by Jill Sanders
“I’m restless at home and I wanted some of your…” She didn’t get any further. She hunched over and grabbed her stomach as a gush of fluid flooded the floor at her feet.
Iian freaked. He’s sure he screamed like a little girl, yelling in every direction to call for help. When he went to grab his sister and carry her to the car, she swatted his hands aside like he was a nuisance.
“Calm down! Do not freak out. I swear Iian, it’s just my water.”
“Just your water? Just your water!” He looked around and yelled for one of his chefs. “Have you called Aaron yet?” When he got confirmation he looked back at his sister. This time she was almost bent over with the pain.
“Screw this,” he said, as he walked over and picked her up. “Tell Aaron we’re heading to the hospital and to meet us there. We’re having this baby now.”
Allison and Megan showed up at the hospital less than forty minutes later. By then Lillian Grace Jordan had already been born with the help of the proud daddy.
Aaron stood holding the small bundle on the other side of the glass as everyone gathered around. Todd had the camera and was taking pictures of the wonderful moment. Megan held little Mathew up to the glass so he could see his small cousin. Iian held Sara who was fast asleep on his shoulder. Allison stood back and smiled at her new family.
Later, when they were able to see Lacey, Iian told everyone the good news.
“A double celebration!” Lacey had exclaimed. She looked wonderful sitting up in her hospital bed. Really, she looked like she had just spent a day at the spa rather than giving birth to a seven pound baby.
Allison walked over to hug the new mother. Lillian or Lilly, as she was being called by everyone was being held by Megan, who sat on a couch with Matthew and Sara hovering around her.
“I can’t believe you’re a mother.” Allison smiled at her friend. “It seems like just yesterday we were dressing up my Barbie dolls and playing with Play-Doh.”
“Don’t, you’re going to make me cry.” Lacey waved a hand in front of her face. “Megan, I love you sister, but if you don’t give me my baby, I may have to hurt you,” she smiled.
“I think it’s time we all left the new family. We’ll see everyone tomorrow.” Megan handed the small bundle to her sister-in-law. Looking up at her husband, she smiled and silently wished for another child.
By the time Iian and Allison walked in the door of the house, her head felt numb.
“I love your family,” she said, later.
“They love you and I love you.” She could get used to hearing him say that.
School was out. She hadn’t been this excited since she was in school herself. The last week of school had dragged on. Every class had seemed like it had been doubled in time.
Now as Iian drove her home, she was actually looking forward to having a week off before she started teaching at the boys and girls club.
Knowing that the summer classes would be less demanding, she looked forward to spending more time in her studio.
Ric had planned a visit in a few weeks and she wanted to be able to give him the four pieces that she had donated to the Alzheimer Project. She’d spent a lot of time re-making them, and felt that they had ended up better than the original ones.
Megan had planned a birthday celebration for Todd over the weekend. They decided to take the yacht out with the family for a fishing trip and had invited them along. The water was still so much a part of Todd’s life, that Iian hadn’t flinched at the request. Instead, he had agreed without a second thought. His brother’s birthday had almost always been celebrated on the water. Even his own birthday had been celebrated this way, at least until his eighteenth.
Still, his brother respected what had happened, so when they did go out, they never traveled too far from the shore.
So, he found himself standing on the deck of the family’s larger yacht. Next to him stood the woman that was going to be his wife. He liked saying that over and over in his head. They held hands and watched the shoreline disappear.
It wasn’t until an hour later that the shakes were so bad that he had to go below deck. Allison had watched him go, and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before she followed him.
When he got below, he closed his eyes and tried his deep breathing exercises. Nothing was helping him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and almost jumped at the light contact.
“Are you alright?” Allison looked into his face and noticed how pale it was.
Walking into his arms, she pulled his face down to hers and lightly ran her lips over his. Distraction was her only thought. As his mouth heated on hers, she started melting into his embrace.
His hands started moving over her hips and when he started to pull her jean skirt up, she tried to back away. “Iian, your family is just upstairs.”
“They’re busy. I’m sure they know what were up to. Please Ally, I need you, I need this.”
His hands finished raising her skirt to expose her bright yellow swim suit underneath. Pulling it down he pushed his fingers inside her and had her gasping and holding onto him. Her fingers dug into his arms, her legs turned to rubber. His kisses deepened and turned to desperate.
With her head back and her eyes closed, he focused on one thing, pleasing her. Soon the rocking of the boat faded and in its place was the sights and smells of Allison. She filled his vision, filled his senses.
He pulled her around and positioned her over the cushion of the large couch that ran down one side of the cabin. Quickly he pulled his swim shorts down and plunged into her slick heat.
Soon, he set his own rhythm, rocking back and forth, causing his own pleasure and hers.
Allison bit her lips on a moan, and when she felt his speed quicken, she knew she would go over the edge with him.
