Baron

by ChaShiree M.

  “My room is the one on the left,” she tells me, nuzzling into my neck further.

  Moving into the room, I strip her down the rest of the way before gently laying her down in the bed. I stand and take the rest of my clothes off before climbing into the bed with her. Pulling her close to me, I bask in the feel of her body on mine. Just as I am about to drift off, I remember we never discussed what upset her in the first fucking place.

  “Why did you walk away from me?”

  “I felt like you were marrying me only to help me stay in the country. I couldn't let you.”

  “That was a mistake on my part. I thought it was too soon to tell you what I feel. I was afraid it would push you away, because you would think I was crazy. Instead, not telling you what I was feeling, it pushed you away.”

  “I should have been an adult about it and told you what I needed. If you still want to ask me, I would be inclined to give a different answer now that I’ve thought about it,” she tells me, rubbing circles on my abs.

  “So, are you going to move in with me?” I ask, hesitantly.

  “Yes,” she says sleepily. “But it has to be in my own timeframe.”

  “Deal.”

  Thank fuck. Now that I’ve met her, loved her, and then been without her, there is no way in hell I can ever do that again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Frannie

  Two Weeks Later

  I cannot believe this is happening. I literally pinched myself this morning when I woke up. Never in a million years did I see myself moving into a penthouse with a man I have known all of five weeks. It’s more than that though. It’s more than just moving in with him. We are starting a life.

  We are not engaged and to some that would be an issue. But not to me. I want to make sure it is real love. Do I want to marry him someday? Absolutely! But not until he is ready. I can be patient. Especially considering I knew he was ready to call the moving truck the moment I agreed. But instead, he took a deep breath and gave me time to wrap my head around how fast everything is moving.

  We have spent the last few weeks getting to know one another by spending every waking moment together doing questions and answers. To my surprise, he understood what was holding me back. Everything was happening too quickly, and I needed to feel like we knew one another.

  One night when I came over for dinner, he had notepads and pencils laying on the table. I asked him what they were for and he told me it was our chance to talk about everything. Big or little. We decided to ask 100 questions. You have no clue how excited I was for this. As much as I love him, I was still clueless about the little things. I learned a number of things. Some were shocking. Others...not so surprising.

  For example, his favorite color is pale pink. Obviously, this was not expected, because well...he’s a man. But then he explained. The first time he met his mom before she and Kieran adopted them, she was wearing a pale pink dress. He said that dress was in his dreams every night until they came and got them. Even after he went to live with them, he associated the color with the smell of her the first night he slept in his own room. Talk about a blubbery mess. Listening to him convey what he was feeling the night he met the Roades and as he waited for them to come and get him. I couldn’t imagine.

  The next surprising thing was when I asked him his favorite song. Now a man like him, I assumed he would say something like jazz or blues. Nope. Wrong again. He said, ‘Drink You Away’ by Justin Timberlake. When I asked him why, he informed me that it is because he tried to do just that when I walked away from him. Swoon.

  This went on the whole night with him asking me questions. He asked me my favorite food. That was easy...Mac and cheese. Though my favorite Canadian dish is Poutine. So freaking delicious. Things got a bit serious when he asked me if I wanted kids. I contemplated whether to change the subject, but that is the point of this right? To talk about this stuff. So, I answered honestly and told him yes. He smiled at me, took my hands, pulled me into his arms, then told me he did too. We found different ways and times to openly communicate. With every question and every answer, I fell more and more in love with him.

  Now, I am standing in the beautiful lobby watching Baron, his brothers, and a couple of movers walk in with boxes. “Are you ok, Frannie?” I turn and look at Esther who is staring at me and smiling with her hands on her hips.

  “I’m sorry. I just… I can’t believe this. Can you believe this?” I spread my arms motioning to everything around me.

  “I knew the moment you told me about him, that you two were going to be married. I mean, looking at you both. Together, you two look like a sometimes inappropriate, but always real, window of love.” I feel a blush starting to run through my cheeks. It’s true. No matter where we are or who we are with, Baron and I always seem to find a way to make out and get a bit...heated.

  “Thank you, Esther. I mean it. You were the first person here in the U.S. to make me feel like a part of it. You found me in school and never let go. Your friendship and the love and support of your family got me through plenty of rough times. After I lost my parents at such a young age, I felt as if I would never know the love of a family again. I love you, Esther. You are the best friend/sister anyone could have.” Our arms wrap around one another as we cry like big babies.

  “Damn you for making me mess up my makeup.” The two of us are laughing as we wipe our face.

  “I’m sorry. I feel like I haven't said it enough and I needed you to know.” This is another reason I took my time moving out. Esther. I didn’t want to leave my best friend and sister.

  “Frannie, you know I am going to miss you too. But who knows? Things are starting to look up.” Hmmm. Something about the way she said ‘no worries’ has my mind racing. What is she up to now?

  “Alright. Well, I guess we better go upstairs. Baron’s mom should be here soon, and I want to at least get the living room cleared out, so we can all eat and enjoy my first night in my new place.”

