by Eva Morian
He sighed as he rubbed the small of Jasmine’s back, “You were like an angel who came into my life and picked up the pieces. I really don’t know what I would have done. What Jr. and I would have done without you, Cherish.” He said honestly. Kissing Jasmine’s head, he pressed his cheek to her, “Being Jasmine’s real father would be a dream come true. I can’t tell you how many times I lay awake worried about the day you have to leave, and she goes with you.”
A look of relief washed over her face as she stood. Side by side they held their children in each other's arms; a first glance at the little family that would become official, “I’m sure mom and dad on both sides would love the sound of that. So, let’s do it. Let’s make our dreams come true.” She whispered.
Simon could see a flood of emotions ripple over her as she said something so wonderfully corny. He couldn’t help but fall right into her speech and felt as though this was a start. No matter what happened, they would always have a place in this life together. There was a deep bond between he and Cherish. She was beyond a friend and his best friend, a lover, and soulmate. The way he felt for her could not be placed into words. Without a shadow of a doubt, if anyone could make dreams happen, it was Cherish, “Lead the way.” He said with a soft smirk.
Stepping forward, she gently returned Jr. to the crib. Her hand gently pressed against Simon’s back and rubbed as he did the same with Jasmine. She couldn’t stop staring at their kids. They were amazing bundles of perfection. Cherish gave him a hug, “Thank you for giving our daughter a chance at a good life. I will forever be grateful to you.”
Simon’s arm automatically closed around Cherish’s bare back and held her in. Her gratitude was sincere. He wasn’t as humble. He knew what he’d done for them. Their daughter from the day they left the hospital. Even through the struggles, he’d do it all again, “You don’t have to be. You’ve already paid Jr. and I back more than money can give.” He whispered staring at her with a deep kindness. A tenderness only Emily had known before.
Pulling away, she stared in his face for longer than she should have. Licking her lips again, she backed away with a long sigh, “Let’s get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.” She whispered.
Trailing out of the bedroom, she glanced back at him and waited. Nodding tiredly, he was exhausted but cleansed of his worries and pent up stress. Feeling better, he followed her back into their mess of a bed and fell asleep with her in his arms.
Chapter 19
June 1st
The moment sunlight drifted into their bedroom Cherish opened her eyes and lifted her head. Her hair was tossed to one side, she felt extremely lethargic, and her naked form was tangled in the sheets. With a quiet yawn, she turned her head and caught sight of Simon's bare back.
Memories of the previous night flooded back, and she felt a flicker of warmth in her core. But, that wasn't what consumed her thoughts most. Today was June 1st and their babies turned one. The biggest milestone they would cross in their young lives. Their party was in the afternoon, but there was something else Cherish felt the need to do before the festivities. For all of them.
Scooting closer, she rested her palm against his back and ran it down his shoulder, "Hey, Simon..." As he rolled onto his back and blinked up at her, Cherish leaned onto her side, "...good morning." She whispered.
Her voice was still in his ears when she came into focus. Simon saw her laying naked beside him and he hadn’t forgotten. A smile crossed him easily as he answered, “Good Morning.” His arm wrapped around her waist before turning and pushing his face into her neck. Kissing against her soft, tender flesh, he pulled her against him, “A great morning, actually.”
Cherish smiled softly as she leaned her head and pressed her cheek against his forehead. Her hand landed on his shoulder as she bit her bottom lip and crossed one leg over the other, “Yeah.” She whispered.
Simon had imagined the scenario for a while. A morning where he could wake up to her bare and open; together. He hadn’t felt so comfortable and unwilling to leave bed in a long time. If he had his way, he’d stay with her all day long. Pulling back once he had his fill of her, he released a soft grunt with a half stretch and turned his head to the door, “We should probably get up. We have a big day ahead of us.” He said without sounding as though he was in a hurry.
She pushed a few curls from her face and yawned out loud, “We have a huge day, but I want to do something before we head to mom and dad’s.”
