My Last

by Stefania Gil

  He smiled

  “And that is what I did. I had enough time to give you a good kiss and arrive in time for the party Angie's boyfriend's mother had organized.”

  I was surprised by the last part.

  “You went to my house?”

  “Yes, I rang the bell several times but since you didn’t open the door, I figured you were in the shower and you had not heard the knock on the door. I didn’t have much time to wait. Angelina had asked me to be very punctual because Carlota had asked her.”

  I laughed

  “My God!” —I was very surprised with all the strange coincidence—. “It’s a small world. In fact, I was in the tub when you rang the bell. I didn’t open the door thinking it was the same man who had come last Saturday to sell me an annual gardening service. I had told him to come back another day.”

  We both smile.

  “When I saw you at Carlota's party dancing with Angelina...” —I sighed remembering the unpleasant moment and how important it would have been for me to know who the woman with whom he was dancing— you both looked so happy, like a couple in love.

  He stroked my face again.

  “That's what everyone says” he smiled with shame. “Our relationship is like that. We have always been happy being together. Thank God, she ran into a good man who understands that she and I are united by the happiness of being Sienna's parents.”

  “Poor Carlota, she must have thought I was crazy when I ran out of the party.”

  He smiled funny.

  “She was very worried, but her son was quick to divert everyone's attention to what was important at the party. I had to interrupt their wonderful moment because after seeing the panic on your face when you saw me with Angelina. You ran away, all I wanted was to run after you. It took me just a few minutes to explain who you were and I apologized to her and her boyfriend for my absence because you, at that moment, were the most important thing to me. I was afraid in the state you were in, something would happen to you on the way home. You can’t imagine the shock I felt when I saw your car parked on the road and I didn’t find you inside.”

  “The poor officer who found me,” I said amused. “I told him our whole story.”

  He laughed out loud.

  “I just hugged him when I saw that he was blond and looked like you. I hugged him saying: ‘You look so much like him’ while crying inconsolably. Can you imagine the poor man's face?”

  “I now understand why they took you to the police station.”

  “Pfff. Until he did a Breathalyzer test, he thought I was drunk.”

  “I would have thought it too, darling.”

  “I'm sorry I scared you.”

  He pulled me to him and put my head on his chest.

  “I don’t regret anything that happened between us, Jen. Not even the time we didn’t know each other. Everything had to happen the way it did so we realized how much we love each other and that this is an opportunity we can’t let go.”

  I hugged him tightly.

  I raised my head peering into his eyes.

  “Everything will be different from now on,” I said. “I love you. And I love you that you are in my life and my world. I want to meet your daughter, your mother, everyone. I want to be part of your life.”

  Then I saw it. James pursed his lips, swallowed thickly and his eyes reddened.

  I approached and kissed him.

  A deep but calm kiss. Sweet, full of magic. The magic of love.

  ***

  “Daaddyy!” —I woke up after hearing the shrill voice of a little girl and blow to the bed.

  I jumped up scared. When I reacted, I witnessed the best scene ever.

  James laughed out loud while he hugged Sienna and tickling her on the bed.

  “Oh my God!” Exclaimed with surprise an elegant elderly woman who stood paralyzed in the doorway of James' room after seeing he was not alone. “I'm sorry, I didn’t know...” she was so embarrassed. “It’s that you told me to bring Sienna early and...”

  James was still tickling the girl, I was still watching everything happening and trying not to panic.

  Yes, I had told James everything would be different but I didn’t expect to meet his daughter and his mother like this. I closed the bathrobe I was still wearing a little tighter. I had fallen asleep in it next to James.

  I was ashamed his mother found us like this, although it was clear all we were doing was sleeping.

  “Easy, mom,” he said smiling and getting up from the bed going to where she was. He hugged her very tight and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek and then said something in her ear.

  “Oh!” his mother smiled at me sweetly looking into my eyes and I understood from whom James had inherited his.

  Sienna was sitting next to me observing me with analytical eyes.

  “Are you Jen?” She asked bluntly. She was beautiful. Her hair was curly and blond like her father's. The almond-shaped eyes covered with long lashes I deduced were from her mother because James didn’t have eyes like that. Although she had inherited the same blue color from James's eyes and the mischievous look that was so characteristic of him.

  I nodded smiling. I was as nervous as if I were in an interrogation with FBI agents.

  “Are you here to make my daddy doubly happy?” I was surprised by the question and remembered when Holly’s children were small. She always told me children had memories like an elephant.

  “Excuse the boldness of this little girl,” said James's mother. “I'm Anna Maria, by the way, and we're going to leave you alone so you can finish waking up without feeling like you’re in an interrogation. Come on, Sienna.”

  “Hello, Anna Maria,” I greeted properly. “I would have liked to meet you in another situation...”

  My voice shook.

  She smiled at me.

  “I'm glad that finally, I can meet the owner of my son's heart.”

