Invisible Husband


















Invisible Husband

Coco Pulliam

 

Copyright � November 2010, Coco
Pulliam

Cover art by Anastasia Rabiyah � November 2010

ISBN 978-1-936110-89-6

 

This is a work of fiction. All
characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used
fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book,
or portions thereof, in any form.

 

Sugar and Spice Press

North Carolina, USA

www.sugarnspicepress.com




 

 

 

 

 

Prologue

 

Maria being late isnłt
out of the ordinary, Eric Coyer thought. But the hope of his bride appearing
before him was disappearing with the sunlight.


He had been at St.
Edwardłs Church much too early for the weddingat least much earlier than was
necessary. He had never been an early bird in his life. Rooming with his best
friend and best man, Thomas Grainger, had ensured that his last night as a
bachelor would be filled with partying and snoring loud enough to have a number
on the Richter scale. But once everything quieted down, Eric had been left to
his thoughts.

It was something he had
been avoiding for the entire night.

He knew being someonełs husband
was more than the simple act of saying, �I do."

However, the magnitude
hadnłt quite hit him until that moment. He was going to be in charge of her
well-being, the father of their children, the man to hold her close in his arms
until death.

It was a lot to take in.
But he still managed to do it. Even before the first rays of sunlight peeked
through the white hotel-room curtains, Eric was dressed and ready to be a
husband Or at least he was dressed well for the part. He checked himself in
the bathroom mirror. His short blond hair was combed down while his green eyes
showed a little redness around the edges. His suit was tight on his lean body,
especially the pants, but he still looked like a model on a GQ cover. Maria had bought and chosen
the suits for him and his groomsmen for that reason.

Walking back to the
bedroom, he looked down at Thomas, who was sleeping peacefully, and smiled.
After carefully taking off his jacket and resting it on a chair, he walked over
to his friend. He bent down on his knees, getting ready to jump.

�One... Two Three"

He jumped and landed on
his best man in a football pile-on.

�Wake up, sleeping
beauty!"

Thomas pushed him off
the bed as soon as he woke up enough to understand what was happening. Ericłs
good mood didnłt dampen as he waited for his friend to get ready, though the
other man had promised him a broken nose after the wedding pictures.

However, once they had
gotten into his car to drive toward the church, his pleasant mood started to
evaporate. The closer they got to the church, the more the dark feeling
infested his body. It only stopped once it covered his entire self, from his
feet on the pedals, up into the fingertips that controlled the car. The feeling
intensified yet again as he walked toward the church. It was a familiar
emotion, but he couldnłt place it until he had touched his forehead to the holy
water at the entrance doors.

He felt like he was
going to a funeral.

Not that he could tell
from the decorations. Red and white rose petals lined the main aisle, with
white ribbons ties on each of the pews. All of his friends had flown into Toronto, even those from as far as Scotland, while Mariałs friends came down all
the way from South America to see the wedding.
Everyone was seated, looking toward the door, while Eric took in the scenery.
Everything was done to perfection as Maria had wanted it.

Even six hours later,
when all of the guests had apologized to the stunned groom and left, everything
still looked magical. It still looked like a wedding was about to happen at any
time. The only thing wrong was the scattered roses; Maria would most likely
complain about them. Eric was trying to fix the roses when a tired Thomas came
up to him.

�No one can find her in
the hotel, Ericshełs not coming."

His friend put his hand
on his shoulder to bring him up from the floor. But Eric was still on the floor
picking up roses. Other than the priest, who had been persuaded by God and
overtime money, no one else had stayed with him. Even his parents had left,
angrily cursing Maria and her ancestors for ruining their son in front of so
many people. Thomas hauled Eric up to his feet with the rest of his strength.
Once he found the other manłs eyes, he shook him.

�Shełs gone, man.
Shełs" Thomas trailed off as water pooled in his eyes. He took his hands off
his friend and put them in his pockets instead.

Eric looked toward the
altar, feeling like collapsing, but instead he shook his head. The clothing on
his body was the only thing paid for in full; the rest of the wedding would be
on his next few paychecks.
Maria had planned the whole production and singlehandedly gotten him to propose
to her after three years of dating.

And somehow she had
found it in herself not to come.

�Should we just go out
somewhere and drink?" Eric offered weakly.

 

* * * *

Tammy Fraise couldnłt
summon any fury for the scorn shełd received hours previous. She could only
manage enough strength to nurse the drink she had ordered at the Six bar and
lounge after she had taken the fastest taxi to the sparsely lit place. Fury had
eluded her for the past three hours and counting as she reinvented the
definition of drunk. Her skinny white dress straps had almost fallen off her
dark brown shoulders, but she didnłt care to replace them. No one in the place was
looking at her.

Not in a sexy way.

Over the speakers, a
slow blues song played. She couldnłt remember the name of it but could feel the
lyrics vibrating over her body and pulling at her memory. It was her and her
college boyfriendłs third anniversary. He had graduated last year from college
and told her to wait for him as he got ready to take his Masters in France. Shełd
thought he needed time to buy her wedding ring, not drag a knife over her heart
by moving on to another girl.

The bartender looked over
at her with a small smile. He had been throwing worried glances over to her for
the last hour, but she didnłt look up to meet them. She didnłt need anyone
pitying her.

�Keep pouring drinks
into my glass, Jason. Once the glass gets half empty I want you to start
pouring. It doesnłt matter which drink you put in. As long as Iłm paying, you
can experiment all you want." Tammy gave the bewildered man a bright smile.

It wasnłt her first fake
smile of the night, but it worked better than the last one.

She had gotten ready for
hours at the beauty salon, straightening away her curls so her hair would be
the way her boyfriend Marcus liked, and waited at their favorite restaurant for
him. But once he had appeared in the place, her eyes had gone crisscrossed at
the sight of him with a woman who might have had been albino for all the
melanin she had in her skin. Tammy knew Marcusłs mother had a little trouble
with the dark color of her skin, but she hadnłt thought he would agree.

She could only listen to
half of the wedding invitation before she ran out of the restaurant and into
her car. Moments later, she found herself in a bar she had frequented with
friends that she once would have lived and died for. When she had gotten
together with Marcus, however, that closeness had disappeared.

The bartender still knew
her name and still watched her the same way he did when she had first come. But
now it was more with anxiety than with amusement.

�Iłm not serving you any
more drinks tonight, Tammy. Let me just call a friend to pick you up. What was
the blondełs name again? Christina?"

Tammy hiccupped. She
patted her chest to keep the sobs from climbing up her throat.

�I donłt talk to any of
them anymore!" she yelled.

Tammy knew she was
getting too loud, but she couldnłt hold herself back. She wanted to climb over
the bar table and drown herself in all of the alcohol. She had focused her
entire life on her future with Marcus. No matter how insignificant his promises
had been to him, she had weighted them all, every syllable precious, every
single sentence repeated to the point of nausea. Now that it was taken away
from her, she didnłt have anything or anyone to grab onto.

Jason reached over the
stool for her purse. As he emptied the contents of it on the table, she rolled
her eyes in a tired manner.

�Now Iłm going to be
robbed on top of everything."

�Iłm looking for your
phone," Jason said. He looked more harassed than worried at this point. More
people had been looking over in Tammyłs direction, wondering what was going on
with the lone woman at the bar. �Someone needs to come and get you."

Tammy couldnłt focus on
his words. She had rested her hands on the bar and looked at the top of his
head. He was an attractive Indian man with a shiny shaved head. Even in the dim
lights of the bar, she wanted to see herself in that silly drunken wayshe
wanted to know for sure how far she had fallen.

�Whatłs with all of
these sad songs? Put on some dancing music!" a voice called.

She turned to see a
white man walk up to the bar in a suit. He already looked drunk, though the
loudness could just stem from his personality. He met her eyes and gave her a
wink before turning his attention back to Jason.

�Hey! We just came from
a wedding that didnłt happen. The bride left my drunken buddy here at the
altar. Can we can have some free drinks on the house?"

Tammy thought she would
be safe once the men started talking, but Jason nodded his head and turned to
the drinks. The man with the build of a football player pulled up a seat right
next to her. His thigh pressed against hers as he sat.

�Hey darling, why are
you drinking all by your lonesome? Are you waiting for a gentleman to offer to
walk you home?"

She didnłt have to turn
around to see the cheesy smile on his face. Years of women throwing themselves
in front of him must have solidified his lame pick-up lines. But she wondered
if his looks compensated for anything elseas she looked him up and down. There
was no mistaking that he wouldnłt charm her into his bed with his words, but his
smile was laced with a promise that he could make her come until the bed
broke.

If only she was single
by choice and not by hostile takeoverthen she would be curious enough to take
him up on his offer.

�I donłt need a man,
sorry." She turned back to her drink, but he wrapped a heavy arm around her
shoulder.

�Darling, donłt tell me
youłre not into vanilla. I just want to put some crŁme in your delicious
coffee, love."

Before she could respond
with words that would feel like a smack down, he was dragged away from her.
Tammy looked behind her to see a blond man who looked worse for wear. He had
bags under his eyes and his skin was ghostly pale.

So thatłs what it looks
like to be stood up at a wedding, Tammy thought.