The bed creaked beneath her body as she stood. She began to tug the sheets off the mattress glancing across at him and tracing her fingertips against the side of her neck, “Are you getting a shower first, or me?” she asked.
Simon followed suit and got out of bed before he cracked his back. He felt fantastic. A light smile was plastered on his face still, “Why not both?” he suggested. Reaching out to scratch between his shoulder blades, he stepped into the bathroom and turned the knob. Cherish shook her head while she pulled off the rest of the sheets and pillowcases; tossing them into the dirty clothes. Following, they had their first shower together.
Able to see the other completely soaked through, they washed from top to bottom. She immersed herself in all the affection he had to offer. He pinned her against the shower wall where they gripped, touched, and kissed more of each other than before; relishing in it. They’d spent far too much time building themselves up under that waterfall. Both were obviously excited but kept in mind there was a lot to finish in the short hours before the party.
Out of the shower first, Simon got dressed before he heard Jasmine calling out for them in her bedroom. He smirked to himself because he was more than ready to see his daughter, “I’ll get her.” He expressed. She nodded to Simon while she toweling herself off and dressing into her under garments.
Simon crossed the hall into the kids’ bedroom before he saw Jasmine standing and grinning at him, “DA-DEE DA-DEE!” she shrieked excitedly while bouncing her knees on the mattress.
Waving, Simon approached his kids, reached in, and picked her up, “Happy birthday baby girl.” He said. Blowing a raspberry against her cheek, she giggled out with another scream which only riled up herself and her brother. He then casted his gaze to his son and felt a warm flourish in his core, “And happy birthday to you little man.” He said holding out a fist.
Jr. popped his hand from his mouth before he pushed his gooey, slick palm onto Simon’s knuckles. He grimaced as he wiped the side of his pants, “Yuck.” He muttered with a laugh.
Cherish pulled a shirt over her head and smiled to herself at the little exchange between Simon and their children. Reaching in, he scooped Jr. into his other arm and kissed him on his large round cheeks. This only caused Jr. to stare with big blue eyes; stunned. While Jr. kicked his feet, Simon chuckled, “You two are in a good mood. Let’s go see mommy.” He whispered. Jr. only grunted in reaction to the word while Simon returned to the bedroom, “Hey Cherish, look what I got.” He said.
Turning around and seeing their happy faces, the entirety of her body lit up as she cupped her cheeks and grinned, “Oh! They’re so cute!! Can we keep them?!” She asked in an over the top voice.
Jr. was the first one to lean over with his hand gripping at the air, “Muh, muh, muh!” he babbled.
Cherish felt her entire heart melt as she stared in his perfect little face, “Oh sweet baby.” She said pressing a hand against her chest.
Going up to them, she leaned in and took him into her arms. He used his damp hand and gripped against her jaw while Cherish stared down at him in adoration, “Thank you my love. Happy birthday to you…” She kissed him gently before looking to Jasmine and leaning into Simon, “…and happy birthday to you! My babies, you both are growing up so fast.” She whispered kissing her daughter. Cherish rubbed a hand along Jr.’s back before she pulled away, “Do you want to give them a bath or make breakfast?” she asked.
His brow rose because they both knew she was the breakfast master, “I’ll take the bath.” He sa
id stealing a kiss.
As the kiss broke, a smirk rested on Cherish's face, "Of course you will." She said watching him leave. Sighing softly to herself, her gaze then drifted across the bedroom at the time.
9 A.M.
They had about three hours before they were needed for the babies' party. That meant she only had a limited amount of time to do what needed to be done as a family. She put on her jeans and fastened the button before she went down to the kitchen. She kept her mind on the time as she started on the kids’ favorite breakfast.
Whipping up fluffy pancakes and maple sausage links, Cherish continuously kept her eye on the clock panel over the stove. Her mind pondered on how Simon would react and how it would impact him more than the kids. Her lips curved downward as a smidgen of worry clouded her mindset. Shaking her head, she poured the pancake mixture on a heated skillet and flipped the links in the frying pan.
