Dante's Redemption

by Jaime Whitley

  Looking at his watch he tells me he’s late and needs to go. Piling up the papers, I tell him I’ll get out of his hair and head home for a nice, long, hot shower, hopefully with the warm body of my Ava.

  I’m a nervous fucking wreck standing here in this monkey suit waiting for Ava, tugging on the collar that feels like it’s choking me. I figured I’d return the gesture and break into her place for a change. Unlike her, I left no signs of me being here. When she opens her door she will be met with quite the surprise.

  After telling Riggs about my spontaneous proposal, I received a phone call from Ali congratulating me. Shortly after hanging up with her, I got a call from Mema lecturing me. After being told that I was raised better than to propose to a woman with a sweatshirt, she demanded I make a trip down to see her immediately. I assume she wanted to hit me with her broom again. You never have to find yourself making more than one call when it comes to my family. As soon as they hang up with you, they are calling someone to spread the news, gotta love the phone tree system in my family. Nothing stays a secret with them. When I arrived I was happy to see she wasn’t waiting for me with her broom.

  Shuffling up to the door, I couldn’t help but feel like I was about to get grounded. I learned fast after moving in with Joe, that it’s not him you have to fear, but Mema herself. She’s all sweet on the exterior, but if you piss her off, you’d better hide her broom and then hide yourself. I stand, staring at the ground with my hands in my pockets, tail tucked on her porch, not able to get the nerve to ring the bell. After standing a couple minutes, I man up and reach for the doorknob. The door swings open before I can do anything and Mema is standing with her hands on her hips with her lips pursed.

  “Well, are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to come inside?” She’s tapping her foot.

  Stepping in, I lean down to her height and kiss her cheek that she has tilted in my direction. “Nice to see you, too.”

  “Come on.” Nodding her head towards the kitchen, she closes the door. “I have a pot of coffee on.” I let her lead the way, keeping my head down and out of trouble.

  “I can’t stay long, Mema. I have some urgent… work stuff I have to take care of today.” Entering the kitchen, she takes a seat and I walk over to the cupboards, grab two mugs, and pour us some coffee. Adding two cubes of sugar to hers, and milk to mine, I bring them over to the table where her stare is boring holes into my head. I take the seat across the table from her. If she goes for her broom, I want to be able to run. Knowing that nothing I can say will make her less angry about the situation; I sip my coffee and stare at the table. I hate feeling like I disappointed anyone in the Riggs family. They have done so much for me and I never want to let them down or give them a reason not to be proud of me. I feel like a complete asshole sitting here, waiting for Mema’s judgment to reign down on me.

  “First off, I know you are beating yourself up inside, feeling like you disappointed me.” Looking up at her, I nod. “And normally I would tell you not to do that to yourself, this time it’s different. Dante, you didn’t even take that lovely girl on a first date and then you propose to her with a sweatshirt? I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around it because I know we raised you better than that. But then I thought to myself, well they both must be batshit crazy because she said yes, to a sweatshirt!” This time I laugh. She makes a good point there. “Please tell me it was at least the slightest bit romantic.” Shrugging my shoulders, I bring the mug to my lips and let the hot liquid flow down the back of my throat. “Dante.” Placing her hands on the table, she adjusts herself in her seat.

  “Alright.” Getting up and walking over to the coffee pot, I refill my mug, thinking about how much I should tell her. “I can’t explain it, Mema. She is just--” I pause, trying to wrap my own mind around how much she affects me. Opening my mouth, I quickly close it and continue to do this a couple times. Why is it so easy to figure this shit out in my head, but when I try to put it in words, I fail every time? Lifting my arm, I run my hand through my hair, tugging at the ends.

  “Are you okay? You look like you’re going to rip all your hair out.” Eyeing me curiously, she grabs her mug, gets up and sits down in the chair next to me.

  “I’m good. I just don’t know how I’m supposed to explain it to you when I can’t even make sense of all it myself.” Resting my head in my hands I let out a sigh.