  She embraced me with affection, taking me by surprise.

  “Come on, Sienna,” she repeated to the girl when she let me go.

  The girl crossed her arms in the middle of the bed, in front of me, she continued to stare at me with an inquisitive look.

  “I’m not moving from here without first hearing if she's going to make daddy doubly happy.”

  I breathe deeply.

  I smiled nervously.

  “Yes, Sienna.” I extended my arm to take her hand. “Nice to meet you, I'm Jen and I'm here to make your father doubly happy.”

  “Nonna!” Exclaimed the girl, looking at her grandmother. “I am the happiest girl in the world! Finally daddy and mommy found the people to make them doubly happy.”

  A lump grew in my throat. I wasn’t going to cry, there had been enough tears even though those, wanted to escape due to happiness.

  “See, darling?” Said her grandmother. “We all find happiness at some point.”

  “Are they getting married? Like my mommy with David” —the girl looked me with joy. “Yesterday they got engaged at the party. My mommy is going to wear a white princess dress. You too?”

  I looked James in the eyes.

  He was smiling amused with his hands resting on his hip.

  He raised his eyebrows, indicating he was anxious to know how I was going to respond to that.

  I peered at Anna Maria in anguish, I think I was begging her, in some way, to save me from answering that important question.

  The woman, also looked amused.

  How had all this happened?

  Was James proposing to me?

  I left all the foolishness behind. I took a deep breath and risked being impulsive-positively-for the first time in my life.

  I smiled at Sienna.

  “I'll wear a white princess dress, only if you help me choose it.”

  That was the best moment in my life.

  The little girl jumped on me, hugging me sincerely and said:

  “Only if you let me wear one like yours, like my mommy and I will do at her wedding.”

/>   She separated from me and went to her grandmother.

  “So much happiness aroused my appetite Nonna, can we make pancakes for breakfast?”

  “And Bacon?” James gave a pleading look to his mother. “A lot of Bacon.”

  She smiled at both of them and gave that beautiful smile to me too.

  “We'll be waiting for you downstairs for breakfast.” She winked at me and left the room with the little girl.

  James went directly to his closet, opened a secret compartment exposing a safe.

  He entered the code and the safe door clicked open.

  He pulled something from inside it, closed the safe again along with the secret compartment.

  He approached me with his hands behind his back.

  My nervous system became very alert.

  James sat next to me on the bed.

  He looked me in the eyes and smiled.

  “I had a plan for this but, considering my daughter's spontaneity and how happy I was to hear your response, I want to do it now.”

  Oh! NO!

  It was too much for me!

  My heart accelerated uncontrollably.

  James showed me the small black velvet box he held in his hands.

  He opened it so I could see its contents.

  A beautiful engagement ring

  “Oh James!” I covered my mouth with one hand. My hands were shaking. There were too many emotions in such a short time.

  I hugged him.

  I extended my hand for him to place the ring on the corresponding finger.

  He started to laugh nervously.

  Tears of happiness slipped from his eyes.

  He wrapped his hand around my neck and kissed me.

  How I missed his tongue crashing into mine desperately! The magic of love gave way to the desire and warmth of James mouth. It was creating the moisture in my intimate parts I missed so much.

  “James, we're not alone,” I said as he took off my bathrobe.

  “They're in the kitchen and I locked the door.”

  He took me by the neck again, seductively kissing me while massaging my breasts at the same time.

  “I need to make you mine,” he whispered in my ear. “I need it now.”

  I took off his shirt.

  The contact of his skin against mine made me shudder. He kissed me with desire as his hands explored my body. His mouth left a trail of kisses as his tongue moistened everywhere it touched.

  I kissed his neck while stroking his back just as he liked for me to do. I was delighted to see him amusing himself by licking my nipples, while his hand made the moisture in my sex grow.

  I laid him on his back and took off his pants. There he was, the erection I so desired. He placed a pillow under his head so he could watch all the pleasure I was producing in him.

  His phallus throbbed hard inside my mouth.

  He clung to my hair and let out small guttural sounds signaling me, I was doing it the way he liked.

  I straddled him allowing his cock to find the entrance to my wet cavity.

  I arched my back when I felt him enter me completely.

  He reached out his hand, grabbing me by the neck.

  “All this time I was wishing for this-he kissed me again while caressing my breasts as his hip crashed hard against mine.

  My body didn’t take long to reach the perfect climax. I explode in continuous tremors as I felt James erupt inside me.

  Several months later...

  “Is everything ready for tomorrow?” I asked Rick before leaving the florist's shop.

  I had to go pick up my spectacular wedding dress.

  Rick smiled at me and nodded.

  “You can go happy to do what brides do before their wedding. I’ll take care the flowers for your party arrive on time tomorrow and everything is perfect before the ceremony.”

  He winked at me.

  I approached him and hugged him very tightly.

