Southern Comfort

by ANDREA SMITH

  “I do understand, Avery. I’m just not sure if Eddie sees the value in it, but he did comply. He wants our marriage to last. He’s wonderful that way.”

  “I’m sure that he is, Gloria, which is why it is so very important that you and I take the next step in your marital therapy. I touched on it a bit last week during our session. I wanted you to give it some thought because it requires participation on your part, and the ultimate trust in me as your therapist in order to be successful. The fact that you didn’t cancel your appointment today tells me you’ve decided you’re ready for the next level of counseling with me. Is that a fair assessment?”

  Gloria blushed and fidgeted with the hem of her flowered sundress. “It is, Avery. I understand that as a man of the cloth, your only goal is to help members of your congregation heal and mend the things in their lives so as to live according to God’s word. I reached out to you for guidance, and you’ve been very supportive and understanding. I won’t lie, I struggled with this over the past few days, but I now have put my total trust in you, because I know that it won’t work any other way.”

  “That is wonderful to hear, Gloria,” Avery said softly. “I’ve always told you the main component for success is mutual trust. The Lord answers our needs in mysterious ways. This is a crucial component in making your marriage healthy and loving once again. Are you ready?”

  Gloria nodded, biting her lower lip.

  “Good then. On your knees, please.”

  Avery stood up and watched as Gloria sank to her knees before him. “Look at me.”

  She raised her eyes to him, and his gaze locked with hers. “One of the key components to mutual satisfaction is stated clearly in the Bible, Ephesians 5:33: Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Show me now how you will reverence Eddie in the future.”

  Avery unzipped his fly, and pulled out his member. Gloria watched as he stroked it slowly with his own hand, and then he nodded for her to begin.

  She scooted over to where he stood and rose up a bit, taking him into her mouth.

  “Let your mouth worship this appendage which is sacred in that it bears the seed that will flow to fertile ground, thus allowing your womb to bear the fruit of your marital love. You need to think those thoughts while administering to me now, and then you will surely know how to please Eddie and, in return, he will know how to please you.”

  Gloria took him fully into her mouth, her hands gently stroking his scrotum as her tongue danced around the expanse of Avery's shaft. She began the in and out movements as he instructed, and when she heard his breathing coming faster, she increased her momentum accordingly. She had done this with Eddie, but never had she felt so compelled to give him the pleasure that she was determined to give Avery at this moment.

  She felt Avery’s hands in her hair, as he grasped a handful and pulled her in closer so that she could barely breath with the fullness of him in her mouth. “Take it all, Gloria. Love it, suck it, and swallow what comes forth from it.”

  The way he instructed her almost sounded Biblical. She almost gagged at the girth of him, yet she continued to suck until she felt him swell and throb with his impending release. She opened her throat to swallow the streams of his climax as he pumped into her mouth.

  Once finished, Gloria sat back on her haunches, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Avery tucked himself back inside of his trousers, and zipped up the fly. “That was very good, Gloria,” he said, moving across the room to take his seat behind the desk. He jotted down some notes on his tablet, and then pulled out his day planner.

  “What day and time are good for you next week?”

  Chapter 10

  “Oh, sweet girl, those are darling,” Mama said as I showed her one of the four pair of jeans I’d bought today at the mall. “Now you’ll let your Mama borrow some of these cute jeans, won’t you?”

  “Mama,” I said, grabbing a pair that she was inspecting, “you know Avery doesn’t want you wearing jeans anymore.” And for once, I was thankful for my stepfather’s controlling ways with my mother. It would at least keep her out of my closet.

  “Oh phooey,” she said with a pout. “I really miss jeans and shorts and culottes, but I guess he’s right. A minister’s wife does have an image to uphold. I wouldn’t want to do anything that might not reflect well upon him.”

  “That’s right,” I said, folding them back up and adding them to the pile on my bed. “I’m gonna wash all of these a couple of times before I wear them. It isn’t cool to wear jeans that look new.”

  “Since when?” she asked, quirking a brow.

  “Since forever, Mama,” I replied chuckling.

  “Well,” she replied wistfully, “in a couple of months I wouldn’t be able to wear any of these things anyway, I reckon.”

  I froze mid-fold. “What?”

  She nodded, a big smile crossing over her face. “I’m pregnant, Sunny girl. I’m going to tell Avery this evening when he gets home!”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Well of course, I’m sure, darlin’. I’ve only been this way two times before, so I think I pretty much know the signs.”

  God. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Avery’s spawn. Avery’s evil spawn.

  “Well, say something, hun. Aren’t you happy for us?”

  I wasn’t about to lie to her on this. It wouldn’t do any good because she’d find out eventually that I wasn’t about to bond with any part of Avery Dawson.

  “Actually, no. I can’t believe you’d do this to me.”

  “To you? What in the world does this have to do with you?”

  I get up off of my bed and whirled around to face her. “Where is this child supposed to sleep?” I asked. “There’s just the two bedrooms, you know?”

