Cherry Bomb

by J.W. Phillips

  He pulled me back over onto his chest. “Didn’t you look at everything I sent you?”

  “I didn’t need too. I read your letter. All I looked at was the picture of her.”

  “Bigamy is against the law and has a punishable penalty up to 5 years in the state pen. What did you do with the file?” he asked, staring off at the far wall.

  “I carried it to my lawyer.”

  “He must have called the cops.”

  I started picking at my nail beds. I hadn’t even thought of that as a possibility when I talked to my lawyer earlier that day. The thought of Ruby setting across from a set of bars to talk to her dad flashed in my head. I felt nauseated at the idea of two little boys hearing the taunts at school about daddy having another family. A family he loved more.

  “I have to go home. That was Ruby. James called her.”

  I shivered when I went to slip my shirt on. Drake stopped me with a firm hand on my waist. “Do you want me to go with you?”

  I hadn’t even thought that would be a possibility. Would it be a smart choice? Do my kids need him in their life at the moment? How much do I need him?

  “Babe, think about it. Because I want nothing more than to be there but if I go right now, I will become a part of those kids’ life on a whole other level.”

  I dressed with his words on my mind. The whole ordeal with James on my part didn’t even sting and I was smart enough to know it was 100% at the hands of Drake. My kids would need to know they have more than me in their corner. I slipped on my shoe, and watched Drake button his shirt, covering his new cherry tattoo.

  “Please. I have no idea what is best for the kids right now. But I am sure of what I need. You.”

  Cherry Webb

  One Year Later

  At times my life has seemed like a comical list of mistakes but taking Drake home with me was not one of them. As I lay here, envisioning him holding Henry with Noah planted firmly at his side, my heart breaks. Where I had no words to explain what our life had come to, Drake knew exactly what to say to ease their troubled hearts.

  Then with Ruby; I could still picture her sitting on the edge of the tub, crying. She had already figured out her dad had someone in North Carolina, but still found it hard to comprehend the magnitude of their relationship. Drake kneeled in front of her and grabbed the makeup remover wipes off the counter. He gently stroked the cloth across her jaw.

  “Sweetie, I know you’re hurting. My mom chose another life over me too. But I’ve learned that her choices proved who she was, not who I was.” Drake focused on her tear-stained cheeks. “Your dad does love you, just at the moment he’s confused and loves himself a little more.”

  “I hate him.”

  Drake tilted her chin back to remove the remainder of her raccoon eyes. “No, you don’t. You’re just scared and confused. But no matter what happens from this day forward you have your mom and I on your side.” He moved his attention to the other eye. “I will never try to replace your dad but I hope you allow me a spot in your life.”

  I leaned against the doorframe, taking in every word between them, and realized that I could paste our lives back together as long as I had Drake as the glue.

  “Thank you for loving my mom,” Ruby said and reached over to touch the side of Drake’s face.

  “I think I already love you all.”

  It was as if his whole life prepared him for what we would need at that very moment.

  And every day since, he had proven himself a valid member of the family we were creating.

  James did receive the maximum sentence of five years which he is currently serving at Northeast Correctional Complex, located in the farthest tip of East Tennessee. The site was chosen to place him directly between his two families. The judge’s order also gave me being the one true legal wife an interspousal transfer deed to all property he owned. But after meeting Brenda and her two children, I would never feel right taking their livelihood. So I took all property and assets he owned in Tennessee and quick claim deed all his assets in North Carolina to Brenda.

  The only stipulation the judge ordered that was in James’s favor was that we had to carry the kids at least once a month to see their father. That was how I found myself in this three-star hotel with three kids and . . .

  “What’s wrong?” Drake walked in the room, drying his hair off from his recent shower.

  He looked so sexy wearing only those brown framed glasses, which always pushed all the right buttons, a pair of flannel lounge pants, and a white t-shirt. I wanted to rip them off his body but with Henry asleep on the double bed beside mine that wasn’t an option.

  “Where’s Noah and Ruby at?”

