Baby Love Me

by Rosie Praks

“What? Godmother Whitney? That’s too long.”

  “It’s not long.”

  “Yes, it is. And wouldn’t Godmother Witch be more suitable for you?”

  “Why, you rascal. I thought we’d become friends now.”

  “Yeah, friends. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemy closer.”

  “Why am I your enemy now?” Whitney asked. “Fine. You want me to be a witch; then I’ll be a witch for you. Come here, you rascal. Don’t run away. I’ll wring your ears.”

  “Elise, help me. Whitney the witch wants to abuse me again.” Max went to hide behind Elise.

  “All right, you two, enough of this.” Elise brushed them aside and went to little Conrad instead.

  “How are you, little Conrad? Did you miss me? Godmother Elise is here. If it’s too hard to say, then you can just call me E, okay?” She went to curl her fingers around his. “E got you some cool little shoes. When you grow up, I’ll take you to Japan. We can go on a journey together, just you and me, okay? I’ll take you to see the cherry blossoms. We’ll go there in spring when there’ll be many cherry blossom trees everywhere. We’ll watch them floating like pink cotton clouds. Would you like that?”

  “Eeeeeeee,” came little Conrad’s reply, which stunned both Max and Whitney, who came scurrying to Conrad’s side again.

  “Did you hear that?” Max asked, looking in shock at Whitney. “My baby nephew just uttered the letter E.”

  Both Whitney and Max slumped down on the couch in disappointment that Conrad’s first sound wasn’t their names, while Elise smiled with glee.

  “It’s your fault,” Whitney said, wedging her glasses back up her nose. If you weren’t too busy chasing me, then my godson would’ve said the letter W.”

  “How can he say the letter W? It’s two syllables. Even I have trouble pronouncing the letter W. Let alone my baby nephew who’s only three weeks old.”

  “Waaaaahhhhhh,” Conrad wailed.

  “All right, you two. Better stop arguing.” Elise picked Conrad up in her arms and soothed him back to sleep. Then they both heard the door opening, and when they turned, they saw Fern and Anton entering the house. Fern came over right away to stare at Conrad’s sleeping form.

  “Can Fern hold Conrad?” she asked Elise.

  Elise gave Conrad to Fern, who didn’t do anything but stand there looking at the sleeping baby. Then a tear slid down her face.

  Anton, who stood nearby, saw this and came to her side. “Fern, what’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

  “Anton.” She choked. “Anton, I want a baby too.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have one someday,” Anton said, wiping away her single tear.

  Fern knew strait-laced business demeanor Anton would never utter the word, so she took action into her own hands. She handed little Conrad to Elise again and then went down on both knees. Then she took Anton’s hands and cupped them together with hers. From this position, she could see his eyes were in shock.

  What is this girl doing? Anton wanted to shout. What the hell was she doing on her knees and taking his hands. The thing he didn’t expect to hear, he did hear, and he almost sank to the floor himself.

  “Anton, would you do me the honor of being my husband?” Fern began looking at Anton’s eyes to show she meant business. “I know I have flaws. I know I’m not perfect. I know I’m brash, irrational, temperamental, and rude, but I also know one thing clearly. It has been ingrained deep within my heart. I fell in love with you. I need you by my side.” She spoke, those tears still sliding down her face because she was choked up with so much emotion, but she refused to wipe them away until she’d finished with what she had to say. Instead, she looked at Anton’s hands and rested her cheeks against them. “I love you. I will follow you. From now on, I will never hug another man again. I will no longer wear flimsy dresses that expose so much skin, because you dislike them. I will listen and adapt to become your ideal wife. So please.” Fern’s voice quivered a bit more before she began her last line. “Please make me the happiest woman alive by being my husband.” Then she looked up to see Anton’s shocked face.

  Had she done wrong? Did he think this was one of her games? Fern was prepared to get another scolding from Anton, but what she didn’t expect was the gentle crushing of his chest against her body.

  “Why did you propose to me?” Anton asked, wiping away her tears. “Don’t cry. You look ugly like that.”

