by Kara Hart
I start to cry even harder, but they’re not tears of pain or sorrow. No, they’re tears of joy. Nothing is ordinary right now, but at least I have my man, and the son of my dreams. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.
He dips his head down and our lips meet in a frenzy of passion and pure happiness. For a second, the whole world fades out. It’s only me and him, consumed by our love. When he pulls his lips from mine, I open my eyes and stare at him lovingly. Everything is on its way to being perfect. It’s almost there. All we have to do is get home.
Except, right behind him, clutching his gut, is Mulligan. And he doesn’t look happy.
34
Walker
“Walker!” he screams. The streets are empty and my body is completely exhausted. Erica came in at the right time, but they burned the palms of my hands with corrosive materials. I can feel the pain wearing me down. But if there’s another fight I’m going to have to give, I’m ready.
He points his gun at me. “What do you want?” I ask him. “Let us go home. Hawk’s dead. What use is killing me now?”
He keeps his gun aimed at me, but his hand is shaking wildly. He’s considerably weak. “That bitch of yours killed me,” he says.
“I don’t see you on the pavement. Get to a hospital. You’re wasting precious time,” I tell him.
“I’d rather get my revenge,” he says, shifting on his heels.
“I have no history with you,” I reason. “Please, put the gun down.”
“Our gang is over with,” he says idly, like he just came to that understanding now.
“You’re right,” I say.
Mulligan falls onto the pavement and his gun slides away from him. “Just go,” he says. “Leave us in ruins.”
I carry Erica out of there, through the back alleys, making sure she’s safe from anymore unexpected visitors. When I turn to look at Mulligan, he’s laying in a pool of blood.
“We escaped,” she says, head resting on my shoulder. It’s as if she can heal me with just one touch. It just feels so right when I’m with her. “I can’t believe it. It’s over.”
The plane we’re on is steady and calm. All around us is a clear sky and there are no sharp gusts of wind. Everything is peaceful. I finally have the woman of my dreams.
“You did it,” I laugh. “You’re my hero.”
She laughs too and kisses my neck. “We both did it,” she says. “Aidan did it. He gave me a courage I never thought I had.”
Aidan. I can’t wait to see my son. “As soon as we land, I promise, I’m going to be the best dad he’s ever had,” I tell her.
“I know you will,” she whispers. “I know it now.”
“I’m so sorry for everything,” I say. “I know I haven’t been a stand up guy. I know I’ve kept so much hidden from you. But I only did it to try and protect you. I failed in that regard. I never want to disappoint you again. I’m fully yours. Always.”
My burns hurt me, but I’m not crying. My wounds only make me stronger. The idea that I can raise my son in peace now is the only thing that has kept me going. That, and the knowing that my love is safe and in my arms. There’s so much to be thankful for. The hard life I once had is now over and done with. I’m here, Erica. I’m finally here.
“It’s all over now,” she says. “Just do me two favors.”
“Anything,” I say.
“When we’re back home, let’s never speak about this again. We have too much to look forward to, to give into our troubled pasts,” she says.
I kiss her and hold her close to me. The plane begins its decent. “Done,” I tell her. “And the second favor?”
She smiles and looks down. “Promise to fuck the life out of me.”
I falter for a second and chuckle with surprise. “I’m never going to let you out of my grasp,” I say. “I’m going to leave you soaking wet.”
We don’t waste time. When we get home, Aidan is still at Renata’s and I’m ready for my bride-to-be. Kissing her wild and uninhibited, we tear off our clothes, until she’s standing in front of me, completely naked. She takes a step back until she’s against the wall. Her hand clutches around my cock and as soon as I see that sweet pussy of hers, I don’t hold back.
She moves her hand back and forth, as I firmly grip around her wetness. She’s dripping for me and I’m aching to feel her again. She leads the way, turning around. She pressed her ass firmly against me as I kiss her neck passionately. “Fuck me,” she coos. She spreads her cheeks apart and I watch as her lips open up for me.
