by K. Pinson
He turned on a John Mayer CD and began singing a lot with no effort at all. His voice was rich and smooth. I loved it. We pulled up at a ginormous three story grey farm house. The land went back deep into a wooded area, no immediate neighbors for miles. The lawn was well kept and had a gorgeous flower beds wrapped around the entirety of the house. Daxton came around the door and let me out, lacing my hand firmly in his own. Daxton ran a hand threw his messy hair. I brought his fingers up and kissed them lightly, smiling up at him. He practically beamed, smiling ear to ear.
He led me up the gravel and dirt driveway to the front door. He rung the door bell and a guy answered. The man looked to be in his early 30’s, stocky frame and messy dark hair that mirrored Daxton’s. His eyes were blue however, deep sapphire. He was dressed up like what you see from a lawyer or something of the sort. I felt really out of place suddenly. I glanced down out my simple attire and winced. His deep voice boomed out.
“Why pleasant surprise little brother and who is this lovely lady on your arm?.” He sounded slightly condescending but I blushed under his scrutinizing eyes. Not in a good way. I was mildly afraid of what Daxton was going to do next by the way he squeezed my hands.
“You’re hurting me Dax.” I whispered in his ear inconspicuously. I didn’t want to be rude. He promptly released his grip on my hand and began stroking it with his thumb.
“You’ve never told me you have siblings Dax. I’m Avalynn. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I extended out my hand. I didn’t want to be rude.
“Sibling, just one. He doesn’t like to talk about me. Would rather pretend I don’t exist. I’m Gabe. The pleasure is all mine.” Gabe lifts my hand up to his mouth and kisses lightly on top. I practically hear Daxton growl under his breath. This can’t be a good sign.
Luckily, a petite older woman comes bounding around the corner at the same time. She has a salt and pepper short styled haircut and hazel eyes. She was beautiful. I wanted to squeeze her. I never had family and can’t even remember my grandparents.
“Now, now boys. Knock that shit off and go set the table for your gram.” She scowls at both Dax and Gabe. I stifled a laugh and give Dax a little push on the back. I walk into her home and she rushes over me and hugs me tightly. I was shocked at the strength she had. She looked so small and fragile.
“It’s so great to meet you finally. Ava, I presume. Daxton talks about you constantly. Where’s the little one?” She looks around my back like maybe I was hiding her.
“She was at a sleepover party and was having so much fun I let her stay for a couple more hours. I’d be glad to bring her by some other time if you’ll have me back.” I tell her.
“Oh, you’ll be back. I see the way the boy looks at you. I can’t blame him either. You’re as pretty as a flower. I can’t wait to meet Abby. Daxton just gushes about how spunky she is.” She gently squeezes my hand and leads me into her huge kitchen.
Her house is older on the outside but you can never tell by the looks on the inside. It all looked completely new and renovated. Very modern. I look around in awe and hope to someday have such a beautiful home.
“Your home is lovely. You have a great eye for design.”
“Oh no dear. This wasn’t my work. I wish I could take the credit but this was all Gabe. My grandson may be somewhat of a jerk but he is a brilliant architect and designer.” She went over to the sink and began washing her hands in a large stainless steel basin. The facet had intricately carved porcelain handles. It was beautifully done.
“If you want to wash up, we can bring the dishes to the table and dig in. I don’t know about you but I’m starved. Would you like some iced tea or lemonade? I have both chilling in the fridge.” She looks at me expectantly and I am genuinely pleased by her hospitality.
I walk over to the sink and wash up then walk over and grab a pot of green bean casserole. It all smells so heavenly. My stomach begins growling out loud. Gram laughs.
“I’ll take some lemonade but I can get it!” I respond to her question. Slightly embarrassed by my traitor stomach.
“Oh no worries. I can get it. You go get settled in the dining room.” She shoos me out of the room and grabs our drinks. Daxton and Gabe had already set the table in silence, still giving each other dirty looks. They brought the rest of the food into the dining area and placed it all on the table. It was enough food to feed an army. I was beyond impressed.