  “I will continue to cry. I want to cry. Until you say you will marry me.”

  “Fern, I am not going to get blackmailed into marrying anyone,” Anton said, hugging her again.

  “Then let me go if you aren’t going to marry me.”

  “And who said I’m not going to marry you?” Anton asked.

  Fern looked at the man she loved. “But you said you’re not going to get blackmailed into marrying me.”

  “I didn’t say your name, Fern. I just said I’m not going to get blackmailed into marrying anyone,” Anton explained. “I already decided long ago that you are the one I want to be my life partner, to be the mother of our many children. You didn’t have to propose to me. I’m the one that should propose to you,” Anton said, embracing her tighter as she cried within his arms, while the onlookers stared at the couple with shock and happiness.

  “I love you, Fern. But once again, you beat me to it. I had it planned all along. I want to propose to you properly,” Anton said. “How about if I take you to Fiji and I’ll propose to you on the beach when the sun is about to set?” he asked. “Would you like that?”

  Fern hugged Anton tighter. “Mmm.” She nodded her head. “I would love that very much. I love you very much.”

  “I love you very much too,” Anton said, laughing and kissing her sweetly, oblivious to the onlookers around him. Anton didn’t care anymore if his emotion showed. Fern was too important for him to ignore. If he didn’t take this opportunity, he wouldn’t know his heart could be real again.

  Elise, who was watching the happy couple completely enveloped in each other’s arms, felt something triggered inside her. A distant memory of pain and of a single promise. She pretended to paste a smile on her face, so happy for the couple confessing their love before her, but her own experience, her own memory gripping at her neck, tightening, binding, choking her alive. She must breathe slowly or else she would suffocate and die. Unable to stop those tormenting feelings, silent tears trickled down her face. Whitney, who saw this, came and hugged her friend.

  “You must be happy for them, Elise.” Whitney wound her arms around her friend, misunderstanding the whole situation.

  “Yes, I’m happy for them.” Elise was thankful her friend didn’t catch on to her real problem.

  “Why are Anton and Fern on the floor?” Hunter asked when he came downstairs with Clarice.

  “You missed all the juicy action, Hunter,” Max shouted. “You should’ve seen your cousin. He was so shocked when Fern proposed to him. And Fern even kissed Anton’s hands too.”

  “I did not kiss Anton’s hands,” Fern said shyly into Anton’s collar.

  “She didn’t kiss my hand.” Anton corrected Max. “She just took it and pressed it against her forehead.”

  “Anton,” Fern shouted and pushed herself off him to show she was angry with him.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Anton apologized to Fern. “Let’s plan our trip, then. Come on, come to the kitchen. I’ll make you something to eat. What would you like?” Anton asked Fern, their voices fading away as they walked to the kitchen.

  Clarice turned to Elise and Whitney, who were hugging each other. “Are you two all right?”

  “Yes. Clarice, I’m so happy for you,” Elise said softly, smiling, hoping Clarice wouldn’t be able to detect her saddened state.

  “Thank you. You two have stood by me so many times.” Clarice came and hugged her friends.

  “That’s what friends are for.” And they did the same thing with their pinky fingers as when they were little kids. Clarice entwined
her left pinky with Whitney. On the right side she entwined with Elise’s left, while Elise had her right pinky with Whitney’s left. In turn, the three friends formed a circle, an endless unity of friendship.

  “We promised to be great friends. We promised to pick each other up when the other falls down. We promised to wipe our tears when we cry. We promised to laugh when the others laugh. We are sisters as well as friends. From now on, we are one.” And then they leaned their heads forward until all three foreheads touched each other.

  “Friends,” they all said in unison, then pulled back and smiled at each other.

  Chapter 23

  “Where are you taking me?” Clarice asked her partner while she stared into the blackness of the blindfold Hunter told her not to undo.

  “I have a surprise for you,” Hunter said.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Hunter said, flicking his eyes to the woman next to him, sitting on the passenger seat, holding her hands together on her lap. Hunter couldn’t help but chuckle, then took one of her hands to hold within his.