A while later, they joined Todd and Megan up above. Both of them were totally relaxed and Iian showed no more signs of being stressed or nervous. Everyone seemed to enjoy the rest of the weekend on the water.
When they returned home late Sunday evening, they sat on the back patio and ate dinner. The simple turkey sandwiches, which she had whipped up, were delicious. They watched the sun set and talked about their future.
Iian wanted a summer wedding. He claimed he’d waited over twenty years for her and didn’t feel like waiting any more, and she didn’t see anything wrong with that. So they spent the rest of the evening making plans and talking about their future.
Chapter Eighteen
Her first day of teaching art at the Boys and Girls Club was off to a great start. She’d arrived early, thanks to getting her car back from Rusty’s last week.
Her multiple weekly visits to her mother were going better. It seemed to her that her mother’s mental condition had stabilized at the Hotel. She’d even gained back a little of the weight she’d lost before Allison had arrived home. Her mother still sometimes forgot who she was, but Ally was learning to deal with these times.
Now as she looked over the dozen kids of various ages that were all engrossed in their art projects, she smiled at the thought of her and Iian having children. He really would be a great father.
He’d voiced his concerns about not being able to hear if the baby was crying, but then they had gone online and found a baby monitor for the deaf.
He could carry it around like a pager and it would vibrate like his cell phone. They had spent hours hunched over his laptop looking at other baby devices, toys and clothes. Even buying a few things for Lilly, Sara, and Matthew. It had been such fun that she could hardly wait for their marriage.
She’d shipped her art to New York where Ric was working with the project for a special auction that would benefit the foundation. She and Iian were going to fly there and attend the special event the following month.
Looking around the large room that housed her art class, she noticed that Tommy and Susie were there today. Both of the children had changed a lot. Tommy no longer drew violent scenes and Susie’s drawings were of flowers and other a
nimals. No monsters in sight.
While she enjoyed seeing most of her regular students in the class, and there were a few new faces of older kids. Most of the children attending her classes were at the club for the whole day of summer camp. Only a few were there just for her class, such as the Williams’ children.
Brenda their mother, came and picked them up shortly after class was over. Allison could see a slight change in her as well. She’d only seen her a few times since graduation. Gone was the bouncy cheerleader; instead she saw a woman who was frail, thin, and looked like she needed a few pounds and hours of good sleep.
Today, however, Brenda looked a little more like her old self. She had gotten her hair done and it appeared that she was taking better care of her outward appearance. She could tell that some of the woman’s confidence was coming back.
Allison remembered when Megan had arrived in town, she had looked and acted a lot like Brenda had. It was hard to imagine a man would treat a woman so terribly.
Then she thought of Iian; he would never lift a finger to anyone. She didn’t think there was an ounce of temper in the man. Thinking about it, she couldn’t even remember him ever being mad.
Smiling about his good friendly nature, she walked out to her car. She heard a noise to her left and then she noticed Susie crouched down next to a dark car. Dropping her bags, she ran over to the child. Tears were streaming down the little girls face, her hands and knees were cut as if she’d fallen down.
“Susie, are you alright? Where’s your mother?” She looked around. Then she saw the truck. Grabbing the little girl up, she was poised to run, when Kevin interrupted.
“Give me my daughter, you bitch.” Turning around slowly, she saw Kevin standing with one hand on Brenda’s arm and the other holding his son by the shoulder.
Susie squirmed in her arms and whispered. “I don’t want to go with the bad man. Mommy said I wouldn’t have to go with him anymore.”
“Shh, I won’t let you go with him.” She comforted the child.
“Susie, come with daddy.”
The little girl shook her head no.
Then he screamed, “Get over here!”
“Kevin, you’re drunk. Just let us go and we can talk about this,” Brenda tried to reason with him.
Allison saw him swaying and realized his eyes were somewhat unfocused, so she started to back up towards her bag and her cell phone.
“Shut up!” He yanked on Brenda’s arm and the woman was quiet. “Give me my girl. It’s all your fault! If you had learned to mind your own god-damned business, I wouldn’t have had to hide away like some outlaw. Do you know that Robert has a warrant out for my arrest? I didn’t do a damned thing. This is all your fault,” he repeated and turned back towards her.
She watched Tommy squirm under his father’s big hands and was relieved to see that, upon focusing his attention on her again, Kevin released the little boy’s shoulder. She was even more relieved when the boy took off behind the cars quickly. She silently prayed that he was smart enough to run inside and get help. All she had to do now was stall Kevin from trying to leave or worse.
“Why don’t we go inside and we can…”
“Just shut up! I’ve never laid a hand on my children. Brenda,” he yanked his wife’s arm so hard that she cried out. “You tell her. You tell them all, that I’ve never laid a finger on my kids.”
