Reunited

by Jodi Kae

  I was on vacation and had five days left in Miami and I spent those five days searching the crowds for you. Also, I work for the FBI, so when I returned to Boston, I searched every database I could looking for you but only had the name Livvy to go by. I think my biggest regret is not finding out more about you. Your last name, where you live and work, social security number.” She laughs, and it is the most beautiful sound, as is my little boy’s laugh.

  “I have spent the last 2 ½ years pining over the loss of you. I can’t explain why our connection was so strong for me, but I have never wanted anything so much in my life. I was taught at a very early age not to want for things, but you were the first thing I allowed myself to want.”

  She turns her body toward mine and reaches for my face. I grab her wrists and guide her hands to my cheeks; then she pulls me toward her for the softest kiss. It takes everything I have not to take control, but in this, I need her to guide me. I need to know she is ready. Please God, let her be ready. Her physical injuries have almost healed. The emotional ones will possibly take years to overcome, but I plan to be here every step of the way.

  She deepens the kiss and at the same time rises to get closer to me, so I grab her hips and pull her into my lap. She settles her knees on the sides of my hips and never once takes her lips off mine as if she is afraid to lose the connection. I need to have skin on skin contact, but I will let her set the pace. Whatever she is willing to give me. My hands play with the ties on her bikini until they loosen and fall away. So much for letting her take control. Her hands loosen their grip on my shoulders to wrap around my neck as she presses her chest against mine. I feel as though not a moment has gone by since I felt her last and I am as desperate now to have her as I was then.

  “Oh, Alexander, I have waited my whole life for you. Please, don’t make me wait any longer.”

  Her exact words from 2 ½ years ago cause my hips to buck up.

  “Please, please, please. I need you.”

  Who am I to disappoint? “I love you, my Beautiful Girl.”

  ~Livvy~

  A little tickle on my face and a perfect giggle have me stirring.

  “Mommy seeping.”

  “Sssshhhh, buddy. Let mommy sleep.”

  I open my eyes and have to blink several times to clear the tears from my vision. A perfect man and a perfect baby boy come into view. A little blurry but it’s the most perfect sight I could ask for. “I see you.”

  “Like you see me, see me, or you feel, smell, hear and touch me, see me?”

  Tears stream down my face as my baby Alex gets right up close to me and touches his nose to mine. “ I see you, see you,” I whisper to him and Alexander both.

  It figures that making love to Alexander last night would be the thing that would bring my sight back. He will be walking around all cocky and sure of himself and his skills. In all reality, though, it probably was everything about him and his attention that has helped me.

  I owe my life to this man. He gave me a son whom I cherish more than my own life. He saved me on that mountain and has been saving me ever since. The loss of two and a half years now seems to be a blink of time, because he is the same man I met and fell in love with so long ago.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Family:

  *consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit. *

  ~Savage~

  For the next week, Livvy’s vision improves daily. I tease and say it is because of my exceptional attention to detail in bed, but I honestly think she is a fighter and refuses to let Jerry get the best of the situation. We have played on the beach every day watching Alex chase crabs and birds and scream excitedly when the water touches his toes. We talk all day about our childhood and unfortunately, even though she had a mother, we both felt very lost and unwanted. Maybe it is the whole kindred spirits concept that brought us together, but I thank my lucky stars for my vacation in Miami two and a half years ago.

  “You are getting a little pink, Beautiful Girl. Let’s go inside and make lunch then put Alex down for a nap. We need to call Ren and Derek and also Jax and Tori, they all want updates.”

  “No daddy, no nap.”

  I am so stunned that I can only stare at the little spitting image of me. Livvy is looking at me waiting to see what my reaction will be. I didn’t think hearing him call me daddy would make me emotional, but it does; I blink several times to keep the wetness at bay. “Well, buddy, how about Daddy lays down with you and takes a nap too.”

  “Okaaayyyy.”

  I scoop him up and take Livvy’s hand as we walk to the house.

  ~Olivia~

  Sitting on the porch that overlooks the ocean is my favorite place in the world right now, especially wrapped up in Alexander’s arms. “Why does everyone call you Troy or Savage?” We had just hung up from talking to Jax and Tori, and we had previously talked to Derek and Ren. Ren and Tori call him Troy, Jax calls him Sav, and Derek calls him Savage or Troy. I have only known him as Alexander. No wonder we were all confused when speaking of and about the same man.

  “My full name is Alexander Troy Savage and I was named after a long list of men who didn’t stick around for their families. When I grew up, I decided I wanted to be different than them and started going by my middle name and it stuck. In the police academy, they gave me the nickname Savage so my police academy and work friends call me Savage and only Jax shortened that to Sav.”

  “When we met, why did you give me the name you were trying to forget?”

  “I gave you my real name because I wanted you to have something no one else did, the real me. I wanted to be someone different, when I found out my family history, but it is still who I am. I wish I could go back in time and give you more information, but I was so wrapped up in being with you that nothing else mattered. In the long run, I ended up not being there for you and my son when you needed me most so the name fits.”

