Saint, p.20
Saint, page 20
“Are you okay, Saint?” I questioned, concerned about his comfort.
“I have the most beautiful, talented woman in my arms, in my heart, in my corner, and in my bed. I’m on top of the world, Beauty.”
As we continued to sway, I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed his lips. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this for me.”
“I’d do anything for you, Beauty. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Once we finished our dance, we broke into the small crowd of family, friends, and coworkers, offering well wishes to our union.
“Tori!”
From a distance, I spotted Luna waving at me as she approached. Her ample hips swayed violently in the dress she wore. Unlike my slender frame, my friend was a beautiful, bountiful woman.
“Hey, girlie,” she grabbed my hand and squeezed when she finally eliminated our distance. “I’m gonna take off. I didn’t know you were kin with him,” she grimaced.
Both me and Saint’s eyes followed Luna’s as she nodded toward Sincere.
“What’s wrong with Sincere?” I asked, not understanding why Luna seemed so disgusted.
“Aw, shit. What did Sin do?” Saint chimed in.
Initially hesitant to continue the conversation, Luna looked between the two of us. She craved privacy away from Saint’s presence.
“Girl, it’s a high probability that I’m gonna tell him anyway when we’re laid up in bed tonight,” I shrugged. Saint and I were so comfortable with each other that we didn’t keep secrets. We weren’t just husband and wife. He’d become my best friend. We shared everything.
“Okay, but… Don’t judge me.”
“We won’t,” Saint promised with a smile.
“I didn’t know Sincere was your brother-in-law,” she prefaced before providing any further detail. “We had a thing a while back. It was brief. I thought it would turn into something more, but… it didn’t. That man has been one of my biggest regrets to date,” she explained as her voice splintered.
“Aw, Lu. Don’t let him stop you from enjoying yourself.” I placed an arm around her shoulder, seeking to soothe whatever sting she was feeling.
“I would rather not be in the same space as him, Tori. I just–I have to go. I’m sorry.”
I stared in disbelief as Luna shuffled away toward the tent’s exit. Little could penetrate her mood. My friends were all tough cookies, just like me. There wasn’t much that could summon our tears. Immediately, I felt terrible for her. She’d had a difficult time with romantic relationships.
“That nigga always finds a way to piss in a woman’s cheerios,” Saint floated, shaking his head.
“Really? I had no idea. What’s wrong with him?” I asked with my gaze trained on my brother-in-law. Sincere, oblivious to Luna, was laughing it up with the DJ at the booth. The woman was attractive, explaining his persistent presence. I hadn’t known much about my brother-in-law. From the day we met, he’d been distant. Now, I wondered if that had anything to do with his involvement with Luna.
“Sincere is a Casanova of the worse kind,” Saint revealed. “If he crossed paths with Luna, chances are he hurt her feelings.”
My desire to march up to Sincere and demand that he set things right with Luna was tempered by the fact that I didn’t have enough details about her situation. It wasn’t my place to get involved. Luna would have to grow better at discerning the men she allowed into her life.
Saint and I floated around the room, arm in arm, accepting well wishes and chatting with our guests. There was one particular person who caught my eye, making them bloom in surprise.
“Mrs. Shirley?” I gasped at the librarian’s presence.
“Well, hello. What a treat it is to see you beautiful two young people again,” she smiled. The woman was dressed in her Sunday best. A pink skirt suit and a hat to match made up her appearance.
“I could say the same of you, Mrs. Shirley. Eight months ago, you prayed for us. I’m grateful for your heartfelt words and well wishes.”
“And I will continue to pray for you all,” the old lady vowed. “Especially for that little baby that you’ve got tucked away in there,” she pointed to my flat stomach.
Nervously, I chuckled, and Saint’s eyebrows hiked. “Baby?” Granting me a look that sought an explanation, he waited for my response.
“Uh oh. Did I say something I wasn’t supposed to?” Failing to linger, Mrs. Shirley was sheepish as she scurried away from us.
