Absolution

by Reana Malori

  At the look on their father's face as he looked toward the kitchen opening, Julian and Steven burst out laughing. They both knew threatening him with the wrath of his wife was the thing they could say to make their father back down. Harold MacMahon shook his head at them before placing his finger over his lips. "You better keep your mouth shut. If I get in trouble because you want to be all secretive and shit, there’s gonna be hell to pay.”

  "Well, how about, if you stop giving me the third degree, I won't tell mom about that fat juicy burger you had last week when you stopped by the station?"

  “Fine, you little shit,” his father growled.

  Chuckling, Julian focused on the game on the television. “Just know that I'm watching you, old man. I can play this game all day.” Steven plopped down next to Julian as their father growled at them.

  Steven bumped his arm. “You'd better leave the old man alone. You know he likes to use weapons now that we're older and bigger than he is."

  Quiet settled around the room as the three men settled down to watch the football game. The fact that his parents and brother worried about him did make him feel bad, but they also needed to chill with the extra hovering. When he’d decided to become a firefighter, his parents fully supported him, even though they wanted him to go another route for his career. At the time, nothing they could have said to him would have changed his mind. Although neither he nor his brother had chosen to follow in their father's footsteps, their dad still supported their career choices.

  Julian tried his best to follow the rules set out for him. He’d done everything he was supposed to do and complied with most anything they’d asked of him. After the incident with Rebecca a few years ago, he’d tried to walk the straight and narrow. To do all the things he felt were best for him and his family. He still couldn’t believe he’d allowed that conniving, sneaky woman, to turn his life upside down. The lengths she went to in order to convince Julian to believe her lies were unbelievable.

  "Hey, boys." His mother’s booming voice greeted them as she walked into the den. Her arms were laden with all types of food for them to snack on while watching the game today. This had always been their favorite activity as little boys. Hanging out with their parents and watching the football game on television was one of the reasons he always managed to come back home to be with his folks. They were good people, and he loved them both very much, but he was a very different man than they thought he was.

  He craved the things that would keep him in control. Needed a life built on maintaining the status quo around him, but one that also gave him the adrenaline rush he needed regularly. Julian enjoyed the thrill of arriving at an unknown situation and saving a person's life. Some people thought his job was dangerous, and generally, he would agree. On the other hand, he still got what he needed to keep him balanced, even on the bad days.

  The calls Julian went on where he couldn't save the life of the person trapped inside their car after an accident, or a child hit by a car, or even the people who’d been felled by a massive heart attack or stroke? Even for him, those situations were tough. There were times he’d still wake up at night covered in a cold sweat. Nightmares.

  They’d started after he and Adam responded to a 9-1-1 call. He’d been burned over fifty percent of his body because of a fire started by a careless person. Those were the situations that made Julian question why he’d chosen this field in the first place. When he’d considered changing to another field and leaving all this behind. Then he’d get his head out of his ass and quit being selfish.

  Glancing over at his brother sitting next to him munching on nachos, Julian often thought about why Steven had taken a different route. He could remember his mother crying when Steven had told them he was joining the police academy. She'd even asked him if he was willing to become a Paramedic like Julian. That’s when he knew just how worried about their mother was. Steven had been committed to his decision to become a police officer, and true to his word, his brother made it through. Nine years later, he was one of the best cops on the force, and Julian couldn’t be prouder.

  Life didn't always turn out the way you expected, but sometimes you got the life you needed. Maybe that was the reason Kori had come into his life. Perhaps she was what he needed to help him move to the next phase, to grab hold of his future. Not the one he’d envisioned for himself, but the one he was meant to have.

  His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to look at the message. A smile came over his face when he noticed it was a text message from Kori. They'd been talking every day for the last week, but he hadn’t seen her and Morgan since Wednesday. He’d been at the firehouse since Thursday and had gotten off duty early this morning. With the dry weather and heat, there'd been quite a few calls for them to go out on, and things had been hopping. He was surviving off mere hours of sleep. Truth be told, he wanted those hours to be made up while lying in Kori’s bed. Too much time had already passed since he’d last seen her, and he was starting to go through withdrawals. He missed her face, that beautiful smile when she glanced at him, the smell of her perfume as it lingered on her skin.

  Glancing down at his phone again, he smiled at her multiple messages.

  Kori – will you be able to stop by tonight?

  Kori – Morgan would like us to make your favorite meal.

  When he didn’t respond, she sent a message fifteen minutes later.

  Kori – it's okay… I understand if you’re too tired.

  A frown marred his brow as he read her final message. Did she really think he would give up the chance to spend time with her and Morgan? After everything he'd said to her, done for her, there was no reason for her to still question his seriousness about having a relationship with her. How was he going to make her believe him when he said he wanted her?

  EIGHT

  Julian

  "Julian? What are you over there smiling about?" His mom asked, a sly smile on her face.

  He shoved Steven, almost toppling him off the couch. “Big mouth.”