�Tommy, shut up, youłre
completely drunk. How do I know? You have to be drunk to say such a crappy
pick-up line." He turned to Tammy with a small smile. She recognized her own
fake happiness mirrored in his face and patted her chest to keep the sobs down
again. �Excuse my friend. He doesnłt know what political correctness is. Not
even how to spell it."

Jason came back with two
drinks: one for Tammy, after giving a dark look at the flirting man who now sat
two seats away from her, and one for the groom. She watched as the blond man
downed a full glass of whiskey in one shot and almost smiled for real.

�You need this more than
me." She passed her drink to the blond man. �Love fucking sucks." Somehow her
lips found their way to his cheek. There was light stubble on it that tickled
her as she backed away from him. Before she knew it a smile had broken out on
her facea real one. But as soon as it had happened, the smile disappeared
while the feeling in her chest tightened. Tammy turned to gather her bag and
her items on the table.

�Thanks, Jas, but I
donłt need anyone to pick me up." She dropped money on the table and turned
immediately. She was too busy to notice the fact that someone had slipped her
money back into her open bag and replaced it with his own, because she had
knocked into her younger half-sister.

The other woman was in
her pajamas, a loose T-shirt dress and leather jacket over them. The womanłs
caramel skin was washed in a deep red.

�Tammy Fraise! Whatłs the
point of coming out in public to shame yourself when you can come over and
drink soju in private?"

Monica was three months
younger than her but acted like a mother to the more reserved Tammywell,
reserved in all moments aside from this one. Tammy relented as her arm was
grabbed and she was pulled out of the bar. She could feel the tightness in her
chest releasing as she walked away. But her white dress was wet. Raising her
hands to her face, she finally noticed her tears.

�How could he?" Tammy
cried out. She was shaking but she couldnłt stop. She leaned into Monica as the
night air hit her face.

She understood in that
moment why she had given the blond man her drink. Though Marcus had broken her
heart in that moment, it was better that it was now and not during the wedding
she had been anticipating with him. But even so, she was still hurting. Though
people were passing them in the parking lot with worried looks and concerned
questions, she didnłt want anyone to see her.


She didnłt want to
disillusion anyone else with the truth. She wanted them to find out on their
own how much love fucking sucks.




 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

�Only one more year of
this and Iłm done," Eric whispered to himself.

Though it had been three
years since Maria stood him up at the altar, it had taken everything in his
power to keep sane. But it hadnłt helped. There was no moment in the day where
he felt comfortable with his current life. He would always slip back into
thinking about Maria and where she was and how she was doing. He had almost
gotten over her last year, but he had finally gotten a phone call from her
parents. They had assured him that she was fine; they just didnłt know her
exact location.

That had given him too
much hope for her return.

He figured that if they
couldnłt locate her, then maybe she was trying to get herself straightened up
before coming back to him. So he returned to St. Edwardłs church every year to
see if she would somehow find her way there to him. Thomas had dropped his job
as his best man after what happened last year. The phone call from her parents
had come before he went to the church to meet her on their wedding anniversary
But when she hadnłt shown up, Eric had broken down. At the end Thomas cited
mental anguish beyond the duty of friendship as his reason for leaving. He
promised to offer his services as a police officer if he wanted to press
charges or send someone after Maria.

�Donłt worry, man. If
itłs illegal, Iłll make it legal," Thomas assured him.

Eric had refused any of
Thomasłs �services," though he had allowed him to drop the role of best man at
his wedding-in-waiting. He didnłt need anyone there but a priest who was
guaranteed by God and a third year of overtime to be there with him. This year
he couldnłt afford to decorate the place, but it was January twenty-eighth and
he was there to get married.

It was now past noon,
their original wedding time and, like the previous years, Maria hadnłt shown
up. During this time last year, he had been bawling while Thomas held onto him.
Now he was just filled with anger instead of sadness. He couldnłt believe their
relationship had meant so little to her. That it was something she could turn
her back on so easily. He was falling apart thinking about the future.

He couldnłt imagine one
where he had to be alone.

�Are you sure you want
to wait until midnight again, my son?"

Father Logan was sitting
in the first pews watching the time. The priest had gotten comfortable with his
role of collecting more money for the church by waiting to perform a
nonexistent wedding.

Eric nodded.

He had gotten past the
point of waiting for Maria to come back to him. He was a single
thirty-four-year-old man who owned his own home and had a steady professional
job. He would be married by the end of the day. He knew it.

�A wedding is going to
happen today. Iłm sure of it. One way or another Iłm going to"

A small creak in the
door cut off his words. Eric looked at it with a pounding heart. His words had
come out as an answered prayer in the church. He couldnłt run away now. The
next woman to walk through that door would be offered the proposal of a
lifetime.

 

* * * *

�Just walk one foot in
front of another until you get there"

Tammy coached herself under
her breath, though she knew courage wouldnłt come to her at the moment.
Ignoring the pounding of her nerves, she walked down the aisle in a white
dress. Attire which would be completely appropriate if the wedding day was
hers.

After years of crying Marcus
out of her heart, he had pushed himself back into it again by sending an
invitation to his wedding. For the past six months, the date had been etched
into her mind, messing up her sleeping patterns. The moment she had seen his
new girlfriend the truth had come to her. Marcus had broken up with her because
he couldnłt see himself having children with a womanso dark. He blamed the way
his mother raised him. He gave excuses of being bullied in school and not
wanting his children to go through the same thing. But she could see through
his lies.

He just saw light skin
as beautiful and darker skin as ugly. It didnłt matter how dark his own skin
tone washer skin color was just overkill for him.

Tammy finally took a
seat in an aisle pew. Her eyes traveled to the front of the room toward the
bride. The other woman was beautiful, of course, and looked like she was half
of everything but black. Marcus looked adoringly down at her. Tammy let her
mind drift to the people around her. She could heard them cussing under their
breaths at her for wearing a white dress. Rolling her eyes, she smiled
insolently back at them. The bride had taken her place with Marcus, so wearing
white made things even.

A light beeping sounded
from within her purse. She opened it to reveal more beeping. People started to
cuss louder around her. She ignored them and reached into her purse for her
phone.

�Get out of the church
and come outside. You know our family doesnłt step inside those walls until we
have sinned properly first," said Monica.

Tammy sighed. She
couldnłt keep anything from the other womanłs knowledge.

�Iłm not leaving. I need
to see them get married so I can move on. Iłm hanging up."

She put her phone back
in her purse, answering more glares with another charming smile. Closure was
the only reason she could allow herself to face such embarrassment. She wanted
to be able to peel his existence away from her memories. There could be no
thoughts of seeing him anymore if every time she thought of him, a happily
married man and woman came into view.

The picture would be
framed nicely without her.

�Excuse me; have you
seen my stupid sister? She came in here by mistake."

Tammy could hear
Monicałs voice from the other side of the church as she tried her best to
whisper. She turned around and caught her sisterłs eye. Giving up was the only
way. There would be more noise made if she tried to hide under the pews.

�My insane darling,
letłs go right now." Monica grabbed her under the armpit to pull her away as
the oblivious couple finished reciting their vows. Tammy stopped mid-step,
entranced. �Do you even have eyes to
watch this scene?"

�This is what it feels
like to lose someone completely" she whispered. Exhaling roughly and inhaling
the same way, she tried to keep herself under control as they kissed. She
covered her mouth before a sob could break through. Pushing herself out of the
aisle, she ran to the back of the room and then out a side door.

�Now you feel it?!"
Monica chased after her into the dark hallway. �Itłs a regular maze in here.
Can we get out of here before one of us mistakenly gets married?"

Tammy couldnłt hear her
sister. Her legs were completely numb, and she couldnłt stop the flow of tears
coming from her eyes, so she let them fall freely. The Strong Black Woman angle
never appealed much to her.

�Just go back to work.
Iłll go home on my own," she said. Though she was well adjusted to her
vulnerable side, she really couldnłt break down to a schedule. The other woman
rolled her eyes.

�Fine, but donłt do
anything Iłll have to clean up later."

Tammy watched as her
sister walked away, though she could hardly raise her head. Without a way to
make things right, Monica wasnłt the only one who felt like a failure. Coming
to watch the wedding was a mistake that she couldnłt admit out loud.

She got up, using the
wall as leverage. Catholic churches had been a part of her childhood until her
confirmation service. Looking down the hallway, she saw that lit candles framed
the last door. Though it looked like a closed part of the church, she walked
toward it. It was probably a place for priests to pray in private. Her hand
tightened around the door. Though she didnłt know whether she could be
disturbing someone, she didnłt care at the moment. Right now, she just wanted
to find something to hold on to.

The door opened to a
well-lit room. Immediately her eyes took in the splendor of the glass-stained
ceiling. At first, she didnłt realize she wasnłt the only one in the room. But
at the clearing of a voice, her eyes reached the altar. Someone stood beside a
priest.

�Sorry I didnłt mean to
disturb you guys. Iłll be leaving." She made to turn around but could hear fast
footsteps coming towards her. Looking back, she saw someone who had been on the
fringe of her mind each time she drove past Six bar and lounge on her way home.
�What are you doing here?"