I settled in the chair next to Daxton, grabbing his hand under the table.
“Hi beautiful. “ He smiled at me and reached over to give me a quick peck on the cheek.
“Hi back.” I whispered.
Gram finally came to the table to sit and we all held hands as she said a prayer, blessing the food and the company. She even said a blessing for Daxton to have finally met someone and to stop messing around with “easy” woman. I snickered out loud. That wasn’t typical for a prayer but I couldn’t help how funny it was. Daxton wasn’t as impressed.
“Thanks gram.” He shook his head.
“Oh please. Don’t get all offended son. You know some of the girls you were dating for a while were getting rides as often as the penny horse at Meijer.” She looked at him with a serious impassive look.
Gabe was laughing so hard, the table was shaking where his belly was pushed into it.
“Yuck it up dearest brother. I’d like to see some of the girls you’re into now days. At least I’ve found love now. Sometimes you have to go through the trenches to get something of worth.”
“Love?” Gram asked. She looked pleased and I was relieved.
“Yes. She’s it for me Gram. “ He looked at me proudly and I felt the tears begin to well up behind my eyes.
“I’m happy for you son. Now we have to find someone for your brother, He’s getting old. You have any friends Avalynn?” She asked me. I just shook my head no. I only had Faith and she was currently taken. She smiled politely and laughed.
“Damn right he’s getting old. I can see the grays from over here.” Daxton looked over at Gabe, trying to be as menacing as possible.
Gabe flipped Dax off and promptly dug into the food around us, signaling the end to that conversation. We all began to fill our plates. We had chicken breast’ with a sweet barbecue glaze on them, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and a huge salad. Five different desserts also took residence on the table. My mouth was watering. I wasn’t exactly classy while I stuffed my face but I wasn’t the only one. We were all pretty silent during dinner, happily eating.
The dinner went awesome and 7 was rounding quickly. We all chatted at the table and I helped Gram clear everything away and clean the dishes. Daxton took off outside to sit for a while. When he came back he smelled like smoke but I didn’t ask. I had never seen him smoke before. We said our goodbyes to Gram and she hugged us both.
“You better bring this one back. She’s a keeper!” She shouted to Daxton from the door. I smiled and waved.
“She’s not going anywhere!” He shouted back and we got in the car and left.
I felt guilty for not really saying goodbye to Gabe but he disappeared shortly after dinner. I called Christina on the way and she was already en route’ to my house. We got there at the same time as her. I rushed out of the car and lifted Abby into the air. I had missed her so much. I kissed her tiny cheeks and she giggled excitedly. I thanked Christina and Daxton handed her some money when I wasn’t paying attention. She took off instantly. I walked into the house with Abby in my arms. All was well in the world again.
“Did you have fun munchkin?” I asked her as I set her on the floor.
“DUH!” She shouted at me. I had no idea where she picked up that word but I laughed and so did Dax.
She ran over to where Daxton had sat on the couch and launched herself into his lap, reaching for the remote control to flip on the television.
“It seems as if I’ve been replaced.” I look down at the both of them, trying to be as serious as possible.
“Never Mommy.�
� She states matter of factly.
Daxton hugs Abby to him and places a kiss on top of her head. They both laugh. They are always on point with each other that it is like they have their own private jokes. It makes me happy. We watch T.V. for an hour or so and then I get Abby in the bath and pajamas on. I tuck her into bed and walk over to the bookshelf to pick one of her favorites.
“Can Daddy read it to me..Pweaseee?” She asks me quietly, stifling a yawn. I begin to correct her when Daxton walks into the room and takes the book from my palms. He sits next to her bed and begins reading until she falls fast asleep. I didn’t know what to say or do. I didn’t want Abby to get the wrong idea and this was all moving too fast. I walk swiftly to my bedroom and begin undressing, temper flaring a bit.
Daxton follows me and looks at me, waiting for me to speak.
“Why’d you do that?” I ask him, angry.