  “Don’t you ever say that. We both took part in our misunderstanding, but me more than you. You were doing a good thing for me and I jumped to conclusions because of the garbage my mother filled my head with. I left. I have regretted that decision for two and a half years, always thinking, what if I would have stayed? Now we know what if, so the blame falls more to me than anyone.”

  “We are going to have to agree to disagree on that, but I do want to hear about your life after that day.”

  “Well, when we met I was on vacation with my boyfriend. We had only been dating for six weeks and he wanted to get me away from my mom’s influence so he could convince me to sleep with him. When I refused, he left me on the beach and threatened to abandon me in Miami if I didn’t come to the room with him right then. I wandered the beach until I went to that club and found you.

  The next day, I went home to Atlanta and back to the bar where I worked cleaning after hours while going to school. George and Liz own the bar called George’s and trained me to be a bartender when I turned twenty-one. When I found out I was pregnant from our night together, I tried to search for you on the Internet, but it got me nowhere. I think I was hoping that maybe you had been on the news or in a magazine and I would find a picture.

  I waited until I was six months along to tell my mom and she kicked me out, so I moved into a studio above the bar. When Alex was nine months old, they sold the building and moved to a new location. I wasn’t prepared to live on my own and pay high rent. Jerry had been hanging around for a few months and had asked me out a few times. He was very nice to me at first, so when I needed some financial help, he convinced me to move in with him. Everyone warned me not to, but I didn’t see what they saw. When Alex was fourteen months old, Jerry started to be more aggressive with me then punishing Alex for stupid things. I refused to take our relationship to an intimate, physical level, so he blamed Alex for looking like you and me for pining over you. He began to hit me when he was angry, so I left him and went into hiding after the first time he hit me in front of Alex. That is the last two and a half years in
a nutshell.

  “What happened on the mountain?”

  “After Jerry shot you, he took me to that place. He was going to keep me there as a prisoner and try to get me pregnant. He felt that if I had his children, that I would love him too.” I tell Alexander every sordid detail from the rapes to the beatings and my escape from the cabin. I know I will need extensive therapy, but in a way, this was therapy as well.

  “Hearing you tell me I was safe happened to be the most calming moment of my life. I will never be able to thank you for saving me that day. I think Jerry would have killed me once he realized I was on the Depo shot and could not get pregnant. Oh no, Alex, I was supposed to have that shot last week. So much has happened that I forgot about it and I need to call and make an appointment to get it.” I glance at Alexander and his expression changes slightly; I hope he doesn’t think I did that on purpose.

  “Do you need it?”

  He was so quiet I almost didn’t hear him. “It is the only birth control I have.”

  “What if we decided to add to our family?”

  I don’t even know what to say so I just stare in shock. We had one night together two and a half years ago and we have been searching and yearning for each other since then. I don’t know if I loved him at first sight or if I grew to love the idea of him, but since he found me and has taken care of me, I know I love him more now. I never expected him to return the feelings so soon. I at least had a piece of him with me for our time apart. He only had a memory. “Are you saying that you want to have another baby?”

  “I’m saying that I love you and I want to marry you and grow our family. If you get pregnant right away, there won’t be a huge age gap between and Alex and his little brother or sister. I have missed out on so much. Not that having a baby will make up for lost time, but I want to spend my life with you. I don’t want to wait another wasted minute to have everything I have dreamed of for two and a half years. Marry me, Beautiful Girl. Let’s spend the rest of our lives making it up to each other.”

  “I love you, Alexander Troy Savage and nothing would make me happier than for Alex and me to be Savages too.”

  He laughs, grabs and scoops me up to carry me to our bed where he proceeds to show me what my life with him will be like.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Home:

  *the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a household.

  ~Savage~

  As we fly into Boston, Derek and Ren are there to pick us up and the second Alex sees Serenity he starts running.

  “Wen, Wen. Daddy gets me cabs.”

  Ren looks to me for clarification, so I mouth crabs, but the look on her face just shows more confusion. Derek laughs and adds his stupid input.

  “That sounds like a personal problem to me.”

  I mouth “Dick” to Derek but turn to Ren since she is the more mature one of the two.

  “We played with the hermit crabs on the beach and we let him keep one in a tank while we were there.” I lower my voice to a whisper, so Alex doesn’t hear. “We told him it had to stay in the beach house and we would visit often, but we set it free.” Now, listening to Derek make STD jokes, I wish I’d been inclined to leave his door open so his beach house would be filled with crabs when he went to visit.

  “Olivia, how is your eyesight improving? The last time we spoke it was still a little fuzzy.” Derek hesitantly asks.

  “20/20. It was clear within three days of my vision coming back so it was really nice to take in the sights I was only hearing about. Thank you so much for letting us stay in your home. It was a much-needed vacation.”

  I am impatient to get Livvy to my home, to see her reaction and know if she will be comfortable here with me in Boston. “Let’s have them take us home so we can get cleaned up before the barbecue.” The women talk all the way to my house with little Alex adding his two cents. Ren wanted to know all about the beach house that she has never been to, which has Derek promising a vacation soon. Livvy wanted to know all about The Safe House, asking if there is still room for her there. I want her to stay with me, choose me, and I will use the power of sexual persuasion to convince her.

