Always Us (Always and Forever 2)

“I must be good to get that pristine little mouth to say such foul fucking things.” With that, I find my release.

Four orgasms later, six for her, I get her cleaned up with a wet towel and adjust us both to a slightly composed version of who we were just an hour ago. She looks pregnant, beautiful, and thoroughly fucked. I consummated our marriage like a fucking savage.

SHAYLA STAYS MOSTLY QUIET AND tired, attached to my hip the whole night. Not leaving my side for more than a bathroom br

eak or refill of her water. The setup Kings and Lana did looks great. The patio has a long table under a wooden beam pergola that’s strung with white lights, giving it the starry night look. The sun has set and the waves crash softly in the background.

To the right of the table, where the fire pit sits, there is a screen playing a slideshow of Shayla and me from our younger years to now, together as friends and a couple. What a beautiful ride it has been. The outdoor speakers are playing our wedding song while I stand here dancing in tiny circles with her. She has her head resting on my shoulder; I wore her out earlier. Her tiny bare feet lay on mine as I move us around the small area by the pool.

“Do you remember the first time we heard this song?” “Never Stop” by SafetySuit is carrying out of the speakers and over the patio.

She nods her head. “Yes. Prom night. We slow danced to it outside in the rain.”

I smile at the memory of her in that white dress, raindrops running down her soft features, collecting between her cleavage where I envisioned myself licking them up. Her hair was matted to her face in stringy strands. Her makeup all washed away from the downpour, showing her tiny spatter of freckles over her cheekbones.

“You saved me like a hero that night.” She plays with the collar of my suit, folding it over then messing it up again, she does this over and over again.

“I think that was one of my favorite memories of you. I think of it often.” I kiss her forehead, letting my lips linger. “Well, that one and the one time I walked in on you shaving your pussy, that was awesome.” She throws her head back and slaps my chest.

“Pervert!”

“Ow, babe!” I laugh.

“You deserved it, that was so embarrassing, I never shaved before, but all the girls at school talked about it. I thought I needed to do it, in case I got a boyfriend and we—you know…”

“No, I don’t actually.” Shayla, as my pregnant wife, has definitely upped the ante on how jealous I get over her. “I’m going to ignore what you just said and go back to thinking about that dance.”

“You get my heart racing all the time. You do the littlest things that make me swoon.”

I laugh at her choice of words. “Swoon, huh? Like what?”

She blushes trying to hide her face from me, turning it away.

“Like what, beautiful?” Her eyes find mine again.

“You in glasses at night when you’re watching a football game or reading something. That’s sexy. Or when your arms move a certain way and I see the veins bulge from your tan skin. When you wink at me, or the way you bite your lip when you make love to me, the thrust of your hips.” Well, my ego just boosted up to a hundred.

“You can be so cute when you’re shy and horny.”

“Hush, it’s not just sexual. I also love the way you say I love you, like it’s the last thing you’ll ever say to me. The way you listen to me, you listen like everything I say is something you’ve never known before. It’s romantic, it makes my heart beat super fast. When I think about the fact that we’ve been best friends for almost my entire life.” Her face looks soft under the pergola lights.

“Shayla Adams, you’re a fucking saint, you know that?” She smirks.

“Just wait. I have one more thing for you.” She pulls us toward the screen where our pictures are playing on the slideshow. Everyone else is standing around us. Kathy with Tom, Lana and Kingston wrapped in each other and they’re all looking at the screen. I lose Shay’s heat as she makes her way toward the screen. I watch curiously as she opens the disc slot and the slideshow stops. She replaces it with something else and the screen turns black. She saunters back to me then finds her place, snuggling back into my side, my arm wrapped tightly around her while her arms circle my hips, clinging to me.

The voice I hear coming through the speakers stops me dead in my tracks. I look up slowly from Shayla and watch the screen. Hit with a thousand emotions, the face staring back at me feels so far but so close. Pops.

“Trey, you did it. You may ask why I made this video. Well, if you’re watching it then you know why. After your mom left I saw the void in your heart form. I feared for the longest time that there would come a time when you would lose me, too. Unfortunately, this means you have, but really you didn’t lose me, Trey. I’m always gonna be there for you. Maybe not physically, but in spirit. I’m glad I made this video to tell you the words I wish I could say if I were there. You’re at school right now, so I took today to make you a couple of videos. One for every special occasion in your life.”

I can’t believe I’m seeing my dad, seeing him in a way I never knew I would. I look down at Shayla; she’s staring at the screen, entranced, little tears rolling down her face. She’s holding me to the ground, passing her energy through me and igniting enough strength for the both of us. The small smile on her face is understated and simple, beautiful and captivating—my talisman. I look up at the screen again. Meeting the same eyes as mine. He looks so happy, so proud. I wonder if he felt sad at the thought that I may one day witness this video in his absence. If he did I can’t tell, I only see my Pops, happy and proud.

“Today’s your wedding day, son.” He pauses, removing his thick black-framed glasses that he used to wear before I finally convinced him to get contacts. He pinches the bridge of his nose, and I feel a bolt of pain and protectiveness rip through me. If he were here, I would hug him. But I can’t, all I can do is watch and listen. He makes eye contact with the camera, tears falling down his wrinkled cheeks and his eyes even more blue. A smile tugs on his lips and I ease up a little.

“It’s your wedding day, and I wish more than anything that I could be there. I would have loved it.” Softly, music begins to play from the speakers on each side of the screen. I know the song. I hear Cole Swindell’s voice start the first words of “You Should Be Here.” There is something sparking from the center of my chest, the feeling of closure.

“I hate that you’re watching this, son, I hate that I’m not there. But what I don’t hate is the fact that you made me so damn proud. You gave up and let go of the past and opened your heart to true love and that’s the one wish I had for you. I don’t know who you are, woman, but damn it, thank you for sticking with my son. He needed you. P.S. if it’s you, Shayla, I’m so happy you’re gonna be my daughter, if not, Kathy, this needs to be edited out with whatever technology we have.” We all erupt in laughter as my dad points to someone behind the camera. Kathy says something and they playfully banter back and forth before he winks at her.

Smooth, Dad.