In the bathroom, Simon set both babies down and began to run the tub with warm water and a couple of toys. Although Jr. seemed excited to get in, Jasmine on the other hand, like clockwork, got scared and fussy the moment she heard the water. Filling the tub with a couple inches, he pulled their onesies and diapers off, he lifted Jr. and set him in the tub first. Little man crawled around on his belly with a happy shriek. Jasmine knew what was to come and was in a full, sobbing fit. She slapped at his hands with large tears rolling down her cheeks with a pout that broke daddy’s heart, “DA-DEE!” she called miserably.
But, this wasn’t Simon’s first rodeo.
Ignoring her pleas, he placed her down while she kicked and splashed about. Jr. slid over with a rubber ducky in hand, he used his weight, and crawled on her. Holding the toy in her face, that distracted her long enough to calm down. Taking it from him, she stared the ducky in its face, switched it between her hands, and slapped it against the water.
Simon breathed out a sigh of relief before he rolled his sleeves and grabbed the shampoo. Putting some on their heads and rubbing it in, Jr. needed a good lather, but Jasmine had just started sprouting thick, black hairs. Soon his daughter wouldn’t be bald. Getting them rinsed was the hard part.
Jr. took it just fine and only grunted for more, but a cascading shower of water over Jasmine’s head set her off. Even with a cloth covering her face, she still kicked into a fake coughing fit.
Laughing out loud, Simon pulled the rag from her face only to have her tears dry up instantly and smile at him. He shook his head and decided that was the end of bath time, “You are such an actress. Good. Make mommy and daddy money. Actually…” Thinking about how child stars usually ended up, he shook his head as he grabbed towels, “…never mind.” He muttered.
Getting them dried off and dressed up for their special day, Jr. sucked on his hand out of hunger. Dressed in a overalls, a suit and tie onesie, and his hair combed to the side, he looked smart and dapper like his father. Jasmine was dressed in a puffy, lime green dress with white flowers and a hairband to match. This was an outfit he’d saved for the day, while Cherish saved Jr.’s.
Kissing her head, he looked down at her, “Look at you. You’re so gorgeous on your birthday. And your brother, look at him, so handsome and stylish if I do say so myself.” He boasted proudly. He picked them up and hauled them downstairs for breakfast which smelled more than satisfying.
Cherish rushed around the kitchen as she set the table, laid out butter, juice, syrup, and utensils. As Simon stepped off into the kitchen, he paused, “Mmmm, what did you make? It smells godly.”
She slid the last couple of pancakes on a plate and glanced up, "The kids favorites. Can you strap them in?" She asked in a winded tone.
Simon’s gaze locked on to the beautiful sight and felt weak, “Thank you. Thank you for everything that is good and all that is holy.” He whispered in approval.
Cherish’s eyes curved inwards before she broke into a grin. He was certainly over the top and yet that was one of the things she learned to love. She never would have known from a year prior that he had such personality. Now, she was thankful she was allowed to stay long enough to see it.
She snapped the knobs of the burners off before she took the babies' bowls and cut the meat and bread into bite sized pieces. She pointed to the small closet in the hallway, "They have long bibs in there. I'm almost done." She whispered hustling over.
He took the babies to their high chairs and strapped them in. Jr. was already eager the moment his little nostrils pulled in the succulent smell of his birthday breakfast. He scooted the highchair across the floor with hard rocks and grunts. His big, piggy eyes rested on Cherish for food, and today proved that he wasn’t the only one. Jasmine reached out with her hands and grabbed as she stared at Cherish with pleading eyes.
Handing them their bottles to keep quiet, she finished up the food and waited for Simon to prep them before setting the bowls down. Simon brought their bibs over and got them ready for their syrupy dream. Jr.'s eyes lit up all while Jasmine pinched the meat and ate one bit at a time. Cherish smiled at them as Jr. gripped a handful and shoveled it in his mouth. She then looked to Simon with a bite of her lip and returned to the plate of food; setting it down, "I'm brewing your coffee now." She said.
Simon rushed over, caught her hands, and kissed her cheek, “It’s okay. I’ll get it. You sit and eat. I’ll clean up.” He said patting along her backside.
