Bands of Gold

by Angela Benson

Jackson met her at the exit door. “What happened? You were gone so long I thought something happened. Why are you crying?”

  “Everything’s all right, Jackson,” she said through her tears. “Let’s go home.”

  Twenty-Six

  “Remind me never to marry a pregnant woman,” Jackson teased. They were in his hotel room following their wedding.

  Christina chuckled. “It’s your fault. This would never have happened if we hadn’t had the honeymoon before the wedding.”

  “I’m dying here, Mrs. Duncan, and you’re making jokes.”

  Christina was undressing in the oversized closet. “It’s funny, Jackson.”

  Jackson stood and began to undress. “I haven’t made love to you in over seven months. That’s not what I call funny.”

  “It is when you think about it. Just think, you only have about seven more months to go.”

  Jackson stopped unbuckling his pants to stare at her. “Seven more months! You must be kidding.”

  “Doctors don’t recommend sex for six months after the baby is born,” Christina stated with authority. “We’ve still got one month till the birth.”

  “When is your next check-up? Your doctor and I need to have a talk. I’m not waiting six months. Is this a woman doctor?”

  Christina walked out of the closet and sat on the bed to remove her hose. She thanked God for knee-highs. “What difference does that make?”

  “Big difference. Is the doctor a woman?”

  “She’s a woman, but . . .”

  “But nothing. That explains it. I’ll have a little talk with Madam Doctor. Six weeks maybe, but not six months.”

  She looked at him. “Poor Jackson. Having such a hard time dealing with marriage.”

  “You’d better show some more understanding, woman,” he teased. “Since we haven’t consummated this union, I could have this marriage annulled.”

  “I doubt that, once they see the pregnant wife. Maybe even a baby.”

  “I’m talking legal here, not moral. Treat me right, or you’ll find yourself a single woman again. For starters, why don’t you waddle over here and give me a kiss?”

  The first time he’d said “waddle” she’d taken offense, but his continued sexual interest in her took away her concern. “I guess I can be generous with kisses, since that’s all you’re going to get.”

  When she was standing in his arms, he said, “Make it good, too.”

  She did. “You have to stop now, Christina. I can only take so much.”

  She smiled deceptively. “I have to make sure you don’t lose interest in your wife who waddles, who’s so big your arms won’t go around her.”

  “I’m interested. All right. More than interested. Now, let’s talk about something else before I have to take a shower.”

  Christina gave a quick glance and saw his problem.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” Jackson commanded. “You’re only making it worse. Now, think of something else to talk about.”

  Christina went to the bathroom to remove her makeup. “I’m glad your dad came to the wedding.”

  “Me, too.” He laughed lightly. “He still thinks you tricked me into this marriage.”

  “Why does he think that?”

  Jackson stood by the bathroom door and watched his wife. Love filled his heart. It pained him to think that they could have lost each other. “Remnants from his past, Christina. He’ll come around.”

  “I hope so. He didn’t bring up Sarah once.”

  Christina touched Jackson’s arm. “Did you think a lot about her today?”

  Jackson answered honestly. “I thought about her. A couple of times I wished she were here. Strange, huh?”

  Christina shook her head. “Not strange at all.” She was glad Jackson was allowing his loving feeling for Sarah to surface. Maybe one day she could be a part of their lives.

  “How do you feel about your parents getting back together?” he asked.

  “I’m happy for them, but I’m still getting used to my father being alive. To his being white. To his loving me. To his loving Mom. To Mom loving him.”

  “Don’t think about it too much,” Jackson said. “Consider yourself and your parents fortunate. Not many people get a second chance.”

  She knew he was right. She shuddered to think that they could have missed their chance. “We did.”

  “We were lucky, too. We came too close to losing each other.”

  “I like to think that we would have found our way back to each other somehow,” she said.

  “I’m glad we did, and I’m glad it didn’t take us years. Thirty years! That’s a long time to be separated from the one you love.”

  “I know.” Christina’s thoughts went to Rosalind and Walter. She had been happy they’d made it to the wedding. Rosalind and Louise had cried buckets of tears. Christina knew Rosalind’s tears were tears of sorrow as well as tears of happiness. Tears of sorrow because Rosalind knew she would never give Walter a child. Tears of happiness because Christina and Jackson had been blessed to find each other before too much time had passed. After her talk with Rosalind at the reception, Christina had sworn she would never again take her family or her family’s love for granted.

  Jackson came up behind her then and she shook off all thoughts that didn’t include him. When she finished removing her makeup, they walked back to their bed. They lay together, she in his arms.

  “I think the soccer player is acting up again,” Jackson said.

  “You can feel him, too?”

  “How could I not? He kicks like a veteran.”

  “He has been pretty active lately. The doctor says it’s normal.”

  “Does it bother you much?”

  She shook her head. “It’s reassuring to know he’s moving around in there.”

  “We haven’t thought of a name for him.”

  “I have. We could name him Junior.”

  Jackson frowned. “I don’t like that. Let him have his own name.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way.”

  “You didn’t want to name him Junior?”

  “That wasn’t my first choice. How about Marcus James?”

  “For my dad?”

