by Katie Dowe
********
They went back to the park later that night after they'd eaten and showered and change. Afiya had on a plain white and blue jumper that suited her full figure very well. Her husband was wearing shorts and a thin white t-shirt and they held hands as they made their way among the people enjoying the many festivities. Many people came forward to greet them as they made their way into the park. It was almost eight but the sun was still high in the sky and children were frolicking around and having fun.
They joined the rest of the visitors who were either sitting on the carpet-like grass or on the chairs provided. Prince Alexander had his princess on his lap while they both enjoyed roasted corn. Others were eating hotdogs or burgers from the grill. “I swear that food eaten outdoors tastes better than food eaten inside. This is the best burger I've tasted in years!” Leesa said as she leaned back against her husband’s broad chest. He had his arm around her while he enjoyed a beer.
“I do agree with you,” Kelly was perched on her husband’s lap and enjoying a hotdog with everything on it.
“Quite a place you have here Afiya,” Edward said as he lay on the ground with his head resting in his wife’s lap. “It’s beautiful and serene.”
“I love it here,” Afiya smiled happily as she sat between her husband’s legs and leaned back against him.
“So I understand that you'll be staying here?” Preston asked them.
“We are,” Garrett rested his forehead on his wife’s head. “We have no idea where we want to build our house yet but for now we're hanging out in the apartment.”
“It’s a wonderful place to raise children,” Addison said dreamily as she nibbled at her husband’s corn dog.
They turned then to watch the fireworks, each caught up in the excitement of the moment. Hours later they were still reluctant to leave the park but very soon Garrett realized that his wife was nodding off exhausted from the very full day she'd had.
That night as he pulled the sheets over her body he stood there watching her as she snored gently. He hadn't bothered to touch her because he saw that she was tired, but that didn't stop him from wanting her like crazy. He bent to kiss her cheek before leaving the room and turning out the light. He'd promised Alexander to have a drink with him before turning in. He smiled and turned the ring on his finger, his expression gentle. He was a married man now and he couldn't explain what that did to him.
Chapter 12
“Can I borrow my wife for an hour, Ingrid?” Garrett said as soon as he came into the shop. They'd been married for three months now and it still felt as if it was just yesterday. The romance was still new. They'd gone to Italy for their honeymoon, where they'd spent a week in Tuscany and then travelled from there to the Caribbean. The mall was scheduled to be officially opened in December and the office was being set up for her over there, but she still helped out in the shop for the time being.
“Of course,” Ingrid said with a pleased smile as she looked at her son-in-law. She admired his absolute dedication and commitment to her daughter and the love they shared. “She's in the back.”
She was elbow deep in a large box and sitting on the carpeted floor. “Need help?” His teasing voice had her head snapping up and her ready smile coming forth.
“What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings the entire day.” She held up a hand for him to help her up. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.
“I decided that I'm missing my wife too much,” he murmured as he kept her in his arms. “And I want to show you something.”
“What is it?” she asked, looking up at him curiously.
“It’s not here. I asked your mother to excuse you for a bit.” He stepped back and took her hand. “Where's your coat?” It was September and the weather had changed drastically. She pointed to where it was and he went to get it, helping her with it. There were several customers inside the store and they stopped what they were doing to watch the show of affection between the couple. It was a small town and everything they did made news. Afiya was yet to get used to it.
“Mama, I'll be back,” she called out.
“Take your time, honey.”
“We're walking?” Afiya looked at her husband curiously as they made their way along the cobbled stones that led away from her shop. The mall towered above them, looking majestic in the afternoon sunlight.
“It’s a few blocks,” he tucked her hand into his arm and shortened his strides to match hers. “We've been married for three months and it's been the most wonderful three months of my life.”
She leaned against him, very touched. “Mine too, except when you tried to make me dinner on Sunday.”
He laughed down at her. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“You did.” She teased him. She couldn't believe that she could feel such happiness and contentment. She still lived in her small town with her gorgeous husband and travelled with him whenever he went anywhere. She looked around curiously. She'd been so intent on the conversation that she hadn't noticed that he'd brought them several blocks away into what was considered the suburbs. She'd noticed the new building going up several months ago and had thought that it was one of the residents or a relative building a house. It was two stories high and made with rich red cut stones. A tall black wrought-iron gate was open and a cobbled driveway led up to the beautiful structure. She frowned as he led her towards the building. “What are we doing here, Garrett?”
“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously. She was used to him surprising her. Very soon into their marriage she had come home to find an entire wardrobe that had been ordered from Romano’s. She'd stared at the clothes and sat on the side of the bed examining the rich fabrics and the delicate underwear and had asked him where on earth she would be wearing all these clothes to. He'd told her that they did a lot of traveling so the clothes would come in handy. He bought her things that she didn't need, like lots of jewelry and personal items. He was such a completely generous husband that she wondered at her good fortune.
