blankly stared at his father, who was insistently pressing countless kisses all over him.
Finally, the baby's crumpled slightly, and then he vomited milk.
Maria burst into laughter.
Even in her amusement, she remembered to pick up some tissues and the trash can and quickly wiped her son clean.
James' thunderous face was a sight to behold. There was a large patch of milk spat out by the baby on his designer shirt, and the vomit nearly ended up on his face.
Once Maria had Bob under control, he staggered into the bathroom to clean himself up, ignoring the churning in his own stomach.
Thankfully, Bob didn't spit out too much onto himself, so Maria only changed his clothes and tucked him in.
Without his father bothering him, the baby soon fell asleep.
Maria threw his dirty clothes into the washing machine and cleaned up the bedroom before going to sleep with Bob tucked securely in her arms.
When James finally emerged from the bathroom, he found both mother and son occupying the middle of the bed. He could barely fit, but he squeezed himself into the available space. After all, the prospect of sleeping in another room didn't appeal to him.
He moved the sleeping child to the side. Frowning at his actions, Maria scolded him in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Vengeful Ex-Wife