Five Years Later
Elizabeth
It’s Christmas Eve, my absolute favorite day and night of the year! You would never guess it by the weather though. The sky is a soft blue with gentle puffs of clouds floating slowly past and the sounds of birds fill the sixty-five-degree air. Even a hawk can be heard close by.
“Marco, don’t let them do that! It’s too dangerous for them yet!” I holler from the porch.
That man is going to be the death of me. He is more of a child than the children. They’re three, and it’s him I’ve got to keep an eye on. The twins at least think about what they shouldn’t do. Marco just does it. He’s got both of them on the four-wheeler right now and I can hear their peals of laughter as he drives through the fields. I wonder who was responsible enough to remember to put on the helmets, him or the children. I’m the more uptight one of course. I’m the mom.
We moved into this house four years ago. It’s a new two-story white plantation-style house on a fifteen-acre horse ranch with wraparound porches with rocking chairs, porch swings, fans and screened-in areas. There was an older home on the property, which we did some renovations to, and the property manager and his family live there now. There are also a barn, stables, work sheds, gazebo, pool house and pool, and now a playhouse. Marco has his work shed, which he dabbles in sometimes. He had his grandfather’s antique hand tools professionally matted and hung so they hang in the family room with all of our family photos and memorabilia.
When the children were babies I’d bring their bassinettes out on the porch and sing to them, read to them, and just talk to them and watch them sleep. As much as I love the babies, Marco adores them; he worships the ground they walk on, but Carmela has him wrapped around her little finger. He was lost to her the second he looked into those same deep dark eyes as his with her thick curly brown hair. Her brother Marco, who is older by fifteen minutes, is one of the sweetest, naughtiest, most loving and witty boys in the whole world. He will get caught doing something but charm his way out of it with those big hazel eyes of his and those beautiful long lashes.
The pregnancy was a very difficult one. When I was three months along I lost my plug. I was so afraid I was going to lose the babies. The doctors ordered me on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy, which I did under the guard dog Marco’s threats. He was always at my side. When he couldn’t be there he enlisted the help of Elsie, Janie and Christine along with some other wonderful people Marco hired. I was already a high-risk pregnancy because of my age and we knew that going in. I was a beached whale when I was pregnant with twins and ordered to be on bed rest. That, along with my love affair with Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups did not amount to minimal weight gain.
The babies were two weeks premature, which isn’t much but enough that their lungs were not fully developed. They had to stay in the hospital a little bit longer and it was the worst two weeks of my life. Marco and I were at the hospital around the clock. One if not both of us was always there. This was when I missed my mom the most, when I sat next to the incubator watching my children with breathing tubes shoved down their throats and needles stuck all over their skin.
When the babies were finally able to come home, Marco’s parents came down for a week to help out and I was extremely grateful for that. His mother and father accepted me as one of their own children, always making me feel appreciated. When they were here last year we discussed building a cottage for them on the property since they’ve been talking about moving from the Northeast. They’re finally sick of the snowstorms, high taxes and congestion.
I think it would be great having them here. I don’t have either of my parents and Marco has finally laid all of his past demons to rest. He has come to terms with everything, embracing both his past and the future of our family, making today the best it can be. I also think that seeing me without my parents has brought him the realization that his parents won’t be around for much longer. I believe he doesn’t want to have the same guilt I do once they’re gone. My family was very close when I was growing up. My brother and I still are, and the kids having their grandparents here to spoil them and to save them from those dinners they hate would be great for all of us.
“Mommy!” Carmela calls to me as they speed by, her little arm waving in the air. She’s smiling from ear to ear. I am going to kill that man, I swear it. Her brother is more the strong, silent type, but to be honest I don’t think he gets a chance to speak because she’s always doing the talking for both of them. He’s the thinker, the introvert, the one who wonders why and how instead of where and when. Right now he’s also got the Cheshire Cat’s grin on his handsome little face, loving the joy ride. But the biggest grin has definitely got to be Marco’s. He is living his second childhood with the kids and he is having a hell of a blast.
