by Kitty Parker
Jack signs a year to year lease and when Axel comes, asking him if he's going to renew, that's when Daisy finally decides to breach the subject with him.
"I bought some of those containers that suck the air out of them. I'm going to put my sweaters in those during the summer and store them under the bed," she tells him and he just looks at her. "That way, we'll have plenty of room in the closet for your shirts."
He keeps looking at her.
Daisy keeps talking. "And we just need to do some rearranging of the furniture in our room so we can bring your tall dresser over, too," she suggests. "Maybe put the bed against the wall.." she leaves him then in the living room to walk to the bedroom to look things over.
After a moment, she feels him directly behind her, his firm chest brushing against her back.
"What do you think?" She then asks, looking over her shoulder, up at him.
Jack's quiet for a moment, his eyes roving over the room. "I can build somethin' for the closet. Shelves or somethin' so you don't gotta be puttin' things in bags under the bed."
Daisy smiles up at him and Jack's eyes intently look into hers.
"We'll make it work," he then says in a lower voice.
She turns around to face him and standing on her toes, she kisses him, her hands slipping to the back of his head and his hands sliding over her hips.
"Matty's at Tavon's for the afternoon," she then murmurs to him as if he doesn't already know and she knows she doesn't have to say anything more than that.
…
Not that he has anything to make up for but Jack's good to his promise to her and every time since their first time together has been just like her fantasies about him. She doesn't understand how he can be so gentle with her – light touches and delicate kisses but then he will spread her thighs apart and just pound into her and she moans loudly and wants to scream and sometimes, she feels like she can do nothing but lie there and take it. The immense pleasure she feels everywhere in her body from Jack lets her do little else.
They do this even with Matty asleep – both knowing the boy is such a heavy sleeper but Daisy bites her lip anyway, not wanting to be loud and Jack buries his face in her neck or into the pillow so he can't be heard groaning – but when Matty's out of the apartment on weekends, with Tavon or at the farm for a little bit – Daisy admits that she and Jack take advantage to not having his ears around.
The sex is so good, Daisy wonders if perhaps she might be addicted to it because she wants it all of the time. She's in love with running her hands over his body and the feel of her inner thighs rubbing against his hips with each rocking forward thrust. She hadn't had the slightest idea that sex could be as good as this.
When they're done and the sheets are twisted like vines on the bed, Daisy lays there, trying to catch her breath as Jack gets up and goes into the bathroom to flush to condom down the toilet and when he comes back, he looks at her and smirks a little, proud of himself. She can't even scold him for being cocky. He should be very, very proud of himself.
"I think I need to go on the pill," she then says as he climbs back into bed with her. She turns her head on the pillow and looks at him. "What do you think?"
He shrugs. "Your decision. Not mine. 's your body."
"I know. I just…" She sits up a little. "I love Matty more than anything but I don't know if I'm ready for another surprise like him. If we do decide to have a baby, I'd want us to be aware of it and actively trying for it rather than just have it be a complete accident."
She instantly regrets the words. Not the thought but speaking it out loud. She and Jack have never talked about anything remotely like that and she has no idea how he'll react. She knows he won't just walk away. He doesn't do that anymore. But what will he do?
She makes herself to keep her eyes on him and she wonders if he can see the sure-sign of panic in them as he looks at her in return. And he doesn't say anything for the longest time. At least, it feels like a long time to Daisy. Practically an eternity.
But then, Jack gives his head a nod. "Makes sense," he comments.
And that's all he says. But that's enough. It's more than enough because with Jack Belton, she really has to look at everything between the words that he doesn't say.
With a smile that's growing wider by the second, Daisy slips her arms around his shoulders and pulls him to her gently until his body is, once again, covering hers.
…
Another school year finished and just like that, Matty is finished with first grade and will be entering second grade in the fall. Daisy can hardly believe this is all happening as time does has a tendency to not stop and all she knows is that she doesn't necessarily like it. She did not give him permission to grow up.
The first week of his summer vacation, Matty comes with her every day to the bakery. He helps her bake and as she rings up customers, he's careful to get their cupcakes from the display case that they have ordered. And Jack comes in at his lunch break nearly every day and sometimes, if he's working that day, Martinez comes with him.
Cletus was right. The s'mores cupcakes is one of her biggest sellers and just as Jack is addicted to her banana cupcakes, Martinez seems to be addicted to the s'mores ones and Matty can get them these cupcakes without them needing to actually order them out loud.
Sometimes, in the afternoon, Annette will come in the afternoons and bring her grandson – along with Otter – back to the farm to let him run around and enjoy his summer or Tavon will come with Michonne in tow and she'll take the boys to the park – along with Otter – across the street where they play few games of touch football, not wanting to tackle without pads and hurt themselves for next season.
It hasn't been discussed but Daisy supposes that it doesn't really have to. Matty will be playing football in the fall. Football is something her son loves with his whole heart and he's so good at it and she can't keep him from it. She can't be the mom that either forces her son to do something he doesn't want to or keep him from something just because she's afraid. That's not fair to Matty on either count.
