“It wasn’t just me. It was you. You stood up to him too. I wonder what he’s doing right now.”
She chuckled. “You know what? I actually don’t care. Not one bit. I’m not even sad about the club. That place stopped being home a long time ago. I didn’t like it there before my father died, but when he died, I lost all interest in the place. I only have one home, and I’m sitting in it right now.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Savannah
I woke up early that morning to get Bobby ready for his first day of kindergarten. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. How had six years gone by so fast? I could still remember when he was just a little baby in my arms. I could still remember the day I found out that I was pregnant. I hadn’t been happy. After all, I wasn’t married, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. That day I’d slept with Axel, and I had decided that I was going to leave the country. In fact, I’d made the decision a long time before, but sleeping with Axel made me want to go even more. It had been so good with him, and I’d been scared to get involved with someone that my father wouldn’t be happy with. I was sick of always doing what I had to do and figured the only way I could avoid doing that was to leave.
I'd sat in my room and made lists of what I needed to do in order to save up. I was determined to do something with my life and become the person I knew I could be. I worked hard, saved money, and almost booked my ticket. But then I found out I was pregnant, and everything changed. For a while, I was depressed and lonely, wishing that I had never slept with Axel and wishing that I could be anywhere else but where I was. I felt angry at myself for messing up my plans. Of course, all that changed when I saw Bobby for the first time. I knew then that life was exactly the way I wanted it to be. That nothing mattered as long as I had Bobby in my life. I stopped thinking about myself and put him first. How had six years passed since that day in the hospital?
I lay in bed thinking about everything until I felt Axel’s hand grab mine. I hadn’t even realized he was awake until then.
“Hey, you worried?” he asked.
“Not worried. Well, no more than any other mother would be I guess. Just emotional.”
“He’ll be fine. You know what he’s like. He’s survived more than most kids his age. This is nothing for him. I have a feeling Bobby is going to be a very loved and popular kid. He’s just got that in him.”
I smiled. “Thanks for saying that. I believe that too. But it’s still hard to let him go. Although it also feels amazing. The very fact that he is going to kindergarten means that things in our life are going well. I have dreamed of this moment. So yeah, I’m emotional, but most of that is good emotion. Thank you for making my dreams come true, Axel. You’re amazing.”
“I would do anything for the two of you to be happy. Trust me, anything. Should we go and wake him up?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Bobby was already awake when we got to his room. He was on the floor and playing with a truck. Since moving in with Axel, he had never once come to wake us up in the mornings if he woke up before us. It was incredibly sweet. Not many other kids would be so thoughtful. I’d asked him about it once, and he’d told me that he wanted me to sleep in. He looked up and grinned when he saw us standing there.
“It’s kindergarten day!” he yelled.
I laughed. “It sure is. Are you excited?”
“Yes! I’m going to make friends. Do you think they can come and play here? I want them to meet Toto.”
I smiled. I hadn’t even noticed the dog in the room. He was sleeping on the bed and completely unaware that we were all standing there. He was the most relaxed dog I had ever met. Bobby had been right to choose him out of all the others.
“I’m sure they can come and play here. Not today of course. Today is your first day. But one of these days you can invite someone over. I think that’s a great idea. Come on, let’s get you some breakfast and get you ready for your big day. No cereal today. Today I want you to have a nice big breakfast.”
He didn’t complain. He was too excited about his day ahead. I made him a bowl of oats, with nuts and fruit, and a slice of toast, and I was surprised to see that he ate it all. I gave him a quick bath and helped him pick out something to wear, and then I stood and looked at him.
“Can I take a photo of you?” I said. “I want to remember this day.”
“Okay! Can Toto be in it?”
“Of course he can.”
After the photos, we all climbed into the car and made our way to Pop’s. We both had a bit of work we wanted to do today, so we decided it was best to leave the dog with Pop. But the main reason was that we knew how much Pop would want to see Bobby before his first big day. Pop grinned when he saw Bobby and told him what a big boy he was now.
“Are you getting me after school?” he asked.
“Your mom will get you today because it’s your first day, but you’ll all come back here when you’re done. I’m going to make a cake to celebrate.”
“Really?”
He chuckled. “Well, I might buy one, but still. We definitely want to celebrate this special day. I’ll take good care of Toto while you are gone. And later you can tell me all about your first day.”
Pop gave me a big hug because he knew that this wasn’t just a big day for Bobby, but also a big day for me.
“You should be very proud of that boy,” he said.
I smiled. “Oh, I am.”
We got back into the car and made our way to the school. Thankfully Bobby was fine with us walking in with him, but I knew it wouldn’t be long until he asked if he could walk in alone. We thanked the teacher, and she assured us that everything was going to be fine. Bobby gave both Axel and I a big hug and walked into the classroom with a self-assurance that I hoped he would never lose. He was such a confident child, and that was going to get him far in life. Axel held my hand as we walked back to the car, and the moment we closed the door, I felt the tears pouring out.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Axel. “I honestly thought I was fine. I was obviously trying to be brave in front of Bobby. I can’t believe he’s at school. I’ve been with him almost every day since he was born. This is such a strange feeling. People always told me the first day is hard, but I never believed it. But they weren’t lying.”
