Reunited

by Jodi Kae

  “Boomer, radio Jim and have him turn the heater on high and be ready to roll. We have about thirty minutes to Tuscaloosa and then a forty-five-minute flight to Atlanta. Case, you sit in the middle with Sav to check her head injury and vitals then let us know where to go from there. We might have to find a clinic that’s closer if she’s in bad shape.”

  Derek climbs in the front seat but doesn’t say a word. Is he remembering his own nightmare of seeing Ren in the arms of a madman? After hearing Jerry’s ranting’s, I am sure that he has raped Livvy, and I want to hike back up that mountain and kill him again. I have seen and heard horror stories of women who suffered the same fate and it takes extensive therapy to recover from that kind of violation, if they recover at all. Even if she had sex with him in the last year that they were together, I’m sure that what probably happened in that cabin was not consensual.

  The drive to Tuscaloosa and the flight to Atlanta was pure hell. Even though her body temperature returned to normal and she had a steady, even pulse, she never regained consciousness. The gash on her head required twelve stitches and they had to bandage several cuts all over her body. She had two cracked ribs, but they weren’t displaced, and a sprained ankle. The dead bastard had literally beat the hell out of her for days. I gave permission for a rape kit, hoping she doesn’t consider that another violation. We will need this evidence to help compile evidence against Jerry Stanford.

  I filed my reports with the FBI and they have sent out an investigation team to the mountains just south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My boss says I am on leave for an undisclosed amount of time. That’s just fine by me. I didn’t plan on leaving Livvy or my son for a while. We decided that we would not bring Alex into the hospital just yet. He is too young to understand why his mommy won’t respond.

  After twenty-four hours of being cooped up in this hospital again, the news they give us is not very helpful.

  “We have found no physical evidence that would keep her unconscious. This may be her way of recuperating and it could take a little while. We suggest extensive therapy along with a lot of downtime, no stress or responsibilities when she finally wakes up.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Solace:

  *comfort or consolation in a time of great distress or sadness.

  ~Olivia~

  I am no longer on the cold ground, but I’m back in a bed. I feel frantically for anything familiar, but even the clothes I wear don’t feel the same. Finding the edge of the bed, I realize I’m on a smaller one than Jerry’s. Where the hell am I? Calloused hands grip mine and I whimper and pull back.

  “Sssshhhh, it’s okay Livvy. You are safe.”

  “Am I dead?” Alexander’s voice is one I will never forget and I watched him die, so is that where I am too? “I still can’t see?” His strong, calloused hands that I have dreamed of for years touch mine.

  “Livvy, calm down for a minute. I will buzz the nurse. You have been unconscious for a day and a half, and we are in a hospital in Atlanta. You are safe.”

  The wait for the nurse takes an eternity. I have many questions for this man, but I can’t seem to utter a word. How is he here? I watched him die. As Jerry carried me out of my room, he stepped over Alexander and I could not see him breathing. How did I get to the hospital? How did they find me on that mountain?

  “Welcome back, Olivia. How are you feeling today?” This must be the nurse although I can’t see her.

  “Where is my son.........I can’t see? My vision went black when I hit my head, but it hasn’t come back. Is it permanent? Please, where is my son? Is he okay?”

  “Olivia, calm down, let me call the doctor and have them run some tests,” she soothes.

  “Alexander, my son was in the room when Jerry shot you and he left him there. Please call my friend Ren and see if she has my son. Why aren’t you dead? I watched you fall when Jerry shot you. I’m so sorry you were caught up in this. Why were you there? Did you know I was there? Oh my God, I have so many questions.” I want to see Alexander’s face just so that I know it really is him. Why can’t I see him? I need to see him.

  “Livvy, our son is with Ren and Derek. First, you need to calm down and listen. I know you have a lot of questions, just give me a minute to address them one at a time.”

  Did he say our son? Lord, help me. How does he know? I keep that question to myself for now.

  “First of all, I want to say I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that you went through a pregnancy alone. If I had known, I would have been there for you and Alex. It took Ren, Derek and I a minute to figure it out but we pieced it together. Derek is a friend of my partner, so by default, my friend too. He is also my part time boss and the one who sent me to help you when you called him a few weeks ago. I had flown into Hawkinsville twice and you evaded me both times. I had no idea it was you I was coming to help, and I still didn’t believe my luck when you answered the door. My shock at seeing you threw me off my game and I was caught unaware; which the guys will never let me live that down. I have been searching for you for two and a half years and when you opened the door, I was stunned stupid. I feel kinda dumb that Derek and Ren kept talking about a friend named Olivia and I never saw the similarities of my Livvy and their friend Olivia. While I was recovering in the hospital and we were all searching for you, Ren brought your son into my room. When they told me your son’s name is Alex, I knew he was mine. You are the only woman I have ever given my first name to, and when I looked at my son, I saw the resemblance. He is a perfect mixture of the two of us and I loved him at first sight just like I did with his mother. We really have to work on the daddy hits comment, though.” I can’t figure out what I said wrong when she bursts into tears.

