Butterfly Secrets

by G. L. Blackhouse

  “I know, but Kyle wants to be a vet, and besides, there are worse pets. He could have picked a python,” I said with a smile trying to lighten the mood.

  “He could have picked nothing, and that would have been better,” Julie said, crossing her arms.

  “Ah, I don’t see no harm, Julie. Kids need something to keep ‘em busy. Might teach him some responsibility,” Aunt Georgia chimed in.

  Julie let out a sarcastic laugh.

  “Okay, Mama, and when I end up the one cleaning the cage, the frogs goin’ out the door,” Julie said as she threw her hands up in the air in defeat and went back to cooking.

  I looked at Kyle and Katie and smiled. They smiled back. Half the battle was won. The frog was in the house, at least.

  Jimmy set the terrarium down in the living room.

  Kyle and Katie ran to it.

  “Not until after dinner!” Julie yelled from the kitchen. Julie seemed to have those eyes in the back of the head mother thing.

  The kids walked into the kitchen with the rest of us. Tiffany and Jimmy were in the back. Tiffany was dressed in a white leather dress that had a thick gold belt, and she was wearing gold hoop earrings and red heels.

  Jim and Tiff were holding hands and whispering as he nuzzled against her neck.

  “Good Lord,” Aunt Georgia said, making a face. It was clear Aunt Georgia didn’t approve of the union. I reasoned that Tiff was one of many that Jim took home to meet the family only to break things off a few months later and move on to someone else. It seems all of my life Jim was in love with the idea of being in love, but when it came down the actual thing, he didn’t much care for it.

  “Em, when’s Jackson supposed to be here?” Aunt Georgia asked.

  “I don’t know. Let me call him,” I said. I had been so busy that time had passed, and I had forgotten to call. I felt terrible. Anything could’ve happened.

  “Hey, Em, I’m glad to hear from you. I was just getting ready to call you. They got Roy. They just now brought him in. They are booking him as we speak. We got him, Em, we got him!” Jackson exclaimed.

  Tears ran down my cheeks.

  “You did?” I asked.

  “Yes, he is going to be put away for a long time, Em. Bail is set at two million dollars. No way that he can come up with that,” Jackson said happily.

  “How?” What did you do?” I asked, surprised.

  “Em, when I left, I had every intent of hunting Roy down and hurting him for all that he had done to hurt you and your family. For god’s sake, he tried to kill you, Em,” Jackson said.

  I took a deep breath; relieved Jackson had apparently changed his mind.

  “It sounds crazy, but when I was getting ready to turn off at Roy’s, a truck pulled in front of me, and I nearly hit it. On the side of the truck, it said, “Granny May’s Apples.” Of course, I thought of your Grandma, and I had this feeling to turn around or that I would lose you forever,” Jackson said, choking up as he spoke.

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “I know, it sounds insane,” he said.

  “No, Grandma May has a way of getting her point across even now,” I said.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “After that, I decided to call an old friend of mine who owed me a favor. I don’t know what he did, but next thing I know, he said they had Roy, and he was down at the station and that they were booking him,” Jackson said.

  I just held the phone and cried tears of joy.

  “Em, don’t cry. I’ll be there soon. It’s time to celebrate now. Gotta finish up here, and then I will be right over,” Jackson said.

  “What is it, Em?” Aunt Georgia asked, wiping her hands on her apron and then walking over to me.

  “It’s Roy. They got him. They finally got him! He’s in jail,” I said, smiling through tears.

  “What? Oh, my God! Thank goodness!” Aunt Georgia said excitedly as she grabbed Tiffany, who was close to her and gave her a tight hug.

  Tiffany looked shocked. I laughed to myself. Tiffany would have normally been the last person that Aunt Georgia ever hugged.

  Jimmy grabbed Julie and gave her a tight hug, too.

  “I’ll be damned-- they finally got him!” Jimmy exclaimed.

  “Jim, you watch your language. There’s kids around,” Aunt Georgia said.

  “Sorry, Mama,” Jimmy said.

  “Who’s Roy?” Katie asked.

  “He’s a mean man who Jackson caught, and now he is in jail,” I said.

  “Roy will never bother us again?” Katie asked.