As I stand here watching my family, my heart wants to burst with the love and happiness. I feel and I wonder every day, how did I get this lucky? Marco has made every single day the best day of my life. My God, I remember the day I told him I was pregnant. He held me as I cried tears of joy, my beautiful strong, powerful, controlling husband. I think he wanted to cry as well. He didn’t say a word for a few minutes, I think because he had such a huge lump in his throat and he didn’t trust his voice to keep from cracking. He called his parents and they cried, then I called my brother and I think he wanted to cry. Then we invited our friends over, Elsie, Janie, John and Brian and broke the news to all of them over dinner. These four people turned out to be completely invaluable during my pregnancy and the dearest and kindest individuals in the world, taking turns babysitting and waiting on me, and the babies really, while I was forced to lie on my big fat ass for almost seven months.
Another loud screech and that’s it. I can’t watch anymore so I decide to go inside to make lunch for the four-wheeling maniacs.
“You stay here, Zeus, and watch them. Call me if anything happens.” I look down at the faithful white pit bull sitting beside me on the porch. I think he’s actually smiling at me while thumping his tail on the wooden planks as if he’s answering me, I got this, you go ahead.
“I know you do, big boy. That’s why I love you so much,” I tell him, scratching him on his head between his ears. His smile just got bigger as his tongue falls out the side of his mouth. “Crazy mutt,” I mutter as I go inside letting the screen door slam behind me.
After I finish everyone’s lunch, I walk out the back door to call in my crew and Zeus is right where I left him, turning his head to look at me with his tongue hanging out panting away. I just hope they can hear me over the roar of the engine of the four wheeler.
I ring the bell to get their attention. Ding ding ding!!!
Nothing.
I climb down the steps with Zeus at my heels trudging across the yard although it looks more like a football field than a yard. When I’m halfway across they see me, thank God, and I start waving to them to come on in. When they signal to me that they understand, I turn and head back toward the house.
When I’m about halfway there, they pass me and all three of them yell, “We’re gonna beat you!!” followed by the cackling of the three kids in the race they decided we’re in.
I yell to the backs of their heads, “Wash your hands!!”
When I reach the house the kids have already gotten half their lunch finished, which is a pleasant surprise. I don’t have to goad them today, and Marco’s at the sink cleaning up the dishes.
I come up behind him sliding my hands around his waist and ask, “So, Mr. Bond, what’s the secret weapon you used to get them to eat so well?” I lay my cheek against the warmth of his back, squeezing him tightly. I love this man so much. Still.
He turns in my arms and looks down into my face, wrapping me in his arms and with that million-dollar smile on his face, he kisses me lightly.
“Who’s Mr. Bond?” Marco Jr.’s voice cuts into our moment. We both can’t hold back our laughter at the innocence of his question.
Pulling away from Marco, I take his hand and lead him to the table so that we can sit and eat lunch with our children. In our house, meal time is family time.
“James Bond is a secret agent in the movies, a very handsome one too and very smart. All the ladies love him.” I look over to Marco, and he’s shaking his head laughing, so I continue. “Since we met, I’ve always called him Mr. Bond.”
Carmela jumps up and down in her chair excitedly, “Daddy! Daddy! Tell us about the time you met Mommy again!” Marco Jr. looks up at us as well with a smile on his precious little face. My children are hopeless romantics, like their parents. He takes after me more than he does his father, with the faraway look in his eyes, his gentleness and patience, but once he’s reached his limit, there’s hell to pay.
Marco gets that dramatic edge to his voice as he begins to tell the children about our first night, the G-rated kid-friendly version.
“I saw your mother across the street from the chair I was sitting in, and your aunt Janie, I didn’t know her yet, was standing with some other friends of hers and she started yelling hi to someone. When I looked, I saw it was your mother and that was that exact moment I fell in love with her.” He looks at me and the sincerity of his words are so evident in his eyes, I know I’m glowing with my love for him as well. He continues, “I watched her all night long with her friends, even as she danced with another boy.” He makes his tone firm looking right at the kids.
Both Carmela and Marco Jr. look at me shouting, “MOMMY!!”
