Two Loves and One Decision

by LeLa Summers

know because I have never felt this way before”. Josh said as he kissed Clarissa hands. Clarissa smiled and cupped Josh face in here hands. “There is no other place I whether be than with you”. “So now it’s time for us to meet the family are you ready to take this ride with me”. Josh said as he pulled Clarissa closer to him. “Ready and willing, remember we are in this together, for better or for worse”. Clarissa said as she kissed Josh softly.

  A New Beginning a New Future

  Josh would not have ever imagined that he would get to this point in his life, it all felt like a dream. Some nights he would just sit on the side of the bed and stay up late on purpose just to make sure the dream would stay a reality but after everything started falling into place, he knew he could start to rest easy. Now he was a believer in miracles, he knew that there was a destiny to things in life, things that could never have an explanation to them. Sitting next to the woman he loved, the woman that he thought he would never get another chance with; now today his life is full of possibilities. “Well, we are here; are you ready to go in and begin a new life”. Clarissa said as she looked at her face in the mirror and applying lip gloss. To be honest Josh didn’t have the guts to move but he knew he had to, he had to face fear in the face; truthfully why should he be fearful it was only his mother and sister but again he haven’t seen the two in ages. All the what if’s went through Josh head and the fear came flooding back. Clarissa squeezed Josh hand as a gesture of confidence. Clarissa always knew what to do to bring me back on track. “This is ready as I am going to get”. Clarrisa and Josh stood at the door before knocking just breathing heavily hoping they both were doing the right thing. After all it doesn’t have to go well; Josh has heard of so many stories of families being destroyed because of reunions such as this. “Josh, Josh my boy why are you and Clarissa standing out here, come in come in. I saw you through the window has I was going to make another cup of coffee for your mother”. His stepfather detective Ingram said. “Clarissa you are a beautiful angel, you sure are blessed to have a beautiful woman like this in your life; come on you two let’s go in the family room were everyone is waiting”. Josh squeezed Clarissa hand so tight Clarissa let out a small yelp. “Everyone, everyone look at who is here”. The whole room suddenly went from noisy to silent, so unbelievably silent that it was scary. Josh searched across the room to pick out is mother but there was so many women in the room he couldn’t tell. “Josh let me introduce you to some family you don’t know, first this is your aunt Judith we call her pickles, I’ll tell you later why we call her pickles, this is your aunt Lynn, your aunt Josie, your aunt Morgan, Your aunt Lovely and yes that is her real name; don’t ask me I don’t know why? And your aunt Carol; I know it seems like a lot of aunts and well it is but they have all been dying to see their nephew. Now we have a few brave men that decided to stick it out with the cackling hens and that is your uncle Bruce, your uncle Benji and yes that is his real name my mother like the movie so there you go and your uncle Christopher. I know it is a lot to take in right now but we all wanted to be here to welcome you and Clarissa to the family. Josh started to look sad, he just knew that his mother and sister would be in the group but they were not, I guess he figured that it would be too much. “I know your wondering where your mother and sister are, that introduction requires some personal bonding, there in the study area with Cannon. Clarissa looked up at Josh with a sigh of relief on her face; she knew the agony that was surging through him all of this time. As they entered the study Josh emotions went from nervous to down right uncontrollable but Clarissa reminded him by squeezing his hand that she was right there with him. “Josh this is Rebecca and your mother”. His stepfather gave Josh a confident pat on his back and pushed him toward his mother. His mother was a beautiful woman, it was as if she didn’t age a bit, her hair was longer than he remembered and bit darker brown in color but none the less it was still that beautiful brown color hair that he use to play in when he was a boy, her skin was as if she never went out in the sun so flawless and smooth and when he looked into his mother eyes instead of seeing the hopeless brown eyes full of hurt and pain that he saw when he was a boy this time her eyes were bright brown and full of life. “Oh Joshua, my baby Joshua, my baby boy; I don’t want to let go I don’t want to stop holding you Joshua”. Linda said as she squeezed Joshua with all of her might. His mother smelled as beautiful as she looked, she was timeless a pure angel of warmth. Josh didn’t want to let go; he held on so long to her that the tears started to flow faster down his cheek and onto his mother hair. Cannon, Rebecca, Patrick and Clarissa started to tear up and cry. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The emotions were high; it could be felt by those eavesdropping outside the door. “My baby Joshua, darling how I missed you so much; words will never be able to explain what a mother feels not being able to see her child but it is as if I never left you”. Josh thought he would be angry or hurt about his mother absence in his life but all he wanted to do was to hold on to her and stay in her arms. “Mom, I thought I never say that word again”. Josh said as he step back to see his mother face”. It was as if everything was perfect it was if he never left his mother side. The two hugged for another ten minute and cried together. “Are you going to ignore your little sister as usual”? Rebecca said as she steps to him and embraced them both to form a circle. “Josh moved backward to get a good look at the little sister that annoyed him and he was amazed at how gorgeous she was, she looked like she could be a model. “ Rebecca, I am amazed, your as beautiful as mother”. Josh hugged Rebecca and both cried uncontrollably. Clarissa looked at Josh and his reunion with his mother and sister and she saw a man that she never seen so vulnerable, so helpless and so emotional, it must have been torture for him day after day not knowing the fate of his family but now all of that is behind him and he can move forward. After everyone hugged for what seem liked two hours, Josh introduce his mother and family to Clarissa. “Oh Josh she is so beautiful”. Linda said as she grabbed Clarissa hand and smiled and pulled her over to hug her. Clarissa never felt so much love in one family and she knew she enjoyed being there. “So big brother, how does it feel to be a part of a big family”? Cannon said as he walked over and gave Josh a pat on the back. “It feels really great, it is something I have wanted my entire life”. “Well just wait until aunt Pickles and the rest of the chickadees start hen pecking you”. His stepfather said as he squeezed his wife Linda. Everyone laughed and started once again hugging and conversing with one another as if nothing has every happened. “Let me steal you away while everyone is in the room. His mother said whispering. Linda quietly walked Josh out of the room and into what look like a sitting room. “Josh my love, I waited so long to see you, I have cried so many night for so many years, hoping and praying each night to see you again, hoping that you would forgive me for not coming back to get you, I know I should have, I should have just fought the Stephens but when I saw you secretly one day playing in the front yard with them and I saw how happy you were, I just couldn’t pull you away. You went through so much as a young boy, I remembered you would always try to be the protector of the house but the bad memories I knew you held on to sometimes would get the best of you”. Linda squeezed Josh hand and cried uncontrollable. “Mom, I love you and I never stop loving you, you are my mother and how could a son stop loving his mother, I forgive you mom, you only wanted the best for me, you only wanted to see me happy. Once Patrick told me that you had every picture of birthdays and graduation, including every thing I went through even getting engage, I knew then that you still loved me”. “Oh Joshua, my sweet Joshua, I love you so much”. Linda held on to Joshua and cried once again and this time Rebecca found them both in the sitting room and looked on as the two of them shared their private moment. “Rebecca, dear come; I know you were very young when you two split apart but I hope you two can still share much love between you both. “Mom, I may have been young but I still remember Joshua as if he never left my side at the playground”. Rebecca said sitting Josh down a
nd giggling. “Josh do you remember the time that Arnold Horowitz pushed me down in the sandbox and you ran over and punched him in the nose”. Josh burst out laughing because he couldn’t believe that both of them still remember when they were kids and how he would protect his sister. “Wow, I do and boy was he mad; we both had to stay after class and mom ran up to the school to keep...” Josh stop short in completing the sentence. “It’s okay Josh, it is important to get over the past, I’ll finish it for you, mom had to come up to the school and secretly speak to the teacher so that dad wouldn’t find out”. Josh felt relieve and knew that he could talk openly about the past and the hurt. Soon Clarissa was by his side and the day went on with stories of joy, hurt and future events. The night ended by conversation of a new life with Rissa and a wedding to come.

  One Year Later and a Bright Future

  Josh and Clarissa married a year later and became parents of twin boys shortly after