It was the same blond
man who she had kissed on the worst day of her life.

Well, now the
second-worst day.

He looked different now.
Though he was over six feet, there was a slump to his shoulders that wasnłt
there before. His cheeks looked hollow, his thin face pale; his blonde hair was
tipped with gray, and as she looked into his green eyes he looked as tired
inside as she felt. She gulped, feeling
another sob coming out. She couldnłt help the need to reach out. Her hand
raised her in the air, almost about to touch him, then dropped when she
realized what she was doing. But he picked it up before she could pull away. He
squeezed her hand gently enough for her to break down.

�Ohoh, Iłm so
sorry."

He let her fall against
him and pulled her close. Tammy cried, not caring how she looked, and clutched
onto his jacket.

�It hurts so much. I canłt watch him w-w-walk
away from me anymore. I-I donłt want to b-b-be alone." She sniffed and he held
her even closer.

�Iłll take care of you."


 

* * * *

It had been seventy-two
hours. Seventy-two hours since Eric Coyer had married Tammy Fraise. Well, Tammy
Fraise Coyer, according to their brand-new marriage license. For three days he
had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. After the impromptu wedding, both
of them had gone back to his cottage and spent the weekend together. Throughout
the weekend, he had seen her phone ringing, but she hadnłt answered it once. He
couldnłt figure out if her discomfort came from being uncomfortable having him
around. Instead of asking her, he had set up his bedroom for her and made
himself comfortable on the couch. Both nights, hełd heard her footsteps in the
corridor. She had crawled onto the couch beside him, his pajama shirt on her
body along with panties, no bra. He pulled her toward him, molding his body
against hers, and didnłt sleep for the rest of the night.

In the middle of making
breakfast that Sunday, Tammy came in to attack the pink elephant in the room.

�Are you regretting that
we got married yet?"

�What?"

He turned too quick,
almost burning himself on the scrambled eggs. He turned off the gas and plated
the eggs. Walking over to the table, he put the plate down in front of her and
walked back to the stove. He couldnłt guess where the conversation was going to
go, no matter how much he looked at her, though it was hard to look for long
since she was wearing another one of his shirts with lace panties underneath.

On the way to the
cottage, he had given her money to buy herself new clothes, but the only thing
he had seen her wear from that shopping trip were diverse
Victoriałs-Secret-Fashion-show-style panties.

No pajamas.

No bras.

�Well, wełve been married
for a few days and you havenłt tried anything with me yet. Are you not
interested?"

He watched her as she
got up and walked toward him. She wore his shirt, halfway buttoned down. All he
needed to do was blow a little in her direction and he would be able to see
more of her skin

�Wishing you married a
feisty blonde instead?"

He couldnłt help but
laugh. Tammy was feisty enough for him. The opposite of any of the blondes he
had dated in the past. She was petite but curvy in all the right places. Her
hair, a thick curly black, he couldnłt help but watch her play with in the
bathroom. Her small nose was rounded. It scrunched up as she looked up at him
with almond-shaped eyes.

�Should I just carry you
to the bedroom and introduce you to my feisty blonde side instead?"

He put his hands on
either side of her body, on her thick hips. The first time he had touched her
in a place that wasnłt her shoulder. His hands were on her ass, caressing her
while he lifted her up to touch the place that he wanted to touch most, the
place shełd teased all weekend with her panties and opened shirts.

He bent down and kissed
her forehead softly and then the tip of her nose.

�Tammy, I told you, Iłll
take care of you."

He pulled her closer and
felt something wet hit his arm. She pulled away.

�Iłm going to go take a
little nap before I eat."

Eric watched as Tammy
retreated from the room. He groaned as he looked down at his pants. She had
left him no choice but to take care of himself first. He went into the
bathroom.

A few minutes later he
found her lying on the bed, facing away from him. He leaned on the doorframe,
thinking of how to approach her.

�I have to go back to
the city for work tomorrow. If you want to stay a little bit longer, I can be
back on Thursday to spend the weekend with you then help you move into my
place, if you want"

Tammy turned around to
look at him, making him stop in the middle of his words. Her face was streaked
with tears. When he had thought about what being a good husband meant, three
years ago in the hotel room with Tommy, hełd thought that if his wife ever
cried he would be holding her before the first teardrop crossed her eyelashes.
At least five streaks were already on Tammyłs cheeks.

Eric moved from the
door, slowly trying to get closer to her. He didnłt know if his closeness would
be a comfort or if it would start up more tears.

�Oh, Tammy, baby. You
regret everything, donłt you? If you want an annulment I will give it to you.
Iłll call my lawyer right now and everything will be okay."

She started crying even
harder. He rushed over to the bed, pushing aside bed sheets to get to her. He
got close enough for her to choose to touch him. She wrapped her arms around
his torso. He pulled her into his arms.

�You can be a single
woman by the end of the day, love, I swear. Just treat this as if is an
interesting weekend." He got the words out, but he felt like letting a tear or
two drop himself.

He had meant his words
when hełd said, �Iłll take care of you." The second she had come into through
the doors, he knew he was blessed for enduring those three suicide-inducing
years. For all the low moments that he was able to battle through, he had been
given an angel. The only catch was that his angel had to fall on the way down
from Heaven. She was already broken.

He had thought that
would be the trade-off of being with herhelping her heal her heart. He hadnłt
considered her having second thoughts. She brought her head up.

�Well, Eric, the point
is that this wasnłt on my radar. You werenłt supposed to be the one." She stood
up on her own, wringing her hands in her lap.

�Three days ago, I was
watching the guy I thought of as my future husband, my college sweetheart,
marry someone else. Shełs a woman he chose over me because of her skin tonea
lighter one. He destroyed me and hełs still destroying me, so no, Iłm not ready
yet to respond to you being tender with me instead of justacting like you
settled for me."

He pulled her back
toward him, holding her hands in his to keep her from wringing them.

�Iłm just not ready yet
to go IKEA and pick out couches or wallpaper. I can deal with fucking the
stranger I married, but not lovemaking."

She laid out the
situation as she laid her head on his shoulder. Throughout the weekend, he had
tried to figure out her new place in his life, without thinking about what it
meant for him to be in hers. But he was still there with her, arms around her
waist and chin on top of her head, as she held onto his hands like a kid whołd
just climbed a high tree.

Drop to the floor while
youłre still ahead, or pull yourself up even higher?

�We donłt have to do any
of that. Just tell me what you want."

He was fully prepared
for anything. At least he wanted to say that he was. Letting her go would be
the easy part; afterwards he would have to deal with the memoires and
loneliness. They were both things that he didnłt have a coping mechanism
against. But at that moment, he wouldnłt have to go anywhere. He was her
foundation.

On the bedside table
Tammyłs phone had started ringing. Now it was ringing more violently. She
didnłt seem to notice it. For the whole weekend, shełd had the same indifferent
reaction towards her phone. He hadnłt pushed the issue, and this didnłt seem
like a good time to push either.

�Well, for starters, Hubby
Coyer, I want my own closet and soft-colored walls for the master
bedroomsomething lavender." Eric tried not to smile too much, hearing the new
nickname she had given him. �And for sure, Iłll need a taser for when I go get
my stuff. My sisterłs probably camping outside my house right now since Iłm not
answering her calls. And when she finds out that I got married, you might be
planning a funeral."

He let out one laugh
after another. Finally, instead of waiting for her to tell him that she was
joking, he looked down at her poker face. She wasnłt joking.

�I know our families are
going to be a somewhat shocked, but I donłt think youłll need weapons for
them"

Tammy let out her own
laugh. She reached for her phone on the coffee table; she searched for her
sisterłs messages and read them out loud.

�I am about to call
911where are you?! Youłd better not be stalking that bastard!"

�I decided not to call
911 to help you because girl, when you come home youłre going to need 911
yourself. But theyłre not going to come fast enoughtrust me."

�Youłre a
twenty-something-year-old black woman living in Canada. Girl, there is no amber
alert waiting for your ass, COME HOME!"

Tammy dialed the number
for her sisterłs voicemail and left her a message: �Iłm coming home tomorrow.
Stop acting dramatic. Iłve only been gone for three days. Okay, the cell phone
is getting turned off now."

The moment the message
was sent the phone went off, and Tammy took the batteries out of her phone.

Eric stopped her hand before
she could put it on the table.

�Whatłs wrong? You
should answer your sister."

She pushed through her
hand with her full body strength, not minding the way his fingers brushed her
breasts. He brought his hand back to his lap.

�Itłs łtill death do us
partł and my sister was an English major, so she takes everything literallyso
youłre the next target on her list."

Tammy got up from the
bed and went into the open bathroom. Eric watched her as she washed her face.
She bent over the sink, her bottom peeking out of her pink panties. He could
see his hands on them, caressing her and kissing her head. Questions wanted to
pour out of his head, but he kept them inside. Still, he couldnłt help
wondering: where do we go from here? Did we make a mistake that wełre going to
regret for the rest of our lives? Or can we truly live like this and be happy?

�Youłre thinking too
hard now, Hubby Coyer. And youłre looking at me too hard as well."