  “I’m starting to become curious now with you holding my hand like that, Hunter,” Clarice said. “Where are we going?”

  “Patience, baby. Patience. We’ll get there in no time, and then you’ll see for yourself.”

  “And then you’ll let me take off this blindfold?”

  “Yep.”

  Clarice released a laugh, which turned Hunter’s insides into corn soup. God, he just loved her laugh. He would never get used to it, he realized. One day, one year, one decade, one century, even one lifetime, he would never ever get used to her laughter. He loved the sound of it, the way it sang and entered in his ears. That voice was magic.

  Hunter stared at the scenery ahead, wishing he could get to his destination faster. He watched as miles and miles of endless road was eaten up by his red Ferrari, passing lush forests and meadows. He didn’t stop until he reached a clearing.

  He’d been searching for this place for so long. Now he’d found it. This was his secret. A place of peace and tranquility. A place where his little offspring and wife would run freely in the woods. Hence, he had negotiated and came up with the money himself to buy this plot of land so they could build their dream home, away from the crowded Auckland city. This was that secret project that had kept him away from Clarice when he’d started coming home late.

  Opening the car door, he led his lover down to the path, then took off her blindfold.

  “Where are we?” she asked once she got her bearings again, looking at the tall pine trees around them.

  “Somewhere special,” Hunter said, caressing her cheeks. God, she was so beautiful. His lover was so beautiful.

  “Somewhere special?” She turned to face him then, her ruby lips pursed in a smile.

  “Mm-hmm,” Hunter said, his eyes automatically transfixed on those lips. He then brought those lips to his own and kissed her softly.

  It was a gentle brush, a gentle collision of skin against skin, but it really had him in hyperactive mode. He kissed her for a minute too long until his brain registered again, reminding him why he was out here in the middle of nowhere. When he managed to break their kiss, he asked, “I want you to do something for me, okay?”

  “What is it?” Clarice asked, her face glowing in the aftermath of their kiss.

  “I want you to run into the forest. And I’ll chase you.”

  “Chase me?” Clarice asked in confusion.

  “Yes. Now run,” Hunter shouted, laughing. And Clarice, who was as confused as ever, just trotted slowly into the forest.

  “Run faster, baby,” Hunter shouted from behind her. “Run faster.”

  “What is that man doing, asking me to run into the forest?” she muttered to herself as she ran lightly along.

  A split second later, she felt her body pushed up against a tree and was given a knee-weakening kiss by none other than her lover Hunter as he came out of nowhere and captured her. He held on to her so tight, pressing into her body, that she was having a hard time breathing.

  “Hunter,” she managed to say through her panting.

  “Got you, baby,” Hunter said, claiming her lips once more like he owned her, probing his tongue in and tasting her. Then once satisfied, he pulled away and whispered against her ear, “Now run again, and I’ll catch you.”

  “Hunter, why?” She laughed.

  “Just trust me, baby. Run and run and don’t let me catch you until you’re tired and want to rest.”

  “Are you playing chase with me?” Clarice asked innocently.

  “Yes. I want to play chase with you.”

  “Out here in the middle of nowhere?” she asked, looking at her surroundings.

  “Yes,” Hunter said, looking at his goddess with her hair fluttering around her, her cheeks glowing pink due to the heat of the exertion and his kiss. She was so beautiful, his goddess, standing among the pine trees like a forest nymph.

  “Run, baby, run,” he shouted at her and then started pacing himself. “If I catch you this time, I’m going to make love to you right here in this forest.”

  “Hunter, you wouldn’t dare.”

  “You know I would, baby.”

  “You… aaaahhhhh,” Clarice shrieked as Hunter started racing towards her. He almost caught the white scarf he told her to wear, but she was quick and made a dash around the corner of a tree. She laughed and turned back to look at him running behind her at such a slow pace. And here she thought she was slow. Hunter was even slower. She ran into the thicker parts of the woods and shouted at him.

