Mended: A Salvation Society Novel

by Gabrielle G.

  “Anna is in a crisis at home so I need to drag Ol over there to help his sister get through the fact that their parents are coming to meet my godson, and certainly stay with us.”

  We start to walk to the front door of the bar. The guys are not even trying to disguise themselves anymore and I already know it would take forever to reach Dan’s building if they don’t at least wear a cap to be somewhat incognito. I grab two baseball caps with the logo of the bar on it and give them each one.

  “It’s only a couple of blocks,” Dan says rolling his eyes. He doesn’t want his perfect hair to be ruined.

  “Anna is in a crisis, do you really want to take more time than necessary to reach your place?”

  “True. True,” he says glancing at Lars who looks amused by the situation. As they are the only set of grandparents Aito has, he’s big on keeping in touch with my parents. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one reaching out to them and inviting them over.

  We start walking in the streets of New York. Their apartment is only a good ten minute walk but it’s still ten minutes of tourists who could stop them for a picture or an autograph and ten minutes of hell if they attract a crowd.

  Quickly, with their heads down, the two Darling Devils walk as if they were escorting me. Dan is holding me by the elbow. He’s on a mission to bring me to Anna. But something doesn’t add up. Anna generally calls me directly when it’s about our parents. She refuses to discuss anything about them with anyone but me, and Dan has never pressured her to do so.

  I glance at Dan from the corner of my eyes. The smirk of pride on his lips tells me something is up. Looking to my left, I see Lars with the same demeanor. I say nothing until we reach Dan’s building.

  “Okay fuckers, what’s up? You almost got me Dan but Anna would call me directly if it was about our parents.”

  “Would she?” he asks, removing the cap off his head and fixing his hair.

  “And you?” I point at Lars. “Why are you so silent? You love telling me I should patch things up with my parents for the sake of Aito and all of a sudden you say nothing when you learn they’re coming? I know something is up.”

  “Nothing is up, Ol. Just go upstairs and talk to your sister.” Lars says. But I still don’t buy it.

  “I should just go home,” I say turning around.

  Dan stops me with his hand on my chest. “You behave like a little bitch most of the time, I keep forgetting you used to be a badass SEAL and can read people very well. Get in that lift and stop asking questions. I’ve packed on some muscle since last time I beat your face and I can do it again.”

  “I’m never going to live that down,” I grumble stepping in the elevator.

  “Nope,” Lars laughs, not following me, “never,” and he lets the door close.

  I open the door again. “You’re not coming up?” I ask.

  “Believe us, Spencer, you don’t want us in there with you.” Dan says. They let the door close and wave at me while I try to think of why I should go up by myself.

  I don’t have to ponder it for too long. The elevator stops on the second floor. I’m looking down, but something tells me to look up. To look at the stranger in sneakers stepping in. My eyes go up some legs I know too well. Not believing she would be there, my heart somersaults into my chest. Appreciating her breasts and falling into the strands of blue-hair I craved, I could almost have a heart-attack.

  Tessa.

  “What the fuck?” I say, jumping her and framing her face with my hands so I can tilt her head back and look deeply into her eyes.

  “Hey, Green-eyes,” she murmurs, “glad you could make it into this elevator.”

  “How are you here?” I caress her with my thumb.

  “I drove up.”

  “When did you get here? How long are you here for?”

  “Two weeks ago, for forever if you’ll have me.” My nose touches hers. My lips hang by a thread of breath to hers.

  “Two weeks ago?” I ask confused. I’m at a threshold again. As much as I want to know why and how she’s here, I really want to fuck her in the elevator. Quickly glancing at the surveillance camera, I settle for a kiss.

  It still doesn’t give her the opportunity to explain herself, but she did say forever, so it can wait. I dart my tongue out and lick her upper lip.

  Love sparkles into my heart and desire into my dick. I groan and push my tongue into her mouth. I want to fuck her mouth with that kiss. I want her to realize she’s mine. If I can share her love with a dead guy, I’m certainly not sharing her lips or pussy with a ghost.

