by Brittle, D M
Beautiful Perfection
By
D M Brittle
Copyright © Beautiful perfection
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, or organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015- Author DM Brittle
All Rights Reserved
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
For my very own Beautiful Perfection; Matt, Willow and Scarlett.
I love you all to the moon and back xx
Blake
“It would never be possible for me to even try and describe the feeling that warms my entire body as I open my eyes on the first morning in our new family home to see Jo lying next to me. She is deep in sleep, yet a smile is present upon her face as her hands absentmindedly grace her bump, protecting our two beautiful babies from harm. It has taken a long time, a lot of running and a lot of battles that we fought so hard to win, to get to where we are today.
I would happily challenge anyone willing to try, but nothing would ever be strong enough to destroy what we have become together.
Of course we knew that going back to New York in the New Year was going to be challenging, but after everything that we had come through to get to where we were now, neither anything nor anyone could come between us again, I simply wouldn’t allow it to happen.
We hadn’t talked about Sara’s impending trial since the day that we left New York for London. It wasn’t that it was a taboo subject as such, but we both wanted our time here in London to be special, we needed time to relax and refresh while we also prepared for the crazy year ahead of us that would begin in less than two weeks.
I tried not to think about the negative but instead focus on the positive; that this time next year the trial would be well and truly over and Sara would hopefully be a good few months into her lifelong prison. Jo and I would then be back here in London celebrating our babies’ first Christmas in our new family home. That was all that mattered to me now, seeing Sara banged up for the hell that she had given Jo and then bringing our babies home to London to live a long and happy life.
I’m not gonna lie, I was more than disappointed when we had been given the news that Sara had managed to survive her injuries, I was already mentally prepared to go to her funeral and dance on the bitch’es grave, but Jo was surprisingly relieved that she had survived. “Death would have been too good for her,” she would remind me repeatedly. “She is going to die a sad, old lonely lady and I am going to enjoy knowing that she will never have what I have now and what I will have when these two babies arrive. She will never have that Blake and for me, that makes the fact that she is alive, more satisfying that if she was dead.”
Jo had become a different person since her encounter with Sara at the hospital after the crash that had killed Cooper. She no longer feared life, she didn’t fear happiness anymore either, instead, she lived for what we had and for what we are about to have too. She lived her life now as though she hadn’t just suffered the worst five years of her life.
Occasionally her insecurities would try to re-surface, but as quickly as they would appear, she would shoot them down with this new found strength that had arrived somewhere between Cooper’s death and Sara’s demise. Jo had grown into an amazing lady who I was going to have the privilege of growing old with, who one day soon would be the mother of both my son and my daughter and who, at some point, I would be proud to call my wife.
I was grateful that the snow had eased overnight; there was still a thick covering on the ground but not enough to disrupt my plans for today, Christmas Eve.
Firstly, Jo and I were going to visit the new addition to the family; her cousin Jemma had given birth to a healthy baby girl just last evening. Jo had been talking all night about going to the baby boutique that I had used to decorate our babies’ nursery. She wanted to pick out the biggest teddy bear that they had in store for the new arrival, along with a Christmas present for each of our unborn twins. I loved watching her talk about the babies, she would glow with pride and her smile would never falter until she would end the conversation the same way each time; by talking about the birth.
It had become amusing to me because I always knew the moment that it was going to happen, Jo would be cradling her bump and smiling down at the babies before saying ‘I can’t believe you are in there, my babies, my little boy and girl.’ At that point, she would suddenly frown deeply, her eyes would then dart immediately to me, and her grip would tighten on the bump, as she would say, ‘how the hell am I going to push these two big babies out of me Blake?’
It didn’t help that I would then laugh at her; that would only make her frown deepen, but I always knew just how to get her to smile again, and it worked every single time.
Sex may have started to become somewhat difficult, but it was also becoming more amazing the more pregnant that Jo got. She enjoyed it more, which in turn meant that so did I.
After visiting Jemma and Tim, I planned on taking Jo to pick out a tree; we would then come home and decorate it whilst listening to carols and sipping hot chocolate. I was going to make this Christmas as special as I possibly could for Jo, she deserved the best; always.
Jo was unaware at the moment, but later on today, my entire family would be arriving to spend Christmas with us in our new home along with Diana. Jo had no idea that we were all going to be sat around the dinner table tomorrow celebrating Christmas and I couldn’t wait to see her face when they all arrived.
I had no doubt in my mind that tomorrow was going to be a very difficult day for both Jo and her mother Diana, but I aimed on giving them both a day to remember.
*~*~*
Jo stirred beside me, pulling me swiftly from my thoughts, her eyes opened slowly before they began scanning the room taking in her new surroundings until finally they rested on me.