She had given him a
cheeky smile. Finally, she looked like she was feeling better. He stretched out
his body and put his hands underneath his head.

�We have one of those regular and yet sexy Boy
Meets Girl stories. We met at a bar years ago, but we had to meet one more time
in a church before recognizing our future couple potential. In that moment of
galaxy-given clarity, we decided to skip mourning all of our missed dating
opportunities and just got married. Donłt let the years in between that we
spent hesitating fool you. We might just be destiny."

She finished with
putting on face cream and put herself back into the bed beside him. Her hand
landed on his tense shoulder.

�Donłt worry, my feisty
blonde. Everything will be perfect."

 

* * * *

Tammy had decided to go
back into town with her new husband even though he had been adamant that she
not go home until she had worked things out with her sister. But he didnłt know
how Monica worked. The woman didnłt solve problems by talking only. There
needed to be a beat down or two or else there could be no forgiveness. It was a
baptism of fists: with bruises you are forgiven, beloved.

Monica could be avoided
in the cottage, but once begun, it was a countdown to the moment of
confrontation. Instead of waiting for that moment, she went over to Monicałs
downtown condo, making sure she did so on the same day that the friendly
security guard, Rich, was on duty as well.

Tammy said a quick
greeting to him before going up the elevator and toward death.

�Hey, come inside,
baby."

Monica looked at her
sister with hooded eyes. She was dressed in a long tank and nothing else. Her
hair was up in a messy bun instead of neat, straight and sleek like she usually
had it.

�Donłt try and hit me
when my back is turned," Tammy said as she moved around her. Monicałs hands
could hardly leave her sides. The place looked like she was cleaning up, but
only two small unpacked boxes were on the floor.

�Iłm not going to hit
you. Your new husband called before you came."

Tammyłs mouth dropped
open. �Eric called you? When?" She dropped into a chair by a box and looked
down. Monica was packing new clothing and food. �What are you packing for?"

�You just got married;
youłre going to need the things that you have here back and also food for your
husband. I know you canłt cook for crap. And you also need to have bridal things
since you didnłt even have a wedding shower. But of course you had no time to
plan things like this during random marriages"

Tammy watched her sister
walking around without recognizing her. She walked slouched over, less sure of
herself than usual.

�Did you get possessed
this weekend or what?" Tammy walked over to her and sat her down. She took out
a hair tie and comb from her bag and started to brush out her sisterłs hair.

�Iłm finished playing
the mature one, the older sister," Monica said.

She shook out her hair
and turned to look at Tammy.

�I talked to Eric and
heard the whole story. You went and got yourself married to a Scottish man, a
white man, after watching Marcus marry that other girl. Though he married you impulsively, hełs not some
random drunk whołs using you for sex. And he has good credit." She said the
last part with a cheeky smile. It had been a childhood promise between the two.
Get married to someone with good credit so that if he dies early, he wouldnłt
leave them as desperate as their dad did. Two stepsisters and two mothers with
no money, leaning on each other.

�I canłt think of
anything to fix this for you because this is the first mistake youłve made that
I actually agree with."

�No beatings, then?"

Tammy turned away to
look at the boxes. Monica stretched out her leg and pushed the other woman.

�Of course there will
be. You got married without me, you didnłt pick up my phone calls and you
didnłt come with any gifts." She got up and picked her sister up off the floor.


�Was it because he kept
you in the bedroom for the whole weekend?" Monica spoke with another cheeky
smile. Tammy shook her head shyly.

�Donłt lie to me, girl.
Marcus was your first black man. You have been neck deep in vanilla ever since
elementary school. Somehow I knew you should have stuck to what you did before
when you and Marcus broke up."

Tammy turned around to
look at her sister. The look in her face was as playful as her words but still
searching.

�Anyway, we havenłt done
anything yet." Her hands encircled the back of a chair before she sat down.

�He married you but he
doesnłt want you in that way?!"

�No! He does Iłm just
not ready for this style ofsexing."

�That Scottish boy is
too rough? Hełs kinky? He likes wearing your lingerie?"

�Oh, lord no! No, hełs
really gentle and kind oftender. He makes me feel like we married because of
love instead ofa lack of it."

Monica kneeled down in
front of her sister and held her hands together in her lap.

�Ah, I see. He doesnłt
want to fuck you senselesshe wants to make love and give you sex therapy. And
instead of giving in to him, youłre here trying to get beat up by me." She
slapped her sisterłs hands roughly. Tammy pulled back before she could receive
any more abuse.

�What do you mean?"

�You need to go home and
start working on giving him a baby. Good men donłt do things irrationally. They
donłt marry women they barely know. Before he gets any second thoughts, get him
sprung off you!"

�I canłt give him a baby
like this! I can barely even touch him!"

Monica got up and shook
her head. She started to pack the boxes quickly.

�Did he have someone he
was dating before like you did with Marcus?"

�Yeah, a fianc�e who
left him at the altar three years agothat was why he was in the church. He
went there every year to wait for her since she left."

The last box was packed
before Monica looked back at Tammy. The whole time she had been packing and
swearing, making the other woman worry.

�The thing about having
a man who loves another woman is that no matter how much hełs there with you at
home, she is always the one in his dreams. Give him something that she canłt
and youłll be able to live happily ever after."

She wrapped the final
Korean bento box. Monicałs mother was a Korean woman, while Tammyłs was Caribbean like their father, so their bento lunchboxes
were always filled with foods from both cultures: white rice, black peas, and
Korean BBQ, jerk chicken, greens and kimchi. Everything was mixed in. Monica
was the better cook, so she made plenty for her sister.

�Take the boxes and make
sure to practice your cooking. Iłll take care of our moms, okay? Iłll hold off
them off, so you just make sure that he fits well between your legs."

Tammy let out a laugh as she took the food.
Monica hustled her to the door instead of joining her.

�Seriously, this is the
last big sister-esque thing Iłm going to tell you, married woman. Another thing
about a woman who knows she is a manłs first love is that she needs the man to
keep dreaming about her to feel alive. Once she finds out he has moved on with
youshełll be back. Make sure that you have the upper hand when that happens."

She forced Tammy out the
door, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

�Do you remember that thing
Sun Dae and Yi Hee told you to do with Marcus the first time?"

Tammy nodded her head
shyly. Her sisterłs girlfriends were Korean-born Japanese sisters, former
escorts turned accountant majors whom shełd met in college. There was never a
translated story that didnłt make her blush.

�Then do it with Eric."

The door slammed in
Tammyłs face, leaving her with thoughts of how she would be able to pull off
anything that the two sexperts suggest to her.

�You have to circle the
dick with your tongue. Donłt suck too easily," Sun Dae spoke first in a
businesslike manner the last time Monica called them for advice.

�When you do suck it, only do it for a short time. He needs to feel tortured before he finally
gets inside of you. Make sure
he knows that youłll only focus on him if he keeps you satisfied," Yi
Hee finished in the same professional tone.

Tammy rolled her eyes
and laughed at the memory before turning on her heel and walking toward the
exit.




 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

 

Numbers were becoming
Ericłs only constant in life. Three years since his fianc�e left him. One
minute for him to decide to marry Tammy and another thirty seconds for him to
work up the courage to propose. Ten months of marriage. And sex an average of
three times a week. Unless Tammy was ovulatingthen it was three times per day.


If someone had told Eric
hełd be having this much sex in his newlywed life, he would have laughed at
them and then directed them to a place that wasnłt in front of his face. Now he
really wanted that person to exist so he could find out when his randy wife
would leave and his formerly ice-cold wife would come back.

So he would know how
much time he had left to enjoy.

It had begun the moment
hełd come home from work during their third month of marriage. She had been even
more distant with him that week, though she took care of him in every other
aspect. She prepared food for the both of them even after he told her he could
cook every other day. From the moment he came into the house she fussed over
him. She took his jacket off to hang up and gave him slippers to change into
from his work shoes. From the outside, she looked like she was playing
homemaker, but she hardly spoke to him unless he asked her a direct question.

�Tammy, whatłs going on
with you?" he asked finally instead of: �How are you?"

She stopped mid jacket
fold. He had come home early, having finished all of his advertising work for
the week. The boss said he was throwing work like a machine, which would be
good if it wasnłt freaking out all of his co-workers. They were all waiting for
him to finally snap and throw a chair across the room. Instead of waiting for
that to happen, his boss decided to give him an early weekend.

Eric figured it was more
time to confront his Stepford wife.

Tammy focused on his tie.
He put his hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to his.

�Youłre my wife, not my
maid. I appreciate the help, but where did the girl I know go, Tammy? Wherełs
the woman who calls me Hubby Coyer? Did you leave her in our honeymoon
cottage?" He brought her closer to him tentatively. He remembered how shełd
jumped away the last time he tried to put his hands on her bottom, so he placed
his hands on her waist, pulling her toward him. She pushed forward with her
hands, making his back hit the top of the kitchen table.

�Sorry, Hubby Coyer,"
she said finally, more than a �Yes" or �No" or �Fine." She pushed again, not
with her hands but instead her hips, molding hers to his and grinding his cock.
He took in a sharp breath, not believing what was happening.