  “Forever?” I ask detaching my lips from her quickly before diving back in.

  “As long as you’ll have me, yes,” she answers next time we catch our breath. “I love you, Green-eyes, and I’m sorry I made you wait, but I needed to settle my life, to come here for me, to have something besides you, before we could start something. I followed someone before and he died, leaving me behind with memories at every corner. I couldn’t do the same with you. Just in case you die first.”

  It’s the least romantic declaration I have ever heard but it’s us.

  “I get it. But I promise you we’ll create the best memories in this city together. You, me, my son, our future kids and the crazy people around us.” I say at the same moment the door opens to Dan and Anna’s penthouse and I see my sister and Naomi waiting for us smiling.

  “Sorry, not ready to talk to you two,” I tell them, closing the elevator doors back and pressing the ground floor button. Tessa settles into my arms and kisses my neck.

  “Where are we going?” She asks.

  “My place. It’s a ten minute walk and as cute as it is you met me in an elevator, I need to be in between your legs and I’m not giving a peep show to the security guards of this building.”

  “Or you can press the fourth floor and we can go to my apartment,” she says, smiling against my skin. I lean back to look at her.

  “You live here? In Anna and Dan’s building?”

  She nods and blushes.

  “You have a job, a new coach, an apartment. Something else I need to know?”

  “I hope I have a boyfriend?” So freaking cute. I could eat her up.

  “Of course you have a boyfriend.” I roll my eyes. “What I told you, about you having my heart. I meant it so much I was trying to find a solution to join you in Virginia seeing how you were making a life without me and I couldn’t stand it.”

  “I couldn’t stand being without you. I spent two weeks in bed until Quinn called Dr. Saman.” I widen my eyes at the mention of Elaine’s mom.

  “Your therapist is Elaine’s mother?”

  “It is,” she laughs. “Sometimes I think King and Elaine sent us into each other’s way so we could find our bearings again.” I wrap her into my arms and kiss her forehead.

  “Or Mark orchestrated it all, knowing we would be a perfect match for each other.” I press the button for the fourth floor and nuzzle my nose in her hair.

  “Certainly a little bit of both,” she says, kissing my neck.

  “A little bit of both.”

  Epilogue

  OLIVER

  “Look how happy they are,” Lars says while I kiss Tessa.

  He’s right. I am happy.

  We are.

  We’ve been dating for eight months and life has been easy. Maybe too easy? I’m not sure I have ever been that happy.

  “Get your ass on the stage, Trouble.” Tessa tells him, walking away from me and grabbing Aito from his lap. ”Your bandmates are waiting for you.” The bar is having one of the special Darling Devils nights that we like to have. They sing a few songs while we raise money for charity.

  “Ready?” Naomi says sliding next to me.

  “I am. I just hope she is.”

  “She is. But no long engagement. She waited a long time with King and… Well…”

  “I know. So did I.”

  “Do you want the Devils’ jet for Saturday? You know you can ask, and fly
with us. They won’t mind.”

  “I know.”

  “But it’s not what you want… You got Sue’s ring?”

  “I do. I can’t believe she gave it to me.”

  “I can. She’s so proud of you both.”

  “I know…”

  “So if you know everything Ol, what are you waiting for?” Anna says while sliding next to me.

  “I’m just taking a moment to appreciate that.” I point at Tessa hugging Aito while Lars is making him laugh over her shoulder.

  “We’re lucky they get along so well.” Naomi says.

  “Too much sometimes.” We both watch Lars and Tessa laughing together. They are like a brother and sister. They bicker and roast each other but also protect one another against Na and I.

  “Has Tessa thought about how she wants Aito to call her. You’re Daddy, Lars is Pop. I want him to talk to me in Japanese, but you refer to me as Mommy. We aren’t calling her Tessa. That’s too impersonal. Once she has that rock on her finger, she’s part of the parenting quartet.”

  “You’re incredible,” I tell Naomi before kissing her on her forehead.

  “I’m not a hypocrite. When I told you I was pregnant with your child and imposed Lars on you as a second father, it’s not for me to reject the woman you’ve decided to marry.”