  “Thanks for everything. If it had not been for you I would not have sent that email to James and maybe, none of this would be happening.”

  “I would have missed the opportunity to meet the eye candy you hired as a wedding planner,” he told me amused.

  “That’s true. Thank you.”

  “You are going to be very happy” —he smiled—. “Now, get out of here.”

  When I started to leave the florist shop, I ran into James.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked surprised approaching him for a kiss.

  “I have a surprise for you.” He took my hand and led me out of the shop.

  “James” —I said with amusement—, “I can’t now, I have to go get my dress.”

  “Holly is already taking care of that. She’s going to take it to my house because Sienna wants to do the final dress fitting with you.”

  I rolled my eyes smiling.

  Sienna was lovely. I had learned to love her as if she were my daughter.

  Like the rest of James's family. There was so much love and union in the family it was impossible not to feel at ease. They had made me feel part of them from the first day I met them all together. The same day Sienna woke us up in the morning.

  Anna María was so happy after learning at breakfast James and I were getting married she organized a family dinner the same day. There I was able to meet them all. A family in which you didn’t stop laughing and asking James's father to lower his voice because he spoke with such passion he did not realize when his voice increased.

  A family full of support. In all these months, I had not stopped receiving calls from my sister-in-law, Angelina and Anna Maria, offering me help in everything I needed to organize for the wedding. Sometimes, they only called to say hello and other times, they called to invite me to go shopping with them or to have coffee.

  Angelina and David would take a few more months to carry out their ceremony. Carlota was throwing the house out the window with the organization of that wedding and it would take more time.

  Holly and Steve were fine, living in a new house where we did a wonderful job in the garden. It looked like a garden that was photographed in interior decoration magazines and there, we made a special space for Sam’s ashes.

  We got into the car and James pulled out a black cloth handkerchief.

  “I'm going to blindfold you,” he said.

  “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” I smiled. “It is uncomfortable in the car and we are not teenagers anymore.”

  “Shhhh,” turn around.

  I did what he asked. He covered my eyes with the cloth.

  We traveled along the highway for twenty minutes. I could tell by the constant speed at which we were going.

  “Is it much further?” I asked. “I want to try on my dress already.”

  “Two minutes and we’ll be there.”

  In fact, two minutes later, James helped me out of the car because I still could not see anything.

  There was a tinkling of keys and a door opened.

  My heels echoed loudly as I stepped on the wooden floor.

  I was nervous. I didn’t know what I was going to find.

  “I hope you like it,” James told me as he removed the blindfold from my eyes. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust.

  Once they adjusted, I was completely astonished.

  We were inside a beautiful house with large rooms, high ceilings, and bright dark wood floors. There were large windows which natural light entered illuminating the whole house.

  I peered at him with surprise.

  He showed me some keys with a metal mouse metal keychain. This one had a pink ribbon on its head.

  A mouse

  I had earned the nickname too.

  “It's all yours,” he said smiling.

  I opened my eyes in surprise.

  I hugged him.

  “It's lovely honey, thanks. However, we had agreed we would stay at your house so you and Sienna could be together.”

  “Angelina and I were talking. She and David want to buy
a new property. It is logical. Sienna was in the conversation and as always, the maturity of my daughter surprised us all. She told us to stop talking nonsense, we had to live in separate houses and that she had no problem spending a week with Angie and a week with me.”

  I hugged him again and kissed him.

  I went to explore the entire property. I was excited with everything happening in my life.

  So many changes, so much love.

  I never imagined I would be so in love and give so much to a man again.

  I was lucky and proud of having been able to defeat all the fears that didn’t allow me to be happy. Fear drowned me in a solitude that little by little consumed me.

  I was grateful to life for having placed that wonderful man in my path. Every day, he made me happier and also, devoured me with the same desire.

  I sighed pleased.

  When I arrived at the house’s garden, I noticed how extensive it was. I imagined myself, planting new plants and looking forward to the arrival of spring to be able to see the flowers. To see how my garden would fill with color. To get drunk on the aroma of each one of those flowers and open all the windows to allow their aroma to invade every corner of my new home.

  I looked at James and placed my head on his chest while he kissed me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

  My new home.

  Our home.

  “Ready to say tomorrow ‘Yes, I do’?” James asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I gazed into his eyes while putting my arms around his neck.

  “I'm ready, to say” —I smiled and sighed deeply— “my last: ‘Yes, I do’.

  Epilogue

  The great day had finally arrived.

  While I was getting dressed, my mind began to evoke all the moments I had lived through with Jen.

  The good ones and the bad ones.

  The first one that came to my mind was the one I would never forget.

  The first time I saw Jen. The security with which she invaded her imbecile, ex-husband’s office, stopped everything around me and my attention was focused only on her. How beautiful she was that day, the fury in her eyes made her look sexier than she already was and the elegance with which she smashed the diamond bracelet, without saying a word, was sublime for me.