The Question

by Zena Wynn

  “They’re changing so much. They may not know you when you return.” She didn’t know why she was pressing the issue. He’d already stated that he’d come home if he could.

  “It can’t be helped. As soon as my business is completed, I’ll be on the first flight back. The next trip I take, I’ll bring the three of you with me.”

  “You know, you never told me where you are.”

  “When I return, we’ll talk and I’ll tell you everything. You’re sure things are okay on your end? If necessary, I can come home, but then I would have to come back and start all over again.” She could hear the frustration in his voice.

  “Rashid, we’re fine. Do what needs doing so you can return.” She wanted him home, but not if he had to turn around and go back.

  The phone beeped. “I’ve got to take this call. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Take care.”

  “You, too.”

  Gail laid the phone on the table and sat staring at it. Another two weeks, she thought dejectedly. He was supposed to have been back tomorrow.

  “Is everything okay with Rashid? You seem upset.”

  “Hmm? Oh, yes. He’s fine. Rashid isn’t coming home tomorrow as planned. His business is taking longer than he thought.”

  “How much longer?”

  “At least two weeks, maybe more. This is such a critical time in the babies’ development. They’re learning to recognize faces. They won’t know him when he returns.” And the thought of that upset her.

  “They’ll figure it out. What about you? Are you going to be okay with this delay?” Her mother’s face showed her concern.

  “I have Carmelita, Angelina, and Miguel to help with the children. I’ll be fine.”

  “That’s not what I was referring to but I’ll let it go. I’m supposed to leave Sunday, but I can stay longer if needed.”

  “And daddy will come and get you if you do. Go home. I can handle things here.” Gail smiled to show that she was all right with her mother leaving.

  “You could always come home with me. Your father would be happy to see you and the babies.”

  “I can’t remove Rashid’s children from his home without his permission.” She couldn’t believe her mother made the suggestion.

  “They’re yours too. You have just as much right to them as he does. The rest of the family would love to see them.”

  “Mom.” Gail drawled the word out into two syllables. Then she sighed, tired of repeating herself. “Never mind.” It was no use. Her mom had her mind made up and there was no swaying her. “We’ll be fine.”

  * * * *

  A little over three weeks later, Rashid returned to his sleeping household. He left his bags in the entryway and headed upstairs, needing to see his children after being gone for so long. He entered the nursery and stood by their cribs, noting the changes that had taken place during his absence.

  Both babies had grown. Jamilah had more hair on her head and her complexion was darkening. Jamal’s features were evolving. He looked like a masculine version of Gail. Rashid kissed them both, being careful not to wake them. Gail said they routinely slept the night through. Yet another change during his absence.

  He went to the next person on his list. Gail lay sprawled on her back, almost in the center of the bed. The light from the hallway shined across it, leaving her face in the shadow. He sat on its side, hesitant to wake her when she was sleeping so deeply.

  It amazed him how important Gail had become to him in such a short period of time. A year ago, she was his wife’s best friend and welcome in his home on the basis of that relationship. Today, she was one of the most important people in his life. Not only was she a close friend and confidant, she was the mother of his children. They were friends, equals, and partners in the caring of their children.

  Each day he looked forward to sharing his day with her. He frequently found himself rushing home because he knew she was there. He could talk to her about anything. Best of all, she understood him. She laughed at his jokes; not out of politeness like some people, but because she got them.

  As much as he’d loved Crystal, she’d never really understood him. His marriage with Crystal had revolved around Crystal—her needs, her wants, and her happiness. It’s not that Crystal was selfish. She was just high maintenance. She expected to be catered to and he’d been happy to do so. These last few months with Gail had shown him that there could be so much more to the male/female relationship than what he’d shared with his wife.

  He and Gail had bonded over the last year. They’d gotten to know each other better during her pregnancy and become intimately acquainted during the delivery. The scare with Jamilah only served to bring them closer. These last six months of living together had only taken their friendship to a whole new level.

  Rashid reached out and lightly caressed Gail’s cheek. “Gail.”

  Her eyes slowly opened and then she smiled at him sleepily. “Rashid, you’re home. When did you get in?”

  “A few minutes ago.”

  “What time is it?” she asked around a yawn.

  “A little after one.”

  “Mmm, you must be tired. How was your flight?”

  “Long and tiring.”

  Gail reached out and touched his arm. “Go get some rest. You’ll be here in the morning, won’t you? You’re not going into the office?”

  “I don’t plan to go anywhere.”

  “I’m glad you’re home. You were missed,” she told him around another big yawn.

  “Go back to sleep. The twins will have you up early. I just wanted you to know I was here.” He held her hand briefly before laying it on her stomach.

  “I’m glad you did. Things weren’t the same with you gone,” she murmured. Her eyes were already closing.

  “I missed you, too,” he whispered softly.

  He wanted nothing more than to climb into bed beside her and curl up around her warmth. Right at this moment, his empty bed seemed cold and lonely. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  Rashid left Gail’s room and went to his own, so tired he was ready to drop. Underneath the tiredness was a sense of satisfaction. He’d accomplished what he set out to do. Now he could move forward with the rest of his plan.

