Loving Dasia

by Ana’Gia Wright

  Strangely enough though, they’d disappeared too. Dasia had been trying to reach the both of them for three days now, but all she got was busy signals and full voicemails. It was as if they’d all just dropped off the face of the earth.

  She tried to convince herself this was all a dream, that at any minute now she’d awaken from this nightmare to find G in the bed upstairs and Chaos invading their fridge. But every time she opened her eyes, every time she stared at the oil painting above the fireplace, or heard Rosita or Marcus or R.I.P.’s children walking through the house, she knew it was all real.

  Dasia’s heart raced as someone tapped on the door. She expected it to be Cheryl, R.I.P.’s wife, or Rosita trying again to get her to eat something, but it wasn’t either of them this time.

  “Ms. Warrington? Ms. Warrington, there’s a package here for you.”

  R.I.P.’s voice echoed through her mind. She didn’t expect a package. A phone call or a visitor bearing some sort of news maybe, but not a package.

  “Just leave it on the table by the door,” she yelled back to him through the closed doors. She didn’t want to deal with a package. She really didn’t want to deal with anything right now. She wanted to be alone, to be able to wallow in her sorrow for just a little while. She needed to face the fact that G was dead and in a few months she’d be a single mother.

  Dasia wrapped her arms around her stomach. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to tell him about the baby. Now she had to go at this alone. She knew she still had Katina and her family and they’d all be supportive, but she’d still be a single parent. Her baby, their baby, would never know his or her father.

  The tears began to fall at the thought that every day she looked into her child’s eyes, she’d remember him. She didn’t know how she was going to get through this, how she was going to raise this child without G.

  The knocking again interrupted her thoughts.

  “Ms. Warrington? Ms. Warrington, I think you need to come open this package.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “No, ma’am, it can’t.”

  Dasia released a heavy sigh. There was no arguing. She squinted as she stepped from the darkness of the study into the well-lit hallway, escorted her to the living room before handing her the large manila envelope.

  She took a seat on the couch and pulled the tab to open the envelope. Dumping the contents onto the table, she picked up the folder with the word confidential stamped across the front. It was identical to the one Jeremiah had delivered to her office. Flipping open the file, a picture of G stared back at her. She felt her eyes water at the sight of him. She quickly flipped to the first page of the file, stamped DECEASED in big bold red letters across the name Tyrone Porter.

  Dasia began to cry uncontrollably as the knowledge set it. G and Tyrone Porter were one and the same.

  Cheryl tried her best to comfort her. She rocked Dasia slowly, allowing her to get it all out. Things had finally struck home. Dasia now knew for sure her lover and best friend was gone.

  After a few minutes of just letting everything pour out of her, Dasia pulled herself together long enough to slide the DVD accompanying the file into the player. Dasia turned to face them, wanting to do this alone.

  They saw her request in her eyes and they both nodded. Cheryl stood and joined her husband in the doorway. Then they turned to walk down the hall, leaving Dasia to view the remaining message from G.

  Dasia pressed play on the remote control. An image of G immediately popped up on the television screen. She fought back tears as she listened to his voice.

  “I guess, since you’re watching this, you know everything. I’m sorry, baby, for not telling you about the classified job. That was a part of my life I’ve tried my best to put behind me. I never meant for you to find out this way.

  “But enough of the past. Dasia, over the last few months, you’ve become my life. You’ve opened my eyes to what true love is all about. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt you, or run the risk of hurting us . . .”

  As Dasia listened to the tape, she wondered why he seemed to be talking as if he was still alive. She knew he was dead. He’d died in her arms.

  “. . . and if it’s what you want, I will always be a part of your life. I want us to be a real family. If deep inside you can look beyond what I felt was best to protect you and find it in your heart to keep me, then all you have to do is open your heart, open that door and . . .”

  The screen went blank, and the sound of G’s voice behind her nearly caused Dasia to have a heart attack.

  “Marry me.”

  Dasia turned around to see G standing before her, his right arm in a sling. Dasia was paralyzed. She couldn’t believe her eyes as he closed the distance between them.

  G knelt before her, the solitaire diamond in hand and said, “I’ve asked you before, and I’m asking again.” He stared up into her tear-filled eyes. He hoped she’d say yes this time. “Dasia, will you make our family whole? Will you give our child the father he or she deserves, a father who will be there twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, whenever he or she needs me? Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

  With tears in her eyes and without hesitation, Dasia accepted.

  G pulled his fiancée into his one good arm. He’d been waiting for a little over a week to have her by his side. The first night the doctors weren’t sure if he was going to survive, but Katina kept telling him he didn’t have a choice. He had to survive for Dasia and the baby. Each day after that, he got stronger and stronger, until the stubbornness overshadowed common sense. He told the doctors he needed to get home to see about his family, or he’d come back and kill them all.

  Cheryl and R.I.P. joined the happy couple in the living room with their two children, Tyler and Amber, trailing behind them. R.I.P. carried his eighteen-month-old son Jordan securely in his arms.

  “So the dead has again risen.”

  “Hey, Cheryl.” G turned to face his friends. He took one look at Cheryl’s stomach and shook his head. “Cheryl, please tell me you’re not pregnant again.”

