Blood Week

by J. D. Martin

  “Hey honey,” he said when Rita answered. “How was your day?”

  “Great, actually. I wanted to let you know that the plumber came and fixed that leak this afternoon. Also, your daughter brought home an A on her math test.”

  “That’s wonderful. She’s really adjusting to her new school. What do you think of doing something special for her to celebrate?”

  “Sounds good to me. You want to pick up some noodles and garlic bread? She’s been wanting another spaghetti night, and I already have what I need to make the sauce.”

  “Sure thing, babe. I’ll swing by the market and be home in about an hour. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you need?”

  “No, that should be everything.”

  “Ok, I’ll see you soon.”

  The doors opened at the garage level just as he was shoving the phone back into his pocket. Marcus wondered if he might make the night even more special as he walked to his car. While it was true that Victoria loved spaghetti night, he’d seen an advertisement that the circus was coming soon to the Sprint Center in a few months. It wouldn’t cost too much to pick up a few tickets and surprise her with them at dinner. It could be the perfect way to congratulate her on her good grade. It wasn’t that she needed something special every time she did well on an assignment, but with everything going on during the move across the country, he wanted to do something nice for her, so he decided to swing by the ticket kiosk before it closed.

  Pulling in the driveway, he saw a gorgeous seven-year-old burst through the front door and run out to his car with a huge smile. Before Marcus was completely out of the car, she slammed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist with a squeeze. Victoria had barreled into him and nearly knocked him over with the biggest hug she could muster up, and he was happy to see her too.

  “Welcome home, daddy. I’m so glad to see you.”

  Lifting his daughter up to fully embrace her, “Thank you. I’m happy to see you too, baby girl.” Pulling back from their hug, he looked into the girl’s twinkling eyes and congratulated her. “I heard you got an A on your math test.”

  “Yep, sure did cause I’m smart,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “You are super smart, and if you get much smarter, you’ll have to start tutoring me instead of the other way around.”

  “I could never have a brain as big as yours, daddy.” Marcus laughed at how matter-of-factly she’d made her statement. He face was so serious as if the idea of being smarter than her father was preposterous. It was the cutest thing he’d seen in days.

  “Oh, I don’t believe that for a second. I bet you’re going to be so much smarter than me that they’ll have to make up a whole new word to say how smart you are.” Victoria giggled. “But until then, would you like to help me carry in the grocery bags?”

  She nodded eagerly, and Marcus set her back on the ground and pulled the two bags from the back seat to hand to her. “Here you are, one for you and one for me.”

  “I can carry both.”

  “I know you can, honey, but I have a couple surprises in here for you and Mommy.”

  “What is it, daddy? What is it?”

  “I’ll show you as soon as we’re inside, ok?” Lifting the bag up, she carried it squeezed to her chest like a long-lost friend as she scurried up the drive. Anxious to hear about her surprise, she moved as fast as her legs could carry her while Delgado followed close behind.

  “Honey, I’m home,” he called out after closing the front door.

  “Yes, Vicki made that quite clear when she bolted for the front door when you pulled up,” she smiled as they entered the kitchen. Giving her husband a welcome-back kiss after a tiring day, she took the grocery bag from their daughter and tossed the noodles into the pot with the water she’d already started boiling. She then placed the garlic bread on a cooking sheet and placed it in the oven before turning back to her family.

  “Sparkle Cider!! Is this for me?!?”

  Marcus looked down to see Victoria peeking into the bag he was still holding. “Aw, you caught me,” he said in playful disappointment at the spoiled surprise. “I got it at the market for you when I heard about your grade.”

  “Thanks, daddy.”

  “You’re welcome. How about you put it on the table and we’ll pour some while we eat dinner?” Not waiting a second longer than needed, she took the bottle and moved across the kitchen with great care to not drop it while Marcus grabbed three glasses from the cabinet. “That’s not the only surprise I picked up for my ladies.” He placed the glasses on the table and pulled an envelope from his back pocket. Pulling out its contents, he held the three tickets in the air. “I bought tickets for the circus in a few weeks.”

  Victoria bubbled with excitement as she gave daddy another big hug and endlessly repeated “thank you.” When she finally felt her gratitude had been displayed, she climbed into a chair and waited as Marcus poured her a glass of sparkling apple cider. After handing her the glass, she took a long sip with her eyes closed. She loved her ‘sparkle cider.’

  “That was a wonderful thing you did for her,” Rita said, kissing him on the cheek.

  Delgado’s phone chirped with another text as his wife returned to finish cooking dinner. His face was grim as he read through the message and he felt lucky that Rita hadn’t noticed. “I need to make a call in my study,” he said.

  “Be quick because dinner will be ready soon.”

  “I will,” he said as he walked away. The message he’d received was important, and it meant he had some planning to do with little time to do it.

  The spaghetti dinner was enjoyed by all, especially Victoria who ate a shocking three plates. “You must be going through a growth spurt to eat that much, young lady”, said her mother.

  “Was it good?” asked Marcus while checking his watch. Victoria did her best to nod and smile without showing any of the food stuffed in her cheeks, which made her mother laugh.

