by Hazel Parker
She was still affected.
Sebastian waited until she was done with her shift. He waited until she finished her short dinner with the girls, then walked her back home. It was just after ten in the evening, and he had ordered a box of chocolates at the shop she was working in and gave it to her when they reached her door.
She smiled as she received the box, the kind of smile that had every part of his being lighting up.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“You’re welcome.”
They stood in silence, then she cleared her throat.
“So…goodnight,” she murmured.
“Goodnight.”
Then Sebastian pulled her into his arms and gave her a slow, lingering kiss.
It didn’t exactly hurt that after a few seconds of surprise, she kissed him back.
Courting her was a long, slow process. Sebastian didn’t want to crowd her too much, so he waited until she finished bonding with the girls for the whole two weeks before he finally visited her again. During his free time, Sebastian roamed the city—immersing himself in its culture, remembering a time when he had lived there, too.
He called his parents, who were now living in New York and respected art dealers. He explained that he was on sabbatical and reexamining his call to ministry. His mother was understanding. His father, as usual, was disappointed with him for wasting his life yet again.
“This isn’t wasting a life, father. I will continue to serve and to spread kindness…just like you taught me. I just don’t know if it will be in the church or not.”
His response surprised the old man, who was speechless enough to hand the phone back to his mother. Ruth Nolan wished him good luck with his discernment, reminding him that she loved him no matter what. It made his heart full, made him realize exactly how lucky he was.
Next, he wrote a letter to Reverend John, apologizing for leaving so suddenly—and why, when the time was right, he would be coming back whether it was to say goodbye or not. It was a matter of honoring the town and the man who had given him a second chance, and he vowed he would return to do so.
When the girls returned to Sunnydale, Sebastian started his courting in the most honest way possible—by asking Lily out on a date. She was surprised, but she accepted, wariness in her every movement as they ate in a seafood restaurant and watched the stars come out on the way home. He kissed her again, and she let him, melting into his arms even when she tried her best to resist.
He took her out on dates for a month, though sometimes they stayed in her rented house and watched movies all night long. He attempted to cook pasta once—unsupervised—but ended up almost burning the kitchen down so he didn’t attempt anymore after that. Lily couldn’t stop laughing, filling the room with her joy. There was a happy sexual tension as they looked at each other and remembered all the good days. Then the smile had gone from her face as memories replaced it.
He didn’t attempt to touch her—the one thing he wanted to do more than anything. He vowed he would wait.
And so he did. Even when he ached so much that she became a part of his dream every single night, he resisted, as much for her as for him. He wanted to do right by her this time.
And so he courted her. A month became two, then three—until finally, Lily’s eyes no longer held its initial wariness whenever he was near, and she was more open. He talked about his struggle with his vow to give his life to the church and why and what Reverend John had said to him. Lily understood a little more after hearing about the accident and Tanya’s death. She admired Sebastian’s commitment and willingness to sacrifice but she was glad he had changed his mind about celibacy!
They were just finishing up their cake for the night when Sebastian knelt down in front of her, shocking her to the core.
“I love you, Lil.”
Her eyes softened. “I love you, too.”
Quietly, he took out a box from his pocket, one he had been keeping there for days now. Heck, weeks. He opened the box, held it out to her.
Lily stared at it for a full minute, suddenly making him nervous when she said nothing. His heart dropped, and he was suddenly afraid she would never accept him completely.
But then she held out her arms, pulling him up.
“Yes,” she said.
His heart leaped. In joy, he remembered how to be arrogant, just a little bit. “I didn’t even pop the question yet.”
A laugh came out of Lily’s throat as she repeated her word.
“Yes.”
It was all that he needed.
That night, they made love for the first time in a long time. And it was hot. Wonderful. They talked after, apologizing to each other and promising more. Sebastian told her of his struggle to decide what he was going to do. He told her that he hoped to continue in the ministry somewhere and of his plans to go back to visit Sunnydale. Lily challenged him by asking one question: why visit when we can go live there and stop running away?
She was absolutely courageous.
And dear God, he just loved her more for it.
As they lay in bed and she slept in his arms, Sebastian vowed one more thing.
He was never, ever going to let her go.
THE END
Mr. Marine
Chapter One
“Hi babies!” I cried, as they came running in, the pristine peace of our home suddenly shattered by trampling footsteps and loud voices. The kids discarded their school bags haphazardly and sat expectantly at the breakfast bar. “What did you do today?”
“Coach said I’m in the next game’s starting lineup!” blurted out my nine-year-old Henry, beaming the exact same smile that his father always used.
“And we’re learning the moves to a Taylor Swift song,” offered seven-year-old Samantha, her own wide toothy grin shining from under her long brown hair.
“Wow, that’s so cool guys,” I smiled. The doorbell rang and I left them munching in the kitchen to go and answer it.
It was Josh. Despite nearing middle age my ex was still a very handsome man. He was tall, dark and possessed a nearly unflappable confidence that always made him popular with the ladies. I used to feel like a fool for not spotting his cheating mannerisms sooner but, as the months passed I’d realized that our breakup was for the best, and we were making the separation work for our children.
