My Real (23 page)

Sunday morning I wake up as the sunlight washes over the bed. Last night, I decided that I cannot wait any longer to make this woman my wife. I need to plan something now. I stay in bed and watch her sleep for a few minutes. I can’t make myself get out of bed right now. She looks so peaceful lying in my arms. Her hair is laid out around her face; she looks almost angelic. She still has some chocolate on her chest from last night. Man, does she love her chocolate.

That’s it. That’s how I’m going to propose.

I slide out of bed, so that I don’t wake her. I want to make breakfast for her before we have to head home. And now, I have some calls to make.

I’m just finishing frying the bacon when I hear her walking around upstairs. The table is set; I just need to start the pancakes. She pads down the stairs and rounds the corner in the white dress shirt I wore to dinner last night just as I am putting her stack of pancakes on the table.

“Good morning, Gorgeous.” I say as I leaned in to give her a kiss.”I love you in my shirt.”

“It smells heavenly in here. What did you cook?” she asks.

“Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice,” I answer.

“You are spoiling me,” she smiles.

“After the spoiling I got last night, I think I owe you a few. Sit, eat before it gets cold,” I instruct.

She sits down at the table and starts to cut her pancakes up when she asks, “What’s in store for today?”

“I figure we first need to shower, because someone got me very sticky last night,” I pause raising my eyebrows at her.

“It was well worth it to see your face when I poured the chocolate all over myself,” she recalls.

“Worth it and extremely tasty. After our shower, we unfortunately have to start packing up for our trip home. My friend has a cleaning company coming, because there are other renters coming for the week at noon.”

“Lucky bastards.”

“Then I need to go buy Ella the biggest bouquet of flowers I can find as a thank you gift for packing that outfit for you,” I explain.

“Yes, I called her last night, because I couldn’t figure out how to put it on. Apparently, that is not the only thing she bought for me while she went shopping for that one.”

My eyes bug out of my head, and my heart starts racing at the mere thought that there might be another outfit like that in my future. “So maybe flowers and chocolates are in order.”

“I think maybe instead of chocolate and flowers, we should maybe do a big cookout and invite a bunch of friends over,” she says.

“How is that going to be a thank you for Ella?” I question.

“It will be if you invite Jake over,” she says with a scheming looking on her face. She has some plans I see. “I just think that they’ll be able to enjoy each other’s company.”

“Sure you do,” I answer not believing her for a second. “How about this, I promised Emerson I would take her to an amusement park for rides if she learned to tie her shoes. My mom texted me this morning and said that she worked all day yesterday and can finally do it by herself. Let’s invite Ella and Jake to Six Flags with us. They’ll have all day to enjoy each other’s company then.”

“No!”

“No? Why not.” I was hoping she’d say that.

“I don’t go to Six Flags. We’re going to Hershey Park,” she tells me as she’s bouncing up and down on her chair clapping. She played that one exactly how I hoped she would.

We take the world’s longest shower using the most amazing waterfall shower head. I’m going to be adding this to the to do list for the house. We pack our things and bid farewell to our weekend retreat. I have a feeling we’ll be coming back here, often.

That was an amazing weekend. I don’t want to go home. Once the truck is packed, Andrew opens the door for me, and we are off.

“I can’t thank you enough for this weekend.” I take his hand and squeeze it three times. He turns to me and gives me a sexy smile for using his code for I love you.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you had a good time,” he says.

Andrew’s phone starts ringing, but neither of us can find it.

“Just let it go. It’s probably just my mom wanting to know what time I’m coming to pick Emerson up.”

“Do you know you can assign ring tones to each person, so you know who is calling without even looking,” I explain.

“Really, what is my ring tone?” he asks.

Oh man, I shouldn’t have said anything. I just shrugged my shoulders.

“Come on, what’s my ring tone?” he begs.

I dig around in my purse trying to find my phone to play him his ring tone when I find his instead. I dial my number from his phone and George Michael’s, “I Want Your Sex” starts playing. My face immediately gets red.

“Really? Is that what you think of me? Interesting,” he chuckles. He is loving this! As soon as I ended the call his phone starts ringing again.

“It’s Jessica,” I tell him looking down at the screen. Taking the phone out of my hand, he hooks it into the bluetooth in the car to answers the call. Jessica’s shrilly voice comes over the car speakers.

“Why can’t you ever answer the damn phone the first time I call?”

“Hello, Jessica.” Andrew answers shaking his head.

“Where in the Hell are you? I just went to your house, and you’re not there.”

“What do you want Jessica?” he asks coldly.

“I took a week off of work, and I’m taking Emerson to the beach. I want to leave now to beat the traffic. Where are you?” she demands.

My jaw drops. Jessica was supposed to have Emerson all weekend. She ended up calling Andrew at the last minute said she couldn’t take Emerson because she was going to Mexico with Cody, the man she cheated on Andrew with. It broke Emerson’s heart. She wasn’t supposed to get Emerson again until Thursday night. This woman has some brass ones.

“Jessica, I thought you were going to Mexico,” he states.

“Cody can’t go. Where are you?” she asks again.

“I’ll be at my house with Emerson, ready to go to the beach in two hours,” he offers.

“Two hours?! What the Hell? I want to leave now,” she screams.

“Two hours. Good bye Jessica.”