I’m never going to let this woman go. Never.
I guide my cock inside her, spreading her open. The warmth I feel is like no other. It’s similar to being parched on a hot desert day, and stumbling upon an oasis of cold water. I fuck her slow and close and we take the opportunity to moan as loud as we want. Today is our day. It’s our celebration. “We’re in love,” is all we’ve ever wanted to tell the world, and now we’re ready to tell it. Our story doesn’t end here. This is where it begins.
Her back against my chest, her hot pussy clenching around my cock, and my arms folded around her body is the absolute picture of perfection. When we cum, we don’t stop. We just keep going. We lose ourselves to each other, over and over again, because we never want to lose each other to the world again.
This is our home. This is our family. I’m not fucking this up again. I’m never letting go.
35
Erica
“I’m fucking trembling,” I say out loud, clutching my temples.
“Come on. Sit still,” Renata says, while combing my hair. “What do you have to worry about, anyway? This is everything you’ve ever dreamed of. You’re getting married!”
I let that sink in. I close my eyes and I start laughing with joy. “I’m… I’m getting married!” I scream.
“Ah!” she shrieks back. “I’m so fucking excited for you!” We’re both practically jumping out of our seats at this point. Still, my heart is beating so fucking fast. I’m getting married to Walker Hambell, the man of my dreams.
“Do I look okay, Ren?” I ask her, feeling the nervousness of the situation start to creep in again.
She looks at me and smiles with tears in her eyes. “Oh, sweetie,” she says. “You look like a goddamn angel right now.”
I look up at her, in her bridesmaid dress. She looks beautiful too. Walker and I don’t have much of a wedding party, but I’m glad she’s here with me today. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend to stand by my side.
“Thank you, Ren.” I smile. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re on in five minutes,” Carla, the wedding planner runs in, holding a clipboard. “Are you ready for your big day?”
“I’m ready,” I firmly state.
I hear Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah start playing outside and I immediately stand up and try to maintain my breathing. “This is your day, baby girl,” Renata whispers in my ear.
I walk outside and see my father, who has gone through so much this year, standing with a cane. He looks at me and smiles, and I just can’t keep down my emotions any longer. I start bawling.
“I love you, sweetie-pie,” he says, kissing the side of my head. “You’ll always be my baby girl.”
“This one’s for real, Dad,” I whisper. “He’s the man of my dreams.”
“I know he is, sweetheart,” he says.
It’s been two years since Hawk’s death. Two full years. In the autumn air of California, at this outdoor sanctuary, I can breathe easy knowing that those events are behind us now. Aidan, my sweet baby boy, has grown up so fast. Seven years is a huge jump from five. He’s practically a man now and though sometimes it’s still hard, he loves his dad even more, now that he knows.
As we walk, I can feel everyone looking right at me. Yet, I don’t feel jittery anymore. When my eyes meet Walker’s, I know everything is going to be okay. He looks so fucking handsome in his suit. And right beside him, is Aidan, looking proud and stoic
, while holding the rings.
Sure, we’re not the most traditional family, but I never wanted that in the first place. All I wanted was a little adventure, and a whole lot of love. I’ve got a heavy dose of both, thankfully.
When I’m up at the front, I look into his eyes. He gives his vows, leaving me stunned. He says, “Erica, from your eyes to mine, my eyes to yours. Our lives have changed forever in an instant. Into the layers of my existence, a new sun has given itself to ignite my nights, to fill my emptiness. Now, my words have been received, my prayers answered,” he pauses only briefly to compose himself.
“Life itself is the most fortunate gift we have received — that is something I have always known — but to share that secret with one another brings an urgency to my life I could never have foreseen.
“I sit and think about our first night together, so ripe with passion, conflict, and love. We were just getting to know each other, yet we knew of our love. We knew no one could destroy that which was within our hearts. I’ll never forget that moment, even if directly after was full of difficulties. That’s life sometimes, but moments such as that one, live on forever.