  * * * *

  Gail lay on the floor of the nursery playing with the toddlers when she thought she heard Rashid up and moving around.

  “Hey you guys, Daddy’s home. Let’s go say hello to the sleepyhead.” She picked up both babies, walked down the hall to his room, and nudged open the door with her foot. Rashid was sitting on the side of the bed, looking up as she entered. “I brought someone to see you,” she told him.

  A huge grin crossed his face and he held his hands out. Both babies clung to Gail when she tried to hand them over to him. Jamilah turned her face into Gail’s chest and began to whine. Rashid looked like someone hit him.

  “It’s just a stage they’re going through. They’ll warm up to you soon. A month is a long time to them.” Gail sat beside him on the bed and then fell onto her back, a game she often played with the twins. She would fall back; they would laugh and clutch at any part of her they could reach. This time they clutched at her, keeping a wary eye on their father.

  “Rashid, lie beside me and get comfortable. Give them a chance to relax.”

  Rashid lay on his side and propped his head on his hand. “They’ve changed so much. They’re a lot bigger and their features are changing.”

  “Have they? I knew they were growing but they look the same to me. I guess that’s because I see them every day.”

  “Jamal looks like a miniature you; completely different from when he was born.”

  “Isn’t it amazing? Jamilah still looks like you. She even has your hair.” Gail cupped Jamilah’s head, running her fingers through the coarse, silky strands that lay flat against her head, with not a hint of curl.

  As they lay there conversing, the babies gradually warmed to Rashid, allowing him to hold the
m as long as she stayed near. “You must have been really tired. You slept all day.”

  “Jet lag. I flew through several time zones. My body’s trying to adjust.”

  “I know you miss them, but it’s time for these little ones to go to bed. They get cranky if they get off schedule. When you’re ready, dinner’s on the stove.” She stood up and started out the room.

  “Eat with me?”

  “If you’d like. Let me get them settled and then I’ll be down.”

  Rashid carried Jamal into the room for her then returned to his room to dress. When the babies were in their cribs, Gail turned on the intercom, turned off the light, and went downstairs.

  Rashid was already in the kitchen warming his food. “I’ve missed Carmelita’s cooking.”

  “It’s so good. If I didn’t swim every day, I’d be huge.” She turned from the cabinet to find him studying her body.

  “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d never believe you just gave birth to twins. You haven’t gained a pound.”

  Gail laughed in disbelief. “You must be blind. I’m still carrying an extra ten pounds that I haven’t been able to get rid of, even though I breastfeed and swim daily.”

  “If this is how you look with extra weight on your body, you need to keep it.”

  Gail was pleased with the compliment but slightly embarrassed as well. She fixed her plate and stuck it in the microwave to warm. “Would you like something to drink? There’s a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade in the fridge.”

  “Sounds good.”

  She poured them both a glass of lemonade and brought it to the table. The timer on the microwave went off and she got her food and sat down.

  “Have you heard from Greg?”

  “No, and I’m starting to worry. I’ve called both his cell and apartment. He’s not answering nor has he returned my calls.”

  “Try calling the office.”

  “I really hate to bother him at work. He gets so many phone calls as it is. He’s never not returned my calls.”

  “When’s the last time you spoke with him?”

  “Almost a week now. He told me he was going to be busy and hard to reach, but I didn’t expect this.”

  “He still wants you to come out there, doesn’t he? You don’t think he finally lost patience with you?”

  That’s what she was afraid of. Greg understood when she told him about Jamilah. He agreed that she needed to be here, but lately, she sensed he was losing patience with the delay. “I don’t know Rashid. The twins are both weaned now. He knows the trouble we’ve been having finding a nanny, but I am worried that he’s getting tired of the delays. We both thought I’d be with him by now.”

  “I know we’ve gone round and round on this subject, but I still think you need to reconsider rearranging your whole life for a man unwilling to commit to you.”

  “You’re right; we have gone over this time and again. That’s why we agreed to disagree, remember? We’re never going to see eye-to-eye.”

  “What if you had another option?”

  “What kind of option?”

  “I want you to…” The doorbell rang, interrupting him.

  Gail laid down her fork. “I wonder who that is? We don’t get many visitors.”

  “Probably a salesman. Ignore it. I have something important to discuss with you.”

  The doorbell rang again, this time longer. Whoever was at the door was impatient. “We live in a gated community. It can’t be a salesman.” She left the table and went to the door, aware of a disgruntled Rashid trailing behind her.

  Gail glanced through the glass pane at the side of the door and then squealed excitedly. “Greg!”

  She slung open the door and flung herself into Greg’s open arms. He picked her up and spun her around in a circle before claiming her mouth in a hungry kiss. She lost herself in his embrace, matching his hunger and intensity until a dry voice intruded. “Unless you’d like to continue entertaining the neighbors, I suggest you step inside.”

  She pulled away from Greg with a breathless laugh. “Come in.” She took his arm, tugged him across the threshold, and shut the door. “I was just talking about you. Oh my God! I can’t believe you’re here.” She punched him on the arm. “That’s for not returning my calls. I was so worried.”