“I didn’t even know your dad then!” Then I tell Marco, “Don’t make it seem like you were Mr. Innocent.” I don’t want to tell them that Marco had this blonde bimbo pouring out of her dress hanging all over him.
“Now, kids, it’s okay. Your mom knew that it was me she belonged to so she sent all of those other guys away with their tails between her legs. And I knew she was disappointed I didn’t come and talk to her before she decided to leave.” He gives me a sideways glance smirking at some private joke.
I give his arm a swat. “You, Marco, are horrible!”
He laughs. “I didn’t want to scare you away too fast, Elizabeth!”
The children are laughing at our pretend little squabble as Marco continues, “I noticed your mom was saying goodbye to Aunt Janie and the rest of her friends and I wasn’t going to let her leave without making her mine. So you know what I did?” He looks at Carmela and Marco Jr. wide-eyed, he’s got them totally hooked even though he’s told them this story a hundred times. This was a bedtime favorite for years.
“YOU FOLLOWED HER!!” they shout in unison.
He laughs with his beautiful eyes-scrunching, pearly-whites-gleaming, dimples-showing chuckle, the one that makes all women’s panties go up in flames. And he’s mine, all mine.
“Yes, I followed her, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to follow strangers, it could be very dangerous, but this is our story. Now, where was I?” He pauses for moment for dramatic effect, tapping his cheek with his finger. “Oh, yes, I started to follow your mother down the street. She walked about a block and when I finally caught up to her it was right at that moment her heel got stuck in the sidewalk and she almost fell flat on her face right there in front of God and everyone. And do you know what I did?” He smirks knowing what’s coming.
“YOU CAUGHT HER!!” They shout in chorus again.
“Yes, I caught the woman of my dreams in my arms and from that moment we started to live happily ever after.” He looks at me and leans over smiling softly and kisses me gently. The kids erupt in loud applause just like they do every single time Marco tells this story.
“Tell us about when you asked Mommy to marry you, Daddy!!!” Carmela squeals, clapping her hands and bouncing in her booster seat. Marco Jr.’s going right along with her with his hands hitting the table.
Marco turns to the kids and brings his face very close to them. “What is tonight, kids?” he almost whispers.
“CHRISTMAS EVE!!”
“That’s right, Mommy’s favorite night of the year, right after your birthday, so we are going to be extra good and after lunch you’re going to go pick up your toys and maybe tonight after The Night Before Christmas I’ll tell you that one. Now Santa’s not going to be very pleased if you don’t finish your lunch.”
“But I’m not hungry.” Carmela pouts, crossing her arms in front of her, but Marco Jr. digs in.
“All right, princess, how about a little applesauce then I’ll let you up?” Marco coos to her.
“Okay, Daddy, just a little.” She knows she has him right where she wants him.
That night after the children have been bathed, had their story read to them in front of the Christmas tree in the family room, been tucked in with Marco telling them again about when he asked me to marry him, we finally get a moment to ourselves.
Marco is sitting on the loveseat in our bedroom where my portrait, the one he took of me, hangs over our bed. He had another copy made when I promised not to destroy this one.
“Come here, baby.” Marco lifts his arm beckoning for me to come and rest my head there.
I go and sit with him leaning against his chest just soaking in the feeling of him. He kisses me gently on the top of my head.
“We still have presents to wrap, don’t we, my love?”
I sigh heavily, remembering those other two bags of toys that still need to be wrapped in our closet.
“Yes.”
“Go get me the ribbon, baby. I’ll start now.” His voice rumbles through my body.
I get up and retrieve the bag of ribbons and scissors and tape from the closet.
I stand in front of him setting the bag on the table then I start to turn to get the paper.
“Stop, Elizabeth.” His voice has dropped and become firmer.
It’s that voice, the one that makes my sex leak. I suck in a sharp breath instinctively just from the sound of his voice, licking me in my most intimate parts.
“I want you to strip for me, baby, then I’m going to tie you up like my Christmas present and play with you. Take your clothes off, my love, let me look at my beautiful wife.”
The End