I wasn’t aware of any baby. It wasn’t exactly something Saint and I had discussed. With a growing fashion brand and the Miller Recreational Center just beginning, my thoughts were far removed from conceiving a child. Mrs. Shirley was kind of old. Though she had her wits about her, she was likely speaking some sort of superstitious foolishness.
“Victoria?” Again, Saint questioned.
At the call of my name, I rejoined the present moment.
“I–I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
Quickly, I attempted to do the math in my head to calculate my last cycle.
“It was seven weeks ago, Beauty,” Saint aided my computations.
“Huh?”
“Your period.”
“No. I bled this month. It was just–”
“Light enough for me to be inside you a day later,” Saint spoke absently. He’d been keeping better track of my cycles than I had, apparently. As I scanned the large tent, observing the people in closest proximity to our hearts, I felt his rounds scanning me. The brush of his fingers against my ear drew my attention back to him.
“You know, before I fell in love with you, I couldn’t imagine having children. How would I be any good to them when I hardly understood myself? It was a question I never needed to answer because the possibility was far removed from anything centering me.”
The stream of air as I exhaled registered how long I’d been holding my breath. Of course, I wanted kids. At least two. A boy and a girl would be ideal. My sole concern was the timing. It was so off-base. Maybe in another year or two, but now? Just as things had begun to take flight with my career? A child would only slow me down.
Not that there was anything wrong with slowing down. I was simply comfortable with the life I had. I was successful, I was married, and a child was honestly the only thing missing from the equation. Hell, I probably needed to slow down. Demure was my first child, and it depleted me frequently. There were undoubtedly fears about venturing into parenthood, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved in time.
“And what about now?” I asked, deflecting from my thoughts, competing for dominance.
“Things are different now,” Saint spoke, steering us to the king and queen table.
“How so?” I asked, feeling slightly winded. The few steps we’d taken moving around the tent after dancing left me breathless. Maybe I was pregnant. Saint ushered me into my seat right on time.
Raking his fingers through his beard and palming his head, he looked to be in deep thought. Over the months we’d shared, I realized the paired actions were yet another way he settled his nerves.
“The question is different now. Something along the lines of ‘Will they end up like me?’”
“What do you mean by end up like you, Saint?”
“You know… Autistic.”
The massive vessel in my chest splintered as I realized what he was saying. His biggest fear about starting a family stemmed from his concerns about how his child might see and navigate the world.
“If they’re anything like you, they’d be absolutely perfect,” I countered.
“And what if they’re not like me, Beauty? What if they’re nonverbal or require more than the average child? What if they can’t lead an independent life? Did you consider that? The strain it might be on us both?”
“No. I mean, we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves. I haven’t taken a test yet–”
“Victoria, you’re pregnant. Pee on your little stick or whatever, but I’m certain pregnancy is what has you so depleted these days. That dolphin we saw on our last dive confirmed it for me. I was reluctant to accept it, but dolphins don’t lie.”
My Doctor Dolittle of the ocean. He was a walking encyclopedia on marine life, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The weather had been uncharacteristically warm for the season, permitting us to go on dives much more frequently together despite us heading into winter. There was a strange interaction with a dolphin on that last dive. They made peculiar noises near my stomach on approach. I just thought they were being playful.
“If we’re pregnant, we’ll deal with what comes, just as we’ve been doing. And I’ll love our baby, irrespective of how unique they are. The baby will be fine regardless of where it may or may not land on the spectrum,” I encouraged. “Things aren’t the way they used to be when we were growing up, babe. They’ll have a pair of parents perfectly equipped to provide them what they need with patience, compassion, and understanding.”
“I love you, Victoria Iman.”
“I love you, Saint Tyrone.”
“Every day, you remind me why I stay married to you, Beauty.”
“As I do you,” I vowed, cupping his chin. “Now, let’s get through this night and get these people out of here so we can return to what’s important.”
“What’s that?” He asked.
“Cumming,” I smirked.
Saint
The Miller Community and Recreational Center was teeming with souls, young and old, as I parsed through the space. With one noise-canceling earbud planted in my ear and the other free of any obstruction, I nodded at those who managed to acknowledge my presence.
