by Naomi Niles
I smiled. “Long enough to see Vinny show you how to make perfect pancakes. Good job, Vinny.” I hugged him when I got close enough. “I would’ve let you pour the batter as soon as you asked.”
“I know. Dad is just treating me like a baby. He must’ve forgotten that I am eight now.”
“Yup. I think he did.”
Gavin smiled at us and joked, “Oh, so everybody is going to gang up on me today, huh? Alright. Well, just so you know, I poisoned the pancake batter with ex-lax, so if you guys feel a rumble in your stomachs, you know what it is from.”
I grabbed the orange juice out of the refrigerator, “Sure you did, buddy. Sure you did.”
We all helped to finish breakfast, and when we were finished eating, we got dressed and headed to the park. Vinny and Gavin played catch with each other as I sat on the blanket, watching my two favorite men toss the ball around. I don’t know what it was, but as soon as Vinny got a year older, it seemed that something shifted in him. Instead of reading all the time like he did before, he wanted to go outside and play sports. Gavin noticed the difference just as quickly as I did. I figured that hanging out with Andrew had something to do with it because Andrew was a little more active that Vinny was. After they played around for a bit, Vinny headed across the way to the basketball courts to play with a couple other little boys that looked to be his age. Gavin sat next to me. I used a towel to wipe the sweat from his head as he laid back on the blanket.
“Man, I never thought that I’d be playing catch with my son like that. It seemed like he’d be more of a chess or book club kind of guy, you know?”
“Yeah. I was just thinking about that myself. He is starting to get a little taller, too. Maybe the athlete in him is starting to peak a little bit.”
“Well, if it is, then it makes sense. I was quite the athlete in my days.”
I smiled. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I’m not just tootin’ my own horn, either. I wasn’t the best student academically, but when it came to sports? Football and basketball was my thing. I thought Vinny was going to take after his mother though. A bookworm kind of kid, you know? I’m glad he is starting to turn the corner a little bit.” We watched him from afar as he took shots at the basket. Some of them clanged hard off the rim, but others found their way through the net. “It’s going to take a little practice, but I’m sure he will develop his skills out there, whether it is football or basketball.”
When he mentioned Vinny’s mother, I thought back to what he said about her during the time he considered breaking up with me. Maybe the ring was for her? “So, how are things between you and his mother?”
Gavin focused his attention to me. “How are things? What do you mean?”
“Relationship-wise. Like, how are you two?”
“Oh. Well, I mean, we are pretty good at co-parenting. She wants him to live with her once he gets to middle school, but now that I see he is taking an interest in sports, I don’t know if I want to do that. I want to be around so I can show him the ropes. I don’t know if she has a boyfriend up there in Philly or not, but I don’t want him stepping on my toes when it comes to that.” I looked away from him. It wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I needed confirmation that there wasn’t anybody else in the picture. “Babe? You don’t think we have anything going on, do you?” I remained silent as he took my hand. “Babe, listen. I love you. I have never felt this way about any woman, not even Karen. I would never mess up what we have together. You have literally been everything in a woman that I have been looking for, and I know I would’ve been kicking myself if I allowed my foolishness to come between us. You are perfect for me in every sense of the word, and I mean it.”
He kissed the back of my hand, then slid closer to me and put his arm around my shoulder. I believed him. I didn’t want to, but there was nothing inside of me that would convince me otherwise. Finally, a smile stretched onto my face. “Good. I didn’t want to have to kill you.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want that to happen, either.”
The sun beamed down on us as we sat and watched Vinny start a game of pickup basketball. A small group of kids ran in front of us, chasing each other with smiles on their faces. Thick, marshmallow-like clouds floated across the blue horizon. I hoped that things between us would turn out to be as beautiful as the sky above.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
GAVIN
“Sku 5718. That’s the one I saved on the website; what do you mean it is no longer here?”
“I am sorry sir, but that ring was sold a week ago.”
“A week ago? What the fuck do you mean it was sold a week ago? I put a fucking down payment on that ring because it was required to put in the request to hold it! What the fuck do you mean?”
“Sir. I am going to have to ask you to calm down, okay? Now, I understand that you are upset about the event that has transpired here today, but I assure you that everything will be settled one way or the other.”
I stood in line at the jewelry store as security made as though they were going to have to intervene. My jawbones gyrated inside my mouth as the tall, slender man in front of me with horn-rimmed glasses tried his best to settle me down. It was the perfect ring for me. April stood by my side, tugging at my arm to get my attention. “Gavin, just calm down, please? I do not have any extra money to spend bailing your ass out of jail. Now, just settle down and see what they do for this inconvenience.”
I met April a few weeks ago when I started looking for a ring. The day Bethany left my office for our early morning delight, I got in touch with her so she could help me get a good ring for her best friend. I figured that she would know what she liked better than me, and April was more than willing to help me out in the process. The tall man behind the counter waved the manager of the store over to us as April tried to keep me calm. She said she was six months pregnant, but she looked to be about eight. When I told her that we could look online for a ring, she refused and said that it would be better to get it in person. That way, if something was wrong with it, I didn’t have to wait for weeks for them to send another back to me. I was appreciative of her, mainly for the fact that she was willing to come out of the house. I don’t know what I would do if men had to carry a child in our stomach for nine months. I think I would’ve died by the second.
