Destiny's Detour

by Mari Brown

  He kisses my temple. “I love you, Wife.” That simple statement causes my stomach to do a little flip.

  “I love you, too, Husband.” Sated and fulfilled, we fall asleep in each other’s arms.

  The next morning dawns bright as the sun peeks through the blinds into our hotel room. I begin stirring and realize that Troy is already awake and watching me. He smiles at me and I smile back. He gives me a good morning kiss.

  “Mrs. Daniels, let’s get in the shower and then order breakfast. We have a flight to catch.”

  I lean over and kiss him, then hop out of the bed and run for the shower. I don’t make it far before Troy catches me and feathers kisses along my jaw and neck. I start the water and we wait for it to heat up before we jump in together. I am not even sure when it happens, but soon, Troy is washing my body for me and then I wash his. It is an intimate moment without being sexual and it makes me feel almost as good.

  We don’t waste time after our shower as we order room service, eat, and quickly dress and check out of the hotel. We don’t want to miss our flight for the rest of the honeymoon. We sit cuddled up together in first class, enjoying the first day as a married couple. It doesn’t take long for those around us on the plane to pick up on the fact we are newlyweds. We receive lots of congratulations from strangers. I can’t begin to remember any other time in my life I have been this joyful, almost like I am in my own personal nirvana.

  We arrive in the Bahamas around 1pm and immediately go to claim our luggage. Then we begin searching for the rental counter, as my mom has made sure we have a car at our disposal while we are here.

  I should have known my mother would get flashy for us. The agent’s mouth makes an 'O' shape when she pulls up our contract. “Your car will be brought right around for you, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels.”

  Sure enough, a flashy black Lamborghini pulls up. The driver gets out, hands the keys to Troy, and then immediately offers to help us with our luggage. The directions to our hotel are already plugged into the GPS and we set off. It takes around 15 minutes to get to our hotel and we pull up to a very expensive looking beach resort. A valet immediately greets us and escorts us to the front desk. A bellboy follows us with our luggage. We know our parents have gone all out for our honeymoon when we arrive at a chic, private beachfront villa. The living room with modern black and beige furniture blends into the open, eat-in kitchen area. The kitchen is painted a soft yellow with white trim. A half bath off the living area is hidden behind a glass-tiled wall, and French doors lead into the master suite. A huge king size bed, covered in black with gold trimmed bedding and pillows, dominates the very romantic room. Behind a mirrored panel is a private bath with Jacuzzi. Off the living room is a patio that goes out onto our own secluded beach area before joining with the resort beach.

  This place is breathtaking. I can’t wait for us to explore. Troy tips our bellboy and sends him on his way so that we can finally have alone time. We fall down on the couch, and I rest my head on his lap. I am so tired; the early stages of pregnancy make me want sleep. I am like a toddler who needs naptime.

  “Are you tired, Princess?” Troy’s quiet question breaks the silence and startles me.

  “Yep, your kid is kicking my ass.”

  He scoops me into his arms, takes me into the bedroom, and lays me gently on the bed.

  “Take a nap, Princess. Get some rest, and then we’ll have a quiet night. I’ll take care of the plans while you sleep.”

  I yawn as I say, “Thank you,” and before my eyes fully close, I drift off to sleep.

  Two hours later, I wake to complete quiet, and wonder if my husband has snuck off somewhere. When I walk into the living room, I find him lying on the couch watching television with the sound muted. My heart stops when he looks up and gives me a breathtaking grin.

  “Hey, Princess.”

  I run and gently throw myself on him. His arms wrap firmly around me as he nuzzles into my neck. “I missed you, too.”

  He shares that while I slept, he explored our surroundings and found a hot tub outside. To begin our evening, we will relax in the warm water, and then have a quiet dinner in the room.