  “Yes, never again. He is locked up for a long time and can’t hurt any of us ever again,” I said, smiling at Katie.

  “He caught the bad guy like Batman to make sure that we are all safe. Is he your Batman, cousin Em?” Katie asked.

  “I guess so, Katie. I guess so,” I said with a laugh.

  Jackson had kept his promise.

  CHAPTER 24- DESIRE

  About fifteen minutes later, I heard the sound of Jackson’s motorcycle outside.

  “Jackson!” the kids said as they got up from the table and ran to the door.

  Jackson met me at the door, and my heart skipped a beat. He was wearing faded jeans and a gray t-shirt and had a red cap in his pocket. The t-shirt seemed to hug his sculptured physique like a glove. Tiffany’s jaw had dropped to the ground at the sight of Jackson, and Julie was trying not to stare. Even Aunt Georgia seemed to smile a little more than usual. I can’t say that I blamed them, though.

  Jackson shot me his signature, megawatt smile, and my knees felt weak.

  Kyle jumped on Jackson’s back, and Katie ran into his arms and gave him a tight hug.

  “Where’s your costume, Jackson? You’re like Batman. You saved us from the bad guy,” Katie said.

  Jackson laughed as he walked into the kitchen, carrying Kyle on his back, with Katie holding his hand.

  “Get off, Jackson. You kids are gonna break him down,” Julie scolded.

  “They’re fine,” Jackson said, shooting me a flirtatious smile.

  “You’re too nice, Jackson,” Julie said as she motioned the kids to get down.

  “We’ll play later,” Jackson said as the kids climbed off him.

  Aunt Georgia hugged Jackson and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you so much for putting Roy in jail. I can’t tell you how much this means to our family,” Aunt Georgia exclaimed.

  “Thank you, Georgia. I would do anything to keep Em safe. But at the same time, if Em wouldn’t have known where the body was, there would have been no case,” Jackson said, looking at me adoringly.

  “Thank you, Jackson,” Julie said, hugging him tightly.

  I walked over to Jackson and gave him a big hug. I didn’t want to let go. I inhaled his signature scent deeply.

  “Thank you,” I whispered in his ear as tears formed in my eyes.

  “Anything for you,” Jackson said as he turned toward me, placed his hand underneath my chin, and looked at me with his seductive gray eyes.

  “Man, I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done for my family,” Jimmy said, interrupting as he firmly shook Jackson’s hand.

  “Great job, Jackson!” Tiffany said, hugging Jackson and kissing him on the cheek.

  It was obvious that Tiffany was more than a little attracted to Jackson.

  Jimmy, however, was way too confident in his looks to entertain the fact that anyone he dated could ever have a wandering eye.

  Jackson quickly pulled away from Tiffany and grabbed my hand.

  “Let’s eat,” I said as I led Jackson to the table.

  Everyone sat down at the table.

  “Jackson, you care to say grace? You are the hero of the evening,” Aunt Georgia said proudly.

  “Batman,” Katie said, correcting Aunt Georgia and clapping.

  Jackson smiled at Katie and nodded in agreement as he playfully made a shh gesture moving his finger to his lips.

  Katie giggled and nodded.
>
  “You’re crazy, Katie,” Kyle said.

  “Leave her alone, Kyle,” Julie scolded.

  “Dear Lord, thank you for this food. Thank you for the gathering of this family. Thank you for our health. Thank you for finally bringing Roy to justice. Thank you for showing Em where to find Jenny. May this meal be in honor of Jordy, Jenny, and Tilda May, who, although they are gone, still reside in our hearts. Thank you for the much-deserved peace that you have brought to this family. Amen,” Jackson said.

  “Amen,” everyone said in unison.

  “That was beautiful, Jackson. You could be a preacher, you know,” Aunt Georgia said, beaming when she spoke.

  “I’m honored, Georgia, but I think I will leave the preachin’ to Reverend Collins. I was just protecting the woman I love and her family,” Jackson said.

  My heart felt as though it had fallen out of my chest. Jackson had told Aunt Georgia that he loved me. I fought hard not to just stare at him with my jaw dropped. Jackson and I had not discussed love. I wondered if he even realized what he had just said.

