Four Meaningful Words

by A. M. Guilliams

  Reluctantly, I reached out my hand and the second I touched her it felt like a current went through my arm and I wanted to pull away from her, but she held on tight.

  She traced the lines of my palm over and over again with great concentration for what seemed like forever.

  When she looked up at me, she had the same look of concern. Only I knew better. There was no way I was falling for her crap.

  “You my dear, young friend, have a long road ahead of you. You will live out your life alone. I know you felt it when we touched. Everyone will be taken from you when you least expect it,” she replied and then she turned and walked away, heading through a curtain I wouldn’t dare enter.

  I wanted to laugh. I did. But I couldn’t because part of me wondered if she could possibly be telling the truth. Could she really see all that by looking at the jumbled mess of lines on my palm?

  I looked up at Jessica, put a fake smile on my face, and pulled her to walk out of the creepy tent.

  We arrived back to my house and went straight to my room, the words of the fortune teller still weighing heavily on my mind. I shut the door and locked it after Jessica followed me into the room.

  She flopped down on my bed and looked up at me like I was crazy.

  “What’s the matter, Maggie?” she asked as she let out a frustrated sigh.

  “That woman gave me the creeps, Jess. I can’t get her words out of my head. I mean, who wants to hear that they’re going to die or that everyone around them is going to die. Especially from a person like her,” I confessed and fell back on the bed beside her. I really didn’t want to admit how much that woman got to me, but I had to tell someone and it wasn’t like I could tell my mom or dad.

  “You don’t really believe anything that woman said, do you? She was just trying to scare us since we were underage. Plus, how would she know something that detailed just by looking at our hands. She wouldn’t. It was just for fun, Maggie. Lighten up,” she replied as she grabbed the pillow from beneath her and smacked me across the face with it. I knew she was probably right, but something in the back of my mind nagged at me, telling me that I needed to heed what that woman had said.

  Instead of allowing me to dwell on it she started to make jokes about the way she talked and we laughed about it for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, as much as I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that that fortune teller was right. That I was actually cursed to live out my life alone.

  Two months later, I got the phone call that I feared the most. Jessica drowned in the one place that she loved so much. The lake that she grew up swimming in. That was the moment I knew the fortune teller was right. Jessica lived a short life just like that creepy woman had said and that was the beginning of the curse where everyone that I loved started to get taken away from me.

  Chapter One

  TODAY HAD BEEN ONE OF those days. You know the kind that starts out bad and continually gets worse as the day drudges by. First, I woke up late and that always makes for a bad day. Then, I realized that I left my briefcase at home which held important packets for my classes of the day. However, my middle school band students were extremely thrilled about that revelation. And the icing that topped the cake was the fact that I got a flat tire on the way home. Thankfully, a really nice gentleman stopped on the side of the road shortly after it happened and helped me. Changing a tire in a skirt and heels would’ve been a nightmare. Only after I had to fight the two-year-old terror I call my son to take a bath, was I finally able to crawl into bed to my awaiting husband.

  “You are the most beautiful, amazing woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Andrew confessed as his hand trailed up my side causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

  “Are you sure about that? I think you’re full of yourself, Mr. DeLuca,” I goaded, knowing damn well how he’d react to that.

  “You’re not getting what you want tonight my dear, sweet wife,” he responded as he teeth nipped my earlobe.

  “And why is that?” I groaned, hoping that he’d change his mind and give me what I needed to take away the day’s frustrations.

  “Because tonight I just want to hold you in my arms. We can make love tomorrow. Tonight we just bask in the glow that is us. I love you, Mags. Never doubt, question or forget that,” he whispered as his lips found my neck. The tears threatened to spill over, but I didn’t let them. Now wasn’t the time to cry. The sweetness of my husband got to me each and every time something like this came from his mouth, reminding me just how lucky I truly was.

  “Like I ever could, Mr. DeLuca. You’d never allow me to forget or question anything pertaining to you. Better yet, I’d never want to. You’re too perfect for me. You know that right?” I replied with a grin as I pulled his arms closer around me.

  “I’m far from perfect, but I will admit this. We’re too perfect for each other. You’re my strength and my weakness all wrapped into one,” he replied as he lay his head down on the pillow we were currently sharing. It was funny how we had a king sized bed, but we always met in the middle to be closer to one another. Even in our sleep, we sought out each other, needing to be as close to each other as possible.

  “Good night, my perfect, handsome husband.”

  “Sweet dreams, my beautiful, perfect wife,” he whispered as he wrapped his arm tighter around my waist. Without giving anything a second thought, I allowed my brain to shut off and slip into dream land.

  The next morning started just like any other. With the pitter patter of little feet running across the floor. I loved that sound more than anything in this world. It meant that today was a new day and it was one more day that I had the loves of my life in it. Since that day at the fair, I hadn’t taken a single moment or memory for granted. It’s helped me see everything clearer and cling to the life that I was meant to live.

