The Beginning of Us (148 page)

For the months leading up to the birth of our baby, they visited my sister on weekends. I hated hearing about how sorry she was, so Stosh asked my parents to keep it to themselves. I understood why they longed to have their little girl back, except unlike them, I knew it was just a whole new pack of lies.

Our little house was perfect for us. Stosh started using crutches to get around. The more he struggled, the better he did at succeeding. He stopped complaining about being disabled, which was good for me, considering I was getting ready to pop out a very needy little human.

We’d talked about names, but were still so undecided. We knew that we were going to name the baby, if it was a boy, Marcus Michael. The girl names were a little more tricky. Stosh liked unique names, where I was more into the traditional kind. I was convinced that if it was a girl we’d just called her Little Princess, since we couldn’t agree on anything else.

The days before I went into labor were filled will chaos. My mother arranged for my college friends to come to town for a surprise shower. Our little rancher was filled with so many people that one could hardly get around. We’d already bought so much for the baby, so naturally the child had everything you could think of after the party. I was so grateful, considering that for a while I thought that I’d no longer have a family or anyone to lean on. Love had changed everything for me. I had been right to follow my heart, because it led me exactly where I needed to be.

Destiny Faith was born on a Sunday morning, bright and early. Stosh came up with the name one night while talking to my belly, like he frequently did. We fell in love with her before we ever met her, but once she came out, and we saw what our love created, we realized there was no feeling like it.

We were a family, finally after being kept apart for so long.

It’s amazing how destiny played part in our story. That’s why he wanted her to have that name. He said all we needed was a little faith.

Stosh took his first steps, without crutches, when Destiny was only three months old. We called it a miracle, while my doctor parents said it was just his body healing itself. Whatever the case, he was on his way to a full recovery.

While Stosh worked during the day and went to physical therapy in the evenings, I started a web design business out of our house. There was no way I was going to leave my little princess, so I took my degree and started something that I could do while taking care of her and my family. It was still going slow, but at least I put my degree to use. When Destiny got older I could branch out and do other things. Stosh wasn’t in a hurry for me to get back out there. If he had it his way, I’d wear dresses and have dinner on the table at five every evening. He loved me staying home with him.

On the day that he’d been legally separated for a year, Stosh filed for divorce. That following Saturday my parents took the papers to my sister to sign. They said she didn’t hesitate. Two months later, we were at the courthouse making things official. For us, it was just a piece of paper, but it was more when it came to our daughter.

It’s funny, looking back, I’d never saw a way for us to be together and be accepted by both of our family’s, but it was happening.

My sister was where she belonged. One could only hope that she’d mess up and not be granted an early release. My life was too perfect to have to worry about her.

Some nights it still hurt, though. I’d had so many memories of us as little girls. I don’t know when that exact moment happened where love turned to resent, it didn’t even matter. I had beautiful memories of me and my twin sister. There was a time when we were like one person. I’d never forget that, even after the Hell she put us through. Somewhere in that messed up mind was that little girl that sang songs with me, braided my hair and cuddled under the covers with me during a thunderstorm.

I often wondered if she thought about those moments. Had she forgotten that special bond that only we could have shared? Did she forget that we were always supposed to be best friends?

As much as I hated her, my heart wouldn’t let me forget that I still loved that part of Ivy. She’d always be my sister and share my face. It’s just a shame she didn’t share my heart. Things would have been so different if she had.

At the end of the day, my life was where it was always supposed to be. I was Stosh’s wife and we had a beautiful daughter. If everything happens for a reason, like I’ve always believed, I guess karma played a part in everything that happened.

Just looking at my little girl proved that. She was our world and we’d spend our whole lives keeping her safe.

Epilogue

2 years later

The alarm hadn’t gone off yet, but we felt someone climbing into bed with us. Ever since we’d gotten her that big girl bed, our little two year old thought it was fun to wake us up as soon as she saw daylight. As I rubbed my eyes and contemplated looking at the alarm clock, I’d made the decision that I was going to put cardboard on her windows to fool her into thinking it was always nighttime in her room.