  “Did I hear you say, love? Next thing you know, you will be asking her to marry you,” Jimmy joked.

  “Jimmy, leave Jackson alone,” I said, defensively still trying to process it myself.

  “You never know,” Jackson said as he took a bite of his potatoes and smiled widely.

  We all finished eating, and Julie told Katie and Kyle that it was time for bed.

  “Cousin Em, can you put us to bed?” Katie asked.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “You, too, Batman!” Katie said excitedly.

  Jackson and I went upstairs and put the kids to bed and came back downstairs.

  I was touched by how kind Jackson was to Katie and Kyle and how much they adored him.

  Julie and Aunt Georgia were sitting on the porch swing.

  Jackson and I walked outside on the porch holding hands.

  “Where are Jimmy and Tiffany?” I asked.

  “Oh, they had to go. Tiffany said that she wasn’t feeling well,” Aunt Georgia said.

  “The kids are finally asleep,” I whispered.

  “They sure do love you, Em. You always were good with kids. They love you, too, Jackson. I’m glad they finally got a good role model besides that brother of mine,” Julie said with a huff.

  “Julie, you shouldn’t say such a thing,” Aunt Georgia said.

  “You know it’s true, Mama.”

  “I guess you’re right. I just hope one day that Jim will straighten up. We are glad to have you, Jackson.” Aunt Georgia said as she sat on the porch swing, crocheting a blanket and swinging back and forth.

  “Thank you for dinner, Georgia. It was wonderful as always,” Jackson said.

  “Them kids sure do love you two. You both would make good parents. You need some kids of your own,” Aunt Georgia said. Aunt Georgia was direct and said what was on her mind.

  “Aunt Georgia, it’s a little early for that. We’ve just started dating,” I said with a red face.

  “I know, but anyone that can see would know that you two are madly in love. That kind of love don’t happen every day. When that kind of love hits, you gotta take it and run with it,” Aunt Georgia said as she moved her crochet needle in and out.

  Aunt Georgia was right. I did love Jackson with all of my heart. He was the love of my life. Yet, he didn’t know my deepest, darkest secret-- that I couldn’t have kids. I would have to tell Jackson. He was great with kids. I knew the fact that I would never bear children was payment for the sins of the past. I would never find redemption. For now, justice for Mama, Jordy, and Grandma May would have to be enough.

  Jackson and I sat on the porch a little longer, talking. Aunt Georgia stood up, put down her crocheted blanket and needle, and said that she was getting tired and was going to bed.

  She grabbed the blanket off the porch swing, wrapped it around my arms, and kissed me on the cheek before we said our goodbyes.

  “It’s gettin’ chilly out. Take this,” Aunt Georgia said.

  Jackson and I walked down the dirt road and held hands. It was now dark. The moon was full and lit a nice path ahead of us.

  The crickets chirped in the background, and the frogs croaked. Strangely, this time I wasn’t at all bothered as I had been before by their sounds.

  Now the country nighttime sounds soothed me.

  “Thank you for what you did today, for bringing Roy to justice, for everything,” I said, looking at Jackson adoringly.

  “It was nothin’, Em. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe,” he said, squeezing my hand.

  “I’m glad you didn’t go after Roy on your own. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something would have happened to you,” I confessed.

  “Me, too, but I would've if I had to Em.” he said.

  Warmness filled my entire being. I knew Jackson meant that, and I was certain that he would give his own life to save mine if the occasion called for it.

  “It was a good dinner back there at Georgia’s. I like your family, Em. I always have. In a way, they feel like my family. It’s good to see them again. I’ve missed them.”

  “They’ve missed you too, Jackson.”

  “Did you ever think of me? I mean while you were in the city. Did you ever wonder about me?” Jackson asked.

  “I tried not to think of you. Honestly, I didn’t want to think about any of this, but the truth is the moment I saw you again, you were all that I could think about,” I said, surprised at my own admission.

  Jackson stopped in his tracks, pulled me toward him, and kissed me passionately.

  All of a sudden, Ellie was behind us and grabbed the hat that Jackson had in his back pocket.

  I playfully took the hat from Ellie as I ran to the lake. Ellie followed behind me, and so did Jackson. I saw a nearby stick and threw it for Ellie to run after.