  “Sounds like a great idea.” She answers without looking at me. Something fishy is definitely going on and I am going to get it out of…

  “Oh my gosh,” falls from my lips as I walk into the penthouse to a foyer and living room covered in white orchids and blue roses. I can hear a piano playing ‘All of Me’ by John Legend as candles flicker in the distance. My eyes begin to water, even before I see Baron striding towards me with a look of love and surety only he could pull off. My heart begins to beat faster and faster the closer he comes, and suddenly I am not even sure I am going to be able to speak. He looks so fucking good in his jeans and t-shirt. I love him in a suit, don’t get me wrong. But when he is just chilling and dressed down there is something...masterful about him...dominant...if you will. Hell, I should close my eyes. My pussy is getting throbby thinking about it, and I am not sure right now is the time.

  “Baron. What’s going on?” I ask trying to bring myself back to the present. Instead of answering me, he pulls me into the middle of the room and gets on his knees, bringing me down with him.

  “I know traditionally I am supposed to kneel, and you stand. But we have done nothing the way it should be since we first met.” I giggle because he is right.

  “I had this whole speech planned out. This elaborate set of words to hopefully impress upon you my sincerity. But, now that I am looking at you, I wouldn’t even know how to begin to describe how much I love you. Marry me, Red. Marry me because we make each other think outside the box. Marry me because until you, I didn’t know I was hiding from love and making myself immune to it. You showed up serving my food and sent a virus through me that couldn’t withstand the soar of emotions flooding my body. Marry me because without you, I am nothing. Marry me, Frannie. Let’s be everything. Together.” How the hell is a girl supposed to speak after that.

  My head begins to nod as I try to find the words to tell this beautiful man of mine that I have been waiting for this. “Is that a yes, baby?” I sniff the liquid coming down my face and lean into him.
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br />   “Yes. Yes, Baron. I love you so much. Of course, I will marry you. You are nuts do you know that?”

  “I do know that. You’re nuts too. That’s what makes us perfect together.” Our lips meet as we laugh and embrace one another.

  “Can we come out now?” I turn, a bit taken aback I was not aware there was someone here.

  “Yes, mom. You can come out now.”

  “Yay!!! Oh, my boy. I am so happy for you. Both of you. Frannie.” She pulls me into a hug. “I finally have a daughter.” And I am crying again.

  Suddenly the room is filled with all his brothers and Esther. I thought they had all left. After a ton of hugs, congrats, and food we finally fall into bed. Snuggling up to my fiancé, I can’t help but feel like everything I have been through was to bring me to this moment. To this man. This family.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Baron

  Six Months Later

  Planning the wedding has really been taking a toll on Frannie. If I had my way, we would have gotten married as soon as I had asked her. But she said she wanted a nice wedding, though only Esther would be on her side. She hasn’t been feeling well lately. She thinks that I haven’t noticed that she throws up all the time, but I do. I don’t know much about women, but I know mine hasn’t had a period the entire time we’ve been together. We have sex all the time, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she is probably pregnant. Since she doesn’t have class this afternoon, I take the afternoon off and head to the drug store. I pick up the two different kinds of pregnancy tests the clerk recommends, pay for them, and head home.

  Sure enough, I can hear her in the bathroom as soon as I walk in the condo. I drop my briefcase on the kitchen counter and take the bag with me down the hall. I knock lightly on the bathroom door.

  “Red?” I ask through the partially closed door.

  “Yes,” she says weakly. “Come in.”

  “Are you okay?” I ask as soon as I walk in the room. She is wearing my t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Her little bare feet are sticking out of the too wide legs.

  “No, I think I have the flu. You probably shouldn’t be in here though.”

  “I don’t think you have the flu, babe,” I say chuckling.

  “Please, don’t laugh at my misery,” she says getting up from the floor. She brushes her teeth and limply brushes her hair.

  “I’m not laughing at your misery. Here take one of these and we’ll see what kind of doctor we need to take you too,” I say, taking the bright pink box out of the bag and handing it to her.

  “I’m not pregnant,” she says, trying to hand it back to me. “I can’t be.”

  “What do you mean can’t be?”

  “I am not ready for that. I still have school,” she says pacing.

  “You’ll be ready, I promise. We’ll be fine.”

  “Baron, really.”

  “Just humor me okay? I’ll step outside.”

  “Fine,” she says, taking the box from me. I wait outside the door. “You can come back in,” she says.

  “You okay?”

  “Three minutes and we’ll know.”

  “It’s gonna be fine, Red.”

  “What if it’s negative?” she asks softly.

  “You don’t want it to be?”

  “No. I know that I had a lot of excuses before, but of course I want to have babies with you. I just thought we’d have more time together first.”

  “We have the rest of our lives, Red. I promise.”

  “I know. I am just all over the place,” she says walking into my open arms.

  “We’ll look together, okay?”

  “Okay.” I grab the test and see the plus sign immediately, showing it to her. “It’s positive!” She exclaims.

  “It is, Frannie. We got this.” She calls her doctor and she can get in to see her in the morning.

  “Good morning, Ms. Smythe,” her doctor says, coming into the room.