Pausing, she glanced at him and felt a pull in her stomach. He always knew what to do and doted on her from day one. Once upon a time she wasn’t used to it, now she was flustered, “Alright, thank you.” she whispered taking her seat between the kids. Making her plate of breakfast, she did the same with his at the table while he made drinks.
With mugs in hand, he prepared his coffee and her tea before he brought them over and sat down, “How long do we have?” he asked as he cut into his pancakes first. Humming with delight, he loved the crispy sides.
She wet her lip and she cleared her throat, “The party doesn’t start for another couple of hours, but uh…I had somewhere else I wanted to go to before. If you don’t mind? I’ll drive.” She stated.
Jr. was far into his meal and his sticky face showed. Jasmine, on the other hand, pinched at her food still and kept the mess to said fingers and lips; far neater than her brother.
“You’ll drive? Wow, it must really be a surprise then.” He whispered. A part of Simon half expected her to take them for a drive to a zoo. She wasn’t known for surprises which made him even more excited and urged him to eat faster. He wanted to know, and he felt a like to a kid again.
"It's something..." Reaching over, she gripped his hand and finished her breakfast.
Finishing about as quickly as his son, Simon leaned back in the chair and rubbed his stomach. Now, he felt as though he ate too fast. With a slight burp, he excused himself and took one last sip of coffee, “I’ll get him clean.” He stated. Getting up, he got Jr. out of his chair before they disappeared for the bathroom to wash his face and hands.
She used a wet wipe to clean Jasmine off before she picked her up and held her close. They cleaned the high chairs before leaving the house. The alarm was set, the kids were in the car, and they were in the seats, “Do you have any hints on where we’re going?” he asked again.
"Um." Unable to find the words, she didn't want to catch him off guard negatively and stopped. She glanced to him and inhaled a deep breath. Staring into his smiling face, she reached over and dragged her fingertips across his stubbled jaw, "I think it’s time for Jr. to meet Emily. We can't celebrate today without her."
This was far from what he expected, and it’d be a complete lie to say that his mood didn’t shift. Changing from an expectation of fun to a serious, sentimental reality, the light slightly dimmed in his eyes, “Oh…”
Gauging his reaction, she turned the ignition and put the car into reverse. She watched the camera carefully while speaking again, "Plus. I have some things I want to say to her."
He nodded because he knew she was right. Looking ba
ck at Jr. who was none-the-wiser, Simon thought about the situation, but never considered it had he been alone. Cherish followed his drifting gaze as she glanced back at their two children. Jasmine stared out of the window ready for the ride and Jr. stared ahead at Simon. He broke into a happy grin which in turn caused Cherish to return the gesture.
There was a moment of dread because Simon didn’t know how he’d react personally at the sight of Emily’s grave after all this time. But, he got over that notion quickly, “That’s a really good idea, you’re right.” He said wetting his lips.
She turned her face to Simon and exhaled a deep breath. He didn't look thrilled with the decision, but at least he agreed to see it through, "Alright." She whispered.
Simon reached over and took a hold of her hand. To him, she was the best woman he found himself with. She respected his late wife more than he could ever expect and hoped she could speak to Emily stress free without worrying about him. He would try not to need her support.
Driving towards a place they hadn't been in a week under a year, they were once again met with the rolling hills, the tombstones, and lines of bright decorations reflecting in the June sun. Slowly, Cherish's grip tightened on the steering wheel as they approached the parking lot outside the mausoleum where Emily rested.
As the vehicle came to a stop, Cherish stared ahead at those large glass doors that went unchanged where Emily waited. Inhaling a deep breath, her gaze drifted towards Simon. She waited a few moments before breaking the silence, "Are you ready?" She asked.
Simon felt unsettled and unsure of how to act. They’d treated Emily as someone to revere and love in memory for their family, but to be in her resting place still felt strange to him. In due time, he knew it would come to feel normal as years would pass. He nodded after a deep exhale, “Yeah…yeah I’m ready.” He whispered.