  “Oh for goodness sakes, Sunshine. This baby won’t be here until mid-March! He—or she—will sleep in our room until you go off to college, so quit worrying. And, by the way, I really appreciate your support.”

  She got up off of my bed and slammed out of my room.

  Well that hadn’t gone well, but seriously, what did she expect? She knew damn well I couldn’t stand Avery. She knew damn well that Avery only tolerated me. I was nothing more than some soul he felt he could save.

  And college? Where did she think I was going to scrape up the money for college? That hadn’t even been on the horizon for me. I was just so pissed at the moment that I knew I couldn’t sort any of this out by myself.

  I grabbed the extension phone in my room and dialed Gina’s number. “Can you pick me up?” I asked as soon as she answered, “I need to get out of here for a bit and talk to someone.”

  “Sure,” she said. “Be there in ten.”

  “So, what’s up?” Gina asked as soon as I got into her car. “Avery’s not home so it can’t be him.”

  “Which leaves?”

  “Your mom?”

  “Shrewd deduction, Sherlock.”

  “Oh fuck you, Sunny, just tell me already,” Gina said.

  “Guess who’s going to have a little brother or sister?”

  She pulled the car over to the curb immediately and threw it into park. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she asked.

  “I wish.”

  “When did you find this out?”

  “Uh…like ten freaking minutes ago. Why do you think I made the rescue me call? Mom knows I think the whole thing sucks and so she’s pissed, but what the hell?”

  “Oh shit, Sunny. I don’t blame you for being freaked out by this. I mean, hell, is the kid bunking in your room with you?”

  I laughed at her response, “That’s kind of the same reaction I had which Mama certainly did not appreciate, but get this, I’m not to worry because the baby will bunk in their room until I’m off to college.”

  “College?” she asked, puzzled. “Since when are you going to college?”

  “Exactly. Sometimes I won
der if my mother is from this planet. Never once has she encouraged me to continue my education. In fact, she’s always told me there wouldn’t be funds for college. She expected me to go into the military like my brother if I wanted an education.”

  “So, what are you going to do after graduation?”

  “I’m not sure. But I will tell you this, Gina. It’s time my father and I had a heart-to-heart. He’s not getting off the hook this easily.”

  “But you haven’t talked to him in years! Do you even know how to find him?”

  “He lives in Chicago. My mother gets child support from him, so I guess I’ll start with asking her for his address.”

  “I just can’t imagine how that must feel. I mean, I’m a child of divorce, too. I just don’t know what I would’ve done if my father had walked out and never looked back.”

  “Well, mine did and it pretty much sucks.”

  “Hey,” she said, apologetically, “I didn’t mean to make you feel worse.”

  “You didn’t,” I answered. “It is what it is but I’m determined to find out what his problem is that he never stayed in contact with his own damn daughter.”

  “Hey,” Gina said, “if things ever get too bad at your house, you can come stay with me. You know that, right?”

  “Thanks,” I replied, giving her a smile. “My birthday is in two weeks. Seventeen and counting down to eighteen where I can do whatever I want, stay out as late as I want and, hopefully, I won’t be stuck in Layton, Alabama any longer.”

  “Right on,” she said, putting the car in gear and pulling out onto the street. “Let’s go pick up the twins and go cruising by the lake. Only two more days until school starts!”

  Chapter 11

  Avery wasn’t one to welcome unexpected complications into his life. He had figured that his wife knew that by now, so when she dropped her little tidbit of what she perceived as being good news on him, she hadn’t been prepared for his reaction.

  “I thought we were taking the proper precautions, Donna,” he had said to her once he’d digested what she’d told him.

  “Well, we were sugar, but even the pill is only ninety-five percent effective. How can we beat those odds the way we go at it?” she replied, giving him a sexy wink.

  This was exactly the news he hadn’t wanted. It was not good news and Avery had no inclination to hide his less than pleased reaction to it. Donna had no trouble in reading his obvious displeasure.

  “Well,” she huffed angrily, “I would’ve thought you’d share my happiness, but clearly, I can see that you do not. Between you and Sunny, it’s hard to tell which of you is more unhappy with the news.”

  She was about to exit the living room where she’d delivered the news when Avery grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. “You told your daughter about this before discussing it with me?”

  Donna could tell that her husband was genuinely angry by the way his cool gray eyes bulged, and his lips tightened into a thin line. “Well, I was happy about it and I wanted to share the news. And what do you mean ‘before discussing it with you?’”

  “The discussion that a husband and wife have before announcing something like this to the world, my dear.”

  “For the love of God, Avery, what is there to discuss?” she shouted.

  “Do not,” he growled, “do not take the Lord’s name in vain. We will not have a screaming match. We will sit down as husband and wife, and we will discuss this and then do what is best for our family. Is that understood?”

  Donna nodded and took a seat on the sofa. Avery joined her there, one hand rubbing his jaw as he carefully selected his words.

  “Donna, my mission in life is the church—my congregation and spreading the gospel to those who will listen. My challenge is adding believers to the congregation which is to say, I am not one to simply show up in the pulpit every Sunday, and then forget about my responsibilities for the rest of the week.”