�Tammy, I was okay with
you wanting to take it slow. Iłm not complaining about the sex. I just want to
know that youłre okay."

Eric could hardly hear
himself speak. The words were coming out without his consent. It had almost
killed him, not being able to touch her, but he knew it was a delicate
situation. He figured that she was still shocked from her decision to marry a
stranger in a moment of trust and weakness.

But he had come home
early from work one afternoon and caught her touching herself. Her ebony body
was naked on top of their bed covers and writhing as her hands traveled down
her stomach onto the tip of her clit, tapping it at first with the thumb of one
hand and moving the middle of another finger up and down, hammering into her
pussy. Her back was arching above the sheets as she dripped onto them, her
juices coming up with every thump of her hand. His own hands traveled down to
his belt buckle, but he couldnłt bring himself to open it. Though he was about
to come just watching her, hełd rather be touching her when that happened. But
he needed to build her trust before anything physical happened. He would just
have to wait for the day that she wanted his fingers in her pussy instead of
her own.

So he just watched her.

Now the same hands that
had pounded her pussy to climax that day were reaching into his pants,
traveling past his underwear, and grabbing onto his cock.

�Hubby Coyer, I can do
lovemaking now," she said with a cheeky smile.

She unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down
by his ankles. She made to put his cock in her mouth, but he held her by the
armpits and pulled her up.

�Let me please you
first." He grabbed as much ass as he could, bringing her back onto him. He
nibbled at her mouth, sucking on her full bottom lip. One full kiss, a bite,
another kiss, and he felt himself on the brink of going insane. She was holding
on to him again. One hand was in his short blonde hair, the other one trying to
undo his shirt, clutching at him.

�Youłre something else"


�And you talk too much."

�Complimenting you is
part of this lovemaking thing."

Tammy laughed as she
tugged him toward her. He hopped in her direction, going all the way to the
bedroom with her and falling onto the sheets.

�Hubby C, I made the bed
so we can wreck it." Tammy went over and closed the door. Eric hadnłt noticed
her clothing; most of the time when she came home it was lounge wear and an
apron. This time she was wearing a long rope dress. She stepped to the side to
drop her apron and then let the rope dress fall to the floor.

�Jesus."

It was the second time
hełd seen her like this, vulnerable and naked, but it was the first time that
he would be allowed to comfort her in that feeling. She walked back from the door,
turning on her heel and looking back at him. She placed her hands over her
breasts, covering her dark chocolate nipples while the rest of her soft body
remained uncovered. Starting from his feet, she climbed from the bottom of the
bed, moving over him, tempting him with her body.

�Torturer," she spoke
finally, smiling.

�I could say the same
thing about you."

 

* * * *

She dragged her hands
over his shirt, letting the buttons come undone as her fingertips hit them. His
eyes were clouded as he looked at her, a deep gray. She had felt them enough
over the weeks to know what his current look meant: lust. He had wanted her as
much as she had wanted him. Though her sisterłs advice to become the wife that
Eric lost instead of the woman who became a replacement was at the forefront of
Tammyłs mind, she couldnłt make the first move. She couldnłt see Eric in any
way other than the man who had chosen to give up his dream and herself as the
woman whołd lost hers.

But then she had
mistakenly seen him in the shower one day. Drops of water pouring down a lone
lean body, covered with blond hair. He was a live-action statue of Adonis that
she had for herself. The thought of him being only hers heated her up in a way
that made her touch herself immediately. She didnłt mind when he came to the
door and watched her, although he thought he was hidden. Both of them were
somehow released by their fate of their spontaneous marriage. Even if he still
thought of the woman who left him, his body was all hers to look at, to inspire
her if she wanted.

Now she grinded down
into his cock and watched as his eyes darkened. His hand traveled from his
sides, to her bottom and then between her legs. She grinded down onto his cock
again.

�Iłm ready when you
are." The words felt a little forward to her, but she couldnłt help it. She
didnłt want him to misunderstand her; she wanted him to make the first move.
She wanted to make sure that he wanted her.

He placed her hand on
top of his with a light smile. �Itłs been a very long day, and I havenłt done
this in awhileso Iłll just follow your lead," he stated.

He guided her hand
forward with his and rubbed her clit back and forth in the same way that she
had as hełd watched her. He repeated her movements, letting his fingers go over
her clit until the moisture built up. Her hand moved to his wrist, urging him
faster. She could feel him growing, his cock hardening against her bum. But he didnłt acknowledge his strain; he only
looked deep into her eyes while he continued his strokes.

Her back arched into his
finger as he moved his thumb to her clit and his index finger into her pussy.

�Baby, move up higher."

He tugged on her thighs,
continuing his ministrations as she climbed up his torso to his face. He smiled into her pussy, sucking all of her
juices into his mouth. Tammy leaned back onto him. In order to give him more
access, he figured. But then his cock was grasped. She had leaned back to
capture him in a hand job. He
intensified the movements of his mouth, making her bite her lip because of the
hold he had on her clit. She rocked back and forth above him while he played
inside her until she let him go and welcomed her own release, writhing into his
mouth.

Tammyłs sleek dark body
was covered in perspiration, but he flipped her over, one knee between her
legs. He guided the tip to the mouth of her pussy.

�Wait!" Tammy was
shivering a bit under him from her last release. In the next moment, they were
truly going to become husband and wife. There was no going back from this last
penetration; their wedding vows would be cemented. Instead of an annulment,
there would only be divorce if they couldnłt work things out between
themselves. �Slowly, Hubby Cthis is our first night together. Itłs permanent
after this."

Eric looked down at her
with a quiet smile. He kissed her forehead and then her nose. Her hand traveled
up to his cock and she pulled him all the way in, feeling herself expand to
take him in.

Tammy brought both legs
up in front of her body as Eric placed his arms at each side to keep from
dropping his full weight onto her. She breathed in as he entered her deeply. He
rocked forward into her, backed up and then rocked forward again.

�Oh God" Tammy held on
to his upper arms, pulling him deeper as he continued to thrust into her. Eric
kept moving forward until he could feel his own release building and could feel
her tightening around him. �Iłm s-s-so close."

He could feel her heart
beating roughly against his chest, mirroring his own. He looked down into her
face. She was looking up at him with hooded eyes, her mouth open, sucking in
air. He bent down, placing his forehead on hers.

�Come for me. Donłt hold
it inscream for me," he said.

He thrust faster, his
lower body hitting her clit with sharp movement. He brought his right thumb
down and flicked her clit.

�Oh, Eric! Eric! Oh!
Oh!"

Her pussy tightened
around his cock, bringing him to climax along with her words. He poured into
her without realizing it and then fell back at her left side. She took a moment
to register the wetness between her legs foreign from her own.

�I-Icompletely forgot
about a condom." Eric shifted to see her face. �Tammy, are you on the pill?"
Nothing had changed in her expression aside from a shy smile.

�Okay, we had no condom
but a birth control pill. Maybe next time we can try making our marriage even
more permanent, then?" she teased.

Children were a part of
the equation that they hadnłt discussed when theyłd decided to live life
together instead of lonely. He brought his hand up to her stomach and caressed
it.

�Just start with a
daughter then" he added lightly. He made to move his hand, but she placed hers
on top of his.

�We can be married
quickly, but let my body get used to thislovemaking. After that, then we can
have kids," she stated with a shy smile.

 

*
* * *

Six months later and
Tammy was still getting her body ready to give Eric a pretty daughter.

�Itłs Christmas Eve,
baby, I canłt keep the mothers away from you." Monica was in the couplełs
bedroom, dressed in a simple navy dress, sitting on the couch while staring at
the bed with distaste. �Did you follow all my of girlsł advice?"

Tammy didnłt answer her,
instead opting to do her makeup. Her outfit was a form-fitting red wrap dress.

�Everything but the
scary parts," she explained.

�Just call Eric quickly,
honey. Wełre going to need someone to block the body shots. I swear Omma could
be a pro-baseball player with the way she throws her slippers. And with Ma,
therełs no way her saucepan is going to hit me in the side of the head, again,
because of you."

Tammy laughed as she put
on more blush. She put the brush down and checked herself in the mirror.

�Eric is coming after he
finishes up work."

Monica nodded lightly. �But
has he been coming in late or early since youłve been putting it on him?" She
reached over to fix her sisterłs hair band. Tammyłs natural black hair had
grown from short to past shoulder length. Being with Eric had been stress free
on both her mind and body.

�Hełs been coming home
every day before seven," she said with a smile.

�Itłs almost seven right
now, babywe can swing by work and pick him up."

Monica grabbed both her
and her sisterłs bag.

�Hurry up; if wełre late
the newspapers are going to read: ęDied by Their Mothersł Hands.ł"

Tammy snatched her bag
from Monica and stuck her tongue out at her. �Youłre driving, love."

The way to Ericłs
advertising firm seemed to be longer than usual. Tammy felt herself focusing on
the nightlifedaylight savings time was gone, and darkness was entrenched. Ever
since she was little she would count the streetlights as the car raced past
them; it always made her tired when she did.

�Is this the place?"

Monica slowed before the
building, settling right in front of it. The tall building had clear high
windows, showing the bustling of the work done inside. Eric had told her a
little of the work he did at the accounting firm, but she hadnłt ever been at
the building. It seemed grander than he had made it sound.

