by KD Robichaux
April:
I decided to quit my job to focus fully on my degree and Josalyn. With the upcoming visits with Jason, there was no way my boss would’ve been okay with me taking a week off basically once a month, so I went ahead and threw caution to the wind, quitting after saving every penny of my last few paychecks so I’d have a nice cushion.
Josalyn’s first birthday party was a blast. I took lots of pictures of her digging into her birthday cake, which ended up everywhere, mostly in her hair—of course. I got her a blow-up castle, and Aiden bought the colorful plastic ball-pit balls to go in it. It was the first time he’d come to visit her since Christmas.
May:
Josalyn and I flew to Texas and stayed with Jason this time. We timed the trip so we could attend Buffy’s baby shower, both women and men attending, which I thought was super fun! They had games for everyone, including which man could chug beer fastest from a baby bottle. They didn’t realize how slow liquid comes out through the nipples, so it was hilarious watching the grown men suck as hard as they could to get the alcohol out.
We went on an awesome little day trip to Galveston one day, and took Josalyn to Moody Gardens. Jason’s parents came along with us, and we had a great time exploring the three pyramids, showing her the penguins in the Aquarium Pyramid, and walking through the Rainforest Pyramid. The last one held the IMAX theater, where we watched a cool 3D movie about ocean life. Josalyn wouldn’t keep the 3D glasses on, but she was still really well behaved for the forty-five-minute show.
June:
This was an exciting month! Jason flew to Fayetteville this time, and Mom watched Josalyn for two days while we went up to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit Busch Gardens. Usually, when I go to the giant amusement park, it’s a day trip there and back home, so I never realized how impressive the city itself is. We went to a winery and got souvenir glasses at our wine tasting, and ended up buying a couple of bottles we really enjoyed. Jason loved the dry red ones, while I preferred the sweet ones.
When we got back to Fayetteville, I took him to my favorite tattoo shop, The Chop Shop in Hope Mills, where I’ve gotten all of my tattoos to date, because I don’t trust anyone else. Jason shocked me, asking me if I wanted to get a tattoo with him, and we ended up getting kanjis. He got the one meaning Yin in the middle of his back between the tribal wings he has outlined, and I got the one for Yang on the inside of my left wrist above my Celtic trinity knot. We loved the meaning behind the symbols, Jason making me melt when he explained he felt I was the Yang to his Yin, the light to his dark, his opposite who completed and balanced him.
At first, I was a little nervous to get a matching tattoo with him, because I’ve always heard it’s bad luck. But after learning the full meaning of Yang, it fit me personally, so I’m not worried about it.
The next day, we grabbed Tooty and went on an overnight trip to Myrtle Beach. (I know, I know! But it’s soooo much fun down there!) I cannot even describe how awesome it was. When we first arrived, Jason pulled the new floaty we got her out of the box and blew it up, and I snapped the cutest pictures of her pudgy little self, sitting on the bed watching him as the yellow plastic expanded, her face mesmerized, like he was working pure magic.
The hotel we stayed at was awesome. It had an indoor waterpark, with a lazy river we floated in for a couple hours, a few kiddy slides Jason took her down, and even I had a great time in the water! Well… the pool, that is. I still didn’t go into the ocean. But let me tell you, seeing Jason’s tattooed sexy-ass body in his bright white swim trunks, holding my daughter in just her little swim diaper and a shitload of sunscreen as he introduced her to the ocean for the first time—OVARY EXPLOSION. If he could make babies, I would definitely give him one.
He had a late-night flight home that same evening, so when we got back to Fayetteville a couple hours later, we only had time for a short paddleboat ride around my lake before it was time to take him to the airport. It was much harder to say goodbye to him after each visit, since every minute spent with him I was growing more and more attached and in love with him.
End of June/ July:
This was quite a trip for us, because Josalyn and I ended up staying for two weeks! So much happened, all of it amazing. First, Buffy had my niece, which they named Abigail (they really love those A-names!) and we got to meet and snuggle her the day of my nephew Alex’s birthday party. The baby had to stay in the hospital for a few extra days because she was severely jaundiced, but finally came home healthy and absolutely beautiful.