Sometimes, when there's a lull between customers, she'll come around the counter and watch them out the front window, smiling as Matty whips down the grass to the two southern Oaks that they have designated as the end field. From across the street, she can see the brightness and happiness of his smile.
So when the letter comes to their mailbox on the second week of summer vacation, telling all returning Gators players that there will be summer practices starting the week after Fourth of July, Daisy knows that Matty will be there on the field with the rest of them.
…
Shawn has signed up as an assistant coach this year for the Gators and T-Dog is thankful to have him. People in these parts still remember Shawn Greene and soon, they'll know the name of his nephew, Matty Greene, too.
And it's not as if she thinks T-Dog doesn't care about her son's safety. She knows, for a fact, that that's far from the truth but Daisy feels a little bit better with her brother on the sidelines, coaching Matty and talking with him in between plays.
The Ames have their Fourth of July barbecue and then the next Monday, practice starts.
Daisy isn't the only one there. It seems like most parents have turned up to watch. Even some of the fathers who she knew would be at work normally which means that they took the day off just to come to their young son's football practice. Daisy tries not to pass judgment though. This is still Georgia and this is still the south and few things are more important than football. The bakery is closed on Sundays and Mondays so Daisy's able to come herself and she sees how happy he is when Matty puts those pads on again after going so long without. And she smiles when T-Dog slaps him on the shoulder and his teammates cheer for him, welcoming him back.
Daisy smiles because Matty hasn't stopped smiling.
Rosita surprises her by coming, bringing watermelon and water, and the two girls sit in the grass with crossed legs, watching the boys run sprints and laps and then they ge
t to practicing tackling and just like Daisy does, Rosita cringes a little at the crash of pads. Otter sits beside Daisy, fully at attention, his ears perked and his eyes sharp as he keeps a vigil over every second of the practice.
Maybelle comes a little later, joining the two with a smile. "Are they going to feed them?"
"I don't know," Daisy answers, handing Maybelle a piece of watermelon. "They stopped a while ago for oranges."
"Well, they must be absolutely stuffed," Maybelle says with a roll of her eyes and Daisy has to purse her lips together to keep from laughing.
Maybelle is like Daisy and isn't that wild about her nephew playing football. She's never really been a fan and when Shawn played, she hardly went to any of the games. She only comes to see Matty play because she wants to support him because like Daisy, she knows how much he loves it and she might not like the sport or understand it that much but she, like the others, knows well enough that her nephew has a talent for it.
"Is Jack going to stop by?" Maybelle then asks, turning her head away from the field. She doesn't want to see Matty get run at and Daisy admits, it's not her favorite sight either.
"I think so. Depends on what time he gets out of the garage tonight," Daisy says and then tilts her head back, getting the last small swig of water from the plastic water.
"How are things going?" Rosita then asks with a slightly sly smile.
Daisy just laughs a little and shakes her head. "I'm not going to give you two any details," she says because she knows that both know that things are great. They're fishing for things a bit more explicit than that.
"I'm your sister!" Maybelle says with mild indignation though her eyes are smiling.
"I'm your friend," Rosita frowns at her.
Daisy just laughs again and takes another piece of watermelon, looking back to the field. It looks like they're finishing running tackle and defense drills and are going to start running plays. Tavon is their quarterback once again this year – not that anyone wondered whether or not he would be – and once again, with Matty as his go-to running back, all of the parents are watching and already chattering that no one will be surprised if once again, the Gators, make it to the playoffs.
"I'm worried that one of these days, Jimmy is going to hear just how good Matty is and he's going to come around and try to get involved," Daisy speaks suddenly, softly, even surprising herself because it's one of those thoughts she has but keeps deep down, never to be spoken out loud to anyone.
Both Maybelle and Rosita turn their heads to look at her.
"He wouldn't dare, Daisyy," Maybelle is first to speak and her voice is sharp as steel. "He signed away all rights and has absolutely no connection to Matty. In twenty years, when Matty's making millions in the NFL, Jimmy can do nothing but cry about it."
Daisy's lips twist a little at that and looks at her sister. "Such confidence," she teases her but Maybelle doesn't smile. Instead, Maybelle reaches over and squeezes Daisy's knee.
"Jimmy wouldn't dare," she says again. "And if he does, I think it's safe to say that all of us, me, Nathaniel, Shawn, daddy, Annette and Jack would all have something to say about it." Maybelle's green eyes are intensely settled on her. "And don't forget you. You're the fiercest mama in the county."
"Probably one of the fiercest in the whole state," Rosita amends and Daisy can't help but smile at that. It is a worry of hers but she knows that it will be a worry that probably won't accumulate to anything. And even if it does, Maybelle's right. Jimmy signed away all rights.
According to the state of Georgia, Matty has no daddy.
Otter's ears flick quickly and then he turns his head to the right. Daisy turns her head to the right as well to see what has gotten the dog's attention and she smiles a little when she sees that Jack has arrived, crossing the grass from the parking lot, approaching the field.
Matty sees him coming, too, and waves at him before he's called back into the huddle and to pay attention, and Jack smiles a little and holds up his hand in greeting before he spots Daisy and Otter and the others and starts making his way towards her.