He opened the door to a foyer that led to a sweeping living room. Glittering chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and the floor was of the palest tan and shone in the sunlight streaming through the high glass windows. “Whose place is this?”
“Do you like it?” he watched as she passed her hand over the slim spiral staircase that led upstairs.
“I love it.” She turned to him. “Are you going to tell me who it belongs to?”
“I conspired with your mother when we got engaged and asked her your tastes and she told me. I also consulted your friend Hillary for her input and swore her to secrecy. It was hard to keep it from you as you always wanted to know what was going on.” He took her hands in his. “It’s our home, baby.”
She stared at him in shock. “You had this made for us?”
He grinned at her boyishly. “How about we check out the upstairs?” He took her hand and led her up the sweeping staircase. “There are five bedrooms and four and a half baths and the laundry room and another guest bedroom and bathroom downstairs. He pushed the door open and Afiya stepped into the vast bedroom in amazement. It was fully furnished with furniture she would have purchased herself. The king sized bed was set on a raised dais with steps leading up to it and a matching highboy and large chest of drawers completed the room. An open door showed a glimpse of a huge walk through closet and she could see the bathroom through the open door.
“What do you think?”
She turned to face him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I really think that you are the best husband a woman could ever have,” she said huskily.
“You inspire me to be the best,” he told her softly as he pulled her into his arms. “Now, you can have the tour now or later.”
“Why later?” she asked him with a frown.
“Because right now I want to do this.” He bent to kiss her neck. “And this.” He opened the top button of her cotton sweater and kissed the top of her breasts before going to the hollow of
her throat.
“Later,” she whispered achingly.
“Good,” He told her as he led her to the bed.
*******
But in the midst of such acute happiness there are usually some dark clouds.They moved into their home two weeks after and Afiya was so delighted with the place that she added little things here and there. She changed the carpeting from the living room area and used brightly colored throw rugs in front of the fireplace. Her indulgent husband told her he didn't mind one bit as long as she was happy.
The accident happened one afternoon as she went home with some things she'd bought along with some things for the store. The mall wasn't completed yet so she was still working at the store with her mother. The place had seen an increase of customers, mainly due to the fact that she was now married to the only billionaire in town, and also the stream of visitors that were their friends.
“Are you coming home early?” She juggled the packages and the phone at her ear as she opened the door. Garrett had hired a landscaper and the gardens were blazing with colors and the scent of flowers. It was a Wednesday and the slowest day at the store. She'd told her mother that she was coming home to cook. They had a housekeeper who came in to do the general housework but Afiya insisted on doing the cooking when they were at home.
“Meetings until late,” he said in an apologetic tone. “What were you planning?”
“I just thought we would take in the last of the warm weather and have dinner on the patio. I put the last bottle of Costa Fruity to chill.”
“We're going to have to stock up,” he teased her. “I'll try and get away as soon as I can.”
“Okay. I love you, baby.”
“Love you too, and Afiya?”
“Yes?”
“No going out into the garden to do the gardener’s job. I mean it, baby.”
“You know me too well,” she said sheepishly.
******
Garrett hung up from her with a smile on his face. He looked up as Gertrude came into the office. The woman had made her home right in Roseville and had settled in and made friends with the residents there. She was involved with all sorts of happenings and had started a program that involved young people reaching out to the elderly.
“Everything is going ahead of schedule,” Gertrude told him as she brought him some documents to sign. “I just know when you talk to that wonderful wife of yours; you're always smiling.”
“What can I say? She makes me happy.”
“I'm happy that you're happy. Okay, you have the contractor on the line and a call from Europe. Those people don't sleep.”
He got the news as he was about to go off into a meeting. “Garrett.” The look on Gertrude’s face had him going still.
“What happened?” he felt as if his heart was thumping too hard in his chest. He just knew it had something to do with Afiya.
“She had an accident.”
“Where?”
“She fell down the stairs.”
“Where is she?” he asked tersely, already on his way out.
“The gardener found her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs and called an ambulance. She's on her way to the hospital.”
He barely allowed her to finish the rest of the sentence as he rushed out of the building.
*****
“My wife! Where is she?” he asked as he ran into the hospital. He didn't acknowledge her mother sitting in the waiting room, nor her friend. “She's in surgery,” a nurse told him.
“I need to speak to a doctor. What’s her condition?”
The Administrator hurried forward. He knew her because he'd made several donations to the small hospital and had dealt with her. “Would you come this way please, Mr. King?” she asked him politely as she led the way to her office.
“How is she?” he asked tersely.
“The doctors are working on her right now but as far as I know, she fractured her skull and sprained her left wrist.” The woman paused. “I'm also sorry to tell you that she lost the baby.”
