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”Phil,” she whispers suddenly, her voice a little fragile and I sharpen my ears. She sucks on my neck for a bit, just enough to leave a hickey then licks her lips. ”…I’ll go to college if you want me to.”
Holding her to me, I look down at her face. ”I’m not going to tell you what to do and I’m sorry I went behind your back. I’ll make you a famous model if that’s what you want. I just don’t understand why you need it so bad.”
”Because…,” she breathes, ”I want Mitchell to find me.”
I tense. ”Who the fuck is Mitchell?” I growl.
Denise looks up at me, sadness in her eyes. ”My father,” she whispers and now I recall Ellen telling me about him years ago. ”He left when I was a newborn. B…but I’ve always thought that if he sees my face up on the billboards, he’ll think I’m a star and he’ll come find me. Don’t you think so too? That he will want me if I’m a star?”
The need to protect her flares in me. In the back of my head, I have the feeling she’s going to get hurt. I doubt that Mitchell will care enough and if he does, I doubt he’ll have an honest agenda.
”Anything you want,” I whisper. ”I’ll help you. I’ll help you find him.”
”Thank you for making me so happy,” Denise whispers and we kiss, both determined to spend the rest of our lives together.
Epilogue
Philip-Five years later
The bar is rotten. Definitely not a place I’d bring Denise to. There’s a railway station right by and the whole place shakes whenever a train passes. Mitchell’s sitting in a corner, nursing a beer and he looks up when he sees me. His eyes are bloodshot, his checked shirt wrinkly as if he can’t be bothered with ironing.
”Where’s Denise?” he asks when he sees me.
”At home. Sleeping.”
”Didn’t she get my letter?”
She did, but I’m the only one who read it and then I set it on fire. It’s probably wrong for a husband to read his wife’s mail, but when I saw that Mitchell was the sender, I just couldn’t risk it. I have to suss Mitchell out, before I let him anywhere near Denise. Her heart has been broken by Mitchell once before and it can’t happen again. Not on my watch.
Ignoring Mitchell’s question, I say, ”You must’ve seen the billboards all over town.”
He nods. ”She’s a gorgeous girl.” He lets out a hiccup. ”Bet she’s rich now too. Must be making a ton of money with all those modeling jobs.”
”She does,” I say with sincerity and Mitchell’s eyes flare with greed.
”Think she’ll share some with her own flesh and blood?”
I fucking knew it. Before coming here, I did a background check on Mitchell. He loves gambling and has been in trouble with the law because of it. The back of my teeth clench. ”I’ll let you ask her yourself. Come on, I’ll take you to her.”
Eager, Mitchell rises and he’s so unassuming that he has no problem following me out to the railway. We make small talk and I try to pretend I don’t notice the fact that he reeks of alcohol. At the sound of the train coming, I take a deep breath and then I shove him down on the railway and take a step back. Seconds later, the train flies by, taking Mitchell with it.
I drag a hand through my hair, pretending that didn’t happen just now. I’m not the kind of man who does this. I’m a photographer, not a murderer but I have to protect the girl sleeping in my bed. It’s my duty and her right to have someone who knows what’s best for her. Walking away, I get into my car and drive home. After washing up, I walk into our bedroom. I go over to the crib by the window, noticing our son has woken up. His fists fly in the air, reaching for me.
”Is the big guy hungry?” I coo and he whines a little, proving my point.
Picking him up, I cradle his head and bring him to bed with us. Without waking Denise, I pull down her nightie and place our son at her breast. He quickly latches on and she stirs sleepily. I watch him eat and my heart swells in my chest. Our family is so damn beautiful. Everyone says so. Even Ellen. She made a fuss when she first found out about us, but quickly gave up and went back to bury her nose in work. There were barely any obstacles in the way for us back then and there are no obstacles now. I’ve made sure of it.
Denise stirs again, her eyes flickering and I lay down beside her.
”Go back to sleep,” I whisper. ”Everything’s fine. Daddy’s here.”
”Yes, he is.” A smile crosses her lips, ”I love you,” she whispers.
”I love you too.” I put my head down on the pillow. And I’m going to sleep soundly tonight, knowing I’ve never had and never will have any competition.
The End
