“Explain.” She nods and sits on the picnic blanket. Her eyes implore me to sit with her and as much as I want to deny her, I could never say no to her, and I find I can’t now.
“Do you remember how many nights we used to spend talking about getting married and having kids? How we wanted to finish school and live our lives?” I nod my head. “Do you remember your picture you created during those talks? Do you remember where you wanted to live?” Frowning, I try to think back, hearing our conversation, the wants, needs and desires we shared for our future. All I hear is love, family and devotion. I shake my head and she giggles, shaking hers. “Some things never change.” That elicits a smile from me. “We have always been in sync with our hopes and dreams, but toward the end, you began talking about life in the big city and making plans and it suddenly dawned on me that we maybe didn’t want the same things.” I move to interject but she holds up her hand.
“I know you asked me to marry you every chance you got, but see…the life I want is here, in this town, surrounded by my friends and family and I didn’t want to be the one holding you back from something you wanted. So, when I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t want to be the girl trapping you into a small town life.” Staring at the woman I love in disbelief as she wrings her hands, I see the hurt she has been holding in as well and I finally break. Every ounce of pain and betrayal I had been feeling dissipates. She left to do what was best for me. Typical Tiff.
As the tension leaves me, I boom out a laugh, my body convulsing at the absurdity of her thought process, but also laughing at the sheer silliness of all of this. There has never been a moment when I didn’t want whatever she did. Opening my arms, I don’t say anything. My eyes meet hers and I know she can read the command. That is how it always was with us. We had an unspoken connection of lust, untamable desire and love. Pure devotion to everything that was us. She sucks in a breath, her body trembling because she knows I am answering her, waiting for her to respond. When she runs to me, more like waddles, I wrap her in my arms as much as I can and inhale her scent. The sweet smell of honey and cinnamon fills my lungs, and I am finally complete once again.
“Fuck I missed you, baby,” I say into her ear.
“I missed you too, Mark. So much.” We stand holding one another for a few minutes before we both sit back down.
“Do you remember our junior year in high school? We were walking home, and you told me you couldn’t wait to leave this town and all the catty girls behind. You said you wanted to see something different where no one knew you and you could be who you wanted to be.”
“Oh God, yes. I remember that day.” I am sure she does. She pictures herself as awkward and less pretty than the other girls. “I was a nerd, and I was quiet. Siobhan and her click were so mean to me. I just remember being done and wanting to move away.” As soon as she says it I see the lightbulb go off. “You were going to leave home for me?” Her face is in my chest, tears filling her eyes.
“Yes. I would have left with you. I would go anywhere you are, baby. Anywhere.” She looks up at me and I see love shining in her eyes. My eyes trace her beautiful face, noting how being pregnant has made her glow. Her lips are fuller and when her tongue snakes across it; I can no longer resist. My hand grips her hair at the nape, and I take her mouth in a kiss full of thirst and need. I don’t ask. I don’t finesse. I take it because she is mine. I may have been unsure for the last few months, but right now hearing her reason for leaving, I know it.
She moans into my mouth, her hand gripping my shirt as she pushes herself into me. My teeth nip at her lip as I suck her tongue into my mouth, groaning at the warmth I have missed. Her pleas and quiet cries make my cock leak, recognizing the noises of his pussy calling for him. My mind is hazy, filled with uncapped desperation ready to take her on the picnic blanket. Then I feel the rumble against my abdomen. Licking her lips once more, I pull back chuckling at my daughter, still in the womb and already a cockblocker.