  “Well, I know that,” she replied, “I live this life with you, Avery.”

  “I know you do, my dear, but I’m not sure you understand all that goes with it. I counsel, and that takes up many hours each week, plus I’m starting a traveling crusade this fall. The purpose is to bring more sheep into the congregation by traveling throughout the county and preaching the word to those who will listen and allow their souls to be brought into the flock. I’ve got a training convention scheduled in two weeks in Memphis to show effective tools in growing the church congregation.”

  “I understand, Avery, but what does that have to do with our having a baby?”

  “What I’m trying to say, and apparently I’m not succeeding in doing so, is that my primary focus and the majority of my time is going to be tied up with building my congregation for the foreseeable future. The timing is just…well, it’s not conducive to bringing a child into the mix, Donna. You need to have this taken care of as soon as possible.”

  “Have it taken care of?” she asked incredulously, her voice rising to an angry pitch. “I will not abort this child, Avery. And you—you being a man of the cloth should understand more than anyone why I would never consider such a thing. How dare you even suggest something like that? What would your congregation think if they knew the preacher’s wife aborted their child at his request, huh? You think about that one!”

  Donna turned from him and left the room abruptly. Had she stuck around, she would have seen that Avery was livid with her in a way that he never had been before. In no way did he consider this the end of the discussion.

  Chapter 12

  “So, how many classes do we have together?” Rene asked me as we sat next to one another in our homeroom.

  “Let me see your schedule,” I replied, glancing over mine. She handed it over and I compared the two. “Looks like besides home room, we only have Spanish II together last period.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” she replied giggling. “You know how me and Spanish get along. Glad you’ll be there with me to help.”

  “Why the hell did you schedule it if you don’t do well with it?” I asked.

  “Because, silly, I need two years of a foreign language. Minimum college requirements.”

  I turned in my desk to look over at her, shaking my head. “I know that, Dufus,” I replied, “but you could have taken French I this year and still would have had your two units of a foreign language. It doesn’t have to be the same language,” I pointed out.

  “Well, shit,” she exclaimed, “I didn’t know that. Neither did Robin,” she laughed. “Boy will she be pissed when I tell her. She hates Spanish as much as I do. What do you have first period?”

  “Government,” I replied. “Oh well, best to get it over with first thing in the morning. That way, I won’t have to dread it all day long.”

  “Oh you! You get good grades in everything, what are you talking about?”

  I shrugged. “For all the good it’s going to do me. Do you realize I have no plans on what I’m going to do when I graduate? College is not in my future, but I have to figure something out.”

  “Well you will, Sunny. You could always apply for a student loan or a scholarship. Have you talked to your guidance counselor?”

  “No,” I admitted, “I guess I need to do that pretty quickly.”

  “Uh…yeah, get off your ass and make it happen.”

  “I will, I promise,” I said, just as the first period bell went off. “I’ll see you at second period lunch,” I called after her once we spilled out into the hallway.

  I headed for the second floor where my Government class with Mr. Campbell was scheduled. I was relieved to see that Gina had the same class this period. I hadn’t talked to her since the day we’d gone to the lake with the twins. I’d worked my last shifts of the summer at the Tastee-Freez, and then things at home had been pretty tense what with Mama’s accident and all.

  “Hey chick,” she greeted me as I took the desk beside hers, “I love that shirt. Was I there when you bought it?”

  �
�Well, yeah,” I replied, rolling the sleeves up. “Remember you said it made me look like a refugee. Whatever the hell that means.”

  We both laughed. Gina had a way of saying vague shit like that all the time.

  “Actually, you look good in olive drab. Ever think about going into the military?”

  “Funny you should ask,” I replied. “I have to get some kind of plan in motion for my post-graduation activities. I’m going to look into a student loan. Maybe go to the community college over in Millersburg?”

  “Well, yeah—that’s an option. I’m doing the same thing only my dad is footing the bill. Wouldn’t that be cool? Hey, maybe we could get our own apartment and shit, you know? Be out on our own? Then you wouldn’t have to be concerned about a squawking baby.”

  I immediately shushed her.

  “Nobody heard me,” she said looking around, “and before you ask, no, I haven’t told a soul.”

  “Good,” I said, releasing a sigh. “Because there won’t be any baby,” I whispered.

  “Why? What happened?”

  “When I got home from work the other evening she was up in bed. They’d just gotten back from the hospital. Mama fell down the basement steps while carrying the laundry basket. She broke her wrist. Got banged up pretty good. She lost the baby in the process.”

  “Oh, Sunny,” she said in a hushed voice, “I’m really sorry. How awful that is for your mom.”

  I nodded, thinking about how helpless my mother had looked when Avery told me about the accident. I had run up the stairs to their room. She was woozy because of the pain meds, but when I came into the room, her eyes had fluttered open briefly. “Mama,” I whispered, “are you going to be okay?”

  She nodded her head weakly, and I took hold of the hand that wasn’t wrapped in a cast. “Avery told me what happened, Mama. I’m really, really sorry. Especially for the way I acted to you.”