“Bééébééé, save yourself!” I hollered as the women tore her flowers to shreds. I winced, then nodded. At least Zuri got a peony.
Madison did a tuck and roll to get away from the hyenas. Laughing, her eyes softened the second she glanced up and found me again. The sun hit her in a way that made me want to put the entire cake in a doggy bag and send everyone packing.
Her dress swayed in the river breeze as she strolled past the pool, up the steps, and into my arms. Hands at her waist, I pulled her to arm’s length. “Lemme look you over. You got a single scratch, I’ma scrap with everyone here.” Nah, the truth? I was seeing her vow of forever again.
Madison nestled into my arms. We stood there, the damp river air filling our lungs as we clutched the remnants of our past, now made whole.
Losing Elijah carved a crater in us. Depression filled it, and grief tried to bury us.
Our love had come through, though, stronger than any fire, forging it all back together.
And at this moment, with this woman, this life was worth all the pain.
“We made it, Wash,” she whispered, staring at the four-carat princess cut I’d bought her after I got my first paycheck in corporate law. We didn’t have rings when we got married, but this felt right. Same date. Same ring.
I kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, we did,bébé.”
“And not fifty years later,” she said, “after our bones are as tired of our mistakes as we are.”
“Now lemme get you in this house. We gotta lock everyone out and make another baby.”
A playful smile graced her lips as she shook her head, implying a brief intermission before our monthly sex-a-thon. The moment her lips touched mine, we shared a kiss that tasted of warmth and all the opportunities that awaited us in our life together. With a sigh that escaped her lips, Madison conveyed her happiness.
This woman, my woman, possessed a joy that was as bright as it had been on the day we crossed paths. Finally. And I’d do everything possible to keep her this way.
She grinned. “Alright, I’ll give you another baby.Buthe or she better resembleme. Not you, so simmer down with your perfect Creole genes.” She tilted her head heavenward. “Somehow, I have a feeling a little brother or sister would make Elijah happy.”
“True. As long as he sees his younger sibling getting an unlimited ration of kisses.” My teasing faded into something soft and warm, while I brushed my thumb along her cheek. My mouth found hers, ready to show her there’d be no limit to my love this time, either.
THE END