  “Did you see that, Marcus?” Her husband swiped at the screen on his phone and didn’t respond. “Marcus?”

  “Huh?” he said, shaken from his bubble. “What did you say, honey?”

  “Nothing, you missed it.” She shook her head at him and started to clear the table. “Why don’t you guys go play for a bit while I do the dishes? Vicki hasn’t had much time with you the past week with your late nights.”

  “It’s the case,” said Marcus. “I’ve been really busy.”

  “I know, but all the staying out late and not getting back until early in the morning has our daughter missing her daddy. I can already tell that you’re going to be out late again, so before you do, how about a little family time?” Marcus looked at his phone a moment and then checked his watch before nodding in agreement.

  A half hour later, Rita called out to the prince and princess in their backyard castle that it was getting late and the princess needed to get ready for bed. Rita’s notice of approaching bedtime for the princess caused Marcus to curse as he looked at his watch.

  “Sorry, sweetie,” he said to Victoria. “It’s time to go back in and get ready for bed.”

  “Can we read again?”

  Delgado rubbed his head as he looked between the house and the little girl wanting to spend time with him. She stared up at him with pouty lips as she waited for him to respond. His heart melted as he looked at her expectant eyes looking back at him. With a heavy sigh, “If you’re quick about it, we can get through a few more pages. But I’m serious, you need to be in your pajamas and have your teeth brushed on the double.” The little girl sprinted towards the house like an Olympic Champion in preparation for him to continue Wizard of Oz.

  “So, did the prince save the princess from the tower?” asked Rita as Marcus came back inside.

  “Almost, I was in the middle of slaying the dragon that trapped her there when the gods on high recalled me back from the royal kingdom.”

  “Well darn, I’m sure you’ll get him next time,” she laughed.

&nb
sp; Kissing his wife on the cheek, Delgado asked, “Do you think you can read to her? She’s wants to continue Wizard of Oz, but I really need to get going. I’ve got an appointment to keep.”

  “She wants you.”

  “I know,” he said, looking down at his watch.

  “Look,” she said, drawing his eyes up to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t know what’s been going on this past week, but you’ve been out every night. Just take this one to read to her a little bit, and then I’ll explain why you had to leave. Ok? Please?”

  Marcus bit his lower lip as he felt himself lose the battle. It was hard enough to not give one of his girls what they wanted, but right now they were a united front and all they wanted was a little time with him. He glanced at the clock on the stove behind her before looking back into those pleading eyes.

  “Fine,” he said. “But I can only get through a couple pages and then I really have to go. I have business again tonight, but I promise you that everything will be back to normal soon.” Kissing her on the mouth, he smiled before leaving her to walk down the hall to the stairs that led up to Victoria’s room.

  As he passed the second-floor bathroom, he heard the water running and glanced in to see Victoria brushing her teeth. Continuing into her bedroom, he grabbed the hardback from the shelf and sat in the rocking chair by her bed to wait. From the bathroom, the water stopped and a toothbrush tapped against the counter before being placed in the brush caddy. Feet slapped against the hardwood floor as the little girl came running around the corner on the way to her wardrobe. Tearing open the drawers, she pulled out her pajamas and changed into them in a flurry of flying clothes before diving into her bed and pulling the covers up to her chin.

  Once situated, she looked up at him and stated, “I’m ready.”

  “I can see that,” he said, pulling open the pages to where the book mark held their place. “Let’s see…ah, here we are. Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles,” he read aloud, “Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City.” After a few pages, Marcus saved their place for another night and placed the book back on the shelf. Calling to his wife, he informed her that they’d finished reading and she came into the room to say goodnight to their princess.

  “Sweet dreams, honey,” Rita said after many hugs and kisses.

  As she left, she turned out the light and closed the door behind them. When finished, she realized that Marcus was already down the stairs and heading for the garage. Following him, Rita opened the garage door to find her husband moving things around in the back corner of the garage and he stopped in his tracks when she asked, “What are you doing out here?”

  “Nothing sweetie, I noticed the car was little low on oil so I’m just checking to see if we have a quart to top it off before I leave.”

  “Okay, but please don’t stay out too late.”

  “I shouldn’t be long, maybe an hour or so. Maybe more…” He trailed off momentarily as his eyes flicked around him and back to Rita. “Do you need me to pick anything up while I’m out?”

  “Not that I can think of. Just be sure to hurry back, momma needs some alone time with daddy.” She smiled briefly and went back inside.

  Marcus listened as her footsteps carried her away and glanced at his watch again. “Fuck,” he whispered as he turned back to the wall of shelving behind him. On the bottom shelf behind the lawn mower, he pulled back an old tarp to get to the large trunk hidden underneath. Inside was an assortment of old blankets and quilts that were hand-stitched by Rita’s great grandmother.

  Pushing aside the family heirlooms, Marcus pulled out a black backpack before returning everything to where it had been. Slowly opening the door back to the hallway, he peered around to make sure Rita wasn’t around before quickly walked down the hall and out the front door. At the car, he tossed the backpack into the passenger seat and started the engine. He had another long night ahead of him, but the week was almost over.