  “Just try, honey.” Placing her hand on my shoulder, she gives it a squeeze.

  Placing my hand over hers I smile. “Okay. Well for starters, she is the most beautiful yet infuriating woman I have ever met. Before I opened myself up to her, none of that really bothered me. We were just…” Treading delicately, I try and find the most appropriate term for fuck buddy, if there even is one.

  Holding up her hand, she wrinkles her nose. “Don’t say it.” Letting out a laugh, I oblige her request.

  “Fair enough, I don’t even know what made me open up to her.” I do but I can’t exactly tell my grandma about Ava and her undercover position. “She just has this adorable, but nagging way of pushing herself into your life. I never wanted a relationship, let alone marriage, but with her it just feels right, like she’s the only thing in this world that’s worth fighting for. Once I realized that, I knew I couldn’t live the rest of my life without her. So right there, in that moment, I asked her to marry me.”

  “And where were you when that moment hit?” Placing her hand over her eye. “Please don’t tell me in the car or at a supermarket.”

  Feeling my eyes widen, I sit up straight. “Um, we were.” I clear my throat.

  “Oh for heaven’s sake, just spit it out already.” She throws her hand in the air.

  “The bathtub,” I blurt out. “We were in the bathtub.”

  “Humph. Well I guess that could be kind of romantic. Did you at least have candles lit?” I stare at her with a ‘do I really look like a candle kind of guy’ look. “Right, stupid question.” Clapping her hands, she gets up off the chair. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

  The sound of keys jiggling in the lock snaps me back to reality and I quickly glance around. Everything seems to be in order and I pray to God that I don’t fuck this up. I’m so out of my element right now that I can feel the sweat trickling down my temple. Wiping it away, I notice my palms are clammy as well. Wiping them on my pants, I stand straight as the sound of the door closes. This is it, go time.

  I can hear Ava’s voice through her place as she says what the hell and drops her keys in the bowl by the door. I’m hoping she follows the pathway that I left for her of candles and rose petals. If not, I’m going to be standing here like a damn idiot for quite some time. What feels like eternity, standing here waiting for her, I think of the words Mema told me. If you don’t woo her, someone else will. Women like to be wooed. Go give her a proposal that she will never forget. One where when you’re fighting and you will fight, she will remember that very moment and why she chose to marry you and most importantly, forgive easily. It all comes down to that moment my dear boy, the one where you promise her a happily ever after.

  A creaking noise sounds as the door to her bedroom opens. I’ll have to remember to spray that with WD-40. Good God, I need to focus right now, not be her handyman! Ava stands still in the doorway looking around the room. Ali and Joe offered to come over and help set up, but I couldn’t risk them being seen here, so I put out all fifty-five candles and lit them one by one. I was so nervous I was going to knock one over and light her damn place on fire. The room is completely lit up with candles and the flickering of the lights against her silhouette make her an indescribable vision to gaze at. For a brief moment, I get lost in her beauty and just stare in awe. Her silky hair is straight today, flowing down her back with some draped over her shoulder. It lightly brushes the swell of her cleavage that’s trying to peek out of her gray cashmere, V-neck, short-sleeved sweater. She has the new jeans on we got when she took me shopping a few days ago, they are rolled up at
the bottom, showing off her ankle bracelet and black strappy heel sandals.

  “Dante, what on earth is all this?” Motioning her hand to all the candles and petals on the floor, she smiles. “As sexy as you in a suit, surrounded by candles, I’m not going to lie, I’m a little scared to come any further. I might knock a candle over and burn the place down.”

  Grinning, I close the distance between us and grab her hands. “That is what the pathway is for.” Refusing to take my eyes off her, I walk backwards and hope for the best. Once we reach the spot in which I was just previously occupied, I grab the box sitting next to the two glasses filled with champagne. I watch as Ava’s eyes light up. Bending down on one knee, her hands cover her mouth as she gasps.

  “Dante, you don’t have to do this.”