�Yeah, itłs the place."
Tammy got her cell phone out of her purse quickly as she watched the window.
�Ohohthere he is!" He was coming out of the building with his bag on his
shoulder. She made to roll down the window and signal him excitedly but put her
hands down when a young woman with short dirty-blonde hair ran up and kissed
him on the cheek.

�What the hell?!" Monica
put the car in park and got out of it. A driver behind her was honking, but she
was rushing toward the scene. Tammy got out of the car beside her. Even after
they had pulled apart, Eric still held the woman around the shoulders and
messed up her hair. Tammy could feel there was something intimate about their
relationship, but the woman didnłt make her want to cringe. She looked like
someone who was close to him.

But not in the same way
that Tammy was.

�Donłt go overboard,
Monica. Look at her closely. She practically has his face."

�Then he might be one of
those guys who like their women to look just like themselves."

Tammy straightened up
her dress and went forward toward the two. Instead of acting like hełd been
caught, Eric waved her over, and the woman smiled shyly at her. Tammy could see
the truth in both of their matched eyes. But she couldnłt shake the sudden fear
that had come over her.

�Your twin is
beautiful," she said quietly.

�Youłre the one who
stole my older brother. Lucky youłre beautiful." The young woman stuck out her
hand. �Sera Coyer, but you can call me your cute sister-in-law." The woman
winked at her with a smile, along with a lingering look. If his twin was a man,
she would have mistaken the look for flirty. Sera gave her another wink as she
saw her stare. She couldnłt mistake itSera was
flirting with her.

�Shełs my wife, Sera.
Stealing one of my girlfriends is one thing, but my wife is another thing
entirely." Eric pulled Tammy over to his side, letting both hands wrap around
her waist and draw her close.

�I didnłt steal her,
Eric. I made her realize her lesbian potentialbut whołs the other beautiful
woman coming?"

Monica was giving Sera a
dirty look while the other woman licked her lips.

�I swear she was
supposed to be born my brother instead. She has way bigger balls than me when
it comes to the ladies," Eric whispered into Tammyłs ear.

�Well, Monica was supposed
to be born a pit bull instead," she whispered back.

�Monica, this is Sera,
Ericłs twin sister. Sera, this is my half in blood but handful of a sister,
Monica," Tammy introduced quickly. She moved from Ericłs side to hustle both
women toward the car, holding them at armłs length from each other. �Wełre
halfway late to meet up with the mothers."

Once they made it into
the fancy restaurant, Tammyłs resolve left her body. If there was a good way to
explain to a parent that you had gone and eloped, then Tammy needed it to
appear in her mind. She had two angry mothers to deal with in front of her. She
held on to Monicałs hand tightly while walking behind Eric. Both mothers were
looking at her with narrowed eyes. There was a pan in Małs hand, and Ommałs slippers
were at the ready.

�Youłre going to block
me, right?" Tammy whispered to Eric.

�Donłt worry,
babytheyłre not going to disown you for marrying me."

�Boy, donłt talk too
soon," Monica hissed.

Neither of the mothers
spoke when Eric and Sera settled in front of them. They coughed until Monica
and Tammy got enough courage to step out from behind Eric.

�Our Tammy found herself
here all right, but she never found a way to tell us that she was getting
married," Ommai.e., �mother" in Koreansaid. The Korean woman was a petite,
well-dressed woman with the same long black hair as her daughter. She sat
calmly in a white tweed suit; the only thing that exposed her small village
background was the worn-out slippers in her hand.

�You should stop saying
ęourł now, Suk Hee. When we plan for her funeral it will be easier for us to
mourn her quickly." Ma, Shanice Williamson, looked every bit the Kingston import. She was
in a multicolored dress, fanning herself with the paper menu, pan in the other
hand, and waiting for the waiters to say something to her. Her naturally curly
hair was brought back into a bun, earrings off so she would be able to run
after the women just in case their fight turned into flight.

�Tammy?"

�Yes, Omma?"

�What entered your brain
and told you to go and get married to someone without introducing us to him
first?" Omma raised her slipper to throw. �What made you ignore all of our
phone calls instead of coming over to beg for forgiveness?"

The womanłs already calm
voice was still leveled, but Monica brought herself down to her knees along
with Tammy, pulling them both down.

�Itłs not her fault; I
should have been with her. She went to Marcusłs wedding alone"

�No, I chose to marry
him"

 

* * * *

�Madam, can I interject?
Omma-in-law?" Eric said awkwardly. He hardly knew where to begin, but he came
up and kneeled next to them.

He had watched the
situation quickly turn from amusing to tense with his sister beside him. The
usually snarky woman kept quiet throughout the whole exchange. He knew hełd
married an independent young woman, but at the moment, she had regressed to a
disobedient teenager in front of his eyes. If he wanted to diffuse the
situation, he would have to play by their rules. Though he was kneeling beside Tammy
in his slightly worn work pants, he shifted so that their hips would be
touching just in case she wanted to lean against him.

�You can speak." Ma
exchanged a subtle glance with Omma.

�I married her on that
day with a clear mind. Iłm sorry that you both couldnłt meet me first, but Iłm
not sorry that it happened. Iłm not the kind of person who will not take
responsibility for what was done. I promised your daughter that I wouldwill
take care of her. Iłm not going to leave or abandon that promise."

He reached
for Tammyłs hands as he spoke.

�Iłm
not going to go anywhere," he said.

Omma
turned to Ma. Both of them looked at each other with resolution in their eyes
before nodding.

�So
he should get the punishment?" Ma looked at her counterpart with a small smile.


�It
seems so," Omma answered.

 

* * * *

Tammy
looked back at her stepsister. Monica was chatting with Sera on the way back
home, not minding the other womanłs attempts to flirt with her. Tammy figured she
was too happy at the prospect of having missed her beatings to do anything to
avoid the other womanłs advances. Eric was sitting at the wheel with a grimace
on his worn-out face. The women hadnłt gone easy on him even when the waiters
threatened to call the police. Theyłd just calmly moved the beating outside.

He
looked at her from the wheel at a red light and gave her a little smile.

�Iłm
a big boy; I can take a little roughing up." Eric rubbed her hand and gave her
a wink.

�Erra
little? Boy, our mothers almost destroyed you." Monica reached a hand over and
patted his back. �You took one for the team."

�Are
they following behind us closely?" Tammy looked back to see Omma driving her
silver Echo.

�Omma
was an unofficial stalker in her younger yearsshe found herself three jobs
that way," Monica said.

�Itłs
going to be Christmas Eve dinner this year with lots of people instead of just
me and Eric," Sera said. �Itłs been lonely the last three years without Mom and
Dad."

�How
come your parents havenłt come over?" Monica asked.

Tammy
looked over to Eric; his face had lost all of its humor. She rested her hand on
his shoulder and massaged lightly. That was one way to get the tension out of
his body. He looked over at her gratefully.

�Itłs
just been that way" Sera trailed off. �They donłt want to travel all the way
from Scotland
without a good reason."

Eric
turned into their parking lot slowly.

There
was a car already waiting in the parking lot and what looked like people moving
from within it.

�Stay
in the car. Iłm going to go check it out. When I give you the signal, call
911," Eric spoke as he got out of the car quickly.

�No,
Iłm going to call the police first. What do you mean?!" Tammyłs heart was
pounding. She could hardly figure out where her bag was to locate her cell
phone, but she couldnłt imagine letting Eric go into any situation without
immediate backup.

�I
told you they were all outside, Hannah! Are you all going to stay chatting in
the car or are you going to enter this bloody house?!" There was an older
brown-haired man standing at the door, green-and-red Christmas sweater on and
matching kilt resting beyond his knees.

�Oh,
Conaire, therełs no need to swear at the children." A middle-aged woman
appeared behind him, walking quickly past him to Ericłs car.

Eric
walked out of his car slowly, going over to the other side and holding Tammy
close to him, presenting her to them. The woman slowed took Tammy in as Tammy
also examined the other woman. Her light brown hair was wavy and past her shoulders,
while her thin, lean frame revealed a woman who still worked into her old age.
She wore a matching Christmas sweater dress and tights.

�I
wouldnłt have believed it for myselfbut here you are. What kind of wedding did
you make this poor woman suffer through?" The woman turned to Eric with lightly
accusing eyes. �What kind of wedding did you make my new daughter go through?
Donłt ask for introductionsjust call me Mum and call that insane man over
there Dad, darling."

Instead
of waiting for an answer, she linked her arm through Tammyłs, leading her away
from Eric and toward the house.

�We
have to get you all changed for Christmas."

Tammy
listed off all her family in her head. Her sister Monica and new sister Sera,
Omma, Ma, and now Mum. But as she walked by the man in the kilt, instead of
letting her pass by, he raised her to him in a big bear hug. Dad was also added
to the list, finally. As her feet touched the ground, she looked back to Eric.

She
wanted to mouth back �thank you," but even mouthing the words would let water
drop down her face. All the tears shełd held in as a child on Fatherłs Days
would fall onto her face in that instant. Instead of being caught in that
moment, she was pushed into the house by Monica, following Mum so the other woman
would be able to have her own hug.