Her little smile was up in face as I opened my eyes. “Mommy, yook!” She pointed her finger. “I got boo boo.”

“Show Daddy.”

Stosh rolled over and smiled. “Hi, sunshine.”

I climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. There was no use trying to go back to sleep. Destiny would have our house burned down if we ignored her. She was into everything.

When I came out of the shower, she was completely naked, standing in the bathroom. “Wipe my butt.”

With my body as clean as a whistle, I walked over and wiped the poop from my daughter’s butt. I had to be thankful she was already potty trained. It helped that we were home with her so much.

Stosh came into the bathroom like he had timed it perfectly. I rolled my eyes as he pulled me into his arms. “Are you ready for today?”

For the past two years, my parents had been begging me to go see my sister. I declined every one of their invites, until Stosh finally suggested that I get it over and done with so it would stop being so annoying. After stewing on his idea for nearly a month, I’d decided to appease them. Stosh’s parents were going to watch Des so we didn’t have to worry about her. “I guess. I mean, I really don’t want to see her. I have nothing to say.”

“According to your parents, she has something to say.”

I walked away and started getting my clothes on, since I was still in a towel. “I don’t even care.”

He started brushing his teeth while Des brushed hers. Once he finally spit and rinsed, he leaned against the counter. “Yes, you do. Somewhere inside that sexy body of yours, there’s this curious part of you that wants to know.”

I shoved him. “Stop it!”

The doorbell rang and Stosh grabbed our daughter of the counter. “Grandma’s here!”

He whisked her away while I was still getting on some shorts.

By the time I was decent, they were all ready to head out the door. We kissed them and waved as they got her situated in her car seat. Once Stosh closed the door, I could tell he was in one of his moods. He rubbed his hands together. “I hate what you’re wearing.” He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me back to our bedroom. Once inside, he started taking off my clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s been two days. I have needs.” He dropped his shorts and stood there at full attention.

I smiled and reached up to kiss him, but he pulled away and pointed toward the bed. “You’re bossy!”

He smacked my ass and followed me to the bed. “I’m horny!”

I climbed up and turned around, just as he was climbing on top of me. I kissed him softly on the lips, letting my tongue make contact with his, before pulling away. “Hi, Horny, I’m Pregnant.”

Our kissing halted as I watched the biggest smile come over Stosh’s face. He pushed the hair away from my forehead and kissed me on my nose. “Seriously?”

I shrugged and smiled. “We
were
trying.”

“We just started, though. I must have genetically altered super sperm.”

I wrapped my legs around his back. “Shut up and tell me how happy you are.”

He grabbed my legs, sat up and put them on each of his shoulders, before slowly entering me with his length. I gasped at first, shocked he did it without warning. He scrunched up his face and got a good pace going. “You know I’m happy.” My one leg started to fall. “Hold your feet with your hands. I’m going to show you just how happy I am.”

This wasn’t my idea of expressing happiness, but it sure felt good. Even, after all the time that had gone by, I think Stosh still appreciated what he could do when he used his lower body. Not having something makes people appreciate what they do have.

Our bodies moved in unison, like they always did. He kissed me deeply, letting me know I belonged to him in body and mind. My hands caressed every muscle on his chest, which was more defined then when we were first together. After his physical therapy ended, he continued to work out at the gym. He thought if he didn’t use it, he would lose it.

I ran my fingers down his biceps and admired our daughters name written in script. She was his world and I couldn’t wait to share our news with her.

He thrust himself harder and harder, slapping our skin together each time. He played with my breasts, pinching my nipples and rubbing them with the palms of his course hands. He loved watching it go in and out of me and I loved watching him doing it.

I arched my body, feeling the intense friction make me hot in all the right places. My breath increased and he slammed into me one last time before tightening up his body.