“It wasn’t a dream,” she said with a sleepy smile as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around the room once more as if she believed that she really was still sleeping.
“No beautiful, it wasn’t a dream,” I replied. Jo relaxed back down onto the bed wrapping her arms around me before burying her face into my neck.
“If I do ever wake up from all of this, it will have been the best dream I could ever have wished for.” I felt her smile but I could also sense the sadness behind it. “I just wish that Dad could be here to see this.” Jo took a deep breath as tears began to drip from her eyes.
“He is here with you Jo, he always will be.” I placed my fingers under Jo’s chin and lifted her gaze to me. She nodded. “And I truly believe that he guided us to this house, it was meant to be Jo.”
“I still can’t believe I’m back here after all of this time, I can’t get my head around it.”
“You have the rest of our lives here together to get your head around it,” I replied before Jo leaned forward
and brushed her lips to mine.
“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you Blake, I love you so much.”
“It’s me that never deserved you Jo; I still can’t believe that I didn’t believe you when you told me that you were being followed. You were under so much pressure and stress while I was in Miami yet I was more concerned about you spending time with Cooper than to see that you really were scared for your life. I could never have forgiven myself if you had died in that crash.” I swallowed hard past the lump that had formed in my throat at the thought of hearing the car crash into a wall when Jo was crying out for me to help her. “When I heard the car crash and you went quiet…..”
“Shhhhh,” Jo placed her fingers to my mouth and smiled slightly, “let’s not go there again. I was stubborn Blake; I was whiney, insecure, and weak. I didn’t deserve for you to take me back, I was awful to you, and because we can’t agree on who is the lucky one here, let’s agree not to bring up those events again, it’s all over now, let’s leave it in the US, okay?”
I shifted until Jo was lying beneath me. Careful not to harm our babies, I pressed against Jo’s side as I kissed her deeply. “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one again. But yes, we will leave what happened back in New York. This is our new home, our new beginning, I love you.” I didn’t give Jo a chance to reply as I kissed her again deeply, leaving her gasping for air when I pulled away. “From the first night I kissed you, I was done. Nothing was ever going to push me away from you, not even your stubbornness.” Jo smiled up at me and I thanked God again in that moment for blessing me with what I had here and around me. Jo’s smile faltered as a frown appeared on her face.
“What is it?”
“We need a tree.” Jo scrambled from my hold and climbed out of bed. “It’s Christmas Eve, we’re in our new home, and we don’t have a tree.”
“We’re getting a tree, stop panicking.” I shook my head in amusement as I too climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. “I noticed a farm at the bottom of the hill that had some yesterday as we drove past, we will get one from there.”
When Jo didn’t reply, I stepped back into the bedroom to see her stood there frozen.
“Jo?”
Shaking her head as if ridding herself of her thoughts, she replied with a sad smile, “That’s where Dad and I always got our trees from; I didn’t even notice that it was still there.” I stepped over to where she stood, wrapping my arms around her, and gently bringing her head to rest on my chest.
“I know that this Christmas is going to be so tough on you Jo, and your mother too, don’t feel that you can’t let it all out, I need you to let it all out, okay?” Jo nodded against my chest.
“Do you think that we can spend tomorrow here? I’m sure mum would want to as well if we asked her.”
“We already are spending tomorrow here, and so is your mom.” I smiled as Jo took a long happy sigh of relief. “It just feels right, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it really does, thank you. Do you think Dad is looking down at me now and cursing me for being such a baby when I should be so happy?” I felt her chuckle against my chest.
“No. I know exactly what he’s saying while he’s looking down at you.” Jo’s head lifted until her eyes fixed on mine. “He’s thinking what a beautiful, loving caring lady you have grown into. He would be so proud of you Jo, and I know that he won’t be here in person tomorrow, or to meet his grandchildren, but he will be here with us; in this house, and more so in our hearts.” Tears began to fall from Jo’s eyes again but she was smiling as her hand gently slapped my chest.
“Will you stop making me cry, it’s not like it takes much these days.”
“Just promise me that you will always tell me when something is bothering you.”
“Of course I will,” she smiled.
“Good, now get dressed, there’s a tiny baby waiting to meet her favorite aunt, and then we need to get that tree.” Jo let out a little squeal as she hopped from foot to foot before disappearing into the bathroom. My life really couldn’t be any more perfect than it was right now.
*~*~*
The drive to Jemma and Tim’s house took just twenty-five minutes once we had stopped off at the baby boutique and Jo had spent at least an hour picking out presents for all three babies. I had only seen her this happy a handful of times, and seeing her smile was the most beautiful sight in the world; I intended to keep her smiling now and forever. For the duration of the journey from the boutique, Jo pointed out places to me that she remembered from her childhood. It made my heart swell with joy that I had somehow managed to give Jo everything that she had dreamed of having.
