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Ignoring her father, my niece comes over and gives me a hug. “It’s good to see you and have you back home, uncle.”
“It’s good to be home, Charlee girl. There’s no place like it in the world.”
“I came to get you because it’s time for dinner,” she says. Looking down at my wristwatch I notice how much time has passed since I came into Julius’ office and told him about the kids and what we want to do about it.
“Damn, time flies,” I announce. “May I escort you to the dining room?” My elbow shoots out and Charlee giggles as she wraps her fingers around the bend of my arm.
My family is amazing, and I’m glad they’re mine.
Mera
Sittingaround a table designed for formal parties is interesting, to say the least. Julius sits at one end with Shaynie at his side, and Luca is at the other end, with me seated to his right. In between us are all of the DreamCatcher men, their women, and children. The room is chaotic, loud, and boisterous. You won’t hear me complaining, this is something I always dreamed about having as a youthful young woman—a big, extended family.
“How’s it feel to be out of the dark?” Luca teases the women. “Are y’all ready to face the land of the living and come back from the dead?”
“Soooready,” Cameron answers, eagerly drawing out the word, so. “I’m ready to go into a store and pick out my own damn underwear.” Gunner spits out the beer he just took a swig of, shaking his head, his face turning beet red from his redacted, bronchitic laughter.
“I bet that’s something you never thought you’d hear yourself say,” Stella snickers. “I don’t mean to bitch, but seriously, cotton should breathe, and if we can’t feel the material, how do we know that our hoo-ha’s are getting enough air?”
Kruger’s spoon drops to the table as he bends over, banging his fists on it causing the dishware along the table to clatter, hysterically laughing.
“Babe, seriously? Don’t suffocate yourself, it wasn’t that funny,” Stella says, scolding him. “Not all of us have the luxury of going commando.”
This time, most of the women are the ones choking on their soup. “Commando?” I ask, my cheeks turning a crimson shade of red. “You mean,” I start, leaning over to whisper, “he doesn’t wear… anything? Doesn’t that chafe, Kruger?”
“Naw, darlin’, my balls don’t like being confined. They prefer swinging in the breeze,” Kruger answers, shooting me a wink.
“What he means is, his beans and wiener sweat, and they need to be aired out so they don’t smell,” Stella counters, smirking at me.
“I guess your whispering was for nothing, Curly Sue,” Luca teases me. “It seems, our rowdy men and women don’t try to censor things for their little ones.”
“Apparently not,” I mutter underneath my breath. They aren’t my children, and if they want to raise them to think freely and more conventional, then so be it. With the way the world is changing, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that they won’t be as sheltered as most children are.
“You’ll get used to it, Mera,” Charlee announces from her end of the table. “From what I hear, you already let a few words that you’d normally not use fly. We’re growing on you.”
“What you meant to say is that y’all are a bad influence on her,” Luca rebuts. Gravitating toward me, he says in a hushed voice, “But I like it. Don’t get me wrong, I liked you before, but I love this new version of you too.”
“You do?” I ask, feeling astounded because I was worried it’d be a complete turn off for him. When we met, I was mouthy, stood up for myself and Shaynie… always, but I never said what are considered intoday’sstandards as being bad words, in that aspect, I was a good girl. The operative word being good. I always spoke as the nuns commanded, tried to do things the way they brought us up believing was right, but I’ve started seeing the error of their ways, deciding to forge my own path and thoughts on life and what’s right and wrong.
He grabs my hand on top of the table and laces our fingers together. Squeezing it enough to let me know he wants my sole attention on him and nothing else. “No matter how you’re packaged, or acting at the time, Mera, you’re the best most attractive person I know. You’re a goddess in my eyes. Everything you do makes me hard as steel. Whether you're being a goodie, two shoes, or a bad, bad girl, I want you. I’ll always want you. You make me a better man.”
“Whatever he wants, Mer, say yes,” Shayne demands, waving her hand in front of her face to dry the tears gathering in them. “How can a woman resist either one of you Alvarez men?” she asks, directing her attention to Julius.
“There’s only one woman I want saying yes to me, Temptress, and that’s you,” Julius tells her, leaning forward and capturing her lips with his.
“Whatever he wants, Shaynie, say yes,” I say to her, mirroring her words.
“Yes,” she states, cupping his cheek with her hand and swiping her finger across the apple of his cheek. “Forever, and always, yes.”
“For fuck’s sake, ladies!” Star sighs, cupping her face in her hands. “Never, and I mean never, say yes to one of these men unless you know the question first. That’s how things like this happen,” she informs us, pointing at Judd who has a face and lap full of his supper.
“Too late,” Shayne singsongs. “Been there, done that, have a baby in the belly to prove it.”
“What?” I shout, pushing my chair back and standing. “Repeat that, sister?”
“We’re going to have a baby, sis,” she states, those tears she’d been holding back now freely flowing down her face. “You’re going to be an aunt.”
“I’m going to be an aunt,” I whisper, before yelling, “I’m going to be an aunt!” Leaping over Luca, I rush to her side and plant my palm on her belly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