  “Thank you,” I tell Naomi.

  “That’s cute and all, but can I get the proposal I came for?”

  “Why are you in New York all the time, sis. Don’t you live in Montreal?”

  ”My brother is getting engaged…” Anna says, I’m allowed to take some days off.

  “I remember the times when she never took vacations.” Naomi says.

  “I remember the time when you worked and hid the fact that you—”

  “Anna,” I interrupt her. “I’m about to get engaged. Don’t ruin it by reminding us what we did wrong. It’s an important day for our family.”

  “Why is it an important day?” Tessa asks.

  Shit.

  “Because…“ I start. “Well, hmm…”

  “For fuck’s sake,” Naomi says, taking Aito from Tessa’s arms, “I am not doing this for you.” She hits me on the back of the head and I fall on one knee in front of Tessa.

  “I don’t want a long engagement but a long life with you by my side. You came in like a tornado and anchored me to your heart and I never want to be in a storm without you ever again. Tessa, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife this weekend?”

  “Yes,” she says a huge smile on her face.

  “Also,” Naomi adds, “would you give us the honor to be part of Aito’s life and make our parental trio a quartet?” Tears spill down Tessa’s cheeks.

  “Of course. It’s such an honor.”

  The moment is interrupted by a drumroll from Lars. Dan jumps on stage.

  “Ladies and Gentleman, Oliver, the owner of the bar just got engaged and our little Aito, got a new parent in his life. Drinks are on the Devils tonight!” I shake my head and slide the ring on Tessa’s finger. We kiss through the howls in the bar and end up laughing against each other’s lips.

  “It’s beautiful,” she tells me looking at her finger.

  “It belongs to Sue.”

  “Really?” She brings her hands to her mouth. “Are they coming on Saturday?”

  They are, as well as Mark and Charlie, Quinn and Ashton, all of those guys. Even Crawford is joining us.” She bites at her lips and I know what she’s thinking.

  “Andre and your sister will be there, but I didn’t extend the invitation to your mother as she’s waiting for her trial, I didn’t think it was a good idea to let her know.”

  “Thank you. You always know what I need.” She murmurs against me, and like every time she’s in my arms, I melt.

  “Mata,” Aito coos pointing at Tessa to get in her arms.

  “Mata?” Naomi asks him. He fusses and tries to get out of her arms reaching for Tessa.

  “Mata,” he repeats.

  “Mata it is,” Tessa says, taking him into her arms. I’ve loved seeing them growing closer and seeing the bond he has developed with her. He’s asked for her more and more and doesn’t like when she’s not around to feed him. “Perfect timing little man, because you’re going to be a big brother soon.” She blushes.

  “What?” I ask.

  “What?” Anna and Naomi repeat.

  She places Aito on her hip and caresses her stomach.

  “It is a big day for our family indeed. I was going to tell you tonight but as we’re all together,” she shrugs. My throat clogs a little and my vision becomes blurry.

  “Are you happy?”

  “Of course,” I embrace her and Aito. “You are my everything.”

  And she is. My everything. My world. My strand of blue in my grey skies.

  But before all, my salvation.

  Epilogue

  TESSA

  “Wolfe, Oden, let’s go! Uncle Trouble is waiting for you two!” I scream to the twins while Aito waits patiently for his brothers to be ready.

  “I don’t want to go!” Wolfe whines, as usual.

  “Yeah, me neither…” His twin brother adds.

  “You don’t want to go play with your cousin, Van?” Those three could be triplets and get along like it.

  “No! Aito is always with you,” Wolfe says while Oden nods.

  Feeling my patience leaving me, Aito takes my hand and squeezes it. “It’s okay, Mata. We don’t have to go.”

  “Aito, it is your afternoon alone with me, and I have prepared something exceptional for you regarding the thing you told me, and we can’t tell it in front of those two tattletales. So I organized everything with Pop, and we are going.”

  “But that’s not fair! Aito has four parents and tons of siblings, and all we have is him, you and Dad.”