 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three

 

The holidays were the happiest they had been for Tammy, so much so that
she hadnłt questioned her extraordinary situation once that entire time. But that
kind of comfort isnłt safe. The past shows up in the midst of good news,
clutching on to you so you canłt move. It shows up in the moments where you
arenłt waiting for something bad to happen. When youłre living life like
nothing is ever going to be wrong againthat is when the hurricane comes.

Tammy held onto her mumłs arm as they walked through the grocery store.
Both her parents and Ericsł had stayed throughout Christmas to New Yearłs, with
a countdown and cake for each day. Throughout the whole vacation, Ericłs mom
and dad acted as if Tammy had saved them from some kind of mortal
embarrassment. It was the first instance that the parents of any of her
boyfriends had been so welcoming. Even before Marcus had given her excuses for
breaking up, shełd had to endure the way his mother looked at heras if she had
just come out from rolling from the mud. Marcusłs mother couldnłt understand
why he wanted to date someone so dark. She had told him over and over again
that she didnłt think that the union would move past dating, but in the end
Tammy couldnłt blame his mother for their breaking up. Breaking up with her was
ultimately his choice.

But the past didnłt change how happy she was about Mr. and Mrs. Coyerłs
joy over having her in their family. She couldnłt understand why they were
happy to see her even though they had said it was a shame they couldnłt have a
proper wedding. The holidays were a time for acceptance, so after Ma and Omma
had seen Ericłs bruises, they had worried and fussed over him to make sure he
was okay. The family had integrated itself in a way that Tammy hadnłt counted
on.

She had nothing left to want in her life. She was living in
completeness.

�Hannah?"

Both Tammy and her mother-in-law turned around as the voice rang out.

From between the food aisles, a young woman walked up to where they
were choosing milk. She was model tall, perhaps a size two, with lightly tanned
skin and short brown hair. She looked around Tammyłs age, aside from the fact
that she had deep worry lines. Her clothing, a short red dress and black heels,
both looked like high class although up close they appeared worn, more than a
few years past season. Behind her a blond little boy followed closely, watching
everything with wide green eyes. He smiled at Tammy as they came closer. She
felt her mother-in-law shiver.

�Hannah? You look amazing. How have you been?"

Tammy watched as the woman shełd grown to know as cheerful day-to-night
turned cold all of a sudden.

�Iłve been well, Ms. Aziza," she replied shortly. Her hands were folded
over her body, slowly moving to block Tammy. �You surely have been more than
busy."

�Wellyes But there is no need to be formal. Iłm still Maria. I might
have left town for a bit, but I havenłt changed."

�Well, Iłm Mrs. Coyer. Not Hannah anymore. Nice to see you are doing
well. If youłll excuse me" Hannah grabbed hold of Tammy to pull her away.

�Say hello to Eric for me I think hełll be surprised to know Iłm still
around" Maria looked down at the fussing child beside her as she spoke.

Hannah did not look back to see the exchange, but Tammy did, her heart
slamming against her ribcage. Both of them left the grocery store in silence.
Her mother-in-law got into the driverłs seat; Tammy turned her face to look out
the window as the other woman drove. She didnłt know what to think. Her heart
was spinning. Shełd thought Monica had been overreacting when shełd said she
should give Eric a daughter or son, gives him something that would keep him
attached to her if his ex-girlfriend ever decided to show up. But Tammy had
gotten too greedy, too complacent in her life; she couldnłt imagine someone
coming in to destroy what she was building with Eric. From living together, to
becoming a supportive wife, to lovemaking, there wasnłt anything she wouldnłt be
able to do.

Except give him a blond, green-eyed child.

�Donłt mind her. There is nothing she wonłt say to get attention. Iłve
already seen her two times since the wedding, but she wonłt be getting her paws
back into my son," Hannah said, hitting her fist on the steering wheel.

Tammy felt herself getting hot; her clothes were pulled tight around
her.

�Were do you want to go for food now, honey? Do you want to pick up
something before continuing our grocery shopping?"

Tammy could hear the other womanłs words, but she couldnłt answer her.
She couldnłt breathe. She couldnłt breathe She couldnłt

There was a shrieking of a car before Tammy felt her head hit the glass
window.

�Tammy!"

 

*
* * *

Eric couldnłt get to the hospital fast enough. Or at least he felt his
driving was too slow. Monica, Omma, and Ma were in the car but instead of
urging him faster, pulling on him, or beating him all the way there, all of
them looked lost in thought. They were completely quiet as he drove forward,
and the thought that they had been made speechless worried him even more than
his slow-moving car.

Once inside the hospital, Eric spotted his mother quickly. She
collapsed into her sonłs arms.

�What happened to Tammy?" he spoke quickly.

�We were driving back from the grocery store and she passed out and hit
her head hard on the dashboard. I U-turned immediately and rushed her to the
hospital when I saw the blood"

�Are you Mrs. Coyerłs guardian?"

A doctor had rushed out from the emergency room.

Eric looked from his mother to the doctor.

�There was a stall in the emergency rooms, so I took Mrs. Coyer there
to bandage her up. No worries. She has a few superficial stitches on her
forehead and seemed to have suffered some shock, but she is resting up now with
an IV."

�She has stitches on her face? What have I told that crazy girl about
getting her face injured?" Monica whispered from the back. Ma shushed her.

�Um, well, yes. I would allow her a few hours of sleep before visiting,
but she has been asking for her husband. He may visit for a short period of
time."

Eric stepped up to shake the doctorłs hand.

�Thank you. Can you please bring me to my wife now?"

The doctor nodded shortly before leading the way.

In the small hospital room, Tammy was resting in the back. Her curly
hair had been pulled from her face with a pink rhinestone headbandmost likely
his motherłs doing. He heard the click of the closing door signaling the
doctorłs leaving as he sat down. He let his hands cover hers as she slept.

�Hubby Coyer, you have really big green eyes."

Eric looked down in shock from the sudden voice. He smiled down at her.
He had left the house without taking off his glasses in his rush. He only used
his glasses to read so he only needed them in his workplace, but with the extra
work that had been coming in, he made sure to take a little of it home so that
he would have more time to spend with his wife.

�Donłt tell me I look silly with them on. I wanted to ease you into seeing
me like this. Ah, now I might hear you and Monica talking about how you married
a little bit of a geek."

Tammy smiled at him and shook her head as she reached up toward his
face. She had grabbed onto his glasses, fixing them on the bridge of his nose slowly.

�Even if youłre a geek, youłre still mine. Remember that. Youłre mine
period."

She moved to withdraw her hands from his glasses, but Eric held on to
them. He put her hands on his shoulders as he pulled himself closer to her.

�And whatłs this about you injuring your face? Why are you like this?
Youłre not supposed to do anything wrong to your body. Even if you get cuts on
your body like this, youłre still mine. Remember that. Youłre mine, period," he
said.

He bent down all the way to kiss her forehead, close to but not
touching her stitches.

�Hurry up and sleep, darling." He kissed her on the forehead again.
�Just sleep and get better." He traveled down from her forehead to her
collarbone and then kissed her chest, hovering over each nipple before kissing
her through the fabric. �Donłt scare me like that ever again." He buried his
head in her chest. She pulled him closer with her arms, playing with his hair
with her hands.

�Hubby Coyer" she murmured softly. �My Hubby Coyer"

�Aish, so that is how our crazy daughter got herself married."

Omma was at the door with her arms crossed over her chest. The rest of
the women were behind her, trying not to laugh as they watched the scene in
front of them.

�Seeing as youłre getting along okay without us, wełre going to go home
and get you some food. Make sure youłre resting by the time you come back.
Donłt just be here breaking hospital beds," Omma ended.

At the womanłs words, both Tammy and Eric broke apart in embarrassment.
As the other woman walked out, Monica came out from behind her, walking up to
Tammyłs bedside with her bag and her cell phone. Tammy held Monicałs hand, and
they exchanged a look which Monica transferred over to Eric. He got up slowly in
response to the hint.

�Iłm going to go to the bathroom for a bit. Iłll be back."

After he closed the door behind him, Monica sat down.

�I can recognize that ęOh Shitł look from a mile away. Now what trouble
did you get yourself into this time?"

Tammy sat up without any of the previous humor on her face.

�You know what you said would happen? That Ericłs ex would come back?
Yeah, well, it happened. I just didnłt know that she would bring a baby with
her."

�She brought a baby?! Oh damn!" Monica took a hair tie out of her
pocket and tied her hair into a messy bun. Then she took off her gold hoop
earrings to put into her bag.

�I need to make sure that this isnłt true without the help of a DNA
test. I want to make sure that everything I have wonłt be taken away by someone
who walked away first. By someone who doesnłt deserve it" Tammy said as she
sat up. �You have the police connections, right, Monica? Just make sure theyłre
ready."

�Are you sure you want to bring the police into this, or the mafia to
get rid of her instead? Either way, Tam, I have someone on either side."

There was a hard knock on the door.

�Wełll talk later." Monica got up quickly.