Daisy smiles a little. But that's according to the state.
…
Jack never comes to church with them and when she and Matty get ready to go to Sunday morning service, Jack gets up with them and gets dressed but that's to get his weekly hunting in the woods done before he makes the drive to see Cletus.
But this morning, he gets up with them as they usually do and when Daisy enters the bedroom from the bathroom, having taken a shower, she sees Jack standing at his dresser, looking down at his drawer of jeans. She doesn't think anything of it and she dries herself off before pulling on a bra and a pair of underwear and then going to the closet to pick out which dress she should wear today.
As she dries her hair and then begins pinning it up in its usual milkmaid braid, Jack has finally chosen a pair of jeans. She notes that this pair doesn't have any holes or stains in them and she knows he usually wears a ratty pair while hunting but she doesn't question it. He then opens another drawer and looks at his shirts folded there. He pulls out a plain white one and then tugs it on over his head before going to the closet and pulling down one of his plaid button down shirts.
Daisy's watching him now and isn't trying to hide it.
Jack then feels his eyes on her and he turns his head, looking at her. "What?" He asks.
She can't help but ask. "What are you doing?"
He shrugs. She can hear Matty in the kitchen, pouring food out for Otter and food for Morris and then going to the pantry and getting himself a box of cereal.
Jack shrugs and finishes buttoning the shirt and then rolls the sleeves up to his elbows. "Your pops asked me to come to service this mornin'. Didn' really have a reason to turn 'im down. Told 'im the church roof might fall in on us all but he didn' seem to believe that."
Daisy normally would have smiled but she supposes her mind is still trying to process this.
Jack turns to face her fully. "I look a'right?" He then asks her. "Don't really own any church clothes."
She breaks into a smile and she nods. "You look great," she says and she means it and she knows that Jack probably doesn't believe her and want to call her crazy but he just gives a nod and looks down at himself before exhaling a deep breath.
"A'right," he then says and she's not sure if it's to her or to himself but he takes another second and another deep breath as if's telling himself ready or not, and then he turns, opening the bedroom door and going out to meet Matty in the kitchen.
Daisy smiles to herself. She wonders why her daddy has wanted Jack to come to church with them this morning.
…
They sit in a pew with Annette and Johnathan as she and Matty do every other Sunday and Jack sits beside her and she can feel how tense and uncomfortable he is but he's there and Daisy didn't realize how much this meant to her until he told her that he was coming today.
She's almost not paying attention to Father Gabriel's sermon that morning but then a few words catch her ears and she's immediately back to listening.
"When a man and woman lay together without the sanctity of marriage, it is a sin," the man is saying from behind his podium at the front of the church.
Jack immediately tenses even more from beside her and Daisy whips her head over to look at Johnathan but the man is looking forward and doesn't notice. Annette does however and looking at Daisy, she gives her daughter a small smile and a wink. And since her mother is the one looking at her – though she really wishes her daddy would – Daisy frowns at her.
"If a man and woman live together before the sanctity of marriage, they are simply telling God that living in his holy light and living a good Christian life does not matter to them. The man does not respect the woman and the woman does not respect herself and both," he pauses for effect. "Clearly do not respect God."
…
After service, Johnathan just so happens have to run to the feed store with Otis so Daisy still isn't a
ble to confront him about that not-so-subtle dig at hers and Jack's living arrangement and they go back to the farm for their usual weekly Sunday lunch. In the kitchen, Annette is running the defrosted chicken under the water in the sink before arranging it in the cooking pan to slide it into the oven.
"What was that all about?" Daisy asks her mother, her arms crossed over her chest and her mouth still down-turned in a frown.
"What, dear?" Annette asks innocently as she begins cutting up carrots and onions to cook with the chicken.
Daisy exhales a deep sigh. "Father Gabriel's sermon today. What? Did daddy go to him and tell him to lecture us on that?"
"Daisy, don't be silly. Father Gabriel doesn't take orders from his congregation on what he should speak about each Sunday," Annette says, still sounding as innocent as an infant.
"Mama, there's nothing wrong with mine and Jack's living arrangement. I've never been happy like this before," Daisy informs her.
Annette pauses in her cutting and looks at Daisy. "Daisyy, I know that you know that's not true," is all she says and deciding that she can't talk about this right now, Daisy turns and walks from the kitchen.
She heads out of the front door, the screen door slapping shut behind her. It's a beautiful and clear late summer day. The sky is a perfect blue and the clouds look like puffs of cotton balls, lazily floating past in the gentle breeze. Maybelle and Nathaniel and Shawn will be coming later for Sunday lunch and for the moment, everything on the farm seems to be quiet.
Daisy slowly sits down on the top step of the porch and thinks about what her mama had said. Did she think she wasn't happy? Because she was. Everyone could see how happy she was and it wasn't something she could hide. She's completely and madly in love with Jack Belton and having him with her, it makes her smile now a little even just thinking about it. She has a wonderful son and a successful cupcake bakery and she has Jack and everything has fallen into place and her life is as good as it can get.