  I walk back to the bedroom to change and realize that Troy unpacked our bags while I napped. What a sweet husband! The skimpy bikini waiting for me on the dresser tells me that his pervy side has come out to play. His forethought makes me chuckle. He follows me into the room and slips into his swim trunks while I put on the slutty bikini. Then he grabs a couple of towels, takes my hand, and leads me out to the patio. My body relaxes almost immediately when I sit down in the hot tub. Troy isn’t satisfied until I am straddling his lap. He begins kissing and nuzzling my neck and I have a feeling this hot tub is about to see some action.

  After we finish our quickie in the hot tub and get out to dry off, he looks at the time, and notes that dinner will be arriving soon. I hop in the shower to rinse off the chlorine, and while I dress in shorts and a tank top, Troy lets me know that dinner has arrived and is waiting. As soon as he rinses off, we will eat.

  After grabbing my cell phone, I sit down on the sofa and find I have three text messages. The text from Amy makes me laugh.

  Amy: Hope you are bangin' on everything. Don't hurt yourselves ;)

  One from my brother that makes me chuckle.

  David: Thank god you are already pregnant. Have fun guys :)

  The last one is from my mom.

  Mom: Have the time of your life and treasure every moment. I love you, Baby Girl.

  Dang it, my mom did it again as tears fall from my eyes. Troy finds me wiping them away. I show him my texts, and he laughs at Amy and David, but when he reads the one from my mom, he looks at me and smiles.

  “Your mom is sweet. She loves you so much.”

  “I know, but she keeps making me cry with all this emotional stuff.”

  He grabs my hand, pulls me off the couch, and gently leads me outside. When we walk out onto the sand, I see the picnic he has arranged on the beach. I am totally in love with this man. As we sit, my mouth begins to water. Laid out on the blanket are lobster and shrimp, fruit salad, and what appears to be dessert hidden under another dish. I am eager to eat, but then I notice a bottle chilling in ice and two champagne glasses. I look at Troy with a question in my eyes. “No worries. It’s non-alcoholic.” My man has thought of everything.

  After enjoying our meal, we spend the rest of the evening making love right there on the sand before retiring to the bedroom for the night.

  Our Christmas break is flying by so quickly. Having spent the first week doing last minute wedding stuff, and then the wedding itself, followed by the honeymoon, it seems mere moments have passed and we are back to spend Christmas with our families. My parents have bought us a new Escalade for Christmas, thinking it will be a good car to have with a baby coming, so we load it up and head back to school.

  The five of us are glad to be back together after the break and to be in our house again. Things are a little different because Troy and I are married, but not much else has changed. That night as Troy and I lay in bed, I ask him about something we keep putting off talking about.

  “What are we going to do when the baby comes? I mean, where are we going to live?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it, and I really think we should have our own place. It’s different now. We’re married and have a baby on the way. It’s time to grow up some. Plus, it’s not fair to David, Amy, and Mark. They didn't sign up to have a baby in the house, keeping them up, and putting restrictions on the fun they can have.”

  I think about what he said and I agree with him. “Maybe we should start house hunting, and then let the guys know our plans.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  The first week back at school is pretty busy because I have to change my name on all my records. Who knew something as simple as a last name change because of marriage would cause so much paperwork? I am thankful when I finally have all of that finished. Tro
y and I also talk to David, Mark, and Amy and tell them we are going to start looking nearby for our own place. As much as we love living with them, we both know it’s the right thing to do. They take it pretty well, and tell us they will start the search for a new roommate to take over our room.

  After three weeks of hunting, Troy and I finally find the perfect house. It is a one-story brick house not that far away from Amy and David. With three bedrooms and two and a half baths, space will not be an issue. There is a study, a living room, a separate dining room, and a kitchen with a breakfast nook. The backyard is completely fenced in and is the perfect size for a small family like ours. It is the perfect starter house for us especially since we will still be in school. The offer we make on the house is accepted, and because we are paying cash, it only takes two weeks for us to close on it. It helps to be the children of retired NFL players. Both of us have trust funds, so we don’t ever have to work if we so choose.