We both cried out, climaxing together, then collapsing on the bed, drenched in our own sweat.

He grabbed my hand, while I was still trying to breath normally, and kissed it slowly. “Thanks, babe. I needed that.”

I wiped the sweat off of one of his cheeks. “Me too! Are you ready to get dressed and get this over with?”

He sprung off of the bed and started pulling up his shorts. I followed suit and was soon heading back into the bathroom to freshen up enough to be presentable.

Twenty minutes later, we were on the road, headed to the women’s prison, where my sister was being held. My palms were sweaty and I didn’t say much during the car ride. Stosh knew I was freaking out. He also knew it was best to let me handle it on my own. I was a loose cannon when it came to dealing with anxiety.

After going through the necessary security measures, we were sitting at the long table waiting for her to be brought in. Stosh reached for my hand under the table and winked when he saw I was secretly freaking out. I knew he was there for me, but it didn’t make it easier. The animosity that I felt towards my sister couldn’t be cured with apologies. If I was ever going to forgive her, it would be after I took a long time for my heart to heal.

I hadn’t seen her in so long that I was shocked when she came walking through the door. My eyes must have explained my reaction, because she looked down like I’d broken her heart.

Honestly, I didn’t know how to feel. I wanted to hate her. I did hate her, but at the same time, she was still my sister.

Ivy sat down in front of us. She folded her hands and smiled at Stosh and then gave me all of her attention. “Hi, sis.”

I squeezed Stosh’s hand under the table. “Hello, Ivy.”

She fidgeted in her seat. “Thanks for coming. I didn’t think it was going to happen.”

I looked right into her eyes. “What do you want, Ivy?”

I caught her looking at my wedding rings and then Stosh’s. She turned her attention to him. “It’s weird seeing you with that on. I used to have to fight with you to get you to wear it.”

I cocked my eyebrow. “He never takes it off. Now, explain why we’re here, because we have a daughter to take care of.”

She looked like she was in pain. “You only have her because of what I did. Can’t you appreciate that something good came out of it?”

I stood up, letting go of my husband’s hand. “Don’t you dare say that! Whether or not you planned for things to happen, she was made out of love. Stosh made love to me on that boat and you know it.” I grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him away from the table.

“Wait! Please!” she shook her head and covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. Please don’t go. It’s so lonely here. All I do is read and sit by myself. Nobody wants to be friends in here, and the ones that do, are too crazy to communicate with. Don’t you miss the way things used to be? Don’t you miss how it was when we were kids?”

I sat back down, but kept my legs on the outside of the table, so it was easier to get up and walk away. Stosh stood behind me, with his hands on my shoulders. “I do miss it, but everything changed when you started deceiving me.”

She looked at both of us. “Look at you two now, though. You’re together. Will we ever be able to get past all of this?”

I closed my eyes. “I don’t know, Ivy. Too much has happened. You tried to kill us. No matter how much I miss the old you, I can never trust the one that’s looking at me, right now. Trust is earned and all you’ve done is stab me in the back.” I looked up at Stosh. “We’re happy, Ivy, but we would have been happy, had you not kept us apart in high school. You seem to be forgetting that this wasn’t just about what landed you in jail. For years, you’d been planning to destroy my life. Yes, it worked out in the end, but that also includes you being locked up.”

She started to cry. “I won’t be in here forever. Do you think one day I’ll get to meet my niece?”

I felt nauseous. “I don’t think that’s possible,” Stosh spoke up. “I don’t want you near my kids or my wife. If we have to leave the country, we will.”

She just sat there, like we’d shattered her soul.

I stood up and reached over, grabbing her hand. “I hope you get better, Ivy. I wish things were different. You could have been an amazing aunt. We could have grown old together. This isn’t how I would of wanted to say goodbye to you.”

When we walked out of there, she was crying. I held my head high, until we got to the car and then I lost it. Stosh held me and kissed me on top of my head, but never said anything. He knew I had to get it all out.