Also, we went to Beaumont for the 4th of July to spend the day with Jason’s dad’s side of the family. We had a huge barbecue, played in the pool (Jason even took Tooty down the waterslide!) and set off tons of fireworks. His—ridiculously good-looking—cousin Chad, a male nurse (something Jason gave him hell about throughout the entire day) made me both nervous and laugh hysterically. He was intimidating with his quick wit and sharp tongue, but then softened the teasing with drool-worthy smiles and a “I’m just playin’, honey” said in his Texas drawl. Apparently the only girl Jason had brought around them before was the infamous ‘awful girl’ his mom had mentioned back in January, and everyone openly agreed they liked me way better. The comments made me happy, at the same time curious and jealous. He still hadn’t told me anything about her. Though I finally found out her name was Lainey.
August:
August was extremely busy for the both of us, getting started with our fall semesters. I didn’t get to see Jason this month, but oh, holy hell! If I wasn’t head over heels in love with this man already, then this would have sealed the deal. Acheron, the fourteenth book in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series, which I’ve been reading since the very first book Fantasy Lover was a new release, came out at the beginning of the month. Exciting in itself, I know. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
I saw she would be doing a book tour, and one of the stops would be in Houston. I freaked out and told Jason about it, and without me even asking, he volunteered to go get me a signed copy!
He called me while he was there, at the Barnes and Noble store on the north side, at Deerbrook Mall, where we’d gone to see the movie when we saw each other the first time in over two years. Imagine my tall, dark, and handsome Texan badass boyfriend in a sea of housewives and goth-dressed teenage girls waiting in line to get their hands on the hardback Goliath of a book. I could feel his discomfort through the phone, but being the wonderful man he is, he asked me if there was anything I wanted him to tell or ask the author when he got up to her. I told him to ask her if Nick Gautier, one of my favorite characters, would be getting his own book. Turns out, Nick would be getting his own series!
Instead of worrying about my beloved book getting lost or damaged in the mail, I asked Jason to just keep it safe for me until the next time I saw him.
September:
We didn’t see each other until the next month, when Josalyn and I made the trip to Texas. I take all online classes, but Jason goes to the actual school every day, and I didn’t want him to miss class when he’s been doing so well in his courses. So the next few trips were up to me to go to Texas. And what a trip this one was!
My big brother Jay, sister-in-law Renee, my oldest niece, fourteen-year-old Brooke, and three-year-old nephew Bret had moved to Texas a few months prior, so we picked Brooke up and took her to Galveston for a day at Schlitterbahn, a massive waterpark. Being petrified of waterslides, my ass was happy just hanging out in the kiddy area with Josalyn while Jason and Brooke went on the biggest and scariest slides. Brooke is normally pretty shy around new people, but she warmed up to Jason quickly, and even ended the day giving him an adorably nervous hug.
After the beautiful day in Galveston, you would never have guessed that Hurricane Ike would soon turn the rest of the visit into quite the adventure. Jason’s parents evacuated to San Antonio, but the three of us decided to go to Kingwood and weather the storm with Jay and his family. I will never forget when the hurricane finally hit at two in the morn
ing, and my crazy-ass brother got out on his balcony in his tighty-whities, yelling “WE HAVE DEBRIS!” the infamous line from Twister, as limbs landed on the floor of the patio. I was both terrified and laughing my ass off, shouting for him to get his ass back inside. He finally came in, telling us, “Those are hundred mile-an-hour winds for sure!” while I covered my eyes at his state of undress. The idiot. I love him.