“Do what?” He asks innocently.
“You KNOW what. She’s just a kid Dax. She’s going to get the wrong impression.” I am so confused. I want this. All of Dax. This family. But how do I know if it’s going too quickly? What do I say to Abby if we don’t work out and it all comes crashing down? She loves Daxton. She would absolutely hate me.
“You need to calm down babe. She probably won’t even remember in the morning. She was practically sleep talking. I wanted to read her a story before she went to bed. I don’t see the huge problem with that.” He seemed to be getting a bit perturbed himself.
I threw a nightgown over my head and threw my covers back. I had no idea why I was getting into bed so early but I was emotionally exhausted after all this day had to bring. So many new experiences. They were all good but I still wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable with the change. I was used to the way Abby and I were living previous to Dax. I didn’t want things to change. I didn’t know how to accept change.
“You’re not her dad Dax. I wish you were if I’m being one hundred percent honest. But you’re not. If this…us…doesn’t work out. Then what? She’ll be heart broken.” I lay my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes, welcoming the darkness.
“Do you need me to back off Ava. If you do, just say the word.” He looked at me sadly and I felt bad for hurting him.
“That’s not it. I love you. It’s just all so much at once. I have to think about more than just me. I have to do what’s best for Abby. You are best for Abby so don’t get the wrong idea. This is just so new and I can’t risk hurting her again. She’s already been through so much and she wants a family so bad. If I’m going to give that to her then it has to be a forever, for sure thing. “ I’m retrieving back behind the wall I had built.
“This is a forever, for sure thing. At least it is for me and I really hope it is for you.” He sounds so sure, his voice not even slightly wavering.
I feel the bed dip where Daxton climbs onto it and can see the shadow underneath my eyelids as he hovers above me. I slowly open my eyes and look into his.
“Babe. I love you. I love Abby. This is all going to work out. I promise I won’t hurt either of you. I wouldn’t dream of it.” and I believe me.
Chapter 11-Falling in.
The next couple of months went by smoothly. Daxton spent almost every evening at our house. We took turns cooking dinner and we did lots of family activities including board game nights and outings. I was enjoying having him near me all the time that we fell into an easy routine. It made the transition into a relationship a lot of easier for me and it made everything run better.
Daxton helped Abby with her homework and also began teaching her how to play guitar. He bought her a little pink Barbie guitar that was glittery pink, she absolutely fell in love with the instrument. They spent guitar time alone while I caught up on house work or grading papers. I trust Daxton with Abby. I knew I had nothing to worry about. He was a great role model for her.
I still worked weekends at the bar and In Spades still continued to play. Christina usually stayed the entire weekend at my house and babysat for me at a cheap rate. She had become part of my family and more like a big sister to Abby than I had ever been. Abby was doing a lot better in school and making more friends as the days went by. The school year was flying and I was excited for the impending summer break.
Sometimes on the weekends I would stay at Daxton’s but usually he was at my house. I felt bad that he was still paying rent on a place he rarely occupied. On days when he would sleep there I would generally have nightmares and send him sleep texts and wake up with him in my bed. He never complained. I had given him a key a month ago. We didn’t make a big deal out of it. Everything just seemed right between us. We didn’t really talk much about the “Daddy” issue and Abby had gone back to calling him Dax. I actually think he was pretty disappointed by that.
We went to Gram’s house every Sunday and alternating between her cooking and us bringing dishes to pass. Abby fell into a quick love with Gram, never having one of her own and Gram loved her back, wholeheartedly. Gabe rarely made an appearance and Daxton never talked about him. Daxton never told me why there was such a huge riff between the two and I didn’t want to pry and make matters worse. Gram said they were just being idiots and would resolve it on their own when they were ready. Boys will be boys.
