Bless This Love

by S M Mala

‘You look radiant. The most beautiful I’ve ever seen you.’

  ‘I put that down to lack of sleep and in the next few weeks, you’ll think I’m a goddess.’

  ‘In a week you’ll be christened.’

  Jack smiled at his namesake.

  Baby Jack was now four weeks old and was indeed a beauty. He looked like both his mum and dad, but mostly his dad.

  The hustle and bustle had died down after all and sundry came to see her son. Now she was left holding the baby with regular visits from her mother and Naomi. Joe was extremely busy, but she noticed her third most regular guest was Reverend Jack Pinter. He even changed a nappy, which shocked her.

  Joe always looked like he was going to faint when he did it, especially the poo ones.

  ‘I need to tell you something,’ he said, handing the baby back to Suri as she tried to put him to sleep. ‘And I know we’ve kept it from you.’ Suri looked at him, waiting for more information. ‘That night Janet Peters crashed the car, she was breathalysed as I said. And it seems she was over the limit.’

  ‘Oh.’ Suri couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  ‘She went to court and was banned from driving for a year. Though it was her first offence, they took into account that she had a pregnant woman in the car.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I know no-one knew about it but it seems to be general gossip. Suri, people will ask and what will you say?’

  ‘It’s no-one’s business. My mum doesn’t know about it, not even now.’

  Jack stood up and took a muffin from the table before munching on it, then shook his head.

  ‘She tried to speak to Joe the other day, and he was pretty upset. I was there, and Janet seemed quite angry.’ Jack instantly went pink. ‘A few people witnessed it. It wasn’t a good thing to hear and see.’

  ‘He never said,’ she replied, seeing the baby’s eyes close. ‘When did it happen?’

  ‘On Sunday, after service.’

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘That you were a liar, and it’s your fault she crashed.’

  ‘But I didn’t force the booze down her throat, did I? You both know what I said, and if she wants to use that as another nail in my coffin, I can’t stop her, can I? It’s Edgar who heard me talking to the plaque and-.’

  ‘You were talking to Felicity Peters’ plaque?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, watching his semi-amused expression. ‘I felt it was the right time to speak to her.’

  ‘Her?’

  ‘Edgar was behind me. He was good when he visited, didn’t ask any questions, and I was relieved to be honest. I want to move on.’

  ‘You know that’s going to be very hard. Janet Peters isn’t in the right state of mind, and that worries me.’

  ‘Baby magnet! You know it and I know it.’

  Joe and Suri walked around the green with the baby, the following Wednesday. He had his son in a sling.

  The attention both the boys received was beyond ridiculous.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘How many women have stopped to speak to you? They didn’t even look at Jack!’

  ‘Now, now, you’re very lucky to have two exceptionally handsome men in your life,’ he laughed out loudly before kissing her forehead. ‘Obviously, the baby is better looking than me.’

  Holding his hand, they walked about, not knowing where they were going.

  They ended up sitting on their usual bench.

  ‘And you don’t mind me doing the little ceremony for Rory’s bench on Saturday?’ she asked tentatively. ‘I can do it on my own.’

  ‘I’m going to be there, with you,’ he replied, gently stroking her hair.

  ‘It’s closure for me. And then Sunday, our baby becomes Reverend junior and will be a complete rebel.’

  ‘Can’t wait.’

  She sighed, placing her head on his shoulder so she could stare at their baby.

  Since talking to Jack, she hadn’t mentioned to Joe that she knew what had happened with Janet Peters.

  Both the wedding and the birth hadn’t gone to plan, and she wanted this to be a peaceful time.

  The christening was her last hope of normality.

  ‘The catering is all sorted,’ she continued. ‘It’ll be a nice party. Not sure if Naomi is a hundred percent happy about Len being the god father, but she is the god mother, and all will be well.’

  ‘And Reverend Pinter is the other god father, so this little one is in safe hands.’ Joe smiled and kissed her again but as she pulled away, his smile faded.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, touching his face.

  ‘A friend of yours is walking over.’

  She turned to see Ted striding towards them.