  She looked up at her loving husband and smiled. “What can I say? My husband loves me.”

  “Hey, man, you know we have to keep our women happy. Besides, with her at home in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant, I can keep her away from men like Chaos.”

  “I resent that,” Chaos said as he stepped around the corner with Katina.

  Dasia cut her eyes at G. “You really don’t agree with him, do you?”

  “If that’s what you want, baby, then I am only here to please. But I think Cheryl likes being at home with her kids.”

  “I sure do. As long as R.I.P. takes care of us, I’ll stay in the kitchen barefoot, pregnant and all.”

  G looked down at Dasia again. “You do know that if anything happens to them, we’re going to end up with a house full of children and empty pockets.” He then turned to Chaos. “This next one’s yours, man. I can’t afford to take care of all of his kids, plus mine and Dasia’s.”

  “I got ya, I got ya. Who knows? Sooner or later, maybe I’ll have some of my own. Hopefully later rather than sooner, but for now I think I’ll just borrow one of yours when I feel the need to play daddy.”

  They all shared a hearty laugh at Chaos. Everyone but Dasia. She’d become suddenly quiet and withdrawn.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” G asked.

  “I-I guess I’m just still wondering how all of this is possible.”

  “It’s possible because I’m good at what I do,” Chaos answered.

  “You almost took out my heart.”

  “Hey, how was I supposed to know you were going to flinch?”

  G turned Dasia to face him. “Look, we’ve had to do this before . . . shoot one of our own. This is just the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of the bullet. We were trained to know where to hit someone so it looks convincing.”

  “But, G, I felt you slip away in my arms.”

&nb
sp; “No, baby, Tyrone Porter slipped away in your arms. He’s the one that died that night, not me.”

  “Well, I’m glad.”

  He leaned down, and before kissing her, he whispered, “So am I.”

  Chapter 33

  The sun was just beginning to slip above the horizon as G watched Dasia walk toward him in her white wedding dress. They’d decided to have a sunrise wedding on a beach in Belize. A cool breeze made the cloth billow around her bare feet as she joined him, Chaos, Katina, and the minister under the candle-lit arbor. The waves whispered in the distance as the two joined hands to become the family they so desperately wanted to be.

  Dasia’s mother, father, and brother sat in a semi-circle along with Tijuan, R.I.P., Cheryl and their kids to watch G and Dasia exchange vows. They were all delighted the two had found each other. Each of them needed the other to complete their lives, and after all they’d been through, they deserved more than anyone to be happy.

  G turned to face Dasia with tears in his eyes. She was the missing part of him, the part he’d been searching so long for. She completed him, and he’d never leave her side.

  “Dasia, I humble myself at your feet. You are all I’ve ever wanted and more. Your strength is my strength. Your love is my love. When the skies are stormy, you are my sunshine. When my heart is empty, your love fills me. I am home with you, and it is my lifelong commitment to honor and cherish you. From this day forth, I will keep you. You are my morning, noon, and night, and I will never forsake you. I love you, baby, and nothing will ever change that.” G finally allowed the tears to fall as he slid the ring onto Dasia’s finger. Now she was truly his. Now he’d wake up to her smiling face every morning for all eternity.

  “G, you’ve given me hope when I was utterly hopeless. You’ve nurtured my soul and resurrected it from the depths of despair, leading it to a place of tenderness, kindness, and faith. You’ve touched my heart in ways I never imagined. I thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. You’ve become a beacon of light, guiding me through troubled waters. You are my heart, my soul, my life, and forevermore I will keep you. With you I have everything, and that I will never forsake.”

  By the time Dasia completed her promise to him, everyone, including the minister, had been reduced to tears. The minister was able to pull himself together long enough to complete the ceremony and grant the couple their first kiss as husband and wife.

  G pulled Dasia close before kissing her. Staring down into those beautiful almond-shaped eyes, he whispered, “I love you, Dasia Makalia Guatreaux, and no matter what, I’ll always be by your side.” Then he claimed the lips that were now his for the rest of their lives. They were butter-soft, and he never wanted to let them go.

  As they slowly ended their kiss, all G could do was hug Dasia. She had finally made him the happiest man alive. He glanced over at his sister, and she smiled back at him.

  Katina was happy for her brother. She’d seen him hurt way too many times and was glad he’d finally found the one he deserved and the one who deserved him.

  G finally let Dasia go. Her eyes still teary, she turned to Katina. She now had a sister, and she was glad it was Katina.

  Katina reached out and embraced her sister-in-law. “Welcome to the family.” The two hugged like old friends, marking the beginning of a blossoming new bond between them.

  A light tapping on his shoulder drew G’s attention away from the two most important women in his life.

  Chaos gestured to the two figures standing near a group of trees not far from where the wedding party stood. “What are they doing here?”

  G turned to face the men. The taller figure nodded at him, and then they turned and walked away.

  “They know it’s over now. We won’t be hearing from the Agency anymore.”

  “How can you be sure?” Chaos asked. “They’ve made that promise before and reneged on it. What makes you think it’s going to be different this time?”