  I had hope since my life stopped spiraling out of control. My parents’ deaths were a hard time for me, but since I met Andrew, everything had been looking up. I managed to finish college somehow with a decent GPA and we hadn’t stopped since graduation. We both landed jobs fairly quick, his at a high-end security firm and mine at a middle school. Our careers took over, but through it all we managed to always find time to just be us without the hassles of the day to day chaos taking over. Within the past three years, we’d brought a beautiful home and were blessed with an amazing son. How I managed to get so lucky through all of the sadness I had no clue, but I didn’t question it. I knew I was blessed, and I didn’t take a second of it for granted. I always made sure that the two men in my life knew what they meant to me, and I expressed that love every single chance I got. Liam just turned two, and he’s been on the go since he learned how to walk. I wouldn’t change anything though. The sounds of his footsteps help me to see the gifts that were given to me. He was my saving grace along with Andrew. They both helped me see the light of it all even when the darkness sometimes crept in. When that happened, I took a moment to see all of the blessings in my life, and I tucked it away for another day and time. Andrew knew my fears, and he helped me through them every single time. Most men would laugh at what I feared the most, but not him. He held me and told me that as long as he had anything to do with it, we’d make it through anything.

  As much as I wanted to continue laying there listening to my son roam the house, I knew that I needed to get up and get a move on. Today we were having a lazy day around the house. I looked forward to these times because we were always on the go. Always doing something. I couldn’t wait to just be here with them. Play with our son in the yard and do the normal things that most people didn’t even think were important. To me every memory was important. No matter how small. Because I knew just how soon something could be taken from you when you least expected it. Me, however, I always knew to expect the unexpected. I knew that one day they would both be taken from me, but for now, I wouldn’t live my life waiting for that day to come. I’d live it like there wasn’t going to be a tomorrow and when the day came for them to leave me, I would ha
ve every single memory that we’d shared to hold me together. I didn’t want to picture a life without them and I definitely didn’t want to live it, but I’d have to face that someday. For now, I was going to go get my son and let his smile light up my day.

  I rounded the corner to walk into the kitchen and noticed Andrew and Liam were at the stove stirring something in a bowl. He was so attentive to our son’s needs, and seeing how much he adored his daddy melted my heart.

  “See, Liam. You have to make sure all the batter is mixed together or the pancakes won’t turn out right for Mommy,” Andrew explained to him as he helped his tiny fingers hold the spoon.

  I was surprised the whole kitchen wasn’t covered in batter at this point, but then again Liam always hung onto every word that Andrew spoke.

  When they were done, Andrew sat Liam on the floor and told him his breakfast would be done in just a minute. After he’d poured the first round of batter on the griddle, I’d decided to make my presence known.

  “Just what do my two favorite men think they’re doing this morning?” I asked cheerfully as I walked the rest of the way into the kitchen.

  “Cakes, Mommy,” Liam gleefully stated as he bounced up and down pointing to where Andrew had the griddle.

  “Oh, yeah, buddy,” I replied as I lifted him up off the floor and hugged him into my chest, taking his sweet baby smell in.

  “Cakes?” Liam questioned as he continued to point in the direction of the cooking pancakes.

  “Yeah, buddy. Daddy’s making the pancakes. Why don’t we go put you in the highchair while daddy finishes making your pancakes?”

  He nodded his approval as I walked to the other side of the kitchen and sat him in his seat. I reached behind him and grabbed each strap, buckling him in. I walked to the refrigerator and took out a banana to cut up for him and grabbed the milk to refresh his cup.

  “How’s my handsome husband this morning?” I asked Andrew as I kissed him on the cheek.

  “A little disappointed, wife. I wanted to make you breakfast in bed, but someone couldn’t manage to sleep in as usual.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s my mommy radar. The second I hear his footsteps, I’m wide awake,” I replied with a giggle.

  “Well, in that case, I’ll just have to surprise you with something else in bed once this little guy takes his nap,” he insinuated with a wink.

  I loved how much we were still in love after all of these years. Our love continued to grow and flourish instead of becoming a routine like I’d heard other married couples describe their relationships. I’d take our loving, playful relationship to theirs any day of the week.

  “Oh, really now, Mr. DeLuca,” I replied, knowing good and well what calling him that did to him. He let out a groan as I knew he would, and I couldn’t contain the laughter anymore.

  He took the finished pancakes off of the griddle, grabbed me around the waist from behind, and picked me up off the ground.

  “You’re gonna pay for calling me that in about three and a half hours, Mrs. DeLuca. You know exactly what you’re doing don’t you?” he growled into my ear.

  “Who me?” I giggled, trying to act innocent, but I knew he wasn’t buying it. He kissed me below my ear, a place where he knew got to me, then he let me go so we could get our breakfast to the table. Liam wouldn’t wait much longer without making his demands known.

  We gathered everything, walked over to the table, and dished out the meal onto our plates. The normalcy of this day was what I’d needed after such a long week. Spending the day with these two was going to be one of the best days of my life.

  Picking up the utensils, I cut up Liam’s pancakes, added a touch of syrup, and placed them on the tray of his highchair. Instantly he began clapping, showing his excitement for the food before him.

  “Cakes, Mommy,” he squealed as he picked up the first piece between his fingers and placed it in his mouth.