  In the distance, Julie called for Ellie, and she went running back home, full speed.

  I still had Jackson’s hat in my hand as he chased me around the pond.

  Finally, he caught me as I held the hat up out of the way, and he reached for it.

  “You want this?” I asked, playfully holding the hat in the air and dangling it.

  “The hat isn’t what I want,” Jackson said suggestively.

  “Oh,” I said with a smile as my heart pounded with excitement.

  Jackson pulled me closer to him and kissed me passionately again with the blanket wrapped around both of us.

  “I love you, Em. God, how I love you,” he said, breathing heavily.

  “I..... love..... you.... too,” I said as I kissed him again.

  “Do you mean it?” Jackson asked, appearing somewhat surprised as he pulled away.

  “Yes, I do. I was just afraid to say it before. I know it’s silly, but I was afraid if I said I loved you, I would lose you,” I said with tears in my eyes.

  “You never have to worry about losing me, Em, ever,” he said, kissing me on the forehead softly.

  Jackson moved my hair back gently with his fingers and kissed my tears away. I kissed him back. He kissed my neck as chills ran up and down my spine.

  He pulled the blanket down gently off of me and moved back my shirt as he kissed my shoulders. My pulse quickened, and trees around us seemed to spin.

  He looked me in the eyes and took my hand as he gently kissed each one of my fingers.

  My heart raced with excitement, and my body felt warm

  “I want to be with you, Em,” Jackson said as he kissed my hand.

  I nodded my head, yes. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him passionately.

  My head felt light, and my heart felt as though it was going to jump out of my chest.

  Jackson took my hand and led me beside the pond.

  He spread the blanket on the ground.

  I lay down on the blanket, and he moved onto the blanket beside me.

  When I thought I couldn’t take it
anymore, he gave in, and we made love under the moonlight with nothing but the pounding of our hearts and the sounds of crickets in the background.

  After we finished making love, Jackson and I lay wrapped up in the blanket underneath the stars as I lay my head upon his chest, and he held me in his arms.

  Jackson pulled a daisy and was playing with the petals as we talked.

  “Stay here, Em, don’t go back. Stay and marry me,” he said as he made a ring out of the daisy and placed it on my finger.

  “You’re crazy, Jackson,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “I know, but I’ve known you most of my life, Em, and I’ve loved you all my life,” Jackson said.

  “You don’t know everything about me, Jackson. I’ve been gone for years,” I said, thinking of all the secrets I had hidden for so long.

  “I know about your mama, your daddy, Jordy, your granny, your visions. I know all there is to know, Em. We all got a past. As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect,” he said.

  “I’m far from perfect, Jackson.”

  “You’re perfect for me,” Jackson said as he kissed my hand.

  “Even though I almost shot you?” I said jokingly as I tried to change his mind.

  “Because you almost shot me. I like a girl with a little spunk,” he said jokingly.

  “You’re crazy, Jackson Roderick,” I said as I kissed him on the lips.

  “Crazy about you,” he said as he pulled the covers over us and kissed me passionately.

  Jackson didn’t care about my past and loved me for me. I would have to tell him, but as wrong as it may seem, just for tonight, I would stay in his arms and enjoy this moment. Jackson was the only man I ever really loved. I knew that now. Grandma May hadn’t brought me back to punish me at all, but to open my heart in a way that only she could do.

  CHAPTER 25- GOODBYE

  I sat on the white porch swing with tears in my eyes. My tears were bittersweet. The night before, Jackson and I had made love. I was the happiest that I had ever been. Yet, other than the day that we lay Jordy to rest, this was one of the saddest. Today Mama would be buried. Sadly, I barely even knew the woman that I called Mama. Now, I was telling this stranger goodbye. Why did it hurt so bad? It was a pain that was deep in my stomach and tore at my soul. I felt empty, like a piece of me was missing. I guess I had felt this hole all of my life by not having Mama around. Before, there had always been hope, that one day we could repair a relationship that had never really begun. A real mother is supposed to be there for her child, teach her how to fix her hair, how to cook, and also give her advice about boys. The only mothering I had gotten was from Grandma, and that had all stopped when Grandma passed away.