  ‘Let’s not make a scene,’ she whispered, seeing Joe looked pissed off.

  ‘Congratulations Suri,’ Ted said, smiling at them. He then put his hand arm to shake Joe’s hand. ‘I hear you had a baby boy. Can I sit?’

  Suri nodded and noticed Joe put a protective arm around her shoulder.

  ‘You look great!’ Ted said, and he seemed genuine. ‘And well done Joe, you’ve produced a beautiful baby.’ Then he swallowed hard. ‘Do you mind if I speak to Suri alone?’

  She felt Joe squeeze her shoulder before saying, ‘That’s fine. I’ll be here.’

  Getting up, she knew that last time she spoke to Ted, he was asking her to leave Joe. She hadn’t told her husband that bit, considering how the rest of the week panned out.

  ‘I want to say, I am very happy for you,’ he said, towering over her. ‘I care about you so much, and I messed it all up. Honesty hasn’t been my thing. I know I have to make some changes.’ Ted cleared his voice. ‘I never faced up to my responsibilities as a father or husband, but I need to address it before it’s too late.’

  ‘I see,’ she said, noticing his pain. ‘Is everything okay?’

  ‘I confessed you see, told my wife everything. I couldn’t hold it in, how I felt about you and the confusion.’ Ted swallowed hard. ‘She noticed something when we bumped into each other and questioned me. I had to tell her.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Suri said, stepping back and looking around. ‘Is she going to come at me with a hammer or something?’

  ‘I told her that I lied to you, made out I wasn’t married. She was hurt and angry but then I told her about the others.’

  ‘I take it she got really mad?’

  ‘That’s an understatement. It’s now make or break, and I don’t want to break with her. And then she told me she’d been having an affair, and it broke my heart.’ Ted became tearful. ‘I never thought she would.’

  Just then, Suri wanted to smile at the pure conceit of Ted but didn’t.

  ‘That’s when I realised I don’t want another man touching my wife, or worse, her loving them more than she loves me. We’re relocating to New York for a few years. Edgar has been kind and helped. He gave me an ultimatum.’ Ted moved closer and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I love you Suri, that was something I have been honest about, but I know you don’t love me.’ He flicked a glance over at Joe. ‘I can see why.’

  Closing her eyes, she nodded.

  ‘Good luck and I hope it all works out for you,’ she said. He smiled before taking something out of his pocket and handing it over. ‘What’s this?’

  ‘Something for the baby.’

  ‘You didn’t have to,’ she said, feeling bad.

  ‘Take care and goodbye.’

  He gave her a massive hug, kissing her gently on the cheek before walking off towards the other end of the green then hailing a cab.

  Suri didn’t know what to think. That version of Ted was the one she fell for, all those years ago. She smiled, watching the car drive off.

  Joe was staring at her as she walked back.

  ‘What did he say?’ he asked as she sat back down, the baby stirring in his sling. ‘Why the kiss?’

  ‘He was saying goodbye. Ted’s moving to New York.’

  ‘Thank bloody God!’

  ‘Joe
! Don’t blaspheme! You’re a good boy and a Vicar.’

  ‘You didn’t tell me what he said the day of the final,’ he said, sidling up to her. ‘Do you want to tell me now?’

  ‘It’s not interesting.’ She handed him over the envelope. ‘And it’s not relevant.’

  ‘Whispering into my wife’s ear in the middle of the afternoon outside where I work, I’d say it’s relevant.’

  ‘I love you, and that’s it, okay? Ted is no more, and it’s one less thing to worry about.’

  She watched him open the envelope, his mouth dropping open.

  ‘Really?’ Joe asked, handing it over. ‘For someone who is no-more, have you seen what’s inside?’

  Peering in she realised there was a wedge of fifty pound notes. She daren’t count.

  ‘That’s guilt money,’ she said, starting to smile. ‘And it’ll help towards the booze bill for the christening. See, Ted is a good man after all.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Joe was lying on top of her, the night before the christening. ‘Is it too soon?’