  “Hi, Doctor James. How are you today?”

  “I am well. What are we here for today? Birth control?” She asks, looking at Baron pointedly.

  “I think it’s too late for that. I’ve had a positive pregnancy test at home and the one Nurse Jeana just gave me was a well.”

  “Congratulations. Let’s just see how far along you are then, shall we?” She asks.

  “Yes, please.” When we came in, the nurse had her put on a gown with her pants on. The doctor lifts the gown and smears some goo on her belly. Seconds after rubbing the wand on her belly, a whooshing sound fills the air.

  “That’s our baby,” she whispers, squeezing my hand. I can tell she’s crying and fuck if I’m not having a hard time trying not to cry.

  “Yes, it is Red,” I tell her, effectively choking back my tears.

  “Very healthy heartbeat. We are measuring at twelve weeks. I’ll print out some pictures for you and get you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. I’ll want to see you monthly unless you feel like something isn’t right. In the end, you are the one carrying this baby. If anything feels weird or even off, call and let us know. I’ll fit you in. Now, do you have any questions?”

  “No, I think I’m good. Do you have any questions, Baron?” Frannie asks.

  “No, I am good too,” I say, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

  “Alright, well if you guys think of something, just give me a call.

  ‘Thank you, Doctor James,” I say, shaking her hand.

  “See you next month,” she says before leaving the room. I help her get dressed and we leave.

  “I want to tell people right away,” Frannie says, practically bouncing in her seat.

  “Alright. Let me text my mom and see if we can head out there now. I am sure my brothers can be there as well.” Getting the go-ahead from mom, we head out to the suburbs.

  Somehow, Mom manages to put together an entire meal on short notice. A giant roast beef with all the fixings is ready by the time we get there. Princeton and Duke are already there. Marquis is here too, with the girl from behind the dumpster. Chrissy. I gotta say she looks a helluva lot better than she did that day, and much happier too. I am glad that Marquis was able to get through to her.

  As soon as we sit down, Frannie clears her throat. “We have some news,” she says.

  “You do? Did you buy a new house?” Dad asks.

  “No, nothing like that. I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh my God. What amazing news, but what does this mean for the wedding?”

  “What do you mean?” Frannie asks.

  “Well, no grandchild of mine should be born out of wedlock,” Mom says. Of all the things I thought she would say, that is not what I was not expecting.

  “Geez, Mom. What a weird thing to say,” I tell her.

  “Of course, I am happy. Ecstatic. But it’s true,” she says.

  “What she means is,” Dad begins.

  “I said what I meant, Kiernan.”

  “Alright, everyone calm down. We still have six months before the wedding,” I say.

  “Let’s move it up,” Frannie says.

  “What?” I ask, looking at her.

  “It’s stressing me out anyways. Let’s get married next week. I don’t care if anyone is there but us and Esther.”

  “Yes. Do invite Esther,” Duke says hastily, causing Frannie to grin.

  “Don’t do this because you think you have to, Red,” I say leaning closer to her.

  “No, really. I thought I wanted a big wedding, but I really don’t. It’s too much work. Something small and intimate is better.”

  “If you are sure?” I ask.

  “I’m sure.”

  With the matter settled, Frannie, Chrissy, and Mom get to work on it. They leave the table together, while my brothers, dad, and I finish our meal.

  “Congrats, bro,” Princeton says, pouring more wine.

  “Yeah. Great news, little bro,” Duke says.

  “Are you prepared for this?” Dad, my voice of reason, asks.


  “I am, very much so. I’m happy.”

  “I’m glad. I hear babies are hard work. I never had one as you know, but I’ve heard things.”

  “I’ve heard that too, Baron,” Marquis says somberly. “You are entering new territory for us. You’ll have to tell us how it really is… so we can be prepared,” he says showing us a side I’ve never seen from him, uncertainty.

  “I think we can handle it,” I say chuckling.

  Less than three days later, we are standing in front of the pastor of the church I’ve been going to since I was adopted. My beautiful bride is standing next to me in a long white gown. She is so fucking beautiful and about to be all mine. Suddenly, all I can think about is how I am now responsible for two additional lives and all that entails. I am beyond ready to be her husband, lover, and protector until the end of time.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride,” the pastor says.

  Thank fuck. I kiss her hard and we walk down the aisle hand in hand. Our reception is really more of a brunch with just my immediate family. We didn’t have time to invite the society people my parents normally would, and they were fine with it. Besides, I have three brothers to fulfill that role for them.

  After we eat, we head home. Our honeymoon to Paris isn’t until next week, but for now I can’t wait to get home and make love to my wife.

  I can’t wait to see what the rest of our life has in store for us.

  Epilogue

  Frannie

  Eighteen Months Later

  Oh boy. Here he goes again. I think walking into the kitchen. No. Scratch that. I am waddling into the kitchen. That’s right. I’m pregnant. Again. Six months to be exact. Today is our daughter's first birthday and I am trying to get her cake ready before the guests arrive.

  “What are you doing up on your feet, Red?” I turn to look at my deliciously handsome husband.