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“She left work early and headed into downtown Nashville to a ritzy hotel. She had a proper tea, and believe me, after living abroad for as long as I have, I’ve seen proper English tea service. The man, I’ll have information on him soon.” He pauses for a moment “He left before her. She was being followed by someone besides me and she’s spooked.”
“Fuck. I’m heading to her place tomorrow for Mari’s birthday party. My dad will be here too. He can help with keeping an eye on her, but this comes to an end tomorrow.”
“I’ll have some info for you by then, but maybe a kid’s party isn’t the place for you to bring all this up to her.”
“I’m not going to, I’m going to wait until afterward. I’m getting my woman back. It’s time.” I disconnect the call and want to throw my phone but I hold it in my hand. I look around the property to see where the foundation markers are all standing and ready for the pad to be poured. The house that I want our family to grow in is getting started. I never got a chance to tell her what my plans are, but between this and the ring I bought a couple of months ago, I’m ready to make forever with her.
* * *
When I pull up to the house, the block is full of cars I recognize. My dad is sitting next to me in the truck and he looks down the street too.
“That’s a lot of people for a one-year-old.” He chuckles.
“She’s special.” I step out and reach into the bed of the truck to pull out my gift for her. I went a bit overboard getting her a custom pink ride-on push car replica of a Mercedes Benz. I know she’ll love it. I check that the big red bow on the hood didn’t get messed up on the drive over and carry the car in my hands toward the front door. The door swings open and Lydia is standing there laughing.
“Hello, stranger.” She leans in to give me a hug.
“Hello, Lydia. This is my dad, Troy. He flew in last night from Washington.” I introduce them and he pulls her in for a hug. The house has people moving through it, but everyone is mostly in the backyard. I see her as soon as she moves.
She’s in a simple flowered spaghetti strapped dress. Her breasts aren’t as full as they used to be now that she’s not nursing anymore. At first, I wonder if she’s braless under that dress and I want to storm over to cover her up, but then I want to carry her to her room and take those sweet nipples in my mouth until she screams my name. She must feel me undressing her with my eyes because she turns and takes me in. I watch as her body trembles slightly and I make my way through the house and directly to her. I set the car down and pull her into my arms, not caring who’s watching or that everyone is there. My lips land on hers and she opens instantly for me. My tongue slips into her mouth and moves against her tongue. She moans and I pull her in tighter to my body where she molds against me. She’s everything. I hear a throat clear, and I pull away. Her lips are swollen, her delicate skin abraded from my whiskers.
“Missed you, spitfire.” I drop a kiss on her nose.
“Dada, Dada.” A sweet voice causes everything in me to lock up and I turn as I feel a pull on my jeans leg. I look down and Mari is holding her arms up to me. With my heart in my throat, I lean down and pick her up while still holding Sydney with my other arm. “Dada, Dada,” she says again. My whole world is in my arms. No one is saying anything. Everything went silent when she called me Dada.
“How’s my little marshmallow?” I kiss her cheek as she clutches at me. “Come see what I got you.” I let go of Sydney, who has her hand to her mouth and tears shining in her eyes. We never discussed what Mari would call me, but it feels right for her to call me that. I also know it’s a sound that most young kids make, but the fact she is sure it’s my title is perfect. I set her in the car and make sure she’s secured as I push her across the yard playing with her.
* * *
Seeing Mari struggle to keep her little eyes open and her plump little cheeks with a rosy glow under her tawny skin showing how tired she is brings a smile to my face. She is in Sydney’s arms as she talks to July and November.
“You can claim her publicly like that, but you better lock her down.” Asher stands with Wes next to me.
“As soon as everyone is out of here, I’m going to have a talk with her.”
“What did Hawkeye come up with?” Wes asks, and I turn toward him.
“He didn’t have it yet. He said something came up. His guy Timothy is having to get their other hacker to do a search. Something about Sydney’s past being buried.”
“Well shit, that’s not good.”
“Nope. So I don’t want to confront her yet. I want her to tell me.”
“Sheshouldbe the one telling you about her past, not some hacker,” Asher says, and I nod at him. “There is no going back now, that little girl has laid her claim on you.”
“I don’t want to go back. I only want them. I’ve always thought of Marinda as mine.”
As everyone starts to leave, my father says he’ll catch a ride with someone else back to his hotel, and I stand in the back waiting until I can talk to her. She moves around the kitchen cleaning up the little mess left from everyone.
“I know you’re waiting for me to say something.” Her voice quivers slightly but she doesn’t turn around to face me.
“I’m waiting here for you.” I can’t take this final step until she gives me something. Anything.
“I worked with a group of scientists, biologists, and cinematographers. We weren’t just coworkers, we were a family.” Her voice is so quiet I move to the other side of the bar to hear her. But she still hasn’t turned around. I haven’t moved closer because I know if I get my hands on her she won’t finish. She needs this space. “I’d worked with them for a couple years. We wanted to go follow the elephants from Botswana and into Zimbabwe. I knew the danger. I’ve already told you about the Brigade and the Akashinga. I thought we would be safe. That nothing could touch us. God, I was so wrong. The Brigade slaughtered all of them. I should be dead. But I fought and made my way back over the border to get away from them. I spent months in the hospitals, so many surgeries. So much pain.” I can’t take it anymore and I round the island to get to her. I wrap my arms around her body as she cries.
“Baby, you’ve been to war too,” I say to her. “Tell me more. What about Mari’s father? Did he die that day too?”
“Yes, he died, but it wasn’t what I expected. He’d used me to get the coordinates for the trackers on the elephants. He worked for the Brigade.” Her head falls back against my chest. “When I found out he’d betrayed me, I was so angry. I didn’t love him. I had no clue yet he was a member of the Brigade. But I did find out he was married. He was so angry with me. I called his wife and told her about us.” She huffs. “She proceeded to tell me she knew all about me. I didn’t know I was pregnant with Mari until right before the attack. I didn’t tell him about her before he died because I knew it would be another reason for him to kill me.”