Victoria was stationed at the opposing end of the entrance, dressed like a hipster with a cropped anime sweater and loose-fitting wide-leg jeans that hung from her waist. The once tiny midriff occupied a growing little one. Her belly was on display for everyone to bear witness. In a trance-like state as I observed her, I barely noticed my father standing near me.
“I’m proud of you, son.”
Reluctantly, my gaze shifted to my father, confirming his presence. With ease, I returned to my prior task of observing my heartbeat outside my chest.
“For what?”
“All of this,” my dad emphasized. “You have something meaningful to pass down to your child that you claimed you would never have.” I didn’t need to look at him to know he was motioning to the space surrounding us. “And her,” he spoke, acknowledging Victoria.
“None of this would have been possible without her,” I stated plainly, feeling my limbs call out to Victoria.
My whole world shifted the day we met. All the things I never knew I desired were made possible the day we crossed paths on Komodo Island. I was about to be someone’s father. Of course, I had my share of concerns surrounding what parenthood would look like between me and Victoria, but I wasn’t backing away from what we’d begun developing. I was someone’s husband. I had a family. That shit seemed so unreal, but it was as real as it could get.
“I see you all together for a stretch,” my father spoke, invading my thoughts. “She won’t be going anywhere, and neither will you. You’ve managed to catch the same illness your mother and I possess.”
“What’s that?” I asked as I watched Victoria commence a slow walk in our direction. Even pregnant, she managed to look as graceful and sexy as ever.
“You can’t keep away from one another. The desperation to have her near is unfathomable. You communicate heavily through physical touch. It’s like what Babyface was saying. The whip appeal. The minute I get ahold of Sarah, I–”
“–Okay. I get it,” I countered, not wanting to hear more. The lewd details of my parents’ sex life were unsolicited. It was no secret that the pair were freaks even after decades of marriage. They didn’t hide their desire for one another.
My dad spoke a mouthful, especially considering I didn’t care much for anyone touching me besides Victoria. Already, I’d made plans to wander upstairs to one of the classrooms with her and indulge in a quickie while our guests remained oblivious to our actions.
The soiree was simply an introduction of the community center to the neighborhood. There was music blaring, games being played, a bouncy house outside, and counselors were on site to register families in need of their services. Because we were a nonprofit, everything was free of charge.
As Victoria drew closer, my heart commenced to its usual breakdance, and anticipation threaded my veins. Understanding my helplessness, my father patted my back and shook his head before he disappeared to find my mother.
“Beauty,” I spoke as she drew near.
“Everything turned out wonderfully, don’t you agree?” She gushed as she palmed her belly on approach.
“Yeah, it did,” I nodded.
The Miller Community and Recreational Center had at least twelve autistic children registered for services that we would soon be offering at the start of the week, and there were adults seeking therapy to obtain a possible diagnosis. Late diagnosis of autism wasn’t unheard of, especially considering myself and how I’d stumbled upon the information. I anticipated more people would seek out our services as we established ourselves in the community.
Victoria stepped back from designing as much to focus on the center. She hired a creative director to take over Demure’s upcoming seasons until she felt the need to step back in. The freeing of her schedule gave her more time to rest as she grew our first child. A perpetual busy bee, she still popped into the office every few weeks. Assaulted with the scent of lavender, I watched as she closed the space between us.
“How are you feeling, Saint?”
“Like we need to check on one of the classrooms real quick. How are you feeling, Beauty?” Freeing a hand from my pocket, I pulled her closer.
“Like, we should have done that hours ago,” she grinned.
End.
Thank you so much for reading.
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Works by Rae Anderson
(Knight Family Series, Books 1-5+)
Dinner with a Stranger
Lunch Amongst Lovers
Breakfast with the Nanny
Dessert with a Devil
The Peculiar Case of Raphael Duböis
After the Storm: A Short Story
(Love & Life in the Big Easy, Books 1-3)
A Love Song for Paisley Deveaux
Indian Red with Wildman Gideon
Crescent City Blues: A Prequel (TBA)
Paramour
Saphyre
Miller Family
Supreme
Saint
Anderson, Rae, Saint