  Christina nodded. “I know it would mean a lot to him.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you. You don’t think your dad will feel left out, do you?”

  Christina shook her head and smiled impishly. “Christian’s middle name is Marcus.”

  ***

  Christina went into labor exactly three weeks after her marriage. She was in labor twenty-four hours. Jackson knew she did most of the work, but he was pretty tired himself. He wouldn’t have missed going through it with her for anything in the world. It was more than worth all the time he’d taken away from his work. He felt that he and Christina had brought their baby into the world together.

  As Jackson looked at his wife, her parents, and their baby boy, his heart overflowed with love. His and Christina’s love grew every day. He was confident their love had finally overcome all the childhood fears they had carried into adulthood.

  He knew Christina’s love for him was constant. She would always be there for him. He expected they would have problems, but he was confident they would meet each one head-on. He knew Christina’s feelings had changed, too. She expected him to be there when she needed him, and she let him know it. That was a big move for a woman who practiced not expressing her needs for fear they wouldn’t be met. Yes, he and Christina were on their way.

  They still didn’t know who sent the roses, but it didn’t matter now. They had their new baby. All was right with the world.

  Louise’s baby talk ended his musing. “Isn’t he the cutest baby?” she was asking.

  “I’ve never seen a cuter one,” Christian agreed.

  Jackson looked at Christina. “If I didn’t know they were exactly right, I’d say they were biased.”

 
Christina laughed. “He’s ours, and he is a cute baby. I’ll agree with that.”

  “Have you called Jim yet, Jackson?” Christian asked. He and Louise stood on one side of Christina’s bed. Jackson stood on the other.

  Jackson touched his son’s cheek. “Right after this little fellow was born. He got choked up when I told him the name. He’s flying in tomorrow.”

  “I was a bit surprised at the name myself,” Christian said. “You two will never know how much it means to me.”

  “It means a lot to us that you’re here, Christian,” Jackson said. “Marcus J. is going to need all his grandparents.”

  “We’d better get out of here and give you two some time alone,” Louise said. She looked at Christian. “Buy me lunch, Grandpa?”

  “I guess I can do that, Grandma.” He turned to Jackson and Christina. “We’ll be back later this afternoon.”

  Jackson watched them leave hand in hand. “We may have another wedding soon,” he said to Christina. “How would you feel about that?”

  “It’d be great. I think you’re right. They’re probably waiting for the right time to tell us.”

  Jackson looked at his son and then at his wife. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, Christina. I’ll be good to you and the baby.”

  “I know you will, Jackson.”

  “Are you sure about moving to Boston?”

  She nodded. “I’m not ready to go back to work yet. I want to spend some time with this little guy.”

  “You’re not worried about your career?” he asked, to be sure.

  She reached out and touched his chin. “Before you and,” she looked down at Marcus J, “this little guy, work was all I had. That made it very important to me. It’s not that important now.”

  “You’re going to be content staying home with the baby?”

  “I think so. I’ll consider it my second career. If I find I’m not happy with it, I can always go back to work.” At his look of uncertainty, she added, “Relax. I’m sure.”

  “I want you to be happy. Now that I’m sure of your love, I can handle your career. I don’t want your concern for my feelings to keep you home.”

  His words endeared him to her even more. “That’s not it,” she said. “I want to stay home. I’ve waited all my life for what I have now. Let me enjoy it.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure,” she said. “Don’t you see that everything is working out perfectly for us? We don’t even have to worry about the house in Atlanta.”

  “Robert and Liza’s offer was a great wedding gift. They love the place.”

  Christina nodded in agreement. “Oh, Jackson, I hope they can be happy as we are. But it looks like they’re moving in different directions.”

  “I know. Robert wants to start a family and Liza doesn’t. It’s causing a strain in their relationship, because he thinks she’s too wrapped up in her career.”

  Christina had feared that would happen. She didn’t know how they were going to work it out. “I wish there was something we could do for them.”

  Jackson leaned down and kissed her. “There’s nothing we can do. They have to work it out themselves.”

  Christina just nodded. More than anything, she wanted Liza and Robert to work it out. She wanted everyone to be as happy as she and Jackson were.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jackson asked.

  “Rosalind and Walter. Their generous donation to the radio- thon was a welcome surprise. Now, I’ll be able to give a substantial donation even though I won’t be able to participate.”

  “You’re right, Mrs. Duncan, everything is working out for us.”

  “I’m glad you see it. Now I have a surprise for you.”

  “Now you’re talking. I love surprises.”

  “I’d like to have more babies. At least two more.”

  Jackson leered at her. “We can start on that sooner than you thought. I talked with Dr. Gray the other day.”

  Christina laughed while her husband nibbled on her ear.

  ***

  Jackson arrived at the hospital early the next morning. Christina and Louise had volunteered to pick up his dad at the airport so he, Christina, and the baby could have some time alone. He stopped by the nursery first. When the crib for Baby Duncan was empty, Jackson smiled and headed for Christina’s room. He saw the roses when he first opened the door. He looked at the bed and saw that Christina was still asleep. The baby wasn’t in the room. Fear bubbled in his stomach as he walked toward the roses.