  “Let’s just say the Reaper left a clear message for them. And you know”—G dropped his shield for just a second, giving Chaos a glimpse of his alter ego—“the Reaper can be very persuasive. They won’t be bothering any of us ever again.”

  “Well, then I guess congratulations are in order. I know you, Dasia, and that baby are going to be the perfect family.”

  “I don’t know about perfect, but as long as we have each other, we’ll make it through anything.”

  G turned from Chaos and made his way over to his new wife. Wrapping his arms around her slightly swollen belly, he just took some time to enjoy the feel of his wife in his arms. He’d keep her there safe, until death saw it fit to part them.

  Epilogue

  Dasia rested her back against G’s chest as their baby nursed from her breast. Grimarious Guatreaux IV had been born three weeks ago. He was a happy, healthy eight-pound seven-ounce baby boy. He’d come out with a head full of curly black hair just like his father’s. He had Dasia’s lips, but other than that, he was the spitting image of G, all the way down to his big gray eyes.

  G was the best husband and father a new mother could ask for. He allowed her to rest and recuperate from the sixteen hours of labor their son had put her through. He tended to their little one night and day, only disturbing Dasia when he needed to nurse.

  Dasia was regaining her strength. She looked down into her child’s gray eyes as he suckled from her breast, eyes open wide, staring back at the woman who’d given him life. Dasia felt G shift behind her as he leaned up to look over her shoulder at their son. He cradled them both in his arms, rocking them, gently soothing his new family.

  They both looked down into those two gray pools taking in every inch of the world. Dasia gasped as she saw the flicker of coldness that seemed to pass beneath her son’s eyes.

  G had seen it as well. It was then he knew his son too carried the curse of the Reaper. He’d hoped it would skip his children. No such luck. Another Guatreaux male would be forced to learn to control that alternate personality that plagued his family line.

  No one really knew how or where it started. Rumors had passed from generation to generation of a Guatreaux male crossing a voodoo priestess, who’d in turn cursed the family. The stories were just that, stories, speculation meant to satisfy the curiosity about why this happened to all the Guatreaux men. Maybe it was just something in them, the dirty primal instinct that all humans fight to hide. By the looks of things, though, G didn’t know where it would end. So he’d do what needed to be done.

  Giving Dasia a gentle squeeze, he reassured her. “I’ll teach him to control it, just as my father taught me and his father taught him.” He felt her relax in his arms. He was glad she trusted him to teach their child to be a Guatreaux man.

  A light tapping on the door drew their attention away from the bundle of joy they cradled in their arms. Dasia didn’t want to interrupt her son’s nursing, so she tossed a towel over her shoulder to cover herself.

  “Come in,” G said.

  “I apologize for disturbing you, but there’s a Mr. Alton McCallister asking to speak with the missus.”

  “Did he say what it was in reference to?”

  “No, sir.”

  G looked down at Dasia. “I’ll take care of this. You just keep taking care of my little heir.” He then looked back up at Marcus. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

  “I’ll let him know, sir.” Marcus closed the door as he exited the room.

  “Are you okay with him while I take care of this?”

  “Yes. Just hurry back.”

  G inched out from under them and made his way to the door. He took one last look back at his family. He watched their son wrap his tiny fingers around one of Dasia’s before stepping out of the room.

  As he descended the stairs, G noticed the thin Caucasian man with frizzy red hair and wearing a long black overcoat waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs. He extended his hand as he approached the man, and the two men shook hands.

 
“I’m Grimarious Guatreaux, Dasia’s husband. Is there something I can help you with?”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I regret, though, I have strict orders to only deal with Ms. Warrington.”

  “Her last name is Guatreaux now, and she’s currently unavailable.” G felt his temper growing. He’d just told the man he was Dasia’s husband. He found Mr. McCallister’s insistence on referring to Dasia as Ms. Warrington as a sign of disrespect, and no one was going to disrespect him in his own home.

  “I apologize. However, I must speak with Mrs. Guatreaux, and only Mrs. Guatreaux, regarding this matter. Is there a time I can come back when she will be available?”

  G huffed at the man. Dasia needed her rest. She was tending to their son, and he really didn’t want to interrupt her. Since there really wasn’t going to be a good time for this man to return, he figured he’d get this over with.

  “Marcus!” G called.

  “Yes, Mr. Guatreaux.”

  “Take Mr. McCallister to the study.”

  “Yes, sir.” Marcus turned to the visitor. “Follow me please.”

  G made his way back up the stairs and knocked on the bedroom door before entering. Dasia had little Grimarious lying against her shoulder, trying to burp him.

  “What was that all about?”

  “I don’t know. He says he can only discuss whatever it is with you. He’s waiting for you in the study.”

  Dasia looked at G curiously. She wrapped their little one up and handed him to G. “Are you coming?” She got out of the bed, threw on a sweatshirt, and made her way to the door.

  “Only if you want me to.”

  “I do.”

  With their son in his arms, G followed Dasia down the stairs to the study, where Mr. McCallister stood.

  “Are you Ms. Warrington?”

  “It’s Guatreaux now, but yes.”

  “You’ve been a difficult woman to track down. This is for you.” The man handed her an overstuffed letter-sized envelope.