The Ritual

She swallows, her pretty blue eyes searching mine. “What should we do?”

I smile, lowering my lips to her neck. “I know several things that I can do.” The first thing is to rip these fucking clothes off of her.

After she killed Valerie and Matt was taken care of, everything settled down. Our life turned somewhat normal—as much as it can being a Lord and a Lady. I offered to give her a big wedding—a proper one—with friends and family. I wanted my wife to have the chance for the world to see me profess my undying love to her. After all, being a Lord has taught me if there’s not an audience to witness, it didn’t exist.

She declined. My wife understands how much I love her and didn’t need an audience. Instead, she took pictures. All the time. Of me and her. Of our twin boys and our daughter. I wanted us to have a big family but complications during her pregnancy with Ryann resulted in an emergency c-section and a hysterectomy. And although I imaged us having more, I couldn’t be happier with the family that she gave me.

I bought this cabin out in the middle of nowhere to be alone. To get away from everything. My wife made it a home. The once empty house is now filled with photos over the years we have spent together on vacations, date nights, our kids succeeding in school and sports. It tells our life story.

Of course, it hasn’t always been pretty. I didn’t expect it to be. Blake can be just as stubborn as me. We fought over the Lord’s, my career, the kids. She once asked me if I believed in life after death. If there was anything better than this. Almost twenty years later and my answer hasn’t changed.

I was forced to pick her as my chosen, but she continues to choose me every day. And that is what I call heaven. Because life without her would be hell.

THE END