  “I’m so sorry that I put him in danger with a bad man. I didn’t know and I needed help when things were slow at work. I tried to find you too, before and after I found out I was pregnant but I only had your first name. I was so embarrassed when I woke up that next morning and you weren’t there. The night we met, I was on vacation and my boyfriend had just dumped me because I wasn’t ready to be with him intimately, so he called me cold and left me on the beach. I was afraid to go back to my room because I knew he would be there, so I wandered the beach. I was tired of all the bad advice from my mom and John threatening that if I don’t sleep with him, he would dump me. I wanted the choice to be mine. I’ve never done that with anyone, but you were my ego boost and I decided to take a chance on you. I’m so sorry we’ve lost years. I wish I could see you now to know that you are real.”

  ~Savage~

  That is enough of her beating herself up over things we both took part in. She may not be able to see me, but she will feel me and know that I’m real and here and I will never leave her again. I lean forward, grab her face and press my lips firmly to hers. Her gasp turns into a moan and I instantly go hard. It has been too long since I touched all that is mine. I sink my tongue into her welcoming mouth and moan too. Holy shit! I’ve missed this and it’s as perfect as I remembered.

  I hear a slight knock and break away to look at the door. The nurse stands there with tears in her eyes and the doctor is having a hard time with waterworks too. Shit! How much of our conversation did they hear? My guess from the looks on their faces, plenty.

  “Hello, Olivia. I am Dr. Smith. I understand you are having a vision problem. We are going to run a few tests and take a CT scan to see what the problem is. Your husband can come along; it will only take a few minutes.”

  “Oh...He’s not my husband.”

  “Yet. Beautiful, the staff won’t let me accompany you if we are not family.” I whisper in her ear.

  “Oh, I mean, not yet.”

  An hour seems like days by the time Dr. Smith comes in to tell us what’s wrong with her eyesight.

  “Psychological factors can, in rare cases, cause one to lose vision for a period of time. This tends to occur during times of severe emotional stress. This phenomenon is known as conversion disorder where the brain converts a psychological
issue into a physical form. Sometimes that can be physical pain with no evidence of injury or in Olivia’s case; it has manifested itself in the loss of her eyesight.”

  “How long can we expect this condition to last?”

  “It can last anywhere from weeks to years depending on the patient. Olivia also suffers from a head-trauma with a mild concussion, which could be a factor in her healing time. She needs to take it easy.”

  “That won’t be a problem, Doc. I am on leave, and we are going on vacation with our son for a few weeks.”

  “Good, that will be good. Before you are discharged, there is a seminar for the blind that I would like you both to attend. The seminar is conducted by an outside company and offers assistance in learning how to cope when sudden blindness occurs. I know you are being discharged tomorrow morning, but the seminar is at 1:00 pm today and I will have Sally, your nurse, bring in the information.”

  ~Olivia~

  “Vacation? What is going on Alexander?” I am so confused by all that has and is happening that his words do not make sense.

  “I just thought you needed some time to relax with no stress, plus I need time to get to know my family. Derek has a beach house in the Bahamas that he is letting us use for two weeks. I haven’t taken a vacation since a year after I met you in Miami so I’m overdue, and we can relax, play on the beach and get reacquainted.”

  I feel the tears spill over onto my cheeks. For two and a half years I have dreamed of a reunion with Alexander, but I never expected full acceptance of my son and I. I thought maybe he would doubt paternity and ask for proof.

  “Hey, Beautiful Girl, don’t cry. This is supposed to be happy news.”

  I really don’t know what to think. I am overwhelmed with so many emotions. I need to see my son, but I am blind, so that is impossible. Will I ever be able to see his sweet little face again? “I need to see you to know I am not dreaming. I am afraid that I’ll wake up and still be on the mountain.”

  “We are going to get through this together. I will be by your side every step of the way. We will go to the seminar to help us cope with the loss of your eyesight and then spend weeks relaxing, with no stress, until your vision comes back.”

  “Why? Why are you doing this for me? We only had one night and we were separated by a huge misunderstanding for years.” Tears are streaming down my face for the loss I have suffered. The reason I never slept with Jerry was, I held out hope that someday I would find Alexander again. I wanted to be able to say I had been true to my first and only love. I can’t say that now, even if it was not my choice. Will he think I’m dirty for what Jerry has done to me? Will he still want me? I am so ashamed that it is all I can think about. How do I tell this perfect man of my dreams everything that happened to me? Will he believe me? Will he be as understanding when he finds out that Jerry raped me?

  “Livvy, I am doing this because that one night we had together changed me into a different man. For the first time in my life, I wanted a future with someone, a family. The years in between then and now are a blur to me and the only thing that stands out is searching for you. I grew up in the foster care system, never wanting anything because I was denied it at every turn. You are the first thing I allowed myself to want. I want to be with you, to see where this goes, all I’m asking for is a chance to be the man you need.”

  “Jerry raped me,” I whisper so quietly that I hope he doesn’t hear me. At least I can say I said it and fool myself into thinking that it won’t matter to him. I can’t stop the flow of tears, but I know I should prepare myself for his rejection.