  “What are you shoving me for?” his brother quipped.

  Rolling his eyes at his brother, he pushed him even harder. “You could have waited until I was ready to tell them.”

  “Nope, I couldn’t. They needed to know you were about to do something stupid.”

  Gritting his teeth, he glared at Steven. “Don’t ever say anything like that again. It’s different with her, and if you’d given me more time without opening your piehole, you would have known that.”

  Steven looked somewhat chastised. “Sorry, J. But after you left the game last Saturday, I knew something was up with you. I haven’t seen you like this in a long time, Bro.”

  Julian huffed out a deep breath. Since Steven had already given their parents enough to guaranteed they’d never leave him alone, he might as well bite the bullet. Turning to his parents, he shrugged. "I'm seeing someone special. Her name is Kori, and she has a five-year-old son named Morgan." All eyes turned to Juliann as he began talking. "I know what you're thinking, and it’s not like that." Julian ran a hand down his face as he tried to form the words to explain what was happening to him. "Trust me, you guys. She’s nothing like Rebecca. Kori’s a good mother, a good woman. She’s a realtor and had a good life before everything went topsy-turvy due to her son’s accident.”

  His mother's face turned down, a sad look in her eyes. "You met her while saving her son?” At his nod, she looked over at his father, who shook his head as if to stop her from going any further. Her lips pursed in a stubborn line, and Julian knew she wasn’t finished. "Sweetheart, I'm just worried about you. I want to make sure you're not jumping into something that won't be good for you."

  "Mom…" Steven groaned at their mother before looking over at Julian, giving him a shrug in commiseration. They’d both been through this lecture many times over the years. "Julian is his own man. You guys gotta stop doing this. He’s not that person anymore and what happened all those years ago was a special ci
rcumstance."

  The elephant in the room, what everyone was concerned about but too nervous to put into words, was that his ex-girlfriend Rebecca had told him she was pregnant with his child. Then she’d claimed her ex-boyfriend had become so enraged about her moving on with Julian, that he’d beaten her until she miscarried. Julian hunted him down like the dog he was. It was best for him to not think about what he’d done to that man, especially now that he doubted the story had even been true.

  He'd met Rebecca while rescuing her from a minor car accident, and after that incident, they started a relationship. Rebecca had him turned upside down to the point that he’d lost the pieces of himself that kept him whole. Or maybe he’d found the hidden parts of his soul that made him who he truly was. Julian wasn't usually a jealous man, but every time he turned around, something was happening. Situations where he needed to defend his relationship or defend Rebecca when another man stepped up to her, all of them trying to steal her away from her. Or so she claimed.

  The final straw was when he surprised her at her home. They were supposed to go away for the weekend, but she’d told him she wasn't feeling well; that she was going to rest for the night and would see him the next day. Fool that he was, instead of taking the night for himself to relax and give her some space, he decided to be a good boyfriend and visit her.

  The key she’d given him a couple of months before allowed him to enter her apartment without knocking. As soon as he stepped inside, the sounds from the bedroom could be heard throughout the space. Julian stopped in his tracks to make sure he wasn’t mistaking the sounds. He wasn’t.

  Storming to the back of the apartment, he slammed the bedroom door open and was greeted with a sight that changed him forever. There was the woman who’d claimed she’d loved him, being dicked down by another man. When the man turned his head to look at who’d crashed the party, Julian lost it. It was a guy he recognized from the local bar they frequented. A red haze had come over his eyes. He'd pulled the man off the bed and began to punch him in the face repeatedly, putting the full force of his fist into the punch.

  Julian's anger had taken over, and nothing was getting through to him. Rebecca claimed she’d yelled for him to stop, screaming his name numerous times, but he’d blocked her out. She'd even called 9-1-1 to report that he was going to kill the other man. When the cops arrived, the guy on the ground was a messy, bloodied pulp. Julian's fists were cut and cracked, from hitting the bone in the guy’s face. It had taken a considerable chunk of his parent’s savings to get him out of that situation, and he still regretted everything he’d put them through because of that deceitful witch.

  Ever since then, his family had been concerned about him responding negatively to another situation like that. For more than a year after he beat that guy, anger was Julian's best friend. He didn't interact or socialize with anyone other than his immediate family. His routine was the exact same every day. Go to work and come home. Rinse and repeat.

  Steven was the only one who knew Julian would troll some of the bars and clubs, having the occasional one-night stand when the loneliness got to be too much. Then again, that was the only type of female interaction he could stomach for a long time. The thought of getting involved with someone else after what happened with Rebecca almost made him physically ill. Or at least it had until the day he met Kori and Morgan.

