Fate on Fire

by E. L. Todd

  He grinned. “That sounds like a better idea.”

  “Maybe we can stop by before we pick up our baby?” I loved having Neil to myself, but I would have him every night for the rest of my life. I didn’t care if we got married, but I was moving in to his place or he was moving in to mine. We would combine our lives, regardless.

  “Sounds like a good idea.” He got out of bed. “There’s something I want to give you before we go.”

  “What is it?”

  “You’ll see.” He left the bedroom and returned with his pants a moment later. He dug into the front pocket then pulled out something hidden in his closed fist. He came back to bed then opened his palm.

  Inside was a necklace with a glass orb hanging from it, containing a teaspoon of sand.

  I stared at it, unsure what to make of it.

  “Sand from Mars.” He unclasped the chain and put it around my neck.

  “Oh my god…” My fingers touched the pendant, feeling the gift from a whole different planet. I still had his necklace from the moon, and now I had this. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything.” He stared at my chest, the way it hung between my tits. He watched it for a long time before he lifted his gaze to look at me.

  My hand moved up his chest until I cupped his face and brought him in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, baby,” he whispered against my lips while he kissed me, his arm moving around my waist as he rolled me to my back. “One more time before we go.” His legs separated mine as he got on top of me, and even though we’d made love many times, he was always anxious for more.

  “We have the rest of our lives.” My ankles hooked together at his ass, and I pulled him close to me, feeling his breath against my cheek.

  He slid inside me, sinking deep as he looked at my mouth. “And that’s not long enough.”

  We sat together in his Range Rover, enjoying our fast food and our drinks from the gas station. It was like old times, enjoying a hot summer night as two people getting to know each other. We were parked in the parking lot, our food demolished and our drinks in our hands.

  “You don’t look like you had a baby.” Neil had one elbow on the center console, his head turned my way.

  “Because I didn’t eat and worked my ass off.”

  “Well, it worked.”

  “But you must have noticed my stretch marks.”

  “Of course. They’re sexy.”

  “Permanent lines on my flesh is sexy?” I asked incredulously.

  “From carrying my son?” he said with the same level of surprise. “Yes.”

  I smiled and turned back to my drink.

  “So, you want to move in together?”

  “I do if you do.”

  “More than anything.” He took a sip.

  “My place or yours?”

  “Neither.”

  I turned back to him, unsure what that meant.

  “I was thinking we’d get a bigger place. No offense to our homes, but there’s not much room for five people.”

  “Five? Where are you getting five?”

  “The two of us, Kingston, the next baby, and Torpedo.”

  I chuckled. “You said people.”

  “He’s basically a person…that smells.”

  I laughed again. “I guess it makes sense to upgrade.”

  “A place with a pool and a yard.”

  “Yes and yes.”

  “And maybe a gate…keep away my admirers.”

  “Well, this is starting to sound fancy…” I always pictured myself living in a modest house that was full of love and good memories.

  “You know how much I’m worth now.”

  I drank from the straw as I watched him, knowing he was referring to the book deal we never discussed. “Well, it’s your money, so I guess you can decide what budget we stick to.”

  “Our money.”

  “Neil—”

  “You think I just want us to live together?” he asked. “I want more. And I’ll ask for more very soon.”

  I dropped my gaze, unable to believe I was getting everything I wanted.

  “So, let’s shop for a house, put our places on the market, make that next baby…and it’ll all come together.”

  “So, you were serious about that?”

  “Yes. Were you?” He watched me, his eyes focused on my face.

  “Yes. I’m just… Never mind.”

  “What?”

  “You went from not wanting a family to wanting another baby right away. You haven’t been home long.”

  “But I love Kingston. And I would love to have a daughter who looks just like my wife.”

  My eyes softened.

  He finished his drink and put it in the cupholder. “Ready to get Kingston?”

  I pulled out my phone and texted Stacy. Is it okay if we come by to pick up the baby?

  What? We were supposed to keep him all night so you could do the dirty deed.

  Well, we already did…a few times.

  Giiiiiirrrrrl, yaaaassssss.

  But we miss our baby.

  Come and get ’em.

  “We’re good to go.”

  “Great.” He started the engine and drove away. “She give you a hard time?”

  “She said we were supposed to go home and do it. But I told her we already did.”

  He grinned. “I bet that made her happy.”

  “Ooh yeah.”

  When we walked into the house, Kingston was asleep on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with his toy rocket beside him. The TV was on, and Vic sat in the armchair, holding Neil against his chest.

  Stacy immediately grinned at me and waggled her eyebrows.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Neil chuckled then stepped away. “I’ll let you girls talk…”

  The second he was gone, Stacy was on me. “Oh my god, how was it? What position? Was Neil rusty?”

  I glanced at the guys in the living room, just ten feet away. “I’m sure they can hear you.”

  Neil gave me a thumbs-up without turning around. “I’m confident you’ve got nothing but good things to say.”

  I turned back to Stacy. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  “At least tell me how many times?”

  “Four.”

  “Whoa… Go, Neil.”