  Greg used the hand she hit him with to pull her back into his arms. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Mission accomplished.” She was pulling his head down for another kiss when a throat cleared behind her. “Where are my manners? Greg, you remember Rashid, don’t you?”

  “How you doing, man?” Greg held out a hand to Rashid while holding Gail close to him.

  Rashid shook his hand. “Fine. Yourself?”

  “Great now that I’ve got my woman in my arms.”

  “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

  “Thank you,” she said to Rashid’s retreating back. “Let’s go in the den.” She turned and pulled him by his tie into the den, shutting and locking the door behind them.

  Greg dragged her to the couch and tugged until she straddled his lap, her gauzy skirt riding high on her thighs. “Now where were we?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Oh, yes. Now I remember.” He swooped in for another breath-stealing kiss.

  Gail moaned and gave herself whole-heartedly. She’d missed this. Missed him. When she was breathless and trembling with desire, he released her mouth and trailed kisses down her neck as his hands slid underneath her bikini bottoms to cup her butt. She arched against him, rubbing her wet crotch against the long length of his erection while she tried to catch her breath. “What are you doing here? I thought you were working an important case.”

  “I was. I came back to get my woman.” He nudged the spaghetti strap of her tank aside and licked the tip of her exposed nipple.

  Gail clutched his head to her, whimpering when he drew her breast into his mouth and suckled. She groaned in disappointment when he pulled back and blew on the taut peak, only to catch her breath when one of his fingers probed her wet sheath.

  “I miss you and don’t want to go another day without you. Marry me. Come to California with me as my wife.”

  “What?” She drew back in shock.

  He tipped her back onto the couch and came down on top of her. “I said, marry me. Put me out of my misery. These last seven months have been hell without you. We survived six months of dating with no sex then seven months long distance without growing cold. If we handled this, we can handle anything. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” She didn’t need to think twice. She kissed him deep and long. “You know I love you, right?”

  “I think you’ve mentioned it a time or two,” he murmured as he nuzzled her exposed breasts.

  She wrapped her legs loosely around his thighs as she tunneled her hand between them to get at his straining erection. “I would have come to you without a marriage proposal. I just needed to get the children settled first.” She wanted him to be clear on this. She had not held out for a wedding ring.

  He shifted and allowed her to stroke his cock through his pants. Greg rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed in pleasure as she alternately squeezed and rubbed in a manner that she knew he enjoyed. “Your devotion to Rashid and his children is admirable, but I need you too,” he hissed as his hips jerked violently. “Maybe Rashid would try harder to find someone if he didn’t have you to depend upon.”

  She paused in her ministrations. “He really has been trying to find a nanny. I know you don’t believe it but it’s true.”

  Greg snorted in disbelief. “A man seriously trying to hire someone to care for his children doesn’t take off and leave town for over a month. Did he ever tell you where he was or what important business matter required him being gone for so long?”

  Gail frowned and removed her hand completely as she defended Rashid. “No, but I’m sure it was critical. He wouldn’t have left otherwise.”
r />   “If you say so. I don’t want to talk about him or the twins. I’m holding my soon-to-be wife in my arms that I haven’t seen in six months. There are more important matters on my mind.” He glanced down at her bare breasts and licked his lips.

  “Do tell?” She gave him her sexiest smile.

  “Mmm-hmm.” He nuzzled her neck, working his way to her ear. “How soon will you marry me? I hope you don’t want a big wedding. I only have a week before I need to return and I want you on the plane with me. We can stop in Vegas on the way back.”

  “A week! I don’t know if I can be ready in a week.” She frowned as her mind busily calculated all that needed done to accomplish this feat.

  He drew back to look at her. “What is there to do? Your stuff’s already in storage. The few things you have here we can ship or put with the rest in storage. Hell, I don’t care. Sell all of it and buy new when we get home. Make a fresh start of it all the way around.”

  “But what about the babies? I can’t leave Rashid in the lurch,” she protested, her conscious cringing at the thought of leaving before he had someone to replace her.

  “Isn’t Angelina on summer break? She and Carmelita can handle things until he finds someone else. It can’t be that difficult. Are you telling me, that out of all the people you interviewed, none of them were suitable?” His eyebrow arched, daring her to disagree with him.

  Gail thought about it, mentally reviewing all of the applicants that had come to the house. “There were a couple that weren’t so bad.”

  “See! Problem solved.” He cupped her cheeks. “We love each other. I think we’ve waited long enough to be together. Let’s not wait any longer.”

  “You’re right. I’ll talk to Rashid.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. I still need to check into a hotel.”

  “I’m sure Rashid wouldn’t mind your staying here.”

  Greg kissed her on the nose. “If I stay here, it will be in your bed and I have too much respect for Rashid’s values to do that. When we do finally make love, I want you all to myself, with no babies crying and you not wondering if anyone can hear you screaming.” He kissed her again; this time a lingering one on her lips before slowly rolling off her onto the floor. As he gazed at her still sprawled on the couch, skirt around her waist and top below her breasts, he stated, “I’d better leave before I forget all my noble intentions.”