The power went out, but we had plenty of light, thanks to Renee’s obsession with candles, and we actually slept pretty soundly for the world to be seemingly ending outside. When we awoke the next morning, sure enough, it looked like we had been through the Apocalypse. Josalyn stayed with Renee, while Jason and I headed to Friendswood to assess the damage to his parents’ house. It was surreal making our way south. The normal forty-five-minute drive took us three hours. The roads in Kingwood alone were a disaster, seeing how their motto is “The Livable Forest”. Every square inch of free space in the suburb is filled with trees… except for the huge ones that had fallen across the main roads, forcing us to double back and find other avenues of getting out. When we finally hit the highways, it truly looked like the set of an end-of-the-world movie. The freeways, even the ones high up in the air, were flooded, causing us to take backroads and other routes, instead of our normal straight shot down 59 and 45. As we passed Downtown Houston, I got chills at the eerie sight of hundreds of windows blown out of the majestic skyscrapers.
When we finally made it to Jason’s neighborhood, we got a laugh at someone canoeing down one of the roads, relief flooding us when we saw no damage had been done to his family home. There was debris everywhere, but nothing Jason and his dad would need help cleaning up themselves.
We got back a couple hours later, stayed one more night with my brother, then decided to make our way home. Jason’s dad had bought two generators before the hurricane hit, so we felt like we were living like kings, while tons of other people went without electricity and hot water around us. Even though it was a complete disaster, I feel a little bad for saying it was also kind of fun. Not wanting to use up gasoline on things like television or computers, we spent our time playing board games and actually talking to each other. Although I feel terrible for the people who weren’t as lucky as us in the outcome of the storm, it was an experience I’m glad we went through, because it brought us even closer together.
October:
Probably my favorite trip thus far visiting Jason, our October trip was awesome! We dressed Tooty up like Little Red Riding Hood and took her around his neighborhood, his Mom, now officially named Mimi by Josalyn, proudly walking her up to her friends’ doors to show off her adopted granddaughter.
But the best part of the trip: I finally got to meet Jason’s best friend, Logan. He’s the Marine who Jason had joined with. Up until now, I had never met him, because he was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, or deployed overseas. He was home on leave, and I was super excited to meet him, since I’d heard so many stories of their misadventures as teenagers, and because I’d been friends with him on MySpace for quite some time now, after Jason told him we were getting serious.
My first thought when I’d seen his profile pic was “He looks like a douchebag.” He was wearing a white wife-beater and baggy jeans and looked like he was trying to make an intimidating face. This was not the case when meeting him in person. Dressed in a nice polo shirt, jeans, and white K-Swiss shoes, his dark blond hair in a perfect high-and-tight, Jason’s best friend was a hottie. Muscles… muscles everywhere.
Josalyn instantly latched onto him (God, she is definitely my daughter). And just like Jason, she immediately wrapped him securely around her little finger. She wasn’t happy unless she was sitting on his lap. The boys got their amusement, learning she couldn’t pronounce her R’s yet, so they made her say the word fork, cackling like twelve-year-olds when her sweet baby voice sounded like she was saying fuck. Even I giggled when Logan took it to a whole new level, telling her to say mother-forker. She beamed at me when the guys exploded with laughter when she repeated it back to him.
Jason’s parents watched Josalyn one night so we could go out with Logan, and it was so much fun hearing his side of the tales Jason had told me. It was a night full of laughter and good times, especially when after a few drinks, they decided they were awesome at doing the robot and had a dance battle.
Also during the trip, it was Jason and Logan’s friend Kano’s wedding. I dressed Josalyn in an adorable baby pink velvet dress with grey polka dots and black patent-leather Mary Jane shoes, and we accompanied Jason to the celebration. When we arrived, Logan was there in his dress blue deltas, looking devastatingly handsome. It’s a good thing Jason is not a jealous man, because I couldn’t help drooling over the hunk. There is nothing like a man in uniform. Being from Fayetteville, I’d never been around a Marine before. Their dress uniform is definitely way hotter than the Army and Air Force ones I’m used to seeing. With Logan’s bright blue eyes and amazing, contagious ever-present smile, it wasn’t hard to understand why the two friends had been the perfect wingmen for each other back in the day. They were complete opposites, Logan with his boy-next-door, handsome, good guy, Captain America vibe, and Jason with his dark features and bad-boy thing going on, they made quite the pair.