The short, pudgy manager came over to us, and I explained to him what happened. He was empathetic in his response. “Sir, I completely apologize for the mishap. It should have been noted on the website that those rings are not able to be held. I will do my best to prevent anything like that from happening in the future. In the meantime, can I interest you in another ring? I see you chose one of our finest, but if you just take a gander, you will see that there are many comparable to–”
“No. No, I do not want another ring. Please, just give me my refund, and I will be on my way.”
“Most certainly, sir.” He shooed the first man out of way, then positioned himself behind the counter. I was stewing inside because after all that searching, April finally found the one that she knew Bethany would like. As the manager typed away on his computer, April grabbed my attention.
“Gavin,” she snapped as she glared into one of the jewelry cases, “here. Here, now!”
I quickly walked to her side. “Sheesh, is this what Mark has to deal with?” She lowered her eyes and looked as though she was moments away from ripping me a new one. I quickly backtracked, “I mean, as far as you being so um… beautiful.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t push it. I know we sort of just met, but I am pregnant, and if I happen to kill you, I promise that they will not find your body.”
“My God, what is it with you and Bethany about threatening to kill people?”
“Anyway,” she pointed into the case, “that one right there. You see the big one in the back? That is it. She will love it. Absolutely love it.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. That is perfect.”
I leaned closer t
o the ring to get a better view. It sparkled behind the glass like sunlight bouncing off the surface of the ocean. I looked at April as she flashed a wide grin while fanning herself with a sheet of papers. I stood up and called to the manager. “Sir, I think I have had a change of heart.”
“Oh, absolutely.” He quickly approached me to the side. “Which one of our lovely rings caught your attention?” I pointed to the one in the back. “Oh, absolutely! That is our finest. I shall get that one for you to look over.”
As he unlocked the case, April spoke up, “This one is discounted, right?”
“Um, no. I’m sorry, this one is not discounted. This is one of our most precious diamonds. There is no way that we can–”
She cleared her throat, stopping him in the middle of his sentence, “Um, sir. Let me make sure I understand this correctly. This fine gentleman here ordered something off your site. Your site specifically said that, in addition to the down payment, the ring would be held at the purchaser’s request.”
“Yes, but–”
“Not only did this man pay for it in full, but when he came here to pick it up, you told him that your website was incorrect. Now, I’m sure you know that is bad business. I am also sure you know that because of his position as the CEO of High Time, he can make business for you a living nightmare. Now, I am not saying that he will do that; if you start receiving bad press, I am sure that will just be a coincidence. I would hate for that to happen, though. Wouldn’t you?”
He smiled nervously as he looked between April and I. “Well, I see. Since you put it that way, I don’t see why we can’t give you the preferred customer discount. I mean, just to show that we have every desire to please each one of our customers.” He removed the ring from the case and allowed us to examine it. “And, if this is to your liking, we can go ahead and ring it, um, excuse me, charge it to the same card, if that is alright with you, Mr. Wallace.”
I examined the ring for any flaws, then passed it to April. “Yes, that seems alright with me.”
April took a little longer to examine it, turning it in her fingers until she finally tried it on. “Yes, this is it. This is going to work.” She slid it off her finger. “What was your name again, sir?”
“Harold.”
“Right, Harold. Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you. He will take this one. Please check him out, and don’t forget to add that preferred customer discount.”
“Sure thing, ma’am. Sure thing.”
He walked away defeated as I smiled at April. “You are a tough one. I should bring you to my office when I need to close deals. You would probably scare the shit out of everyone at the table.”
“No,” she said, fanning herself, “it’s not who I am. Well, it is, but I am a little more vicious these days. If you had to sleep sitting up because a baby’s foot was jammed into your liver, then you’d understand what I mean. It’s probably best just to stay on my good side until I give birth.”
“Duly noted.”
Ten minutes later, Harold came back with a small bag in his hand. “Well sir, I put my card in your bag, and you have received the discount as well. I hope your future fiancée looks as good in that ring as your friend did.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” April responded. “Have a nice day.”
“You as well.”
I chuckled as we walked out of the jewelry store. The next step was to propose to Bethany; I just wasn’t sure when or how I was going to do it. When I got home, Bethany sat in the living room with Vinny. The two of them were laughing on the couch, watching cartoons. I couldn’t wait for this image to become permanent in my life. “How is everything going?”
“Good,” Vinny responded, “we are just watching TV. Bethany ordered pizza, and it should be here in a little while.”
“Yeah. I got extra mushrooms for you,” she said, gagging at the end.
“Whatever. A pizza is not a pizza without mushrooms.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
I squeezed between the two of them. Vinny huffed, and Bethany laughed. “How are you going to just come in here and squeeze in between us like that? We were comfortable.”