Brenda agreed quickly by nodding her head and Allison watched as tears started to fall down her cheeks.
“Hitting your wife isn’t acceptable either.” Allison saw the truth.
“I may have slapped her around when I was drunk, but I never raised a hand to my kids. I’ve lost my wife and kids all because of you. You had to go and ruin everything, you should learn to keep to your own damn business.” He was swaying and she noticed he was trying to pull Brenda towards his truck.
Stall him, Allison thought. Stall him.
Iian was in the middle of an early dinner rush when he received a text from Bob Andrews, the director of the boys and girls club. Iian had talked to Bob about keeping an eye on Allison while she was there for her summer classes. Bob’s message said that Kevin had Allison cornered in the parking lot and that he’d called Robert.
Thinking of nothing but Ally and fear for her safety, had him running from the restaurant’s back entrance and jumping on his bike, praying that he’d make it in time.
“Did you start the fire in my house? Did you hit my mother over the head and leave her for dead.”
He stepped back as if it had been a physical blow.
“I… I just went there to talk to her. To convince her to get you to leave my family alone. The damned woman wasn’t making any sense. Then she threaten to call the cops and I grabbed her arm and she fell. I just grabbed her arm. I swear she fell and hit her head on one of those damn candle sticks. I thought she was dead. Then I had to start the fire to cover my tracks.”
“Oh, Kevin!” Brenda said beside him. She tried to pull out of his grip, but he tightened it.
“I noticed your car that day in Edgeview. You’d cost me my family. So, I just pulled out my hunting knife and used it on your tires so you could pay. You cost me my family! Then I saw you leaving Walmart. I thought I would just nudge you off the road. Scare you a bit.”
He chuckled. “I ended up with a flat tire myself thanks to that crazy driving of yours. That’s why I never let Brenda drive my truck. Can’t trust a woman behind a wheel.”
Allison heard it then, she knew the sound of Iian’s motorcycle anywhere. Keep him talking, she told herself, so he wouldn’t hear it.
“I swear I never wanted to hurt your mother. I would never hurt my kids. I just want them back. I miss my boy so much.” He turned to look down at where Tommy was, but he’d been long gone. “Tommy!” Kevin shouted. “Get back here boy! We’re going to go camping.” He tried to make it sound fun. “You, your mom, and your sisters and I are going to take a fun trip,” he yelled out to the empty parking lot.
Iian’s bike came to a stop just between them. She watched as Iian slowly pulled his leg over the bike and took his helmet off.
“How’s it going Kevin?” Iian asked in a calm voice.
“Get the hell out of my way Iian!” Kevin screamed. “You’ve always been a thorn in my side. I just want to grab my kids and wife and take a little trip.”
He watched as Allison backed up to her car and quickly place the little girl inside. She was standing with her keys in her hand, sheltered the little girl’s view from anything that might happen. She looked ready for a fight with her legs spread wide, she had a warrior look about her. She was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her before.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” Iian said in a calm voice and took a step towards Kevin. “Let Brenda go and I’ll let you off easy.” He was calculating how drunk Kevin was. He’d seen him falling down drunk, this was just a small step up from there.
Kevin tried to pull Brenda back towards the truck, putting Brenda between him and Iian. Iian knew that he couldn’t let Kevin get to the truck, he was too drunk to drive. But Kevin stumbled in the process of pulling them towards the vehicle, which gave Iian a perfect opening. In that instant, Iian was on the man. His fist had moved so quickly, Kevin didn’t have a chance to defend himself. It had done exactly what Iian hoped it would, Kevin’s hands automatically went to his face, releasing Brenda.
Brenda scurried back a few steps out of her husband’s reach. Her face was pale and she looked shocked, her hands went to her mouth as she screamed when Kevin tried to swing at Iian. But Iian’s fist smashed into him again, this time taking Kevin to his knees. Just then Iian looked over as Robert’s cruiser drove up and parked right behind his bike.
Iian stood over Kevin “I told you I’d let you off easy.” Iian hauled Kevin up and waited for Robert to take him off his hands.
“Are you okay?” Robert asked him.
“I’m fine,” he looked over and watched Brenda rushed to Megan’s car and take Susie in
her arms. Just then Tommy came running out with Bob, the boy went into his mother’s waiting arms as well.
“Is everyone alright?” Robert called over to the group.
“Yes, I think we’re fine,” Allison said and signed, smiling down at the family. She looked up at Robert and said, “He admitted to everything, running me off the road, slashing my tires, attacking my mother and starting the fire.”
“Damn it, Robert! I just wanted to see my kids. There’s no harm in that,” Kevin was saying as Robert lead him to the car, blood flowed from his nose and lips.
“Kevin, you’re under arrest,” Robert said and proceeded to give him his rights.