It feels like only yesterday when we were lying on my bed at my parents’ house as Jo told me that she often dreamed of living in the house that we now owned. It was like destiny and fate had collided and were finally repaying her for all of the wrong that she had ever suffered.
She was finally beginning to see that her happiness didn’t come at a cost because this was what life now owed her, it owed her everything that her heart desired and I was the man lucky enough to be taking the journey with her.
One place stood out to me as we drove past. The local church was only a short distance from our new home and sat alone in the middle of a large field. It was the most traditional and oldest church I had seen since arriving in England, yet it looked very well maintained still keeping its old world character. Jo’s mom and dad had married there and Jo had been baptized there as a baby. One day, that would be the church where I would make Jo my wife, and where our children would also be baptized. From how Jo talked about the church too, I could tell that she was imagining the same.
*~*~*
Tim looked like the cat that had well and truly gotten the cream when he opened the door to us with a towel over one shoulder and an empty milk bottle in his hand from the baby, his eyes were black and he looked exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept for weeks even though the baby was only born yesterday, but he looked like one very happy, content bastard. I couldn’t wait to look just like that in a few months’ time. Jo rushed straight past him however, desperate to see her niece.
Even though Jo and Jemma were cousins, they were more like sisters, there was no talk of cousins and these ladies were instant aunties to each other’s children.
“Congratulations Daddy,” I shook Tim’s hand as I stepped into the hallway, Jo was already nowhere to be seen as she had been like a rabbit out of the traps as the door had opened, hidden behind the huge teddy that we had brought for the baby.
“How was it? Does it look as painful as they say it is?” I asked. Tim laughed as I followed him into the kitchen where he set about cleaning a small amount of baby bottles.
“Have you ever watched the exorcist?” His eyes widened in mock horror as he failed to contain his smile. “Seriously Blake, I have the marks to prove it, if our baby had hung on in there for any longer, I think I would have been carted off to the mortuary.” The image that Tim had presented to me made me laugh. “God help anyone who goes through it twice in one sitting, that’s all I can say.” As my laughing stopped, Tim began again.
“You’re kidding me right?”
“No, I am deadly serious,” Tim laughed shaking his head as he loaded the bottles into the sterilizer. “And whatever you do,” his face straightened as he checked over my shoulder ensuring that we were still alone. “Do not under any circumstances complain about how uncomfortable the chairs are, how bad your back aches, nothing. She certainly will not thank you for it. See this here?” Tim lifted his sleeve and revealed a scratch that ran from his wrist to his elbow, “All because I said the room felt hot and it made me feel sick, which it did I might add. I don’t know how I didn’t throw up everywhere. And see the finger marks here?” He then pointed to a red mark on his neck. “I was only trying to get her to breathe, you know, like how they teach you at the classes? She went berserk, tried to rip my head off literally. No one will ask how you are feelin
g, not a single person will care about you Blake. Just go with it, that’s all I can say.”
I felt my skin clam up as tiny beads of sweat formed on my brow.
“You okay Blake?”
“Sure, yeah ... I mean, of course, after everything that you have just told me, I’m absolutely fine.” I scratched the back of my neck nervously, hoping -no praying- that Tim was going to tell me that it was all one big joke.
Tim laughed as he patted my back, “your face is a picture.”
“So you are kidding me about all of that then?” I asked feeling relief wash over me.
“No,” Tim said firmly as he continued to laugh. “These marks speak for themselves,” his laughter then stemmed. “I’m sorry Blake, I didn’t mean to scare you, but when that baby does finally arrive, be it one hour, two or ten, all is forgotten, that baby is all that matters from the moment they look up at you, I’d have taken a million scratches and punches for that. The moment you hear your baby cry for the first time, it’s priceless. Jemma instantly changed from wanting to kill me to telling me that she couldn’t have done it without me,” he smiled. “Just do as Jo asks and keep your mouth shut, and all will work out great. Come on; let’s go and meet your niece.”
*~*~*
Jo was sat on the sofa slowly rocking forward and back as she cradled the baby. The baby’s tiny fingers were wrapped tightly around Jo’s thumb as both of them watched each other in awe.
“She is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Congratulations to you both.” I leaned forward and kissed Jemma’s cheek before taking the seat next to Jo. “Does she have a name yet?”
“Oh my God, I never even asked her name.” Jo smiled as she finally took her eyes from the baby and looked over at Jemma.
“Aunty Jo and Uncle Blake, meet Elianna.”
Jo gasped with happiness, “You named her after Granny Summers,” she stated happily.
“It just felt right,” Jemma smiled, “and her middle name is Summer,” Jemma snorted, “bit ironic I know seeing as it’s Christmas Eve, but I thought it sounded nice; Elianna Summer Robinson.”