“I’m sorry I’m early,” he said as soon as I opened the door. “Last stop was on this side of town, so I figured I’d pick them up now. Otherwise I’d just go home, turn right around and be here half-hour late.” He shrugged, wearing the same smile Henry had just been using. I found it nearly impossible to be mad at him when he wore that smile, a fact that Henry had noticed and was beginning to exploit to his advantage. However, it wasn’t a problem that Josh was early.
“Come on in,” I welcomed him. Despite our cordiality I knew I could never trust him again, no matter what feelings still lingered from our long-standing relationship. Anyway, Josh seemed to be moving on. “How’s Clare?” I asked, as I followed him through to the kitchen. He’d been seeing a new woman, not the one he cheated with, for nearly four months now and it seemed serious. The glee-filled eruption of noise that occurred as he rounded the corner into the kids’ line of sight meant they had to wait before Josh could answer.
“She’s well, thank you,” he answered, after giving hugs and kisses and sending the little ones upstairs to grab their bags. “Actually, I need to talk about that with you.” He popped the latches on his briefcase and pulled out a manila folder. He wasn’t acting cruel; just a little nervous as he handed it to me. I opened it to find divorce papers inside. I didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t know what to say,” I managed.
“I know I did wrong, so I want to make sure you and the kids are taken care of,” Josh said quietly. “I’ve tried to be fair, but you should get your lawyer to look over it anyway. I think we both know it’s for the best.”
Still a little stunned, I couldn’t find anything in h
is words to argue with. So I merely thanked him as the kids came running down the stairs again. I bid them farewell for the weekend and stood at the open front door, waving until his car had disappeared from sight.
“Hey, sexy!” came Ruby’s smiling voice as soon as I picked up the phone. “Your fingers tired yet?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, hoping my best friend wasn’t making some crude masturbation joke.
“From all the flicking through Tinder of course,” she replied. I breathed a small sigh of relief. “And playing with yourself! Tell me honestly, how often are you flicking your bean these days? Two? Three times a day? It must be nearly forever since you actually got laid!”
“Oh, my God, will you never stop?”
“As God is my witness, never!”
No matter how I felt, Ruby’s irrepressible nature never failed to lift my spirits. I still had to deliver the bad news though. “Josh dropped off divorce papers just now,” I managed to speak in a small voice.
“Oh shit, baby, I’m sorry,” my friend’s voice immediately took on a far more serious and sympathetic tone. “I guess we all knew it was coming. Must still sting though?”
“Like a bitch. Do you think you can come over a little earlier than we planned?”
“I can do better than that, baby,” Ruby brightened up again. “Order more pizza and pop those corks. I’m bringing the whole gang over!”
“You don’t need to bother everyone else,” I tried to say.
“Anyone who thinks dealing with your divorce is a bother isn’t your friend, bitch. Hide the silverware, we’re on our way!”
In truth, the whole gang wasn’t as impressive as it sounded. It simply consisted of Ruby, my outgoing, steadfastly single best friend since high school; May, a girl who joined Ruby and I at college before marrying a successful surgeon and gaining two kids, a nanny and a housekeeper; and Daphne, who also joined our little student clique. Daphne had gotten divorced three years ago, under very similar circumstances to mine and had thrown herself back into the dating scene, often hanging out with Ruby to pick up men. Still, aside from my kids, they were the people I loved best in the world.
I had just enough time to run out and pick up some more bottles of wine, get home and throw on my little black dress, my minimal makeup, and run a brush through my hair before the doorbell rang. I knew the girls would come dressed up to the nines and didn’t want to disappoint them. They weren’t planning on going out anywhere and they weren’t trying to impress any men. They just liked to look good for themselves and for each other. It was tradition. I checked my reflection. My long brown hair fell in waves down my back and perfectly framed my face, which, despite my genuine embarrassment, everyone told me looked far too flawless for my thirty-one years of age. I smoothed the soft fabric down over my stomach and butt, admiring how it clung to my svelte curves, before dashing downstairs to answer the door.
Ruby swept straight in like she owned the place, an entrance she employed regardless of whether she was visiting the Ritz or a gas station. My BFF had straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, sparkling blue eyes and a wide, bright smile like a film star on a red carpet. Dressed in a sleeveless blue cocktail dress, she wasn’t the workout queen that I was, but she carried her curvy figure beautifully. Plus, her attitude, good looks and some generous T&A meant she was never short of male attention.
Behind her was May who, I thought, really belonged on one of those Real Housewives of… reality TV shows. Or, at least, her rich husband and extravagant lifestyle did. Her long dark hair ran down her back as far as mine, and she had the body of a woman ten years younger, which she’d squeezed into a tight, off the shoulder, black mini-dress that showed off her rounded, prominent boob-job and stopped only an inch below her lifted and surgically-enhanced butt. May had the money and the style to be a total bitch if she wanted, yet she was one of the most generous, genuine, and down-to-earth ladies I knew. She did have an unaffected smile for the other girls, whenever they teased her about being privileged or spoilt.