“She was pregnant?” he whispered agonizingly, stumbling back.
“Early stages.” The administrator looked at him sympathetically. “I am so sorry.”
He nodded. “I need some time alone.”
“Please, stay in my office. I'll come and get you as soon as soon as the doctors are through.”
“Thank you.” He sat on one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. He'd just spoken to her a few minutes earlier. She'd been pregnant with his kid, he thought in anguish. Had she known? No! She would have told him. With a low groan he dragged his fingers through his hair and held on, feeling the grief pounding through his gut.
*****
She woke up in the middle of the night. Garrett had sent her mother home as well as Hillary. The press had been gathered at the hospital, waiting for news as to her condition. Afiya King had turned from a local girl into the most important woman in Roseville, so hearing about her accident they would naturally want to hear how she was.
He fell asleep holding her hand. His eyes snapped open instantly as she stirred on the bed. Her left wrist was encased in a cast and there were slight bruises on her forehead. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked over at him. “Garrett?”
“You're awake,” he whispered as he came onto the bed and kissed her carefully, his hands trembling as he held her. “Finally.”
She shook her head slowly and frowned. “I fell down the stairs. I had a box of things in my hand and missed my step. I'm sorry.”
He lifted her right hand and rested it against his jaw. He had to tell her but he had no idea how she was going to take it.
“Garrett?”
He sighed inwardly, forgetting for a moment that she knew him too well.
“I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Just then a doctor came into the room. “Afiya you're awake.” He came over to look at her chart. “I'm sorry about the baby, but there is no reason why you shouldn't get pregnant again as soon as you're ready.”
Afiya’s eyes flew to her husband’s. “I was pregnant and lost it?”
“Oh, I am so sorry!” the woman looked at them both apologetically. “I thought you'd told her.”
“I was just about to.”
“I'll leave you two alone.” The doctor hurried from the room.
“I lost my baby,” the tears gathered in her large dark brown eyes.
“I am so sorry,” he told her with regret.
The tears rolled down her cheeks and with an oath he gathered her carefully into his arms and rocked her gently as she cried for the baby they never even knew about. She finally went back to sleep after they gave her something to dull the pain of her bruises and the one big bruise that couldn't be seen. She slept in his arms but it took a long time for him to go to sleep.
*****
He sat on the edge of the sofa and straightened the pillows at her head. She'd come home from the hospital after spending three days there. He'd only left her side after her mother had offered to sit with her, and of course her friend, Hillary. Her room had been filled with stuffed bears and get well cards since the news had been leaked that she'd lost her baby. She was lethargic and morose and hardly spoke a word since she'd heard the news. Garrett had a hard time getting through to her. He'd hired someone to stay full time with her while he saw about getting the mall ready.
“I was thinking that we could have dinner in front of the fire tonight,” he said softly as he brushed her hair back from her face. “What do you think?”
She shrugged and didn't look at him. He was trying to understand what she was going through as he was facing it himself but he hated that she wasn't talking to him. He wanted his wife back so they could mourn the loss of their baby together.
“Afiya, I need you to talk to me, please.”
“I have nothing to say,” she whispered brokenly.
“I'm your husband and I'm still here!” His tone had a hint of impatience t
o it.
“I just want to be left alone.”
He got to his feet. “I'll see you later,” he told her coolly as he turned away.
“Garrett?” He turned to look at her. “I'm sorry.”
“So am I,” he told her as he left the room.
Afiya stifled the sobs rising from her throat and felt the extreme misery swamping her.
******
“I know you think it's the end of the world honey, but it's not,” her mother said to her briskly as she made a place for her to sit on one of the sofas in the shop. It had been two weeks since she'd gotten released from the hospital and she was healing nicely, but things were strained at home. Garrett left early in the mornings, making sure she was okay before he left, and didn't come home until late. She knew she contributed to the way he was behaving but she was so caught up in her misery that she couldn't see past it. “You cannot allow your relationship with your husband to suffer. You need to move on and show that wonderful man that you still love him.” The shop was empty at that time of day. Ingrid brought her a cup of coffee she'd picked up at the café and handed it to her. “You're doing more harm than good.”
“I know Mama,” she sighed as she sipped her coffee. “He's barely talking to me.”
“Can you blame him?” She faced her daughter squarely. “You have one of the best men I have ever seen and you're playing with your good fortune. You're going to get your fine ass out of this shop and go to him and apologize.”
“What? Now?”
“Right now.”
“I don’t even know if he's at the office,” Afiya protested.
“One way to find out.” She plucked the cup from her daughter’s hand and put it on the table. “Go!”
************
“Is he alone?” she asked Gertrude as she entered the space where the woman was seated.
“He's not a very good mood, honey.” Gertrude stared at Afiya intently, her eyes going up and down her body. “I have a feeling it has a lot to do with you.”