“You’re the best mother in the world. And you’ll see, everything will be fine. You know what a strong boy he is.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m so proud of him.”
I cried all the way home despite this. They were mostly happy tears, but I felt emotional none the less. When we got home, I felt a little embarrassed by my tears, and I tried to laugh them off. Axel took my hand and led me to the bedroom. He kissed me and smiled at me.
“So, I have to go out to the office this morning,” he said. “Or should I say, the makeshift office that Spike has set up at his house for now, but I do have a little bit of time on my hands before I go.”
I smiled. “Oh yeah, and how do you propose you spend your time?”
“Well, rumor has it that you want another baby.”
I chuckled. “Is that so? News spreads fast around here.”
“With one kid in kindergarten, it seems only natural that we start all over. And anyway, let’s just look at the positive side to all of this . . . with Bobby away we get a little bit of alone time. And I know exactly what I want to do you in that time.”
I didn’t even get the chance to reply. While he was talking to me, he was slowly taking off my clothes. Within minutes, I was standing completely naked in front of him. The bright light of the morning sun was shining through the window, but I didn’t shy away from it. I knew my body wasn’t perfect, but I liked that Axel loved it anyway. I could see the desire in his face, and as I reached out to pull down his pants, I saw how excited he was by me. I knelt down and put him inside my mouth, teasing him with my tongue. His hands were on my head, massaging me as I licked and sucked him. I got him almost all the way to orgas
m until I remembered we were trying for a baby. I pulled away in time, and we moved onto the bed. Axel took his time with me now, exploring my body as if it was the first time he had ever seen me. This time, we could make as much noise as we wanted to, and as he thrust himself into me, I held onto the bed covers and called out his name. We moaned, and writhed, and moved together in rhythm. It always amazed me how well our bodies fit with one another. I was sure that he had been created just for me. Whenever he was inside me, it made me feel complete, and I had never felt that way with anyone before.
We had sex twice that morning. Once on the bed, and once again in the shower right afterward. The second time hadn’t been planned at all. We’d both decided to have a quick shower before Axel went off to work. Without even talking about it, we went in together. We were joking and messing around, talking about the last time we’d been in the shower together, and suddenly his hands had made their way between my legs, and he’d pinned me against the wall. I still couldn’t believe how easy it was to come to orgasm with him. Sometimes I think he just had to look at me and I felt like coming. I had no idea that it could be this good. I’d missed out a lot in the last six years without him, and I was happy to be making up for lost time now.
“Are we making our way around the house?” I said. This time we had done it in the upstairs shower rather than the basement one.
He laughed. “I’m more than happy to do that. How about we try the kitchen tomorrow?”
I chuckled. “I’m good with that. Well, I have to say, if you did this so that I would forget about the whole kindergarten thing, you definitely succeeded. Also, I don’t care how long it takes us to have a baby if it means doing this every day.”
“You’re also welcome to be sad about dropping him off at school every day so that I can make you feel better.”
“I’m feeling sad right now,” I said and pouted at him.
We were standing in the kitchen. He looked at me, looked around, and then looked back at me with a grin on his face.
“You know what they say . . .”
“What’s that?”
He walked up to me and pulled off my shirt. “Third time’s a charm.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Axel
I was on my way to see Dominic’s new home. I couldn’t believe that he had two homes, but was glad that he now had one in the area for when he visited. I asked Dominic how Pop felt about the whole thing considering he had always offered up his home to them when they visited, but Dominic said they already thought of that. Now that there were three of them, it wasn’t so easy staying in the garage at Pop’s. And when they came into town, they wanted to stay for weeks or even months at a time. For that, they needed their own place. Pop understood. But Candice had also surprised him by turning one of the rooms into a room for Pop. It was a big house, so they still had another room spare for guests. Pop’s room would only be for him. Apparently, he’d been delighted. I was glad. If there was anyone that deserved that, it was Pop. He was like a second father to me and someone I would always turn to in life. I smiled as I made my way to their house. I couldn’t wait to see it.
The house looked beautiful from the outside, and as I pulled into the driveway, I thought how lucky Stacy was to have this as her first home. I climbed out and made my way to the front door. When Dominic and Candice showed me inside, I saw that the inside was even better than the outside.
“Wow, this is quite some place,” I said to them. “You’re not going to want to leave.”
Candice smiled. “I said the same thing. And, who knows, maybe we won’t.”
“Really?”
“Right now we have no idea. Dominic is going to be getting back to his football soon, and we’re not sure where that’s going to take us. But it would be nice if we could base ourselves here for a while. We like being near Pop and near you and Savannah. Speaking of, where is Savannah? I thought she’d be here too.”