Last was Daphne. I loved her too but really hoped I wasn’t looking at my own future. She looked fabulous as well, with flowing red curls cascading down her back that was left bare by the daring red dress she wore. But I’d observed how she’d began to enjoy flinging herself at as many men as she could since her marriage had ended. I was looking forward to enjoying the exciting and new life that had been lacking during my marriage, but I didn’t want to end up bar hopping and bed hopping with Daphne and Ruby this time next year.
Each woman, carrying a bottle of her own, hugged and kissed me as they came in, and everyone fell into the usual discussion of how amazing they all thought each other looked. I felt my self-esteem rising at their kind words about my hair and, as I spotted the Uber car reversing out of my driveway, realized that no one driving was going to mean it would be a long and pretty outrageous night. As they went through to the kitchen to open the first bottle, I prepared myself for the long haul.
“Well, fuck him!” snapped May, as she emptied the last drops from the second bottle of white into her glass.
“Milady?” mocked Ruby, fanning herself in embarrassment. “Such language!”
“I mean it,” May continued, ignoring the teasing. “He had everything in you, Sarah, and he threw it away for some cheap thrills. If you ask me…”
“We didn’t!” Ruby giggled.
“…You should have handed him the papers first.”
“I know, right?” nodded Daphne, putting her empty glass down and picking up a slice of pizza. He’s got himself back together; is moving in with his new ho… what’s her name?”
“Clare,” I offered, standing up from the couch and heading over to the refrigerator for more drinks.
“Clare,” Daphne repeated, making the word sound like vomit. “Now he’s happily moving on into a nice new life. Sure he’s happy to ditch his old baggage.”
“Excuse me?” I shrieked as I walked back to the group with a fresh bottle.
“Sorry, sugar,” smiled the redhead. “I just mean you should have nailed him with divorce proceedings first. Hit him where it hurts.”
“I guess,” I mused. “I just… after the initial anger I was never interested in hurting him. He is the father of my babies, after all. I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t see us divorcing for some reason.”
“But you don’t want him back?” asked May.
“God no. I could never trust him again.”
“Plus, she’s finally about to learn what it’s like to get laid properly,” muttered Ruby as she leafed through the settlement papers Josh had left.
“Ruby!” I protested. The other two ladies smirked and chuckled.
“What?” asked the blonde, feigning wide-eyed innocence. “Well, speaking as your lawyer, you’re going to do pretty well out of this,” she continued, waving the papers in her hand. “He’s offering to take care of the mortgage, the bills and any expenses for the children. He’s even transferring the house into your name alone. Barring a few sundries here and there, any money you make doesn’t really need to be spent on anything.”
There was a general chorus of approval and I felt relieved. I was never too worried; I knew Josh wouldn’t abandon his kids. But somewhere, in the back of my mind, I’d been concerned about managing. For the children’s sake I’d been dreading the upheaval that would have happen if I had to downsize from our five-bed, three-bath, double-garage, and suburban white picket fence home. What if they’d had to move schools? What if the three days I worked in my office wouldn’t be enough anymore? I didn’t realize the weight I’d been carrying until it was lifted.
“Well, I’d say that was a cause for celebration!” announced May and rushed off to the icebox herself. She produced two bottles of expensive champagne that she’d sneaked in, to resounding cheers and applause from the others.
I smiled with them. I still wasn’t that comfortable about toasting to the death of my marriage, but it felt good that my fr
iends were here to support me. I felt loved and like I was going to be okay, and felt free to have a good time with them. The corks popped, Daphne put on some lively soul music and we all started dancing and drinking together like teenagers.
“Here’s to adulterous bastards!” cheered Ruby.
“May they all grow consciences and support their ex’s!” replied Daphne.
Chapter Two
By ten-thirty, the champagne had been drunk, the music had turned softer and we girls were sitting down again in a close circle. I was on the couch with Ruby, May sat in the easy chair opposite us and Daphne was perched on a cushion, on the floor, at the head of the coffee table. The chat had been idle for a few minutes, just a quiet discussion about anything new that had been going on.
“So, is Josh giving you a break from the kids over the summer vacation?” Daphne asked me over the top of her empty glass. She didn’t seem in any hurry to refill it anytime soon.
“Actually, yeah,” I said. “He and Clare are taking them to Disney World for a week. But I don’t think it’ll feel like a break. I’m going to miss them so much and this place is going to feel so empty without them.”
“On the other hand,” smirked Ruby, without opening her eyes or lifting her head up, “It’s an empty house for you to bring home some stud that will do you right here on this coffee table.”
I and the other two girls eyed the flimsy-looking piece of furniture skeptically.
“Nope,” I said firmly. “I’m not prepared to bring anyone home just yet. Not home to where my kids live.”
Nodding sympathetically Ruby suddenly sprang back into life. Her head popped up and she grinned around the room. “Ladies,” she smiled, “are you all thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Lord, I hope not,” drawled May, picking up the cocktail she’d mixed for herself earlier.