  “Yeah! I want to call Trouble ‘Pop’ and Naomi ’Haha’! And there it is again, the jealousy the twins have toward their brother. It doesn’t matter that Naomi and Lars take them on vacation with Aito, it doesn’t matter they have Mark and Quinn as godfathers and Anna and Leo as godmothers. No… They want Lars and Naomi as parents. Same conversation over and over.

  “I want to go to Uncle Dan!” Oden says, pouting.

  “You’re ten. Pouting isn’t nice anymore. And we told you Auntie Anna is not feeling well these days, and Uncle Dan is preoccupied.” Getting restless is more the case since Anna has not been well at all, but let’s not give them any details.

  “So we want to go with you two!” Wolfe tries.

  “Sorry, buddy. Your turn is next week. Today is Aito’s day, and you can either stay here alone and fend for yourself or have fun with Van at Lars and Naomi’s. Your call, Havoc.”

  Wolfe smiles. Calling him by the call name Mark gave him works every time. “And if Uncle Trouble tells me you two and Van behaved, I will let you FaceTime Twilight and LadyKiller tonight!” Pulling his brother by the arm, Wolfe gets excited. “Come, Shooter, let’s get our shoes. We’re gonna FaceTime the godfathers!”

  “Yeah!!!” Oden flosses behind his brother like the dork he is.

  “I wish I had a call name,” Aito, always so careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings, whispers.

  “Well, depending on how you do today, I might give you your own buddy…”

  After finally dropping the two terrors at the Troubles, Aito and I arrive at the track. I promised him for his twelfth birthday that he would come practice with me. Of course, I won’t speed as much as I do, but I’ll give him a little thrill. Between Oliver’s cautiousness and Naomi’s rigidity, thank God this kid has me and Trouble as co-parents, or he would have been wrapped in a bubble with thousands of rules to follow.

  “Ready, kiddo?” he nods and swallows hard while adjusting his gloves. “Don’t be scared, you know I’m the best right? And I need you to show me what you have in your belly…” I say as I push a helmet on his head. “Let’s go.”

  Once seated and buckled, Aito nods to tell me he’s
ready and I press my foot on the accelerator. Faster. Faster, a little faster, I keep my eyes on the road, hoping he’s enjoying himself.

  “You’re okay, buddy?” I ask him in the mic. He doesn’t answer and I get a little worried but there is no way I’ll take my eyes off the road. “Aito, are you okay?”

  “Shit. Yes! Mata!” he exclaims so loud it hurts my ears. I think it’s the first time I hear the kid like this. “It’s amazing!” he screams, his voice filled with a joy I know too well.

  “Want me to go faster?”

  “Yes! I’m ready!”

  “So let’s pump it up!” I’m still not going as fast as I would on my own, but no one has to tell him we weren’t going that fast after all.

  We make two more rounds with him laughing near me and being the happiest I have ever seen him. When I slow down to stop, he asks to go again, and right there, I know I’m in trouble. Because that feeling, the one that takes you from deep down in your stomach and spreads such happiness that it can make you get out of your shell, it’s called passion. And Oliver and Naomi might be understanding and trusting me to bring him to the track for one afternoon because, for once he asked for something, but they will lose their shit if it becomes his passion.

  We’re gearing down, him being happy as a clam and me wondering how I’m going to convince Green-eyes when the question I was afraid Aito would ask finally pops up.

  “When can I drive a car like yours?” Yeah… I’m in trouble but so fucking proud.

  “Well we know you can kart, and you do well… So maybe if I speak to the three other parents…”

  “About what?” Oliver’s voice bounces in the garage.

  “You scared me!” I tell him.

  “Did you see me, Dad? Did you see how fast Mata and I went? Did you see how amazing it was? I could fly, Dad. I could go fast, and it was the best feeling ever!” Oliver steps back and looks at the kid.

  “What the fuck did you do to our sweet, gentle, perfect soul? He’s like the twins all of a sudden.” Oliver teases me.

  “Well… he might have discovered his passion.” I winced, waiting for his reaction.