Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Well, bud, he’s with you wherever you go. This is where he’s buried, though.” It’s a little hard for me to explain where my best friend currently is when in all fairness, he should be here with us, a wife and children of his own. Fuck, it’s still hard every year when his birthday or the anniversary of his death comes around. Tulsa and I try our hardest to make the most of it, to celebrate him like he’d want, but there are those moments when we each go quiet, needing a minute to recover.
“And he was the greatest ever!” William exclaims. Charlotte reaches for my chin, demanding my attention.
“Yes, he was,” I tell him, looking at our three-year-old little girl, who thankfully still likes to be held, given attention, and hasn’t hit that mile-wide independent streak like her older brother. Each of our children are unique in their own way. William is independent and courageous, Charlotte is full of joy and love, and James is on the shy and timid side so far. Considering he’s still a baby, it’s hard to see his personality shine through.
“Da-da, we play?” Charlotte asks, hazel eyes like her mom and a smile that lights up a room.
“We have to ask mommy first.” Taking the kids here isn’t something we do a lot, but Tulsa Rose woke up this morning and said she needed it today. That’s all it took. We ate breakfast, got the kids ready, then we were heading out the door. It wasn’t any given moment, special date, or anything like that. Given that I wasn’t going to let her do this alone, we all tagged along.
“Okay, I ask.” Charlotte kicks her feet, asking to be put down. I drop to my haunches and let her go while holding my hand out for William. He takes it, and the three of us walk toward my wife, their mom, the glue that holds our family together. Here in Orange Blossom, the cemetery is small. The Williams occupy three plots, so it only made sense for me to put a concrete bench in their area for when Tulsa or I visit. Which, truth be told, the day before I placed the ring on her finger, this is where you could find me, talking to Montgomery, telling him how much he was missed, that I got his letter and was ready to kick his ass if I could, and that I’d love Tulsa forever and eternity. He didn’t give me a sign acknowledging my presence, though a breeze rippled the oak trees around the cemetery. I figure that was him doing his thing.
“Ma-ma, me play?” Charlotte holds her hands together in a praying gesture, a smile plastered across her face, giving off a cheesy grin.
“Sure. Do you want to go in the pool or to the park?” Tulsa asks her.
“Pool, pool, pool!” William jumps up and down, trying to overshadow what his sister wants. Knowing our luck, it’s going to be the park. I’m with William on this. I’d rather we all go back home, hang around the pool, grill some burgers, and let the kids run free in the backyard. They’ve got a whole damn setup—tree fort, swing set, and trampoline.
“Pool!” Charlotte says excitedly. William and I got lucky today.
“Alright, we’ll head home, get our suits on, lather on the sunscreen, and swim. Do you want to call Aunt Nelle and Uncle Chase to come over?” William nods his head vigorously. He’s close in age with their son, Mason. Now Nelle is pregnant again, and given the Florida heat and humidity, the pool is the only place you’ll find her.
“Pease and tanks,” Charlotte says. Tulsa bends down to kiss her forehead. James detaches from her nipple, and I watch as my wife pulls her shirt down, looking at me while doing so. An impish grin is shot my way. Our sex life has yet to simmer down; we haven’t hit that plateau. It doesn’t matter the time of day, if we have a spare moment alone, we’re shucking our clothes off, mouths fused to one another, and my cock is buried inside my wife, not leaving her tight warmth until she comes all over me.
“Alright, give me a few minutes,” she tells the kids as she stands up, bringing James to her shoulder and walking toward me. “Will you give me a few minutes? I promise not to take long.”
“You take all the time you need. I’ll take James and settle the kids in the car. We’ll be alright. We dodged a bullet. Three kids in a park on a busy Saturday? Woman, you are a saint,” I whisper so Charlotte doesn’t hear and change her mind. “And, butterfly?”
“Yeah, Ledger,” she responds breathlessly.
“Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there. The kids go down for a nap or bedtime, whichever comes first, you’re mine.” A promise I’ll be keeping. She transfers James to me but doesn’t say a word. Her eyes lids flutter closed, and she takes a deep breath, attempting to compose herself, and then steps away.