  He focused his attention on his parents. "Mom, Dad. I know you're just worried about me, and I love you for that. I also know what was going through my head back then, and none of it was good for me. Rebecca was a lying, conniving, cheat. I know she was never pregnant, and the story about her ex-boyfriend was just so I’d go after him. She thought being with me would somehow give her access to things she didn't have. She wanted the appearance of being with someone who had their shit together, while also continuing to sleep with other men. I know this now. I didn’t then. I can guarantee you that what happened to me back then won't happen in the future. At least I won't lose control that way again.”

  Steven nodded his head as Julian spoke. "You know, if I were in the same situation, I would have done the same thing. Who wants to walk into your girlfriend’s place and see some shit like that? I say the motherfucker deserved what he got."

  "Steven," their mother yelled. "Watch your language."

  "Sorry, Mom." Steven smiled over at their mother with an impish grin. "But if you're honest, you know it's true. That guy deserved every punch Julian gave him."

  Up until this moment, Julian's father had stayed silent as he listened to the interaction between his family. "Son, I'm not going to sit here and say I know how you felt. As your father, it’s my job to protect you, even when you no longer want—or need—me to do it. Three years ago, I couldn't do anything to stop you from spiraling. I've been trying my best to make sure you don't have to through something like that again, but I know you’re a man with your own life. I can only do so much, and I recognize that may not be enough.” He turned, nodding to Julian’s mother, giving her a tight smile. “However, you’d best believe that I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you are protected. If this lady, Kori, is someone you feel you want to see and get to know better, then I’m all for it. You're a grown man, and you need to do what you feel is right. But understand this, your temper can flare at any time. It always has. That was the only time I’ve seen you lose control and as your father, I don’t want to see you go through that again.”

  “Neither do I,” Julian muttered.

  “You don't do well with disloyalty or cheating. We learned that lesson the hard way, and I never want this family to go through that again.” He took a sip of his beer before pointing his finger at Julian. “Just know, if you make your mother cry again," he glanced over at Julian's mother and gave her a smile before glaring at Julian and Steven, “you’ll answer to me. Goes for both of you.”

  His parents reached out their hands to each other, clasping them together tightly as they looked at each other with understanding and some resignation. Julian knew he’d put them through hell, but they’d made it through, their family stronger than ever. The thought of their son going to jail for assault and attempted murder was a real thing. Luckily, he had some friends in high places… Or rather some very low places… That could lend a hand. His parents didn't need to know everything that he’d done to get out of that bind. All that mattered is that they’d played their part in getting his name cleared.

  Looking back down at his phone, he responded to Kori’s messages.

  Julian – Hey, baby. Dinner would be great.

  Julian – tacos or burgers are my favorite.

  Julian – what time should I arrive?

  He couldn't remove the smile from his face. From the moment he'd met Kori, he knew she was special. And Morgan, even more so. Her response came back quickly.

  Kori – tacos would be perfect. I have all the ingredients here at the house already.

  Kori – can you make it over to the house around 4 o'clock?

  Julian's fingers flew over the keep the phone keyboard.

  Julian – how about 3 o'clock? I want to see you both as soon as I possibly can.

  Kori – I would love that.

  Placing his phone on the table face down, Julian sat back and settled into the couch. He was going to see Kori again, and he couldn’t wait. This time, he had an overnight bag in his truck, just in case. Although it had only been a few days, he missed her something fierce. That beautiful smile of hers that she bestowed upon him each time he was in her presence made something inside him warm with feeling.

  Each time they touched, his body would react to her. Her fingers would softly touch his hand as they maneuvered around each other, and it would bring frissons of heat to his body. His cock would thicken at his overwhelming need to be inside her.

  They hadn't made love yet, but he knew it would happen soon enough. Maybe even tonight if everything worked out the way he hoped. When they finally came together, Julian knew
things would never be the same again. Some might accuse him of moving too fast, but after the hell he'd gone through, he knew when something felt right. Kori felt right.

  "Are you going to see your lady today?" Steven asked, leaning over to grab some chips from the bowl on the table in front of them. "When are we going to meet them?"

  Looking over at the clock, Julian realized that only fifteen minutes had passed. He still had almost two hours before he needed to be at Kori's house. "Yeah, I'm going to see them today. You guys will meet her once we know where things are headed. It'll be soon. Just not right now."

  Julian had only met Kori and Morgan just under a month ago. Half that time, Morgan had been laid up in the hospital, he knew it was too soon for her to meet his parents. Yes, he met her parents while Morgan was in the hospital, but that situation was different. If he introduced her and Morgan to his family, that would be sending a specific message about who she was to him. Julian didn't know if she were ready for that just yet. He would get her there soon enough, of that he was sure, but he needed to do this the right way. After all, she was the woman he was going to marry, even if she didn't know it quite yet.

  NINE

  Kori

  “Mommy, can we watch the robot movie again?”

  Smiling at her little boy, she lightly grabbed his chin as she kissed him on his slightly chubby cheeks. Her baby was growing up so fast, but it was moments like this when she was reminded of just how young he still was. “How many times have we watched that movie, baby? Aren’t you tired of it yet?”