“Well, I had to get comfortable, too. So, here I am.”
We sat around and joked with each other until the pizza man came. As I got up to get the door, I thought about the ring I hid in the garage inside of my toolbox. I had to put it there for now because it would’ve been too obvious if I walked into the house with a little bag from the jewelry store. After I grabbed the pizza, I brought it back to the table. It already felt like we were a family. April said that she wanted to be around whenever I proposed to Bethany, so I had to make sure everything was perfect. I had to make sure it was like a fairy tale. She deserved it. I watched her as she bit into her pizza. I loved everything about her. The way she connected with Vinny. The way she persevered through every obstacle that came her way in life. She was full of strength. Full of vigor. She was somebody that I would love to call my wife and right now, I just had to wait for the right moment.
Just then, I got a text message from April. I had to hide it from Bethany, so I went into the kitchen to grab drinks for everyone. I read it with one eye on the entrance to the kitchen. “Hey bro, and yes, I can call you that now because soon, you will be my brother. I want you to know that Bethany is going to be so happy when you propose to her. She cares about you a lot and just being with you today, I know that you two are a perfect fit.”
“Thank you, April. That means a lot.”
Bethany walked into the kitchen in the midst of my smile. “What’s funny?” she asked, curiously. I slid my phone into my pocket and approached her. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her lips softly. She smiled. “What was that for?”
“Just for being you, babe. Just for being you.”
Epilogue
BETHANY
Five months had passed since I started working at Gavin’s office. I re-enrolled in college to finish my last hours so I could graduate and start my career as a teacher. Principal Jones called me out of the blue last week and asked me about my progress. Once I told him that I was close to finishing, he said that there was another district he could refer me to. Things were too hard for him to keep me hired at Morris Elementary, but there were other districts that weren’t as strict. I was grateful for the opportunity, and I let him know that as soon as I became available, I would reach back out to him. Things between Gavin and I were moving along as well. As time passed, though, I completely put the question out of my head of whether or not he was going to propose to me. It had been months since I saw the website in his office, and I figured that if he didn’t ask by now, maybe he wasn’t going to.
I arrived at April’s home. She’d had a baby boy a month ago, but I was so busy that I didn’t have the chance to come by and see my new nephew. When I got to her house, I pulled my gifts out of the trunk, then headed inside. When I opened the door, April sat on the couch nursing Mark Jr. “Close the door, girl. I don’t want the whole neighborhood to see my tit.” I laughed then closed the door behind me.
“Aww, look at him,” I said, placing his gift next to the couch. “He is so little and cute.”
“He is sucking the hell out of my nipple. This stuff hurts so bad, but I am going to just deal with it for now. I hear that natural milk is better than Similac, so I don’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, it is better. It is healthier, you know? Gives the baby more nutrients.”
I sat down on the couch and watched him feed. He looked so small and innocent. I couldn’t wait to have one of my own, but at the rate things were going, it didn’t look like I was going to have one. “So, how’s life?” she asked.
“It’s okay. I am close to finishing school, and the principal at Morris called me earlier this week. He said he could possibly have a job for me in another district once I completed my degree. So, maybe I will have an easy road to the teaching career. But we will see.”
�
�That’s good. I am glad you finally buckled down and got serious about school. I knew it would open up doors for you.” Mark Jr. finished eating, so she propped him over her leg and tapped his back until he burped. “Oops, that was a good one,” April said, laughing. She picked him up and extended him towards me. “Now, this is your Aunt Bethany. She has been too busy for you in your first month of life to come visit you at home, so I think you need to spit up on her once or twice to welcome her.”
I laughed. “It’s okay, little one; you can spit up on me if you feel like it, I don’t mind. I will still love you the same.” I took him out of her hands and held him close. He opened his eyes and looked at me as if he was trying to figure out who I was. “He is beautiful. He has Mark’s wide nose and your eyes.”
“Yeah. I was hoping he would get my nose because Mark’s nose is like a curse.”
I laughed, “You are so mean. I thought you would get a little nicer after your pregnancy.”
“Well, you knew I was sort of an a-hole before I got pregnant, so I think I am rounding back into form.” A few moments of silence passed. Mark Jr. made gargle noises for a moment before he drifted off to sleep. “So, how are things with you and Gavin?”
I sighed. “Things are okay. I mean, I will say that they are moving kind of slow. I figured that he would at least have proposed by now, you know? Remember when I told you about seeing that website on his computer?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what that was about, but apparently it wasn’t about moving forward with me. I guess I need to be patient, but it is hard because I know what I want. Now, I am questioning if he wants the same thing.”
“Yeah, I hear you. But you’re right; you just need to be patient, that’s all. Don’t start doubting yourself or his love for you. I know he loves you. I only met him the one time you two visited the hospital after junior was born, but he seemed like a good guy. I could tell by the way he treated you that he loves you, so don’t give up. I think you two are a good fit.”