  “Shh. I’m pretty sure you know how this goes.” She nods as a tear steams down her face. “To really love someone, and understand them, you have to know them deep inside. I never in my life imagined I would want or even be capable of a love like that. But you came along, and I suddenly needed to know every thought that was running through your head and all your dreams that you dreamt of so I can make them come true. I can see my future with you, a future filled with you barefoot in my kitchen, pregnant with our third kid, or sixth. Hell, I don’t care how many kids we have as long as we have them. You are it for me, Ava, and I would ask and hope that if I was it for you, but seeing as you already agreed to married me, I know the answer to that. I’m completely helpless when it comes to you and would be lost without you. So what do you say, do you want to spread your wings and fly through life with me?” Opening the box, I grab Mema’s ring and grab her left hand. I wait to place the ring on her finger just in case she decides to change her mind.

  Bouncing on the toes of her feet, she’s opening and closing her fingers in the gimme gimme way a little kid would do for candy. Laughing, I shake my head. “You have to say the magic word first.”

  “Yes!” She yells, grabbing the ring from me and placing it on her hand. Before I can stand, her arms are wrapped around my neck, pulling me up and colliding our lips together in a hasty kiss. Her lips taste salty from the happily shed tears trickling down her face. Pulling away, she holds out her hand and looks at the ring. “This ring is beautiful and it looks antique. Where on earth did you find it?”

  “It found me, actually.” Tilting her head, her eyebrows scrunch in at her confusion. “It was Mema’s ring.” Grabbing her extended hand, I bring it to my lips to kiss it.

  Pulling her hand away she places it over her heart. “Dante, I can’t take this ring.” My stomach drops, she’s already having doubts. Taking a step back, I drop my arms at my side. Ava steps forward, grabbing my hand in hers. “Don’t worry. I still want to marry you. I just can’t take this ring. It should go to Ali.” Relief washes over me.

  “I said the same thing. Turns out, Ali is the one that insisted to Mema that I should have it.” I shrug.

  Pulling her bottom lip into her mouth, I can tell she’s thinking it over. “Well if she insists.” Grabbing my tie, she pulls me into her body and places a slow sensual kiss on my lips this time. Pulling away, I can see the desire flooding her eyes. “I’m still keeping the sweatshirt. That thing is proving to be luckier by the day.” She undoes my tie, placing it around her neck.

  “You can keep the damn thing. I have all the luck I need right here.” Hooking my fingers through her belt loop, I pull her over to the bed, intending to have my way with my fiancé.

  Yesterday everyone met at Michael’s restaurant in the private dining room where someone from Sterling Labs in cliché white lab coats swabbed our mouths. You can tell everyone was confused at the sudden paranoia, but no one dared to argue it. After leaving, I called Sylva to give him the lab’s information so he can go in and make sure Ava and I are safe. He said it would be an easy fix and not to sweat it, so I didn’t. That is, until he called me today and told me that we have a problem. Before I could inquire, he told me he would call me back and hung up before I could find out what exactly this ‘so-called’ problem is.

  My patience is slim, waiting is never a good thing. Not being able to take it, I floor it over to his place. Upon arriving, his car isn’t in his driveway, so I park the car across the street, sink down in my seat, and wait. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I dial his number, only for it to go directly to voicemail. Trying his number again and getting the same result, I bang my fist, hitting the steering wheel a few times before it slips and I sound the horn. Looking out the window, I see Sylva’s neighbor, who is watering her flowers, giving me a nasty look before sharply turning her head away from me and walking into her backyard. Fucking nosey, suburban housewives.

  Growing tired of waiting, I step out of the car, walk up to his porch and sit on one of his rockers. If he’s going to make me wait, I’m at least going to be comfortable while I do it. I would have picked the lock and let myself in if his nosey neighbor wouldn’t keep peeking her head over the fence like she’s Sylva’s own personal Wilson from Home Improvement. How he deals with that, I don’t know.

  Twenty minutes later, his car is finally pulling into the driveway and I see that he isn’t alone. Not only is Riggs in the car with him, but Ava is as well. At this point, I have no fucking idea what’s going on but someone better clue me in fast before I blow a gasket. They all get out of the car, making their way up the sidewalk to the porch.