“
Nor will I forget the quiet streets of England, where I promised myself, that I couldn’t ever lose you. Our future was set, even if it didn’t feel like it yet. Back in time, when we first met, I felt it when you let me put my arms around you. We looked in each other’s eyes in that dingy motel, and the lights that adorned the ceiling met our gaze and guided us towards an intimacy of precedence. We just talked. We talked so much, about unbelievable things; we made promises to each other that could never be broken. The world around me meant nothing. It was you that I had fallen deeply in love with. I kissed you that night and I felt an unimaginable happiness within me form. From then on, I was yours. Forever until the day that I shall pass.
“
How could I grow tired of your intimacy? How could we grow apart? It is impossible. We are together, bound by an immense desert known as Time. We are alone, with only our whispers as the truth.
“We will always have the day at the park, when I looked at the sun reflecting off your hair and knew you were the only one for me. I cannot share these moments with anyone for they are far too sacred, far too beautiful and monumental to put into words, and even though I appreciate music, those moments must remain unsung in order to preserve their glory.
“Yes, we will fight, we will fire words at each other —words we do not mean, words we will regret. We will have days where we can't stand each other, but even so, I know we will still need each other to come back to the paradise we have made for each other. I know I'll still need to feel your kiss, the warmth of your body that I have grown to known as my own. And if I grunt or complain of situations, you tell me how I wrong I am. Because I will always be there to share your pain, to rub your back when you feel life is a bit too much, to protect you, and most important, to be your best friend. Because that is what those that are in love do. They love.
“You have shown me everything I have been missing. It was you, Erica. I love you and I am utterly grateful for every moment spent with you, and I stand before you and the world around us, to declare my love. To all that have been, are, and shall be. Forever and always is my promise to you.”
I’m left speechless and shaking again. “You jerk,” I whisper with a smile on my face. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about me.”
Everyone starts clapping out of nowhere and I notice that everyone is wiping their eyes. When I met him, he was the boyfriend experience. I guess this is the husband experience I’ve been waiting for.
Before the priest can even tell us to kiss or say “I do,” he grabs me in his arm and yells to the audience, “We do!” Our lips smash together and I’m left crumbling in his arms, with so much fucking love.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he says.
Aidan walks near us and whispers, “You guys, you forgot the rings!” He scowls at us, looking handsome as ever.
“The rings!” Walker laughs. We grab each other’s ring and smile, gazing wondrously into our eyes.
“You are forever,” he whispers.
Epilogue: Walker
7 years later…
“Yes!” I scream, feeling the air conditioning whip across my face. “You got this, Aidan! Go! Go! Go!”
I’m standing courtside, jumping up and down, screaming the life out of me. I want to yell, “That’s my son out there!” but then I’ll be that old, loser dad. I can’t embarrass him on his big game day.
He dribbles the basketball across the court, weaving in and out of the defense. He jumps up to make a three-pointer and it goes in without even touching the backboard. “Yes!” I scream. “Hell yes!”
All of the parents turn to look at me and Erica is just rolling her eyes. “Sit down, Walker,” she laughs. “You’re embarrassing me.”
I sit down, out of breath, with a big smile on my face. “He’s absolutely mental out there!” I exclaim. “I’m so proud.”
“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” She smiles back and puts her head on my shoulders.
“Can you believe we’ve raised someone so talented?” I whisper. Aidan looks back and gives a cool nod at us, his lame parents. I wave back eagerly. I’ve cooled down a lot since the old days. Aidan and Erica are now the only things I yearn to see throughout the day. It’s incredible to think about all of the things we’ve been through, good and bad.
Every night, I still think about the vows I gave at our wedding. I hold them close to my heart, so I never forget just how good I’ve got it. I never want to take this love for granted. In the end, we got really lucky. Now, we have the whole world in our hands.
