From Russia, With Love...Part 3

The supermarket was pleasant on that Sunday morning. Parents walked around with their children, who were inevitably throwing a fit about not being able to have a box of cookies, and it made him think of how Lennon would be when he grew to be that age. He sort of smiled to himself at the thought of it. He wasn’t really paying attention; he was just sort of thinking and perhaps smiling stupidly to himself when suddenly he felt his cart hit someone. She screamed “Owww…” He recognized the voice and all of a sudden regained his senses. His mouth went dry again. He had bumped his cart into Renae’s back.
“Vladimir, what are you doing?” She looked extremely frustrated. He kind of looked past her and noticed that she had a stroller with her.
“Is that Lennon?”
“Vladimir, hello?” She got even more frustrated with him, but he ignored it and went to see his son. He stared at his son’s beautiful face, stunned with how much he had grown and wishing he had been there to witness it.
“Lennon I’m Daddy…” he whispered, kneeling down in front of the stroller and letting his son grab one of his fingers. Renae suddenly melted. Her look of frustration suddenly morphed into one of pure happiness at the prospect of watching her husband interact with her son. He looked up and smiled at her gently and she looked at him, giving him a rather flirty and adoring smile, then looking away suddenly as if she didn’t want him to know or wanted to deny her own feelings. He looked into his son’s sparkling brown eyes and stroked his hair one more time and then stood up and looked down at his wife. She was wearing a black Baby Phat sweatshirt and tight pale blue jeans. The golden Baby Phat cat logo was on the front of her shirt. He remembered how much she loved that brand. Part of him planned on checking out her ass when he was leaving. He stepped toward her and reached for her hand, and much to his surprise, she allowed him to take it.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi, Renae,” he almost whispered.
“How are you?”
“Breathing…” he admitted. She kind of looked away again, because he knew that she knew she was happy and that she felt guilty because he wasn’t.
“I’m doing just fine…”
“Good. I’m glad….you deserve to be happy. I just live in weird place now with young guy who has parties where people pass out. They eat all the food in the house so I have to buy more now.” She kind of let out a laugh.
“How’s everything going with Dr. Woodrow?”
“Very good. I am anxious to come home.” She avoided his gaze and he wanted so much to turn her face towards him and stare into her eyes.
“Good, Vladimir.”
“It’s so nice to see you. I miss you.” She smiled at him, but didn’t return the sentiment, and it hurt very deeply. He wanted so much to hear her say the words ‘I miss you too. I want you back’.
“We can shop together if you want.” He smiled.
“I’d like that so much.” They walked down the aisles together and put food in the cart. It was as if they were living together again. She pushed the cart and she allowed him to push the stroller, and it satisfied him so much and filled him with a warm feeling that he had not felt in months. He was tempted to snake his arm around her waist, but because he didn’t know how she’d react, he didn’t do it.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye every once in awhile, and at one point she caught him doing it.
“What,” she asked softly.
“I am afraid to tell you. I don’t want you to get angry with me.”
“You can tell me.”
“You look so beautiful. That feel so good to say.” She looked away and he could see the redness growing in her cheeks.
“Thank you, Vladimir.” He lightly placed his hand on her lower back. They said nothing, and approached the self-checkout.
They exited the store and first went to her car to put her bags in the trunk. He said goodbye to Lennon, hugging the baby close to him and kissing him on the forehead.
“Daddy will miss you,” he said. She smiled at them. Renae took him and loaded him into the car seat and Vladimir stared at her ass as she bent over and leaned into the car. She shut the door and stood in front of him, tapping her hands on her thighs and looking around.
“So…”
“I will call you if I want you to come back to therapy with me?”
“Of course.” She could tell he wanted to kiss her. “I want to say yes…but it’s not right right now.” He nodded.
“I understand.” He took her hand, bent down, and brought it to his lips, letting his lips brush against it. “That is enough for now. I respect you.” She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her, stroking her hair and letting his hand rest on her back.
“Talk to you when…I talk to you.”
“I love you…”
“I love you, too.” She pulled away and got into the car. As usual, he stared at her until she drove away.