“You didn’t know?” I whispered. I’d suspected something was wrong earlier, but nothing like this. My new wife shook her head, her eyes moving back to the couple.
Were they a couple? Why wouldn’t they say something?
Derek and Sam had known each other for a little more than two years. Alara had mentioned that she thought there was something between them. But then Samantha went away for school last year and was gone for a long twelve months. When she came back she had a boyfriend, so I thought nothing of it when she moved in with Derek. It just seemed to be convenient.
Maybe they’d gotten together when her and her boyfriend broke up a month ago?
“Jesus, I didn’t think they were ever going to admit it,” Sherry said offhandedly as she reached for her drink.
“What?” I hissed, whipping around to face her. “You knew?”
Her brows puckered. “You didn’t? They’ve only been making fuck-me eyes at each other for the last two years.”
“Huh, I guess that’s true,” Alara said. “Geez, they’re still going?”
“Guys,” I interrupted. “That’s my little sister. Maybe wait till I’m not here to say stuff like that.”
Sherry chuckled and Alara kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry. Forgive me, hubby?”
It was meant to be a joke, I was sure of it, to get my mind off Derek and Sam. She’d never seriously call me hubby. It worked. I turned toward her, pouring all my warmth and affection in my gaze. “Always, wifey.” Then I grinned, because we both knew I would never casually say that either.
There was just something about weddings that made people stupid and goofy, drunk on love.
I tried not to think about it when Derek and Sam left without saying goodbye to any of us. The six of us stood up shortly after and walked out. I’d just moved to put her coat on when Alara looked at something over my shoulder. She rested her chin on my shoulder and whispered, “Let’s dance in the rain.”
I glanced out the window and saw the storm had tapered off. One quick dance was doable. And the car waiting out front to take us back down the street to our hotel could wait a few minutes.
“Hey,” I said, stopping Naomi and Damien—Sherry and Hunter were already waiting outside—at the entrance of the restaurant. “Can you two put our stuff in the car? We’ll be there in a minute.”
“Sure.” Naomi smiled as she grabbed Alara’s bag and I handed off my few things to her fiancé.
Alara took my proffered hand with a grin. A few minutes later we were walking out onto the small, dark deck in the back. I let go of her hand and stepped out under the rain. Turning around, I held out my hand again. “Will you dance with me?”
She walked forward, beaming. Alara slid her palm against mine and I pulled her to me. “Always.”
We slowly swayed, nothing but the soft rainfall as our music, and stared at each other. She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her wet lips to mine. Her kiss tasted like rainwater, champagne, and the strawberry chapstick she just applied. I pulled away as a soft glow fell over us and light music started. We both turned toward the window where Damien and Naomi were standing with an employee, next to what I assumed were the light and sound switches. They waved at us before backing away and leaving.
Turning back to my wife, we started dancing in time to the song rippling through the quiet night, breaking up the splashes of rain on the deck. A smile slowly pulled at her lips.
“Today was perfect, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. It was.” Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back and basked in the rain falling around her. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” The words were hoarse and practically ripped from me.
“The rain makes it better, right? Like you’ll love me through anything?”
I paused. “I will, Alara. I’ll love you through everything. I always have.”
“I know.” Her smile was easy, relaxed… comfortable. This girl who tried so hard to shut others out, this girl who thought she had nothing to offer, who was afraid to get close to someone, fearing her depression would eventually drive them away. This girl who’d always been more paranoid than hopeful, more negative than positive, had finally accepted my love for her.
Alara rested her head against my shoulder. “I always saw the rain as a confidante. Something to seek solitude in, something to justify my pain. I loved it because it made me feel less alone. It felt like the world was crying, in despair, too. Now it feels like a beginning, like a cleansing. I’m washing away my past and tomorrow I’ll step into a brighter future.”
“This isn’t a beginning. It’s not an end. I don’t even think it’s the middle. It just is. There’s no way to categorize something like this. Our love… it’s infinite, Alara.”
“You’re right.” She lifted her head. “But now when I think of the rain, all I’ll think about is tonight. And you. And how perfect this moment was.”
With tears in my eyes, I pulled her in until our lips were touching, creating another perfect moment.
By the time we got to our hotel room we were practically ripping our clothes off. The door slammed shut behind us and we really did begin tearing at our clothes.
“Wait…” she panted. “I don’t want to ruin this dress.”
“Hurry up.” I back away and stripped while she did the same. I froze as she stood before me completely naked.
“Need help?” She stepped forward, unabashed, and slid her hands down the back of my boxers, cupping my ass, as her lips molded to mine.
Our movements slowed as I backed her toward the bed. Alara moved away as I kicked off the last of my clothing. I licked my lips before leaning down and pulling a taut nipple into my mouth. She whimpered and lifted her hips, searching for relief.
“Gabe…”
“I know.”
I was reaching for a condom when I paused. With a serious expression, I withdrew my hand and framed Alara’s face. Her eyes were darting between mine.