  “You’re too slow, Hunter. Run faster. Come and get me.”

  Dear heavens, running is definitely tiring, she thought and came to a stop at a clearing. Then she saw a swing made up of a long plank of wood tied together with thick vines to a tree branch. She went to sit on it and closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

  Dear heaven, she definitely needed to exercise. Once her breath was even again, she looked around her. There was a stream running in front of her. This place was beautiful. How did Hunter find a place like this?

  Then she felt strong arms enveloping her. She smiled, knowing immediately who it was.

  “You found me.”

  “Yes, my mysterious goddess. I’ve found you. And I’m not letting you go again.” Then Hunter started parting her hair from the nape of her neck and kissed her there. He placed his hand underneath her chin and came face to face with his lover, his partner, his everything—Clarice, his goddess.

  Hunter couldn’t take it anymore as he claimed his prize, kissing her until she was writhing beneath him, begging him for more. After some moments, they parted, panting heavily.

  Hunter moved to sit beside Clarice on the seat and nudged her head to rest on his shoulder.

  “Why did you ask me to run in this wood?” Clarice asked after some time.

  “I had a dream,” Hunter confessed.

  “A dream?” Clarice asked softly.

  “Mm-hmm,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I dreamed of my beautiful goddess running while I was chasing her. But no matter how fast I ran, I could never get to her.”

  “Was that why you asked me to run? So you could replay your dream?”

  “Yes, baby. I want to impute into my memory what my dream could not do. I have you now. I’ve found you now.” Hunter breathed happily. “You know I dreamed of you every night after our stay in Queenstown?”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” he said. Then he turned to her and kissed her lips again. “Did you know those lips had me daydreaming about you and even caused me many sleepless nights? And when I did sleep, I dreamed of you.”

  “Hunter, you mean I was the one who was responsible for you looking like a caveman back then?”

  “Mmm.” Hunter nodded again. “I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I was so confused back then. I knew I slept with someone, but I didn’t think it was you. Although, after that, I thought of
you all the time.”

  “I have a confession to make too,” Clarice said quietly. “On the night I slept with you, when I thought it was Anton, I actually saw your face in my mind. Then when you kissed me, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

  “We’re the same, then,” Hunter said, smiling, bringing her closer to his body as he rocked the swing back and forth. “I love you, my goddess. Thank you for coming to save me. Thank you for believing in me.” Hunter spoke with sincerity. He really wanted to tear open his chest so he could expose his heart and give it to her. He knew Clarice would be the only one for him in this lifetime and in the next and the next. He didn’t want anyone else.

  “I love you too, Hunter.” Clarice turned to her lover and stared at those eyes, wanting so much to express how much she loved this man, how she wanted to stay with him in this lifetime and the next too.

  As if they both had the same thought, they both leaned forward and pressed their lips to each other. It was a kiss to express their love and a kiss to seal their promise, a promise of love that would last for eternity.

  Epilogue

  It’d been almost a year and three months now since Conrad was born. Elise couldn’t wait to see her little godson. But with so many orders climbing up her ears, she wasn’t even sure if she could get away at all to see him. Then there was also their meeting that she must attend to, with Whitney, Clarice, and herself in Whitney’s office.

  Elise looked around her. There were many jobs to do before she could start thinking of getting away on time. There were roses to be delivered, flowers to arrange into bouquets, and notes to write. After all, it would be Valentine’s Day tomorrow. So many things were going on that she didn’t have time to breathe or even think.

  To her, this event was like a dream come true really, so she shouldn’t complain. For one whole day, she wouldn’t have to think, wouldn’t have to dwell, and wouldn’t have to cry. She knew her mind would be too depressed thinking about the past. She knew it would continue to replay those scenes inside her head, over and over again, like a broken record, until she would break down in tears. She knew her heart would cry out in pain and cry out for her to be back in those arms again. And if she stayed idle without anything to do, she knew her heart and her mind would do just that. So the many orders and the many deliveries today had kept her busy. She was happy she didn’t need to reflect on her past, the past that she could never change.