  ~Savage~

  Placing my hands on her cheeks, I turn her face to mine and press our foreheads together. I speak just as quietly so as not to embarrass her for something she had no control over. “Livvy, my beautiful, beautiful girl, I know you can’t see the expression on my face to know the sincerity there, but I need you to feel me and hear my words. The fact that you were violated does not change how I see or feel about you. The last two and a half years have been hell for me. I searched every face in the crowds and every sweet voice I heard had me craning my head or following strangers in hopes that it was you. I know you are probably scared to trust anyone after what has happened to you, but I am begging you to trust me. Trust me that I will be here, holding your hand through any therapy you want to attend. What happened to you will affect me too, but we will get through this together.”

  I lean forward and gently place my lips over hers. I will wait forever for her to make the next move. She tilts her head just barely, leans into me and takes me to heaven. It takes all my control not to make her bend to my will. I am like a starving man and my need to devour her is so great that I clench my fists into her hair and she moans. Holy shit! I need to break away before she thinks that I am taking advantage of her vulnerability.

  “Knock, knock.”

  Ren walks in holding Alex’s hand. When he sees Livvy, he runs to the bed holding up his chubby arms to get close to her. I pick him up and place him to her side, but he wastes no time in wrapping those little arms around her neck. She winces but makes no move to pull him away or ask him to be careful.

  “Mommy. I miss ooo.”

  “Oh, Baby, I missed you too. I love you so much.”

  “Daddy hits.”

  His chubby hand gently brushes her cheek and tears flow faster down her face.

  “No, Baby, Jerry hits, not daddy.”

  “Jerry bad.”

  There is not a dry eye in the room witnessing this reunion. It is beautiful and magical, and this is my family. I will spend the rest of my life protecting what’s mine and making up for lost time. As soon as she will have me, I will marry her and increase the size of our family. I want nothing more than to be here for her and Alex and any more babies we have.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sight:

  *the faculty or power of seeing. *the action or fact of seeing something or someone. *a person’s view or consideration. *places of interest to tourists and visitors in a city, town, or other places. *manage to see or observe; catch an initial glimpse of.

  ~Olivia~

  Being blind is especially hard when you have been able to see your entire life and your sight is taken from you. It is frustrating to know that we are in the Bahamas and I can’t see a thing. My other senses have been heightened to compensate for the loss, but not being able to see my baby’s happiness as he plays in the water is devastating. Alexander has been wonderful in describing everything in great detail; I can’t imagine going through something like this without him by my side.

  Alexander comes to rest on the towel beside me, out of breath and laughing.

  “Hey, Beautiful. What do you see?”

  Most people would think this is a cruel comment to say to someone who can’t physically see, but I know what he means. “Through my ears, I see the waves crash upon the rocks by the cliff side, but they only lap at the shore. I see my son chase crabs and laugh excitedly when they disappear into their holes. I know his hair blows in the breeze and his sky blue eyes glitter in the sun, just like his fathers does. Through my nose, I see the saltiness of the ocean that is caked on your skin and permeates the air. My baby smells of lotion and the sea while you smell of salty masculinity. Through my fingers and toes, I see the sand, which is pale and soft with my baby’s footprints accompanied by his fathers to the water. Through my mouth, I see champagne and chocolate covered strawberries that taste like your lips.” He is so silent that I feel like I may have overstepped my boundaries. I open my mouth to apologize the second his lips press urgently to mine tasting of chocolate, strawberries, and champagne. His hand threads through my hair to grip the back of my head, sending chills down my spine and I whimper into his kiss. Alex squeals and giggles and Alexander reluctantly pulls away to check on our son. He laughs and moves away from me to grab Alex and bring him to me.

  “Cab, cab mommy.”

  “Oh my goodness. Did you find a crab?”

  “He is nodd
ing his head for you, Beautiful.”

  He leans over and kisses my cheek, stands up and takes Alex into his arms.

  “Come on little guy. It’s time for a bath and bedtime.”

  Alexander pulls me to my feet, hands over our baby and proceeds to gather our things. He gives me my walking stick, grabs my hand and guides me to the beach house. The only thing that could make this moment better is being able to see my two favorite people.

  ~Savage~

  The view from the house is spectacular but doesn’t compare to the woman that is sitting on the deck. I can’t believe the good fortune that brought me here in this moment with this woman. If I could eliminate the pain and suffering that she went through, I would endure a gunshot wound over and over again just to erase that nightmare for her.

  I sit down on the porch swing next to her and take her hand in mine. We have only been here for two days, but we have not discussed any of the trials that we have been through in the last 2 ½ years apart. I want to know everything about her from the moment she left the hotel until I found her on the mountain, but for her to open up, I need to as well.

  “Is Alex asleep?”

  “Yes, we read Green Eggs and Ham; he was asleep before I finished. We have the whole night to ourselves. Speaking of us, I want to tell you a few things about me and the last 2 ½ years and would like for you to do the same.”

  “Okay..........”

  “First, I know we have talked a little about this, but I want you to understand that I didn’t leave you that morning after we met. Well, I did, but only to get you breakfast and coffee. I should have woken you, but I thought I’d be back in time to surprise you with breakfast in bed.