  “Are they good, buddy?” I asked through the biggest smile. It was amazing how something so simple could bring him such joy.

  He nodded his head as he shoved another piece in his mouth. There was nothing better to see than my son happy. It made all the bad in the world disappear for the moment. Refusing to even remotely think about anything bad, I picked up my fork and began eating, too. Today was going to be perfect. I wouldn’t settle for anything less.

  Chapter Two

  “MOMMY, OUCE CEAM PLEASE?” LIAM laughed as he asked me for his favorite desert.

  I loved the way he said ice cream. It always put a smile on my face.

  “Liam, you want some ice cream, buddy?” I repeated the correct way.

  His little head just bounced up and down letting me know just how much he wanted this treat. The only bad part about this was that we didn’t have any in the house. I wanted to tell him no and that we could get some another time, but his enthusiasm wouldn’t allow me to. He was so cute that I couldn’t cause his smile to falter.

  “You want Daddy to take you to get some ice cream, buddy? We’ve got to get your shoes and coat on first.” Andrew said with a smile on his face.

  “Yay. Ouce ceam,” he screamed as he started running from the kitchen to the door. There was no stopping him when he knew that ice cream was involved.

  I couldn’t help but shake my head. The only thing his little mind heard was ice cream. Typical toddler.

  Andrew put on Liam’s shoes and coat, then walked back into the kitchen with a fidgeting little boy on his hands. He was trying to escape his father’s grasp so he could run out of the house.

  “You want anything babe?” he asked while he continued to try and keep his hold on Liam.

  “Just for you to hurry back.”

  “I’ll be back as quick as I can. I can’t wait to show you just how much you turned me on earlier when this little guy goes to bed. Love you, Mags. With everything that I am,” he replied.

  “Love you, too,” I said back as he walked out the door. He was the sweetest man that I’d ever met.

  Our lazy day had been perfect. We’ve played, cuddled, and spent the day as a family. Who could ask for more than that? Certainly not me.

  The store was only about ten minutes away, which meant they should be back in half an hour. So I took the time to go and clean up the dishes from dinner, opting to wash them by hand instead of loading the dishwasher to pass the time.

  By the time I finished washing, drying, and putting them away, the boys still weren’t back yet which was odd. I’d even wiped the counters and table off before I’d realized they hadn’t returned. I glanced over at the stove and recalculated the time they’d left versus the time that shown on the stove clock. It had been forty minutes. There’s no way they would still be at the store. Even if Liam decided to give Andrew a fit, they should’ve been home by now. I’d given them extra time at the store in case Liam was indecisive about what he wanted. Fear started to creep inside of me, but I pushed it back down. There was no need to panic just yet. Anything could’ve held them up.

  Before the panic fully set in, I decided to call Andrew just to see what the holdup was. Liam would need to be in bed soon, and he’d be a bear if he couldn’t have his ice cream first when we’d promised him we could. Hopefully, Andrew just decided to let Liam eat his ice cream at the outside tables at the store. That had to be it.

  The phone rang and rang with no answer. Andrew’s all too familiar voice came across the phone when his voicemail picked up, but I hung up the phone without leaving one. There was no way to explain my paranoia to him so I just decided to wait for him to call me back.

  Twenty phone calls and five voicemails later, still no Andrew and Liam. They’d been gone for two hours, and I’d officially hit full-blown panic mode. I’m sure there was now wear patterns in my hardwood floors from all of the pacing that I’d began to do.

  The panic set in the more I paced the floor, my heart pounded harder and harder with each second that passed. The fear that I’d hidden in the day to day life had now came out full
force, threatening to choke me the more I thought of each and every scenario that could’ve happened to them.

  With one final pass, I stopped in the middle of the hallway and rested my back against the wall. Tears now filled my eyes. I couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head that something had happened to them. That they weren’t coming home. The moment I let the thoughts enter my mind was the second I knew the fear would win out. With each second that passed, I worried more and more. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I let the tears fall. Letting the fear win, my body fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, but my eyes moved to the door. Inwardly, I prayed that they would be okay. That God had had enough and would finally let me live in peace. As the minutes passed, I never let my eyes move from the door.

  What could have been seconds or hours later, knocking broke me from the haze that my mind had become. Who in the world could that be? I thought to myself as I reluctantly moved from the floor.

  With the backs of my hands, I wiped away the remnants of my tears and walked to the door, my legs shaking with each step. When I pulled the door open, my heart hit the floor. Two men were standing on the porch, both wearing suits. But their attire wasn’t what bothered me. It was the badges that I noticed after I finished taking in their entire appearance. They were both detectives.

  No. This wasn’t happening. There’s only one reason they’d be here. One I was all too familiar with. I’d experienced this type of visit before when my parents died. Officers at your door only meant one thing. Andrew and Liam weren’t coming home.

  Words failed me as I stared at the sympathetic looking officers, my eyes darting back and forth between the two.

  “Mrs. Deluca?” the officer on my right asked.

  “Yes,” I somehow managed to choke out, the sob inside of me begging to break free.

  “I’m Detective Tisdale and this is Detective Kendrick. Can we come in for a moment?”