  ‘My stitches have gone. I’ve been taking arnica and there’s this,’ she said, holding up a tube of lubricant. ‘I think I’ve got it covered.’

  ‘Should we be doing it when the baby’s sleeping in the same room?’ he asked, looking at the cot.

  ‘Don’t make any noise and all will be fine.’

  ‘You were wonderful today,’ he said, gently pulling off her nightdress. ‘I cried.’

  ‘Was that my singing?’ she smiled, knowing it had been a tough day.

  The bench arrived with the plate screwed onto it just saying,

  ‘Rory McKeown, son, friend and wonderful person. We love you with all our hearts.’

  It also stated his date of birth and death.

  Looking at it was hard but it replaced the bench Suri had always sat on.

  That made it perfect.

  But her husband asked for the original bench to be moved closer to the church as he said he was being sentimental. Suri knew he was going to make sure she sat there instead of Rory’s bench.

  He was that transparent, even though holy.

  She sang ‘Yester-you, Yester-me, Yester-day,’ which brought her and a few people to tears. Joe cradled their baby, and her mother held her hand. Jack said a few words and Naomi smiled throughout it, mainly because she was with Terry and seemed blissfully happy. Mrs Henderson turned up and a few kind and familiar faces. Suri had hardly told anyone, wanting to keep it quiet. But there was a genuine feeling of love.

  Afterwards, they all went to the pub for a drink to toast Rory.

  And all through it, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the man she loved, who changed her world. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but right now, she had a delicious one on top of her.

  ‘Are you sure there’s not going to be an accident?’ he asked, smiling suggestively at her. ‘Maybe another baby.’

  ‘Have you got some condoms?’ she asked, knowing he’d love to get her knocked up again. ‘I need to get my uterus to shrink back into place.’ He pulled a face. ‘The same uterus that pushed that baby out.’

  ‘Before I make gentle love to you,’ he grinned, stroking her face. ‘What did Ted say to you on those two occasions?’

  ‘Now? You want to speak to me about it now?’

  ‘Please tell me. You know Janet was itching to say something in the car all those weeks ago.’

  ‘Has she come to church since?’ Suri asked. She’d skated around asking but thought it was a good time. ‘Or has she been given a custodial sentence?’

  ‘So it’s a trade, is it?’

  ‘You’re not telling me something about her, and I’m not going to tell you about Ted,’ Suri said, giving him a challenging stare.

  ‘I don’t like the way he looks at you.’

  ‘He’s moving to New York to give his marriage a chance.’

  ‘Have you seen the women in New York?’ he laughed out. ‘I doubt if he’d keep it in his pants.’

  ‘That’s not very nice,’ she said, gently punching him while wrapping her legs around his back. ‘He said he wanted me to leave you and set up home with him.’ His laughter stopped. ‘I said I loved you, and it wasn’t possible. Janet Peters saw and told me in the car that you probably weren’t the father of my kid.’

  ‘I am. That’s why he’s so good looking.’

  ‘Obviously.’ Suri could tell he was pissed off. ‘Joe, I love you with all my heart. I’ve never felt like this about anyone else. You do know that, don’t you?’ He nodded. ‘I don’t want anyone other than you.’

  The remark was acknowledged with a long kiss.

  ‘And your trade is what?’ she asked, stroking his back and seeing he was examining her breasts. ‘Come on.’

  ‘I want to make love to the mother of my baby.’

  ‘You’re changing the subject.’

  ‘The reason we came to bed was to test your stitches.’

  ‘But-.’

  He stuck his tongue in her mouth, and she couldn’t speak. Caressing her breasts, she warned him to keep away from her stretched stomach but his head was moving down.

  ‘Don’t look at my body,’ she groaned.

  ‘This produced and carried my baby. I love it.’

  ‘You’re desperate for sex, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yep!’

  Feeling his lips kiss all the way down, she looked over at her sleeping baby, hoping he wouldn’t wake. From where she lay, he looked just like his daddy.

  Joe’s lips were kissing her lady lips and licking her nub. She shuddered as it had been weeks, and he was very good down below. Putting her hands over her tummy so he wouldn’t look too closely, she arched her back, feeling the friction on her nub.