“Let’s not use one,” I whispered. We’d had a discussion a little while ago about whether we’d ever gone without a condom. Neither of us had. I also knew she wasn’t on birth control. She never saw the need since we’d always used condoms.
Alara’s gaze flickered toward the nightstand. “You want…?”
“A mini version of you? How could I not?” I teased. But I quickly became serious as I rubbed my thumb across her cheek. “Alara, this has been the best day of my life. I don’t want there to be a single thing between us tonight. I want to make love to you knowing that we could already be growing our family. I know we’ve only been married for a few hours, but we’ve been together for years. I’m all in.”
“Me too.” Her eyes moved over my face before her hands came up and did the same. I waited with bated breath before she nodded shyly.
Lacing our hands together and resting them by her head, I carefully slid into her, savoring the first time we were flesh to flesh. We both groaned at the contact.
“Gabe…” she panted. “It feels…”
“Incredible,” I whispered, pulling out before thrusting back in. Her breath caught and her nails dug into the backs of my hands.
We slowly moved against each other, savoring this experience. The climb up was the best it had ever been. My forehead rested against hers and we traded moans as we got closer.
“I’m…”
“Me too…”
And then we fell together. Shuddering and shaking, whimpering and groaning… both of us—because she had to be feeling what I was—soaring higher than what I’d ever thought possible.
I carefully rolled us, still buried inside her, until she was straddling me. She giggled and collapsed on my chest. “Oh God. That was…”
“I know.”
Alara pushed up and smiled down at me. “You know what this means right?”
I raised my brows, waiting, hoping it was the same thing I wanted.
“When we’re back to not wanting kids I’m definitely going on birth control.”
“Than
k God,” I breathed before grabbing her behind the neck and pulling our lips together.
We started climbing all over again…
Seven months later…
“PINK PARFAIT, LIGHT CHIFFON Pink, May Flowers, Tickled Pink, Sweet 16 Pink, Bubble Bath…” Gabe trailed off. “How are there this many shades of pink?”
The list was pretty extensive, and to be honest, they were all blurring into one giant blob of pink.
But there was another expectant mother standing on the other side of Gabe, and she was studying the wall intently, like she could actually see a difference and if she made the wrong choice it would ruin everything for her child. It made me feel like I should care a little bit more than I did.
“What do you think?” I asked when Gabe turned toward me. He raised a brow, like does it really matter? I laughed, one hand resting on my stomach and the other on our empty cart. “Your opinion counts, always.” I frowned. “Have I made you feel like it doesn’t?”
“Not at all.” Reaching out, he cupped my cheek. “I just know you’ve been excited about this.”
“I want your input. That’s part of the excitement,” I said with a smile. “Besides, I’m starting to feel the same way. I’m overwhelmed by the choices.”
My husband’s gaze moved to the wall of paints before returning to me. “And what if you don’t like what I pick?”
Shrugging, I stepped as close as my swollen stomach would allow. “Then we’ll discuss it until we find a color we both love.”
“I don’t want pink at all,” he immediately responded.
Brows raised, I looked around at the different colors. “Okay,” I said slowly. “What were you thinking then?”
Truthfully we hadn’t even discussed it, we both gravitated toward the pink section like that was where we were supposed to be.
Gabe grabbed the cart and walked us a few feet down until we were standing in front of the yellows and greens. When he turned toward me his cheeks were pink and he shrugged. “I kind of like this. It’s neutral and outdoorsy. Kind of fresh, like spring, like birth.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “And I’ll deny I said any of that if you tell Derek.”
I laughed along with him. “I like the idea. To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the pink either.”
“No?”
“Nope.” I weaved my arm through his and rested my head against his shoulder. “Although the names don’t seem much better. Little Angel, Lightning Storm, Falling Star…”
“I didn’t really expect them to.”
Once we changed our color scheme we were done in no time. We decided to paint the walls a pale yellow with a seafoam green trim. Gabe was also excited by the idea that we could put a mural on one of the walls.
When we got to the car, Gabe held my door open and slowly helped me in, even going as far to put on my seatbelt. “I can do that, you know,” I whispered against his hair as he leaned over me. Gabe pulled back, seatbelt securely fastened, and rested a hand by my head.
“I know. But so can I. I want to take care of you guys,” he said, resting his hand on my stomach. I placed my hand over his, stroking his knuckles.
“No one could do it better.” I flicked my eyes down to his lips and he leaned forward to kiss me. Then he gently closed the door and walked around the front of the car. Resting my head against the window, I dozed off—something that was easy to do nowadays—as a memory tugged at me…
We were spending a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I was just waiting for Gabe to return from the store. He ran out to buy some apple cider for me at the last minute.
I didn’t give him an explanation, even when he looked at me like I had a few screws loose. I smiled thinking about why, resting my hands over my stomach.
Things were so different—better—this year compared to previous New Year’s Eves. Better than I could have ever imagined. I wondered if they would just keep getting better. Although I couldn’t really imagine how anything could top this year.