After many Sunday dinners, Gram invited Abby to come and stay the weekend with her. Gram was having some friends over that weekend and they would be going to a couple of craft shows and having an outing to the Zoo and she wanted Abby to come along. It took Daxton a day or two to talk me into letting her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Gram, I did. I just didn’t want to impose on her hospitality and Abby could be a handful. Daxton explained to me that Gram raised him most of his life and she could more than handle Abby. I packed her a bag and dropped her off. She couldn’t have been more excited.
Daxton was going to Vegas this weekend with the boys to play in a poker tournament and wouldn’t be back until late Saturday night. I would definitely miss him but decided to spend some much needed girl time with Faith.
She came to pick me shortly after I dropped Abby off. We decided to go get our hair done and get mani/pedi. I could have never had a manicure or a pedicure in my life. I had also never done anything with my naturally blonde hair. I was nervous but beyond ready for a change. I wanted to surprise Daxton when he got home.
We went to a salon called “Belle” which is beautiful in French. Faith had to inform me on that tidbit of information. She remembered some French from school and liked to randomly speak it. It was extremely fancy with a spa area in it as well. Surprisingly, it was in my price range so I was excited to get the works done. Faith had talked me into a cut, color, manicure and pedicure and was still trying to talk me into get a full waxing on my no-no area. That did not sound appealing at all. I constantly shaved it but it was work and probably easier to have it gone for weeks rather than just a few days but having someone all up in my business that wasn’t my boyfriend or my gynecologist freaked me right out. She was relentless though so I finally gave in. Faith screamed so loud, everyone in the waiting room jumped. It was going to be an interesting day.
When it was time for my hair appointment I got called over to sit in a chair by a gorgeous brunette with long brown hair. She had the brightest blue eyes and a perfect white smile. Her hair reminded me of a mermaid, as it was down to the middle of her back and flowed into perfectly conditioned waves. I was extremely jealous. She introduced herself as Allison in a bubbly voice and I instantly felt comfortable. Faith got seated in the chair next to me and was with a more interesting looking stylist with bright green hair and tons of piercings. I was surprised that someone like that worked in such an upscale salon but I thought it was awesome. As long as someone was good at their job I didn’t think they should be discriminated against. Faith got a trim and a touch up on her current dye job but stuck to what she already had for the most part. I decided to get something out of the box and told Allison to have her way with me. She smirked at my statement and set righ
t to work.
We girls gossiped about everything under the sun. Faith and I talked extensively about Daxton and Tripp. Allison was married, her husband currently deployed in Afghanistan. I gave her a lot of credit for being such a strong woman. I could never be apart from Daxton for so long. I’m positive it would shred me. Allison colored my hair and cut big chunks out of it. When I saw all of my hair littering the floor I was sure when she turned the chair around I was going to ball my eyes out but I couldn’t have been more shocked. She left my hair at the length it was at but cut sharp angles around my face and gave my bangs a choppier, layered look. She put subtle light pink streaks though out my hair but put a brilliant bright pink underneath the bangs in a peek-a-boo fashion. I wasn’t sure how the school would take to my new hairdo but it wasn’t against the dress code and it wasn’t too distracting in my opinion. It was crazy-different for me but classy still the same. I absolutely loved it. This woman was a genius.
Faith had already paid and was sitting back in the waiting room to wait for me to come out. I paid Allison and we also exchanged numbers. I told her about In Spades and invited her to come hang out one night, get her mind off of the deployment. She agreed that it would be a welcomed change of paced for her. I slipped her my number and took off around the corner.
Faith squealed aloud at the sight of me. I swooshed my hair back and forth like the woman does in the Pantene commercials. I felt a lot prettier, that was for sure.
“Oh My Gah Woman! I absolutely fuckin’ love it!” She shouted and everyone yet again, jumped out of their seats. It was pretty funny this time though.
“Thank you for making me come. I love it too. Allison is a mad scientist when it comes to hair.”
“See. I told you this place rocks! Now, let’s go continue to get sexified!” she lead the way back to the spa and we sat in the chairs to get pedicures and manicures. I went with a bright red polish to make me feel just a bit sexier. I loved the way they turned out. I had never felt so refreshed in all my life.