  “Why is your phone off and what are they doing here?” Sylva doesn’t answer, walking past me to unlock his door. Looking to Joe, his eyes are boring into me like I pissed him off. I wonder what crawled up his ass. Next I turn my attention to Ava. She smiles at me. “What’s going on?” She shrugs

  “I don’t know, but I have something I need to tell you.” Looking excited, she kisses me on the cheek. Everyone walks inside and the silence and unanswered questions are pissing me off.

  Before the door is even closed, I turn to Riggs. “Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on? You,” pointing to Sylva, “you say you’re going to call me right back and then you shut your phone off and I can’t reach you. And then you show up here with not just Riggs, but Ava as well. I see you had plenty of time to pick them up but no time to call me back.”

  “I didn’t call you back because I knew you were here.” Sylva opens his laptop and turns it on. Grabbing papers off the printer, he hands them to Riggs.

  “How could you possibly know I was here?”

  “My neighbor called and told me that some guy was blaring his car horn in front of my house before he got out and parked his ass on my porch.”

  “First off, I wasn’t blaring my horn. I accidently hit it. Second, that is one nosey woman. She kept peeking over her fence every five minutes and at one point I waved and said ‘I’m still here’.” Sylva laughs shaking his head.

  “You have a beautiful home, Sylva.” Looking around the living room, Ava tries to change the subject.

  ‘Thank you. My wife did all the decorating.”

  “A real fucking Suzy homemaker, now will tell me what the fuck this is all about?”

  Riggs is studying the paperwork that Sylva handed him and his lips form into a firm line as his eyes dart to Ava.

  “What are you looking at?” I question Riggs. I’ve known him long enough to read his body language and right now he is pissed.

  “Did you know about this?” Smacking the paper he was holding to my chest. I look at the letterhead, curious to what I’m reading. Sterling Labs is printed across with a bunch of genetic codes with numbers and letters next to them, I might as well be reading Chinese.

  “Okay, it’s the results from the swabs we got taken of us. I don’t know how to read this shit. Surely you have someone in forensics who can help you out.” Extending out my arm, I hold the paper out to give back to Riggs, only he doesn’t take it.

  “We do and we had them on stand-by to make sure we didn’t mess this up.” Since Joe doesn’t take the paper, I drop my arm down to my side.
Taking another piece of paper, he hands that one to Ava this time. She looks at me questionably but takes the paper.

  “If he can’t read this, I sure as hell can’t.” Her eyes study the paper in her hand.

  “I’m only going to ask this once and I want nothing but the Gods honest truth from both of you, or so help me.” Grabbing the two papers from our hands, Riggs holds them together side by side. Sylva clears his throat and shifts in his seat. I can tell he’s uncomfortable, I’m just not sure why.

  “See these lines here?” Pointing to the papers. “This indicates that these two people share the same DNA.”

  “I didn’t see Michael get tested, though. I don’t get why they would test him.” Ava states. “I know Sal got tested just to make the guys feel like everyone was getting done, but Michael wasn’t even there.”

  “Ava,” my voice is low and controlled, unsure what this truly means, “this paper has your name on it. Why do you have matching DNA with Sal?”

  “What?” Snatching the papers out of Riggs hands, she takes a closer look at them. “This can’t be right. This has to be a mistake. Run it again.” Walking over to Sylva, she shoves the papers at him.

  “I did already, three times.” Sylva slowly grabs the papers from her hands, his face looking like he sucked on a lemon.

  “Ava?” I move toward her.

  Holding her hand up, she walks over to the couch and takes a seat, looking out the window. Moving across the room, I sit down next to her and put my finger under her chin, turning her face to me. “Ava, now is not the time to be closed off. You told me you didn’t know your real father.” Pushing herself away from me, she glares.

  “And I don’t. What, do you think I lied to you?” Moving closer to her, I grab her hand in mine.