AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I return her smile before my eyes swing to Gemini’s. When I see the happiness on his face, my smile turns genuine, and his elation infects me.
8 Man of the House
Mama’s Hand by Queen Naija
Geminihelpsmeoutof his SUV, and then up the path to my new apartment. My progress is slow but with his help, it’s mostly pain-free.
He lets us in, and I find a mirror image of him sitting on the couch. I love the little contrasts to their otherwise identical appearance. Orin’s hair and eyes are lighter than Gem’s. Those soulful grey eyes seem to see right past the facade I’m projecting, and into the deepest, darkest crevices inside me. It’s something he has in common with his brother.
Everything else about them is a perfect match.
“Mama!” Zander shouts, and hops off the bar stool at the kitchen counter. Before he can sprint toward me, Jonas hooks an arm around Zander’s stomach and lifts him up to set him, belly down, on his broad shoulders. His hazel eyes come to mine and they have a kindness in them that I’ve never seen before.
It instantly reaffirms why I like him, and my body comes alive. I can easily imagine him doing the same to a child that is ours. I shake the thought from my head. Not only am I still married, but if Gemini and my relationship keep progressing, it would be wrong to entertain that thought. It’s an odd feeling, coupled with my situation, and the feelings developing for Gemini. I attribute it to my recent trauma.
Standing with my son draped over his shoulder, he moves toward us. I notice a slight limp in his gait, but it’s almost unnoticeable. If I weren’t hyper-aware of everyone and my surroundings, I’m sure it would have slipped my notice.
“You’ve got an amazing young man here,” He says holding my son in a curled arm, while extending his other for me to shake.
He takes my hand in his, and a zap of electricity zings up my arm, spidering through my entire body.
I know he feels it too because his hand gets firmer and his eyes that were looking at Zander snap to mine. His brows pull in, drawing my eyes to the worry line between them. A puff of air escapes him before he abruptly let’s go, and rests my son on his hip.
“Mama, Jonas owns his ownconrustioncompany!” My son yells in my face, like only a four-year-old can.
I've never been more thankful for it. I don't even care that he said construction wrong. His speech therapist isn't here.
“That's amazing, baby boy,” I say with a genuine smile on my face.
“Let's get your mom settled on the couch, then you can tell her all about it. 'K bud?” Jonas says, lifting him up over his shoulder, and giving him a good bounce like he weighs nothing. I know for a fact he is big for his age, since he just had his four-year checkup a couple weeks ago, and he was in the ninety-ninth percentile.
With Gemini's help, I sink into the couch cushions, and Orin props me up with a pillow behind my back. Jonas sets my son next to me, and then sits on his other side, draping his arm along the back of the couch. His arm crosses over the back of my son, and reaches almost to my shoulder. He extends one leg out, and leans down to whisper something in Zander’s ear that I can’t make out.
With a very serious look on his face, Zander nods his head, and scoops his little hand into mine, saying, “Don’t worry about me, mama. You rest. I’m the man now.” He puffs out his little boy chest, and my heart breaks a bit that he thinks I need protecting. That’s what I’m supposed to do for him. Not the other way around. His little kid voice is so brave, and he’s got such a look of determination that my mom heart can’t take it, and tears spring to my eyes.
Not wanting him to see me cry, I do my best to hold them back. But after a few seconds of battling, I admit defeat, the tears spilling over the edge. Gemini comes over, lifting me in his arms. I tuck my face into his neck to hide my tears, protecting my son from them.
“I’m gonna take your mama to rest in her room. Orin makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. If you ask him, he might be willing to teach you his secrets,” Gemini says then walks down the short hall that leads to the two bedrooms in the apartment. He gently gives one a push with his foot and walks us in.
I hear Zander asking Orin to teach him, followed by a deep rumble of words. Their voices fade as Gemini carefully kicks the door closed, all with me still in his arms.
Approaching the bed, he sets me on my feet, and yanks back the duvet and the sheets all in one go, and then helps me in, removing my shoes.
Little twinges of pain zing in various places on my body, but it’s nothing compared to the headache throbbing behind my eyes. He goes over to the other side and climbs in next to me, wrapping me up in the safety of his arms. The warmth from his body along with my own exhaustion soon whisk me away into the land of sleep.
***
“Come on, baby,” Gemini rouses me from a surprisingly peaceful slumber.
My muffled, “No,” doesn’t dissuade him. He has the audacity to chuckle, and pull my face from my pillow, to rest on his chest.
“You need to eat, so your body can heal.” He kisses the top of my hair. A feeling of warmth and safety envelopes me. The deep rumble of his voice sounds in my ear when he says, “I let you skip lunch, but I can’t let you skip dinner too,” the tips of his fingers trail along the line of my upper arm. It doesn’t help to motivate me into moving from the bed. Or his embrace.
With a resigned sigh, I sit up, and find the rest has helped immensely with my headache. It’s still there a little bit, so I’ll take some ibuprofen after I eat.
Moving to the edge of the queen-sized bed, I stretch and find that I’m only a little sore. Out of habit, I run my hands through my hair to tame it as I get up and head out of the bedroom to the only bathroom.
Opening a drawer, I pull out my brush and run it through my hair, gathering it up into a high ponytail when Gemini comes in up behind me.