Three years ago I had been sitting on my couch in my apartment, holding my bloody hand while Naomi calmed me down. She’d promised me everything would be okay, when all I had wanted to do was give up. Little did I know, I’d be meeting the love of my life that year.
One year later, I had been in that exact same position, standing in front of the exact same couch. But that time, there were a pair of arms around me. Gabe’s arms.
Now, I was pregnant.
We had wanted to try for a baby right away. Even though we’d only just gotten married, we’d figured it would take a while for me to get pregnant.
When I stared down at the positive sign on five different pregnancy tests last week, I realized that all those sex ed teachers were right. It only took one time.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit panicked. I honestly hadn’t been expecting to get pregnant this fast. But a bigger part of me couldn’t deny my excitement. I had no doubts about Gabe, and he’d always been the one to help me find my strength. He would do the same tonight.
I took a deep breath when I heard the front door open.
“Alara?” he called out. I turned around and met his warm, brown eyes. “Alara?” he repeated, sounding alarmed this time. Gabe blindly set the grocery bag on the coffee table and stepped toward me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” My voice broke in the middle, making me realize I’d been crying. Shaking my head, I laughed and wrapped my hands around his forearms. “I promise. It’s… it’s good.”
“What is it?” He reached up and thumbed away a fallen tear. “I don’t like it when you cry. For any reason.”
I grabbed both of his hands and slowly brought them to my stomach, holding them there. “I’ve been throwing up.”
“Right.” His brows puckered. “You caught that bug from your niece.”
Shaking my head, I nodded toward the bag he just brought in. “I had you go get apple cider because I couldn’t drink champagne.”
“You said you didn’t feel like drinking…”
My head moved from side to side again. “My breasts were sore last week.”
“You…” Gabe’s eyes widened. “You’re pregnant? You’re… but h-how?” he stammered.
“Do you need me to call Sherry? I’m sure she could give you a refresher?” I raised my eyebrows, but he quickly waved the question away, not appreciating my med school student humor.
“I know, I mean… that fast?”
I nodded. “The doctor thinks it was around our vacation, maybe even our wedding night.”
“That’s…” Gabe started laughing. “Oh my God, Alara… I’m going to be a dad?”
I chuckled, resting my hands on his cheeks. “You already are.”
Next thing I knew I was being lifted into his arms. Gabe buried his face in my hair and spun me around, both of us giggling like children. He quickly pulled back before capturing my lips with his own.
He slipped inside me later that night, and there was something about knowing I was pregnant that heightened everything. Every touch felt explosive, every sound echoed, and our eyes… I didn’t think there was a force strong enough on Earth to break our connection.
“Alara.”
My eyes sprang open at the feel of Gabe’s palm on my shoulder, shaking me awake. I set one hand over my swollen belly and used the other to rub the sleep from my eyes.
We’d just walked in the front door when Gabe’s phone rang.
“Hello?” He frowned. “What about Shannon?” The displeasure on his face deepened at whatever the other person said until finally he let out a resigned sigh. “Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“One of the servers called out sick and the backup didn’t answer. I have to swing by.”
“Of course.”
After Mickey had a heart attack three months ago, he’d been giving Gabe more and more responsibility. In part so Gabe could see how he liked it and also so Mickey could focus on his health.
T
here were times when it was stressful and times, like tonight, when it pulled him away from me, but so far Gabe loved it.
“I hate leaving you,” he said with a frown.
I waved away his concern. “Don’t worry about it. I’m exhausted anyway. I’ll probably go take a nap.” I yawned right on cue.
Gabe chuckled. “Okay. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”
I was in bed, resting on my side, when Gabe left ten minutes later. Despite my exhaustion, my eyes rested on the framed photo-strip we had on our nightstand. It was from the day Gabe proposed. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face as I remembered that happy day.
Waking up a couple hours later, thanks to a swift kick in my side by my lovely baby, I rolled to my back and stretched. I wanted to continue resting but I had to get up to use the restroom. After I left the bathroom, I walked outside and stood on our porch. My smile was wide as I stared out at our backyard. Gabe had already bought a swing set and there was a toy-filled bin a few feet away.
I was just about to head in when the sliding door opened and Gabe stepped out, immediately wrapping his arms around me. His hands rested against my stomach and mine came over his.
“You never called.”
“No. I didn’t want to risk waking you. I went out on a limb and picked up pizza for dinner.”
Relaxing back into his chest, I whispered, “That sounds perfect.”
Just as Gabe had vowed, we had a lot of perfect moments. And I knew many more would follow. But that didn’t mean I was naïve.
Love wasn’t a cure.
Love wasn’t a savior.
But with Gabe by my side, love became a weapon.
I couldn’t promise I’d always be well.
All I could promise was that I’d love him… forever.
Four and a half years later…
THE SOUND OF WAVES crashing against the sand and the smell of saltwater welcomed me as we stepped outside. The early November breeze had a slight chill to it that made coming to the beach impractical. But this was where we came every year for our anniversary. Today we were celebrating five years.
Unveiling Forever Page 6