On one of the last days there, we made the two-hour drive north to the Texas Renaissance Festival. Holy shitballs! If I thought the one in Raleigh was cool, the one in Todd Mission, TX… this was a case where ‘Everything’s bigger in Texas’ was actually true! (Oh, Gavin. Nice truck, sorry about your penis. Hehe!) Squirrel!
The day before we left, Logan came over to Jason’s house to hang out, not knowing Jason would be at school for a couple more hours. My periods had been super weird the past couple months, and at one point, my cycle was completely opposite—on my period for twenty-one days, then off it for only seven. I hadn’t started my period when I was supposed to this month, and since I didn’t have a car to drive, I awkwardly asked Logan if he’d run me up to the Dollar Tree so I could buy a pregnancy test. What was funny was there was no weirdness between us, and he didn’t seem to think anything of it. I ran into the store and bought the test quickly while he waited in the car with Josalyn.
I took the test as soon as we got back to Jason’s house, and not surprisingly, since Jason can’t have kids, it was negative. This just meant I needed to go to the doctor whenever I got home to see what the hell was going on with my body.
And finally, November:
I spent a lot of time with Jenna last month. I’d missed her terribly after not working with her every day since I quit. One night, she called me completely out-of-her-mind excited, because some MMA fighter named Brock Lesner was going to be at Husk Hardware, a really nice bar and restaurant in Downtown Fayetteville, signing autographs after the fight at the Crown Coliseum. One, I had no idea who the dude was, and two, I didn’t even know Jenna liked MMA, but nonetheless, it sounded like fun, so we got dolled up and went to see him. Holy giant, Batman! He was literally a half a person taller than me, and like five times as wide. Super sweet though, and gave one hell of a hug.
Jenna and I went to Chili’s one night, something we do quite often, even if it’s just to go eat chips and salsa and grab some drinks. But on this particular night, we were hell bent on going to get tattoos. We didn’t care what; we just knew where we wanted them: behind our right ears. The Chop Shop was already closed by the time we had this grand plan, so we went to a place we knew off Yadkin Road that stayed open late. We went through all the posters on the walls, and she ended up choosing some cute little stars and hearts, and I chose a pink flower with a long green stem. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt at all. Just the sound of the tattoo gun right in your ear was really irritating.
On a different note, the doctors had no explanation for my periods being so off lately, and the only thing they could think to do to fix it was to switch my birth control. I got off my pills and switched to the NuvaRing, and thankfully my cycle was back to being predi
ctable by the time Jason and I got to see each other again.
I got Mom and myself tickets to see Lisa Williams Live! Oh, my gosh! I had become obsessed with her show on Lifetime, her freaking me out with her amazing clairvoyant ability. I don’t care what people say; that shit is real. And seeing her live was extraordinary. Originally, I had gotten Mom the ticket just so I wouldn’t have to go by myself, but it turns out she's a believer too. She told me a story on the way to the event about how she’d gone to see a psychic soon after her little sister had passed away years before I was born. It was mostly to get closure, and I was happy to hear it when Mom said she’d found it by going to see the medium.
Speaking of the paranormal, I went and saw Twilight at midnight when it released November 21st. I absolutely loved the books and couldn’t wait to see my Edward Cullen on the big screen. I couldn’t care less I was there by myself, because I wasn’t. I was there with a bunch of other girls with a love of paranormal romance books, and I even told a few about my blog. They said they couldn’t wait to look me up so they could read some reviews and pick out their next book.
A couple of days later, Jason came to see us, since he had time off for Thanksgiving. By now, we had phone sex regularly, and I was no longer shy about it. But we thought it would be a great idea to hold out for like a week, not taking care of ourselves, that way when we made love when he came to visit, it would feel extra good. And damn if we weren’t abso-freakin’-lutely right!