  Ruby and Noah was in the enjoining room with Brenda and her two kids. Brenda and her kids had brought nothing but joy to our lives. After Brenda learned I wasn’t the wicked witch, we became close friends, and great allies against James. We had even chosen to visit James on the same weekends so the kids can spend time together, and it was also our way of saying f-you to James. Letting him witness firsthand how close we have become was the ultimate payback.

  Ruby had grown crazy about Opal, James and Brenda’s new baby. I had to admit she was an adorable baby, and even had the same crooked smile Ruby had.

  Noah and JJ were thick as thieves and both boys had a great love for anything that involved a ball.

  “Where do you think? There in Brenda’s room?”

  “Little bit didn’t want to stay over too?” he asked, winked, and pointed over to Henry gripping a pillow tight against his body.

  At times, Henry felt left out of our new family. That was when Drake would bring Grace over to play. Grace and Katie actually spent two nights a week at our home, or whenever Jerry and Claire needed a night to themselves.

  Drake’s condo finally sold a few weeks ago. So that was one thing off our to do list. He still did investigative work but only the legal and moral jobs. His days as a playboy was over. He even sold his share in the club. So other than taking me to a private room from time to time his days as Master of The Dungeon was over.

  He crawled over me until I was flat on my back and hovered over me. He had given up the club but he still was Master where I was concerned. Under heavy lids, his eyes bored into mine with a glow of need and desperation. “How did you make me love you so quickly and deeply? What kind of power do you hold in this beautiful body of yours?” he asked, stroking a hand over my newly pierced nipples.

  “Some people fall in love so quickly because their demons already knew each other.”

  He rolled over onto his back. “When I went to live with Jerry, I didn’t see my mom for four years. Then one day out of nowhere she reappeared in our life but not for me. The second I saw her; I went back to the little boy who just wanted a hug. But as always she wouldn’t look at me. I kept saying hi but she acted like I was invisible. I guess I always was with her. She had come to take Katie for the weekend. After she left I went in my room and I think for the first time in my life I cried. I told myself I was crying for Katie, but as always Dad knew the real reason why. I just wanted my mom to love me for at least a second. To make me feel like something other than trash. He sat down beside me and told me one day someone would come around and silence all the demons and hurt in me. You’ve done that. From day one, when I’m with you all the bad goes away and for once, I feel happy. You’re my demon whisperer.”

  “Are you sure you want to go see your mom next weekend?”

  Drake had finally gotten the clearance to visit his mom. I was still unsure why he wanted too but I had no choice but to support him. He has yet to miss coming with our family when we made our monthly trek to visit James.

  “One more time. She needs to see she no longer controls me. My life is no longer effected by her choices. You have saved me from myself.”

  “We saved each other.”

  “Yes, we did.”

  “Drake, sleep with me?”

  Henry sat up in bed and rubbed his fist over
his eye, his arms covered in thick marker lines. He told me he wanted “taties” like Drake’s.

  “That’s the plan,” Drake answered and hopped out of my bed. When he got to the bed Henry was on he held up one of Henry’s arms. “What is all over your arms?”

  “I’m like you now,” Henry said with a gleam in his eyes that mimicked the one in Drake’s.

  The possibility was moot, but still I couldn’t help to envision what a child with Drake might look like.

  Drake fist bumped Henry. “Buddy, you will be a lot better man then me because you have the world’s greatest mommy.”

  “And you’re my daddy.” Henry said in a hopeful tone.

  Drake sat down beside Henry and scraped his knuckles through his hair, stealing my heart for the four hundred sixty-eight millionth time.

  “Buddy, you have a daddy that loves you a lot. I know he made some mistakes that confuses you but he is still your daddy. But I’m the luckiest man in the world because I get to be your bonus dad.”

  “Bonus dad?” Henry asked, twisting the words around as if he was enjoying the taste of them.

  “Yeah, one night I prayed that God would give me the greatest son in the world but you were already born. So he found a way and allowed me the privilege to be your bonus dad.”

  “I didn’t think God answered your prayers, Mr. Hart,” I said.

  Drake glanced in my direction and did that slow sweep of his tongue between his lips. “Oh, he started the day I met you, Mrs. Hart.”

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