  “Thank you,” Neil said from the living room.

  “Then why are you getting Kingston?” she asked.

  “I want us to be a family. I don’t want to split Kingston anymore. I want us to be in the same house.”

  “So, you’re moving in together?”

  “Yeah. Starting tonight. And I want our son down the hall… It’s hard to explain.”

  “No, I get it.” She brought me in for a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks.” I squeezed her before I pulled away. “I texted Kyle earlier…”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah.” I watched Neil turn around and look at me. “I just asked how he was doing. I guess I was just too impatient. But he told me he was really happy with Amelia and he’s meeting her son in a couple days. Also said we should go on a double date.”

  “Oh my god, that’s great,” Stacy said. “That must be so much weight off your shoulders.”

  “Yeah. It was nice to be friends again…to talk like friends.”

  “And it finally gave you what you need to move on. Makes sense.”

  “Yeah.” The guilt was finally gone, knowing Kyle was happy with someone else. His texts weren’t forced and fake. They were truthful. He never would have suggested the double date, otherwise.

  “Well, grab your baby and go home. It’s not too late. You can still fu—”

  “Stacy.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, prude queen.” She walked off.

  I got Kingston off the couch and held him against my chest. “He’s so worn-out.”

  Vic got to his feet, holding his newborn. “We swam for a b
it and then played with some toys.”

  I was hoping he’d be awake, but at least it would make it easy to get him down for the night.

  Neil wrapped his arm around me and kissed Kingston on the forehead. “We’ll see him in the morning.” He turned to me and kissed me next.

  I stared into his face as I held our son, feeling whole for the first time…in forever. I finally had a family. I finally had what I’d always wanted. Cameron shattered me, giving me a false sense of hope, and afterward, I’d thought I was broken beyond repair. But now…I was complete.

  Neil held my hand as we walked to the double doors of the restaurant. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just a little nervous.”

  He opened the door for me. “It’ll be fine, baby.”

  “You think so?”

  He nodded.

  We stepped inside then walked to the table. Kyle and Amelia were there, along with her son in a booster seat. Kyle had his arm over her chair, and he was turned toward her, smiling as he spoke, making her laugh.

  That was a good sign.

  When he noticed us approach, he turned and stared, his smile slowly fading. He took in the sight of us together, but then the smile returned, a slow rise of his lips. He got to his feet. “Hey, guys.” He came around the table and approached me first, seeing Kingston in my arms. “Wow, that’s a big baby.” He chuckled as he took him into his arms, grinning as he watched Kingston laugh. “But still cute. How are you, King?”

  King giggled.

  He turned his gaze on me and looked at me, slight emotion in his eyes but an unmistakable joy. He circled his arm around me and hugged me. “It’s really nice to see you, Char.”

  I hugged him back, not anticipating this level of emotion to hit. I hugged him back and felt my eyes water. “It’s so nice to see you too.”

  He held me and rubbed my back, knowing how I felt without even looking at my face.

  Neil talked to Amelia then met her son, giving us a second to talk.

  I pulled back and took a deep breath, forcing my eyes to dry. “I’m sorry… I just missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” He held Kingston with one arm. “I’m really happy we could get together like this.”

  “Yeah…” I glanced at Amelia and turned back to him. “You think she’ll have a problem with me?”

  He shook his head. “She knows how Neil feels about you.” He leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “And she knows how I feel about her…if you catch my meaning.”

  I chuckled, loving the fact that he made me laugh.

  “I never would have suggested this if I weren’t okay with it, Char. I’m in a really good place. Tyson and I get along really well, Amelia is damn good in bed, and she’s so fucking smart. I don’t understand most of the thing she says, but I love watching her mouth move…”

  I chuckled again, knowing he was trying to snap me out of my mood.

  “I’m happy. Really.”

  “That makes me happy.”

  He nodded to the table. “I’ll introduce you, and then we’ll eat. I’m starving.” He walked to Amelia. “Baby, this is my friend Kingston.”

  “Aww, he’s so cute.” She squeezed his hand then tickled his stomach, making him laugh. “And he looks just like Neil. That’s even cuter.”

  “And this is my best friend, Char.” Kyle stepped back so Kingston would be out of the way.

  Instead of looking jealous or uncomfortable, she gave me a genuine smile. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from two different sources, but they say the same thing, so it must be true.” She shook my head.

  “It’s lovely to meet you too. And this is your son?”

  “Yes, he’s a little older than Kingston, but I’m sure they’ll be fast friends.”

  I put Kingston in the high chair, then took a seat.

  Neil sat beside me, his arm stretching over the back of my chair. “What are you going to get, baby?”

  “A pomegranate margarita.” I held up the menu.

  “I meant for food,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Oh. Something that comes with fries.”

  Kyle sat beside Amelia and returned his arm to the back of her chair. They shared a few words, smiling, having great chemistry.

  Just from watching them, I could tell their relationship was different from all the other girls he used to hang around. He spoke to her like they were friends but looked at her like they were much more than that.

  “I’m getting the margarita too,” Amelia said. “I’m off tomorrow.”