  ‘Oh yes!’ she said, knowing it wouldn’t take too long

  And everything felt good down there.

  Then he stopped kissing.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked and looked down at him, under the cover. ‘Is there something wrong?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he grinned and she noticed he was holding his cross in his hand.

  ‘Are you praying down there?’ He nodded. ‘Is that what you do when you hold it?’

  ‘I’m thanking God for this blessed hole that gave me my son and hope we have the best sex ever.’

  ‘Sometimes Reverend Isley, I think you don’t pray for the right things.’

  ‘Wanna bet?’

  ‘Wasn’t last night good?’

  Joe whispered in her hair when they were walking to church. ‘You felt good.’

  ‘You mean you think they stitched me tighter?’ she laughed seeing him grin.

  ‘We’ll go back to bed when this is all finished.’

  ‘Have you seen how much booze we’ve got? Jack will be there, all night, drinking us dry.’

  Suri had been running around that morning, getting all the food ready. They were going to have the reception in the church. It was a good place to have a party, considering Suri had interrupted the last one by going into labour. That was the least she could do.

  Reverend Jack’s namesake was in his buggy, looking like a little angel. She’d packed three sets of clothing for her son. From the amount of things they were transporting, it looked like they were going away for a weekend.

  Joe was proudly walking down the road, wearing his Vicar uniform and smiling brightly at his son, then at Suri. He looked stunningly handsome as she sighed.

  ‘Do you want me to make you sigh again? I’m good at that.’

  ‘We have to behave and… oh my!’ Suri stopped when she noticed the amount of people at the church. ‘Is this all for you?’

  ‘Us.’

  ‘You,’ she smiled and noticed everyone looked eagerly at them

  ‘I invited them because I didn’t manage to celebrate with the guys when we won the competition. Then you were in an accident. When we were all ready, my baby came and now, we can relax and enjoy.’

  ‘I�
�m not breast feeding today,’ she said, grinning sheepishly. ‘And mum said she’d look after baby Rev. so we can have some fun.’

  ‘Let’s tell them all to leave at five and we can go to bed early.’

  ‘Man of God, you’re on heat.’

  ‘Wife of man of God. Your breasts are great, and so is your arse. Lovely and round and smooth. They just need to be caressed.’

  ‘They won’t be going anywhere for another year at this rate.’

  ‘Thank Christ the Lord!’

  There was a flurry of activity, and her mother looked so proud amongst her friends and relatives. Joe’s parents were there, along with Sarah, her husband and the children. It was a beautiful warm day. Everyone was dressed in summery outfits, and there was a cool breeze.

  The ceremony went smoothly, with Jack doing his Vicar duty and Joe joining in when naming the god parents. Suri smiled at her crying baby and laughed when he sneezed snot all over Jack.

  Afterwards, Suri organised the food along with Naomi.

  But there was something troubling Suri, and she couldn’t figure out what.

  All the time she looked around the church, the place she said she’d never go into again, but had done continuously since meeting her man.

  Edgar, Annabel, Mrs Henderson and quite a few people who went to church had turned up. The witches were nowhere to be seen, even though Joe had invited all the congregation to this event.

  He was so proud of his boy; he wanted the whole world to see.

  ‘Do you need any help?’ Edgar was standing in the door way of the utility room.

  ‘We’re fine,’ Suri replied, taking off the wrapping from the sandwiches.

  ‘Naomi, do you mind if I have a word with Suri, alone?’

  Naomi flashed Suri a confused glance.

  ‘I’ll start handing these out. The fridge is full of fizz. Bet it doesn’t last long,’ she laughed, taking a tray and heading off.

  ‘Edgar, please don’t ask me to talk about what happened. I’ve put my memorial up to Rory, and I want to move on.’ Suri sat down and checked her breasts hadn’t leaked, even though she had put pads in her bra, making her bosoms look humongous. ‘I’m sorry you heard what I said. As you now know, I was in labour but had no idea.’