  Please, God, no. Not again.

  He took the card and turned it over in his hand before opening it. You lose, Bitch, he read silently. He closed the card. Inside he screamed. He looked at Christina sleeping peacefully. He knew he had to wake her and tell her, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Maybe he was wrong. He left the room and headed for the nurse’s desk.

  “The Duncan baby is not in the nursery or my wife’s room. Is he taking tests or something?”

  Jackson went to hell and back during the time the nurse checked. When she told him that one of the nurses had the baby, his knees buckled in relief and he had to hold on to the counter for support. “Did you see a man take flowers to my wife’s room?”

  The nurse nodded. “After he delivered the flowers, he asked for directions to the nursery.”

  Jackson’s heartbeat raced as he turned to run to the nursery. When he got there, a nurse holding a baby was arguing with an older, well-dressed man. The man’s back was turned to him. “What’s going on here?” Jackson asked.

  “He wants to hold your baby, Mr. Duncan,” the nurse said. “I’ve told him it’s against the rules.”

  The man turned then and the hate-filled look in his eyes told Jackson that this was the man who had sent the roses. “Did you leave the flowers in Mrs. Duncan’s room?” Jackson asked.

  “Sure I did,” the man said, without any trace of remorse. “There’s no law against it.”

  Jackson drew back to hit the man, but he stopped himself. What was the point? They had the man now and the incidents would stop. He didn’t want revenge. He just wanted his family safe. “Call the police,” he told the nurse. “We have a criminal here.”

  ***

  They held a celebration in Christina’s room that night. “How do you like your grandson, Jim?” Louise asked.

  “Fine-looking boy,” Jim said proudly.

  “Good set of lungs, too,” Jackson added.

  “Wait until we get him home and he needs to be fed at three o’clock in the morning,” Christina said. “I’ll see what you think of his lungs then.”

  “I can hardly wait,” Jackson said. He added for Christina’s ears only, “I’ll be able to watch my beloved wife feed our beloved son from her beloved breasts.”

  “If you’re good, I may let you watch. Now stop being bad,” Christina whispered back to him.

  “They’ve started whispering to each other,” Louise announced. “That’s our cue to leave. They need their privacy.”

  “Don’t go, Mom,” Christina said, “the party’s just starting. Jackson and I have the next fifty years to be together. We want you all to stay.”

  “If you’re sure?” Louise questioned.

  “We’re sure,” Christina said.

  Jim was still holding Marcus J. “Tell us what happened with that guy and the police.”

  “You’d never believe it,” Christina told them. Thinking about it made her shiver. “Paul Bechtel sent the roses and the notes.”

  “Who’s Paul Bechtel?” Christian asked.

  “Paul is the guy I replaced when I came to Atlanta. He couldn’t find another job, and that caused him to have a mental breakdown. In his mind, I was responsible for his problems.”

  “We’re lucky,” Louise said. “There are many stories of people losing their jobs and doing much worse.”

  “I had the same thought,” Christina said. “I’m grateful nothin
g happened to us or to Marcus J. Can you believe that man was actually here in the hospital? Just thinking about it gives me chills.”

  “How did he know when to send them?” Christian asked. “Wasn’t he trying to make it look like you were sending them, Jackson?”

  Jackson nodded. “He was working with Doris, my secretary. She had been his secretary when he worked at CL.”

  “Was she in on it, too?” Jim asked.

  Jackson shook his head. “He used her to get information about Christina and me.”

  “Poor Doris,” Christina said. “She’s probably never going to gossip again. That just might kill her.”

  They all laughed at that. Jackson looked around the room and saw all the smiles. He was happy, happier than he’d ever thought he could be.

  He saw Christian whisper something in Louise’s ear.

  “We have an announcement,” Christian said.

  Jackson looked at Christina. His eyes said, “I told you so.”

  “Louise and I are getting married next week.”

  “That’s great! I’m happy for both of you,” Christina said. “Come over here so I can give you a kiss.”

  They did just that and Christina kissed them. Jackson shook hands with Christian and gave Louis a kiss, and Jim did the same.

  “Does this mean I can call you Dad now?” Christina asked Christian.

  Jackson saw the tears that quickly formed in Christian’s eyes. “I think that’s exactly what it means, daughter.”

  Twenty-Seven

  Six months later, Christina sat on the floor of their townhouse in Boston. Marcus J was asleep, and Jackson was at work. The house was quiet, a welcome sound to her ears. She looked at the stack of boxes before her. She opened the one closest to her and pulled out a small black notebook. She smiled when she saw it. She took it out of the box, opened it, and turned to the page entitled “Personal Goals.” She read:

  Move to Atlanta

  Get established in job

  Buy house

  Get established in community

  Make friends

  Fall in love

  Get married

  Have three children

  Christina looked at the list. She had accomplished all the items on the list but one, number eight. She didn’t have three children. Yet. She was working on it, though. All her dreams were about to come true. She closed the notebook with a smile on her face. She got up and went over to her dresser. She opened the third drawer and pulled out the purple teddy with black lace. “Who knows?” She asked aloud. “Maybe tonight we’ll get lucky.