  “Beer for me,” Neil said.

  “Nah, I’m getting a margarita,” Kyle said. “Gonna mix it up.”

  The waitress took our orders before she walked off.

  “So, what’s new with you guys?” Kyle asked.

  Neil turned to me, letting me decide what I wanted to share.

  The atmosphere felt good, so I decided to be honest. “Well, Neil and I are living together.”

  “That’s great,” Kyle said. “Taking Kingston back and forth doesn’t make much sense.”

  “And it’s so much work to pack up a baby every time,” Amelia said.

  “We put our houses on the market, and we actually are in escrow on a new place.” It was big and beautiful, with a nice front porch, a big kitchen, and a pool in the backyard.

  “Does it have a pool?” Kyle asked immediately. “Because Amelia and I don’t have a pool, and we need a place to hang.”

  “It does, actually,” I answered.

  “Yes.” Kyle pulled his elbow to his chest as he made a fist, celebrating. “I’m glad I got that margarita.”

  “What about you guys?” I asked.

  “Well, I met Amelia’s parents, and of course, they love me,” Kyle said, grinning at her like they were sharing an inside joke.

  Amelia rolled her eyes. “I’m so busy with work and Tyson that I don’t date much, so they were thrilled I found a good guy.”

  “A hot guy,” Kyle said. “I saw the way your mom was looking at me.”

  She gave him a playful smack. “Ignore him.”

  “Easier said than done,” Neil teased.

  “When do you move?” Kyle asked.

  “In two weeks. And hopefully someone buys our old places.” It was nice that we didn’t have to use those properties as collateral…since Neil was now rich. “And we’re trying to give Kingston a brother or sister…”

  “Aww.” Amelia gave Neil an affectionate look. “Neil Crimson is a family man. Who would have thought?”

  Neil shrugged. “I guess you’ve got to meet the right woman and almost die on Mars…”

  She chuckled, but it was weak, like the memory was still traumatic.

  “I’m with a woman who’s been to Mars,” Kyle said. “Pretty hot. It’s kinda like being with an alien.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes. “And that’s sexy?”

  “Oh yeaaaah.” He leaned in and kissed her. “We can have some very dirty alien sex.”

  I wanted to cover my baby’s ears because it was so inappropriate at a restaurant, but I let it go, because I liked seeing Kyle happy.

  Amelia turned back to us. “So, you’re moving in together and shooting for baby number two… Where’s the ring? Neil, come on.”

  He grinned. “We don’t need a ring. We’re together—forever.”

  “Uh, no,” Amelia said. “You put a ring on that finger—”

  “I’ve got the ring,” Neil interrupted. “But I want to wait for the right moment…and there’s no rush.” He turned to me, his fingers rubbing my other shoulder. “I’ve already given her souvenirs from the moon and Mars, so she knows my life is eternal.”

  “Neil, you aren’t supposed to take those things,” Amelia said. “But I’ll keep your secret.”

  “I know you will.” He turned back to her. “So, what are we going to order? Chips and guac to share?”

  “Yes,” I said immediately.

  “I second that yes,” Amelia s
aid.

  Kyle shrugged. “I kinda want fries. You know, to dip in the guac.”

  Amelia shook her head slightly as she looked at her menu. “You’re weird.”

  “But I’m hot, so it balances out.” He nudged her in the side playfully.

  She grinned, like she couldn’t suppress it.

  Conversations continued in the restaurant, and Kyle and Amelia continued to tease each other, while the kids got to know each other by playing with their toys at the table. Neil was relaxed, glancing down at his menu. I looked around at all of them, knowing the moment was so simple and insignificant, that in ten years we would completely forget about it. But to me…it was the moment I’d been waiting my whole life for. It was the moment I realized I really had a family, that Neil was my family, that Kyle was my family…and I finally had everything I ever wanted.

  Epilogue

  Charlotte

  I went into Barnes and Noble, and it didn’t take long to find the memoir. It was the day of release, and packed on the shelves were stacks and stacks of his story. Neil Crimson: The First Martian.

  I held Kingston’s hand, and we walked to the shelves.

  Half of the shelf was empty.

  Kingston looked at the cover and pointed. “That’s Daddy!”

  “It is.” I rubbed my stomach, feeling so uncomfortable with his pregnancy. I was seven months, and I was already ready to be done with it. Without even checking with the doctor, I knew it was a boy. Only a boy could be this difficult.

  I grabbed a copy and examined the cover, a photo of him in front of his rocket, with the red planet superimposed behind it. He was so handsome, smiling, his brown hair blowing in the wind.

  “Can I have one?”

  “Yes.”

  He grabbed a copy and held it in his arms, even though he wouldn’t be able to read it. At least he could have it for when he was older.

  My phone started to ring in my pocket, so I fished it out.

  It was Neil.

  I took the call.

  “Hey, baby. I got off work early. Where are you?”

  “Kingston and I are shopping.”

  “For?”

  “Your book. We’re at Barnes and Noble right now.”

  There was a pause, like he didn’t know what to say.