  Chapter 30

  A large paddlewheel that spanned two stories splashed against the water pool beneath it as it rotated. It was a tourist attraction that once propelled the side-wheeler steamboat Arabia before being set up in the museum in the River Market. On September 5th, 1856, the Arabia struck a submerged walnut tree that caused the craft to sink so quickly that only the smokestacks and pilot house were still visible after a day. There weren’t any fatalities that day on the Missouri River, but the craft was swallowed up by the river mud and eventually lost to time until it was rediscovered and exhumed over a century later in the late 1980’s.

  Watching the paddlewheel turn, a woman marveled at its twenty-eight-foot diameter as she leaned against the railing on the second floor that overlooked the pool below. The atrium was just outside the gift shop where she could listen to each paddle as it slapped against the water. She found it quite peaceful, but was still elated when she was interrupted by her boyfriend handing her an ice cream cone.

  She spun around to a tall man with a square jaw beneath a mop of dark hair that held a cone of vanilla goodness that she graciously accepted. Walking with him to the closest table, she smiled as he pulled out her chair before sitting himself. “Why, Keith, you’re quite the gentleman today,” she teased.

  “Are you saying I’m not always a gentleman?” he challenged humorously.

  “I guess you are; that’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”

  “Well I love when guys leave you a hundred-dollar tip that you use to buy me dinner.”

  “I guess you’re just a lucky guy then,” she said, sticking out an ice-cream covered tongue at him. Ally was often hit on and flirted with at work, which was something she knew bugged him about her waitressing. However, he took it in stride since he knew they were working to make something better out of their lives. Keith never felt threatened, but that didn’t mean it didn’t scratch at him each time it happened.

  Finishing the last of their cones, Keith tossed the napkins into a nearby trashcan while she walked back to the spinning paddlewheel. When he joined her, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her delicately on the neck below her earlobe. Ally leaned back with her eyes closed and rested her head on his shoulder. She could be content in his arms forever. “I love you so much,” she whispered.

  “I love you too, which is why I have something for you.”

  When she opened her eyes, she saw his hand in front of her holding a small white box with a round lid. With his thumb, he pushed back the silver flower that latched the lid and revealed a princess-cut diamond resting on white gold. Ally gasped as she covered her mouth and turned to look at him.

  “Ally,” he said as he stepped back from her and knelt to one knee. “You’re my best friend and the most wonderful person I’ve ever had the privilege to have in my life. With that in mind, I can’t imagine living a day without you in it. From here until forever, I want you by my side. Will you marry me?”

  Ally didn’t answer as she struggled to catch her breath as her eyes filled with tears. The lump in her throat from the surprise made it hard to speak. She wanted to tell him that this was the happiest moment of her life, but she struggled to find the words, so all she said was yes.

  Filled with pure joy, she leapt into his arms and squeezed him without ever wanting to let him go. The happiness in both their hearts warmed their embrace with a long and passionate kiss before they parted long enough for him to place the ring on her finger. They laughed as he hugged his fiancée.

  Marcus walked past the atrium and noticed a man proposing to his girlfriend. He heard her say yes before he was out of earshot as he turned a corner to head out the backdoor. The parking outside was emptying as it was late and the shops were all closing. He tightened his grip on the backpack he wore as if it could steal away from him if he didn’t hold onto it tight enough. Looking at his watch, he cursed himself and picked up the pace as he turned down the alley that ran behind the museum.

  With the shopping
center preparing to lock up, Keith took Ally’s hand and escorted her outside. After descending the front steps, he wrapped an arm around her as they walked along the sidewalk with her marveling at her new engagement ring. Seeing how happy it made her brought relief to the stress he’d felt about popping the question. He had strong feelings that she was going to say yes, but that didn’t make it any less scary to ask. It had been tormenting him since they day he’d picked the ring up from the jewelry store.

  As they approached the cross street, Keith was excited when he noticed a dark blue Suzuki Hayabusa pull up to the intersection. Being a motorcycle enthusiast, he had dreams of one day owning a similar bike. Listening to the engine of the fastest production bike in the world as it idled less that fifty feet from him was marvelous. His infatuation with motorcycles rivaled that of his bride-to-be, and she smiled at the boy-like wonder that filled his eyes as he watched.

  “I think you’ve fallen in love with two ladies tonight,” said Ally. She laughed at his mumbled response. “It’s a gorgeous motorcycle, honey.”

  “It sure is.” The motorcycle revved as the rider tilted it to the side as he turned up Grand Avenue. “I can’t imagine how much it must have cost, but it’s not nearly as gorgeous as you,” he said as he looked into her eyes and gave her a squeeze.

  “Good answer,” she smirked. “I can’t wait to tell the girls about this.” Ally held up her hand and admired the diamond as it sparkled in the moonlight. “They already think you’re the greatest, but they will be speechless when they hear about the proposal. They’re going to be so jealous.” Keith was beaming with pride. “And with what you did tonight, you are getting SO much sex when we get home.”