PTA meetings, doing homework, the dishes, and going out to movies every Sunday – this family thing is the best thing I’ve ever had. I never thought I’d live to see the day that I’d turn into a real adult, but it’s here now and I’ve jumped fully into it.
I watch eagerly as Aidan steals the ball again from the other team. He dribbles the ball, passes it to a teammate, who takes the shot. He misses, but Aidan goes up for the rebound. He drives it into the hoop and the buzzer echoes across the gym. The Grasshoppers win the game! Aidan has won the game.
I run out onto the court, alongside other parents who are excited to see their son’s school win for the first time. The team picks up Aidan and holds him above their heads. I jump up and give him a high five. These are the moments a parent never forgets. Every year, he grows so much bigger. Now, he’s practically a man. I’m the proudest father there is.
“There’s my boy,” I say, as the crowd fizzles out. “Man, you nailed it out there. You’re the best on the team!”
“Thanks dad,” he says, humbly. “I’m okay, I guess.”
I still haven’t figured out how to talk to teenagers. It’s almost as if I’m talking to a brick wall. “You’re the best in your school,” I assure him. “There’s no doubt about that. Remember when we used to play, when we lived at the house on Wilshire? You used to love going to the park back then. We should go back someday.”
Memories come tearing into your heart sometimes. There’s not much you can do other than try to hold onto them as tightly as you can. “I remember,” he says it simply. “I’m game. You think you could take me on?”
“You? The MVP? You’ll annihilate me,” I laugh. “But I have to try.”
“Come on, you two!” Erica calls out from the bleachers. She’s been sitting in the front, waiting until the gym cleared out completely. She’s wrapped in her pea coat and drinking a hot chocolate and boy does she look as cute as ever.
“Alright! Let’s go!” I clap my hands together.
Tonight, I’ve been getting all these flashbacks. Sometimes it feels like you live multiple lives. I try and pinpoint how I got here. Here I am, fulfilled in just about every way. But when I started out, I had nothing. There was Hawk, the gang, and the streets I grew up on. Now, all of that is over. It’s as if it
never happened.
Was that me? I still don’t know. I feel as if I’ve found myself, finally in someone else. It’s funny how that happens sometimes. You search and you search, and you fight the world around you. But when you see her, you realize you need to duck your head and fight for one thing only: Love. I found love in Erica. I didn’t know Aidan would come from all of this, but the surprise was well worth it.
At home, Aidan goes into his room and I can hear him talking to his friends, on his phone. Erica and I take a step outside, and we roam around the acre-long backyard we bought just after the incident in Manchester.
There’s not much that’s said. The crickets echo in the distance. The stars are covered by the lights of the earth, but I know they’re out there somewhere. Tonight, is a period of reflection for us parents, because tonight is one of those nights our son will look back on and smile.
“I love you, my sweetheart,” I whisper. She intertwines her fingers with mine. I kiss her cold cheek and smell her perfume. It’s the same scent she’s worn since I met her. I close my eyes and remember it all. The pain, the anger, and the uncertainty of it all. I almost miss it, though I know the present can always be missed if you don’t keep an eye out for it.
“Forever and always,” she says, reminding me of my vows to her.
“That’s my promise to you,” I repeat.
“You mean it? Even after all these years?” she asks.
I look at her and place my fingers against my lips slowly. I arch my head down and kiss her, keeping my finger in between us. “I think about you everyday,” I whisper. “When you go to the grocery store, I think about you. When you’re in the other room, I’m dreaming about you. When I’m with our son, I can’t help but think about you. You are my world, Erica. You’re everything to me. I would rather die than live without you.”
Her eyes reflect against the moonlight, like glass orbs. I place my hand around her waist and feel her skin. She hasn’t aged a bit, or maybe I just haven’t realized it. I feel her gorgeous tits and I still want to stuff my face in between them. I roll my fingers over her nipples and she moans lightly against the cold night air.