Andrew hangs up on her and just shakes his head. I’m so torn over this. One side of me is so thrilled for Emerson that she is finally going to spend some quality time with Jessica. But, the other side is screaming, ‘Who in the hell does Jessica think she is demanding to see Emerson when it’s not even her time to have her.’

I know what it’s like to grow up with a mother that didn’t show her love for me. I don’t want that for Emerson, so any time spent with Jessica will be a good thing for her. Won’t it? Jessica hasn’t really proven that she is a caring mother. To me anyway. And what difference does it make? I don’t have a say in this decision at all. This is between Andrew and Jessica.

“I think steam is going to start coming out of your ears soon. What’s going on up there?” Andrew asks as he taps my head.

“Just thinking about Jessica,” I admit.

“You don’t think I should let Emerson go?” Andrew asks.

“It doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Of course I value your opinion. What do you think I should do?”

“I think it’s wonderful she wants to spend time with Emerson,” I answer.

“I wonder what she’s up to. She hates the beach, especially with Emerson in tow. I tried getting her to go several times. She flat out refused,” Andrew thinks aloud.

“Well, there’s that, and I worry about the stability in Emerson’s life if Jessica is in and out of it like this. She didn’t want her this weekend when she was supposed to have her, and then she calls at the last minute and decides she wants Emerson for a week? It’s going to get very confusing for Emerson.” I say wringing my hands. I just want what’s best for Emerson.

“I agree, but once we get a custody agreement that won’t be an issue any more. If it’s not her time to have her, she’s not getting her. I’m just trying to play nice until that time, so she has nothing to use against me,” Andrew strategizes.

“Good point. Well, I hope Emerson has a good time at the beach. I can’t believe I haven’t been there yet this summer. Ella and I usually go at least two times a month over the summer.”

“We’ll have to go. So, plans for tonight. I’ll drop you off at your house, go get Emerson from my mom’s, and drop her off with Jessica. Then it’s you, me, and some Redbox DVDs.”

“Deal.”

“Daddy! I missed you.” Emerson comes running up to me and jumps into my open arms.

“I missed you too Em. Did you have a good time with your Grandma?” I ask.

“I did. She let me have lots of candy and stay up past my bed time,” she squeals.

“I’m sure she did. Is your bag packed? Mommy is going to be at our house soon to pick you up.”

“She is?” Emerson asks excitedly before running off to get her things.

“She is?” My mom asks me not believing me at all.

“Yeah, she called me on the way home from Rickets Glenn and asked if she could take Emerson for a few days. She got some days off and wants to take her to the shore.”

“Wow, her mothering gene kicks in five years too late,” my mom quips.

“It’s not too late. I want Emerson to be able to have a good relationship with Jessica, even if we’re not together.”

“Well, you are being overly optimistic. I just hope you aren’t setting Emerson up for heartbreak. How long is it going to be before Jessica remembers she doesn’t like being around Emerson?” my mom pries.

I just shrug my shoulders.

“So, how was your trip? Am I getting a new daughter-in-law?”

I whip my head around to look at my mom, who has a shit-eating grin on her face.

“I cleaned your kitchen while you were away. You have the receipt in the top of your junk drawer. You should really put it away for safe keeping.”

I shake my head. There are no secrets from this woman. I was going to tell her and Emerson tonight anyway, but man did she know how to kill a surprise.

“You didn’t say anything to Emerson did you?” I ask.

“Andrew Michael, do you really think I’m that dumb?” she answers.

“Well, no. I was just checking. I want to ask Emerson what she thinks about it tonight and was hoping you’d give us both some moral support.” I sit down on the couch suddenly nervous. I’m pretty sure Emerson is going to love the idea, but what if she doesn’t? I don’t listen to a five-year-old when making my life’s decisions, do I?

“Emerson will be fine. She loves Bailey,” my mom consoles me as she sits down next to me. She then whispers, “So do I.”

Emerson comes running down the stairs with her overnight bag and another bag filled with toys. I look at my mom and roll my eyes. I’m damn lucky this little girl is as behaved as she is with how spoiled she is.

“Emerson, sit down. I have something I’d like to ask you,” I say.

“What’s up Daddy-o?” I smile at the nickname. This little girl is a piece of work.

“I was wondering what you think about Bailey,” I ask.

“I think she’s pretty and funny.” That’s not exactly what I mean, but how do you ask a five year old about somebody’s personality traits?

“Honey, what your daddy wants to know is if you like spending time with Bailey,” my mom helps. I give her a grateful smile.

“Sure. She’s the best. She lets me help her cook. She colors and draws with me. She does my hair for me any way I want.”

“Would you like to spend more time with Bailey?” My mom prompts again.

“Yes. I want her be at my house all the time. I don’t like when she has to leave to go to her house,” Emerson laments.

“Emerson, what would you think if Bailey and Daddy got married?” I finally ask, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants.

“Really? You’re going to marry her? And I can be a flower girl? Sally’s mom got remarried, and she got to wear a pretty dress and throw flowers everywhere.”

“Yes. I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful flower girl.” I laugh at how excited she got over the thought of being a flower girl. “Now Emerson. This is a secret, so you can’t tell Bailey. I want to make it a big surprise for her.”

“I understand Daddy. My lips are zipped,” she promises as she pulls a pretend zipper across her lips. Remembering a question she had, she unzips them and asks, “Can I be there when you ask her Daddy?” Then re-zips her lips again.