  ~Olivia~

  Alexander’s house is a New England-style cottage that looks too big and homey for a bachelor pad. It is gray and white with a swing on the front porch and massive trees that adorn the front lawn. He helps me from Derek’s SUV and then reaches in and unbuckles Alex to pull him from the car. Handing Alex to me, he returns to the back seat to get the car seat. I stare in awe of this incredible man who has taken on the parenting role so quickly. I am so used to doing everything by myself. Even when I was with Jerry, he never helped me with anything that had to do with Alex, except for punishment.

  “Thanks for the ride; we’ve got it from here. We will see you at Jax and Tori’s house at 6:00 pm.”

  I hug Ren and move to follow Alexander, but she hangs on and whispers in my ear

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, us leaving you here? Don’t get me wrong; I love Troy to death and he is the best kind of people. I just know you’ve been through a lot and had to make choices out of necessity that may not have been what you wanted or what was best for you. We have room at the penthouse, or one of the apartments is available at The Safe House. You can stay there. What about your mom, do you want to call her? ”

  I can tell that she is nervous for me and she’s trying to make sure that I know I have options, but calling my mom isn’t one of them. Ren doesn’t understand a parent like mine because she has a loving, attentive father who wants to be a part of her and Tori’s lives along with their husbands and babies lives.

  I know that one of my options is to stay at The Safe House, but after searching for Alexander for the last two and a half years, I don’t want to be separated from him for another minute.

  “Thank you for caring so much about me, but calling my mother is not an option. She has chosen not to have a relationship with my son or me; believe me, I’ve tried. I also need to discuss things with Alexander, but I will let you know about needing a place at The Safe House. I want to reassure you that I feel completely safe with him. For the second time in my life, I have no reservations about what I’m doing. The first being the night I spent with him in Miami two and a half years ago. The two weeks in the Bahamas was the best kind of therapy and it allowed us to reconnect; I can’t thank you enough for providing that for us. We can talk more when we meet up at Jax and Tori’s house for the barbecue.”

  I hear a giggle and see that Alex has found the bench swing and his father is pushing him on it. My heart swells to bursting and I can say that for all I have suffered if this were the path that needed to be taken to get right here at this moment, I would suffer again.

  I meet up with them on the porch and Alexander turns and kisses me softly.

  “Welcome home, Beautiful Girl.”

  As he takes my hand, there is a feeling of being whole that takes me back to the day we met. Almost like this was meant to be all along. Most people would think I’m crazy for feeling this way, especially my mother, but I am done with worrying over what other people think.

  He unlocks the door and pushes it open to a sprawling great room and kitchen. The light hardwood floors continue as far as my eye can see, including through the disappearing glass doors and onto a massive covered patio. It makes the house extend into the back yard, and with the sliding doors open, it would become a welcoming part of the house. From the outside, it looks as if his home has two stories but now that I’m inside, I see a ceiling that reaches to the sky. It is open and airy with four large skylights in the roof in between massive beams that follow the pitch of the two-story ceiling. A large fur like rug covers the floor in front of the fireplace and is surrounded by a tan sofa and loveseat. I expected to see leather, but the fabric on the furniture looks like corduroy and is soft and warm to the touch.

  As he shows us around, I am in awe of this man’s style. Everything is inviting a
nd if I were to have a say in decorating, I would have chosen the same things. The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances with a stainless steel hanging pot rack that is supported by a rectangular aged wood beam that hangs from the ceiling with chains. The cabinets are sleek and black with glass inserts in the doors and stainless steel handles. The industrial style with modern and rustic touches fit his personality perfectly, sturdy and stylish.

  We pass through the great room to enter a wide hallway. The first door we pass is a set of double doors that are closed as he leads us to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

  The bathroom is large and inviting with travertine tiles on the floor and shower walls. Glass blocks are inserted in a random pattern to break up the stone on the walls, and the glass door is frosted to offer privacy. The Jacuzzi tub is large enough for two people and is located next to the shower

  The two spare rooms are on either side of the bathroom. Only one has a queen size bed and dresser. The other room is a gym.

  “We can go shopping for paint and bedding for Alex so you can decorate however you want. Also, we need to call the bed & breakfast to have Marge ship all of your things here. In the meantime, we can go shopping and pick up whatever the two of you need.”

  Alex runs to the bed shouting mine, mine, mine, so I lift him up, and he buries himself in the pillows. “Is it time for a little nap, baby?” I look to Alexander to make sure it’s okay. He just nods his head and leaves the room for a minute then returns with an iPad. He is downloading a few children’s books to read to Alex as he lies down on the other side.

  “Okay Buddy, do you want, Are you my Mother or If you give a pig a pancake?”

  “Pig, pig, pig.”

  I watch and listen in awe as this big, masculine, sexy man, proceeds to make funny voices as he reads our son to sleep.