  I am 15 weeks pregnant, one-month married, and a new homeowner at eighteen, but I am also the happiest I have ever been in my life. Sometimes, life's detours turn out to be the best thing to happen to you. Since the others have not found a roommate to replace us, we decide to stay with them while we remodel our house. We repaint the common rooms a warm crème color, our bedroom a burgundy color, and the guest room a pale blue. Until we know the sex of the baby, we hold off on painting the nursery. After deciding to leave all the furniture with David and Amy, Troy and I spend a couple of weeks picking out new stuff, and then wait another week for it to be delivered. Kitchen appliances, utensils, and pots and pans are next on the list, and of course, bedding and towels. I have never done so much shopping in my life. Although, I admit that it is a ton of fun. Troy is not as enthusiastic as I am with our many shopping trips, but he never once complains and always gives me his honest opinion on every item.

  Amy is a constant source of inspiration and help during this whole remodelling period. She loves helping me decorate the new house, and before long, the house is officially ready for us to move. Everyone pitches in to help pack up all our clothes and personal belongings. Then we load up our cars and head off for our first night in the new house. David and Amy follow to help us unload everything. We order take out for dinner, sit around our new breakfast nook table, and eat dinner while talking.

  When David and Amy leave, Troy heads off to shower. As I finish up in the kitchen, my thoughts travel to being in my own home. This is another one of those surreal moments in life. My husband and I are spending our first night alone in our new house. That thought sends tingles through my body. I am quickly becoming accustomed to this whole marriage thing, and I honestly love it. I turn everything off and make sure the front door is locked before making my way to our bedroom. Troy is just stepping out when I enter the bathroom and begin getting ready to shower. He gives me a quick kiss and heads into our room with just a towel around his waist. Oh my, I think I drool a little. I still get so excited over his fit body. I quickly shower and then dry off completely before walking into our bedroom naked. Troy is lying on the bed in just his towel, and I know I am in trouble. He looks up as I walk into the room, his eyes filled with lust as he scans my nude body.

  “Enjoy this body. It’s going to be getting fat soon enough.”

  “Princess, you will still be beautiful. The idea of my baby growing inside you is sexy as hell.”

  “Let’s see if you’re still saying that when I am a big whale.”

  His words distract me so much that I don’t even notice he has pinned me up against the wall. I soon realize I am trapped, his arms on either side of my head, and his body pressed closely to mine.

  "Mr. Daniels, are you trying to dominate me?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I think I might like it.”

  He groans and kisses me a little rough, and my legs find their way around his waist and I grind my hips into him. Our moans mingle in the quiet room. With strong hands firmly holding onto me, he carries me to bed and we make love throughout the night.

  I often wonder if it’s like this for other couples, this insane need to be near one another. No matter how long we have been together, or no matter what we have already done with one another, it doesn’t seem to grow old. Troy and I have a real relationship that is not just about sex, but the sex is definitely a wonderful benefit of our love for one another. Troy is the most thoughtful husband and always wants to take care of me. Yet he lets me take care of him, too. Somehow, without talking about it, the two of us have found the way our strengths and weakness work together and we have a balanced relationship.

  Our first week in our new home passes quickly and it seems like David and Amy are over constantly. Amy tells me someone is coming to interview for the open room this weekend. I am interested to see if this person will work out. I don’t even know if it’s another male or female. I hope for Amy’s sake that it is a female or she will go insane. I don’t want to even think about what it will be like for her if she lives with three males. It is hard enough for me to live with one sometimes.

  Troy surprises me by taking me away for the weekend. We go to the mountains where we stay in his family’s log cabin. He knows this place has always been one of my favorites to visit. It has the absolute perfect combination of old class and new additions. The outside is made of grey weathered logs and modern, black-framed, floor-to-ceiling windows on the entire ground floor. On the inside, the combo of crème and brown walls offset the wood beams throughout. Everything pulls together to give it a homey, warm ambience. Fireplaces in all the major rooms make you want to curl into a ball on the leather couches with a blanket and good book. The open floor plan allows you to see everything on the inside while still having the most breathtaking view of the mountains and lake outside.