I chuckled. “Actually, Savannah has no idea that I’m here.”
“Really? How come? And why do you have such a mischievous look on your face? Come sit down; tell us everything. Because clearly, something is going on.”
I took a seat and looked at them. “Well, as you know, I’m madly in love with Savannah,” I started.
“YOU’RE GOING TO PROPOSE!” Candice yelled and jumped up in excitement.
“Wait, don’t jump to conclusions,” Dominic said and chuckled at his excited wife.
I laughed but didn’t say anything. Dominic’s eyes grew wider as he looked at me.
“Wait . . . is she right? Are you going to propose?”
I nodded. “I sure am.”
Candice jumped up and gave me a hug.
“I’m so excited. I knew you were going to do it soon. She’s so perfect for you, Axel.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think so too. And, after seeing the two of you together, well . . . that’s what I want.”
“Do you think she’s going to say yes though?” Dominic asked.
Candice gasped and looked at her husband as if he was completely insane. “Are you crazy? Those two are perfect together.”
He laughed. “I’m just kidding. Of course she’s going to say yes. She’d be mad not to.”
“So, how are you going to propose?”
“I thought of a million ways to do it, but to be honest, Savannah is not one for extravagant things. Also, after everything that happened, we sort of want our lives to be simple now. So, I was thinking of getting Bobby involved and asking her with him there. I don’t know. Is that a stupid idea? I wanted to get your advice, Candice.”
Candice grinned at me. “That is the best idea ever. And knowing Savannah, she’ll appreciate that more than anything else. Yes, I think you should do that. Do you think Bobby is going to give it away though?”
I laughed. “I was thinking the same thing. He might get so excited and just blurt it out. So I was thinking of telling him on the day it happens.”
“Good idea. And, any idea when that is going to be?”
“Actually, I was sort of thinking tomorrow might be a good idea.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No time like the present. I just don’t feel like waiting anymore. I don’t see the point. But I do need your help if it’s all going to happen.”
“Of course, name it.”
“I need to get her a ring. Any chance you guys want to come with me today?”
Candice grinned. “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day.”
And so, we all headed out to the shops to spend a day ring shopping. I’d told Savannah that I was off seeing sponsors. I’d sent her to Spike’s makeshift office to do some work. Spike knew where I really was and had promised to keep her busy. So there was no way she was going to find out and no chance of us bumping into her. I thought ring shopping was going to be easy, but the moment we got to the shop, I was overwhelmed by the number of choices on offer. And everything I seemed to like, Candice hated, and vice versa. And then I saw it. I knew immediately it was the one. Three tiny silver bands twisted around each other. It was both simple and intricate at the same time and reminded me a lot of our life together. I picked it up and took it over to Candice and Dominic. They both nodded.
“That’s the one.”
I smiled and took it right over to the shop assistant without even bothering to check the price tag.
“That’s the one,” I told her. And just like that, I had found my ring.
“When are you popping the question?” the woman asked me.
I smiled. “Tomorrow!”
***
The next day came about quickly. I’d barely slept the night before, but thankfully Savannah seemed to have no idea. I’d hidden the ring so that she couldn’t find it and the next day the two of us had gone to work at Spike’s. We’d gone about our normal day, and then about two hours before the end of the day, I pretended to get a phone call from a sponsor asking me to come and see them. In truth, it was just Dominic on t
he other side of the phone.
“I’m sorry to do this to you, but I have to go. That was one of the sponsors. He’s asked me to come by and see him. Mind staying here and finishing up? I’ll come by in about an hour or two to pick you up on the way home.”
“Of course. Go ahead! I have tons to get through anyway. Good luck!”
“Thank you,” I said and smiled. “I’ll need it.”
The moment I got out of Spike’s house, I made my way home to get things ready. In the art of keeping things simple, I moved the bed in the basement to the side and put out a small table and three chairs. I put a bottle of champagne in the middle and a vase of flowers. I looked around the room, smiled and made my way to get Bobby.
“Daddy!” he screamed when he saw me. I loved how happy he always was to see me. I gave him a big hug, and the two of us made our way to Pop’s to get Toto. Toto came bounding out to see us, and we all waved and said thank you to Pop before getting back in the car.
“Where’s Mommy?” Bobby asked.
“We’re going to get her. But first, I want to talk to you about something important.”
He turned to look at me.
I smiled at his little face. “First, I want to ask you a question.”
“I love questions.”
I chuckled. “I know you do. Well, this one is very important. Are you happy living with me?”
“Yes. Oh please don’t make us move again. I don’t to go back to that house,” he said and his face crumpled with worry. I felt so bad for him.
“You are never going back there again. Don’t worry. Actually, I wanted to know how you would feel about me asking your mommy to marry me?”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah, but only if you are happy with it.”
“Yes. I’m happy! I’m so happy! That’s what I wanted. I even had a dream about it. I knew it was going to happen.”
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