  Troy is in full-blown spoiling mode. He cooks every meal, not letting me lift a finger to do anything. I try to get him to share the workload but he keeps saying that he wants me to relax. It surprises me when he tells me that he has been reading everything he can on pregnancy and having a baby. He wants to be informed, and a vital part of each moment. He has learned that later in the pregnancy and right after having the baby, I will be tired and we will not be able to have getaways, so he wants to give them to me while he still can. I thank him for being so thoughtful. See why I love this guy.

  Way too soon for my liking, it’s time to head back to our home and real life. We’ve had so much fun in our 'mountain' bubble that we make tentative plans to visit the cabin a couple more times before the baby comes.

  School is changing for us, too. We seem to be more focused. While our friends are still partying, we take our studies more seriously and try to be more responsible. Being married and expecting a baby has a way of growing you up quickly, yet both of us are pleased with the direction our lives are taking. Troy is enjoying his two months off from football, using this time to spend with me as much as he can. Once spring training starts, we will see less of each other. I am still actively dancing, but in just a few short weeks that will be over. My uniforms are starting to fit snug but I know I will have the baby bump and nothing will fit.

  Amy goes with me to buy my first wave of maternity clothes, and they hang in my closet for when I need them. I actually can’t wait to be able to start wearing them. We are surprised to find that maternity fashion is not as hideous as we thought it would be. I am able to get a lot in the styles I love made for the baby tummy.

  I am so glad I have a friend like Amy. She has been so supportive through everything, not that I really expected any less from her. After all, we have been friends all our lives. She is my sister from another mister, and I couldn't love her more if we shared the same DNA.

  Buffy has been making life extra difficult on the dance team. Every day she has some snarky comment, but I keep sucking it up. It’s not as if I can fight her or anything because I am pregnant. I just try killing her with kindness. I don’t understand how Buffy can still hold a grudge against me. Shouldn’t she be o
ver this whole jealousy thing? I mean, would she really want to be married and pregnant at 18? Does she think that it is fun and games? I am not complaining, but really, this was not my original plan. I wouldn't wish this on anyone unless she is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices.

  I should have known Buffy would make one last ditch effort to get back with Troy, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that she enlisted Charlie to help her. Troy and I decide to attend a party with David and Amy on fraternity row. It is your typical fraternity party with loud music, half-dressed girls, excess alcohol, and horny guys. As with most pregnant women, I have to go to the bathroom a million times. As I am coming back from one of my many trips to the bathroom, Charlie delays me.

  “Hey Beautiful, tired of being married to the asshole yet?”

  “Drop dead, asshat.”

  “That’s no way to talk to me. I am just trying to have polite conversation with you.”

  I can smell the Jack Daniels coming off his breath and it makes my stomach turn. He has obviously had a little too much to drink.

  “Get out of my way, Charlie. I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

  Charlie moves to press me against a wall, and that’s when I spy Buffy out the corner of my eye approaching Troy. My attention is fully on them in that moment. And when she throws herself at him, latching on, and trying to get him to kiss her, I see RED! Troy pushes her off, but it’s too late. I saw what she is doing and I am ready to kill a bitch.

  “Move the fuck out of my way, asshole.” I push Charlie with more strength then I realize I have. I stalk towards my husband, who is still trying to push Buffy the slut away from him. I catch David and Amy moving towards Troy, as well. Charlie is following me, trying to stop me, but it's not working since I am a woman on a mission. Fuck this bullshit.

  When I reach my husband, I yank Buffy by her shoulder so hard that she loses her balance and falls to the floor. I am so pissed that I snatch her by her hair and force her to look up at me.