�Sleep, baby, and talk to your sister when youłre better." Eric walked
into the room with a smile on his face, one that didnłt quite reach his green
eyes. He waved to Monica as she left the room, then returned his focus to
Tammyłs body as he sat down in the bedside chair. He rested his head on her
stomach. �Go to sleep. Iłll be here waiting for my baby to wake up."

 

Tammyłs time in the hospital had been haunted by the way she thought of
the time she had with Eric in doubles. No matter how much he came into her room
to look after her, she could see his shadow in ways that she hadnłt before.
Thoughts of him leaving her were reflected in the darkness. She hadnłt felt
this unsure of herself since her days in high school. She felt, in a way,
replaceable. And once you feel replaceable, then the only thing left to do is
to wait for everything to come undone.

But she couldnłt wait silently this time.

She contacted Monica the minute Eric had stopped hovering over her
after shełd left the hospital. Her sister had kept her under suspense as she
prepared everything, but suddenly one day she called to make sure she was ready. Both sisters walked into the restaurant like
Men in Black. Monica had brought them the matching wardrobe of high-waist black
pants and a crisp white shirt with dress jacket. She wanted both of them to
look professional when they went to ask her police contact for a favor.

�Where did you say that you met him again?" Tammy asked.

�I donłt say anything more than once, love," Monica said as she took
off her sunglasses and put them in her breast pocket. �I donłt have time to do
things like that."

She strode past her and walked to the back of the room. Tammy followed
quickly. The man in front of her was working on his second coffee before he
looked up.

Somehow the man in front of her looked familiar.

He
had a shaved head, though the last time she had seen him had been with cropped
black hair. He stood up when both women approached to shake their hands. He was
still tall and muscular, but she had found herself looking at him too hard for
a second.

�Where
did you find him from again?" Tammy leaned down to her sister and whispered.

�Daniel,
the repeat baby daddy who wonłt stalk mehis third baby momma gave him as his
contact if I ever needed any police help. I didnłt think that we would know
him."

�Iłm
Thomas Grainger. Baby, donłt you remember me? Did you call me up after so long
to take me up on that taste of vanilla?" Thomasłs words came with the same
sleazy smile from three years ago. Tammy tried but failed to hide her
grimace.

�Sorry
man, you missed her by a mile." Monica raised her sisterłs hand to show the
circular-cut single diamond ring and one piece of a matching wedding band set,
which Eric had bought as a surprise during their sexless first few weeks of
living together. The ring shone brightly in the other manłs face brightly.

�And
by proximity," Tammy said slowly.

�What
do you mean by proximity?"

He
sat down and quickly urged them to do the same. He asked the question, but the
words seemed to go inside his head and configure slowly. There was no way that
it could be

�Eric?
Not my best friend Eric. Hełs been basically like a widower for the past few
years."

�Yes,
youłre looking at the new Mrs. Coyer. But wełre not here to talk about the
past. I need to know if you can locate the previous Mrs. Coyer candidate,
Maria."

It
took a moment for Thomas to straighten out his surprised face before proceeding
forward.

�I
donłt know how you got my number, but Iłm not in the position to help you all
find Maria, no matter how much you want to find her. I donłt know why you want
to find her, but if itłs going to hurt Eric in any way, then I canłt allow it."
Thomas sounded pained as he spoke.

Monica
let out a sharp laugh. �I donłt want to help the bitch. I want to know why the
hell shełs appearing in front of my sister."

�Honestly,
itłs not that I feel a little uncomfortable having her back nowI feel very
uncomfortable, to tell the truthbut she didnłt even come alone. She has a
child with her." Tammy breathed out hard. �Eric and I got married in a rushed
way. Well, more than rushed, it was very impulsive of us. But Iłm happy with my
life now. I just want to know if therełs a chance that anyone can take that
happiness away from me."

Thomas nodded his head and tooka black book from his
shirt pocket.

�Can you give me a basic description of her?" He
shook his head lightly. �No one knows, but she might have changed after three
years."

Tammy followed his introductions and answered his
questions. The back and forth ritual cleared her mind and kept her focused.

�Do you ladies mind if I ask you two short
questions?"

Monica nodded, but Tammy held her back.

�Of course we donłt mind."

�I wonder what youłre going to do after you find
Mariabut donłt tell me that. I might be Ericłs friend, but Iłm still a cop.
And this one..." He pointed to Monica. �Seems to believe in her own kind of law
force."

He got up out of his seat as he gave Monica a wink.
Tammy suppressed her laughter at her sisterłs uncharacteristically shy smile.

�The next question is What are you going to do if
the baby is his? Eric isnłt the kind of guy to just leave someone with his
child and do nothing about it. Plus, I donłt know the extent of your
relationship with him now since youłre married and all, but he loved her. He
loved her enough to push everyone else away and wait for her for three years. I
donłt think feelings like that go away in two seconds," he said. Both of them
watched Thomas leave the restaurant.

Tammy grabbed Monicałs hand. The other woman grabbed
back tightly.

 

* * * *

Maria being late isnłt out of the ordinary, Eric
repeated to himself.

After overhearing Monica and Tammy talking about the
woman who had left him over three years ago being back, he had been shocked out
of his mind. But the fact that she had shown up in his life after running away
from their wedding three years ago made him want to retract his statement. She
wasnłt late, because there was nothing waiting for her. He was a married man
now. Everything she had left was in the past. Now the only thing was to
convince her of that so she would disappear from his life for good.

The front door slammed shut, and Eric looked toward
it. Tammy walked into the living room slowly. Her head was down even though he knew
that she was usually cheerful whenever she came back from visiting her sister.
He watched as she moved through the house slowly. She finally ended up on the
couch, trembling slightly.

�I missed you, Tams." He leaned over her on the
couch, enclosing his arms around her shoulders. She jumped up, startled from
his embrace, but slowly leaned into him.

�Werenłt you doing some extra work for the company?"

He let go of her to walk over to the other side of
the couch and sit down beside her. She moved over to give him more room. For a
second, he looked taken aback by the space shełd left between them, before he
reached over and pulled her closer to him.

�I told them to delegate some of my lesser work to
younger employees. I donłt need to be doing any extra work when I have a wife
waiting for me at home." He drew her even closer to him and smiled into her
hair. �Plus, the amount I do right now equaled the work of three employeesso I
guess I earned a little break."

Tammy turned her head so that her lips could reach
his face, but she didnłt kiss him. She just looked over the familiar features
that she now considered part of her own. Green eyes followed with her in her
inspection.

�Baby, your eyes are so green"

Eric ran his fingertips over her mouth to stop her
from talking. He replaced his fingers on the sides of her face and pulled her
closer.

�AhI donłt want to talk about my body. Iłd rather it
be pressed against yours instead."

He ran his hands underneath her white shirt, opening
all the buttons as his hand traveled down. She felt him reaching into the cups
of her breasts as his other hand pulled down her bra straps.

�Ah, now that Iłm married, my body is no longer
mine," Tammy said. She reached down to reach the zipper on her pants. Then she
took off her jacket and shirt fully.

�You have to remember. Of course your body is not
yours, and my body isnłt only mine either."

He removed his shirt and jeans as he looked her body
over. He knelt down in front of her and opened her legs. Before he could think
of traveling any farther around her body, his hands found their way onto her
stomach.

�Iłm naked and youłre naked, but there is a stall in
my reactionI canłt think of sexy things anymore. Well, I canłt think of
anything sexier than you having my baby." His mouth replaced his hands against
her stomach. He kissed her again.

�When should I just get you pregnant? Should I get
you pregnant today?"

�Babies should only be brought up when their parents
arenłt trembling when they think of having them." Eric looked up at her as she
shivered. �Iłll give you children. But first Iłm going to make you scream.
Stand up."

Eric stood with a slight smile. She took his cock
full into her mouth and pumped back and forth. The smile slid off his face.
Lust returned instead.

�Tammy, you donłt have to" He was hushed by her
quick intake of his cock. Her hands traveled over her taut breasts and her clit
as she worked him. She was putting on a show for him, one that his body
couldnłt help but respond to. She tried to take him in for another thrust, but
he pulled his cock away. She looked up in surprise as he bent all the way down.

�Ah, I canłt even go through with things like this in
front of you," he said. He spoke to her stomach. �Future baby, Iłm going to
take care of your mommy first, then Iłll be able to welcome you home." Before
Tammy could object, he sunk himself deep within her. The feeling of having him
back within her after such a hard day had calmed her troubles.

Iłll just have this moment, she thought. Iłll just
let him in this far for a while...and think about tomorrow, tomorrow.




 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four

 

No matter how much Tammy tried to avoid Ericłs
affection, he always found a way to get her to get sexy with him. Though she knew
she wasnłt the first woman in the world to avoid getting pregnant with her
husband, it felt strange since she just might be the first woman to avoid
trying to make a baby by a husband who could be considered perfect. Eric was
handsome, patient, and understanding. He was the total package. It was just
that the package came with a toxic ribbon to unravel. Other wives had to deal
with evil in-laws, drunken, gambling, or cheating husbands. There was nothing
bad about Eric. But she couldnłt feel patient about loving him with Ericłs past
able to stand in front of her wearing a size-two dress and holding onto a maybe
two-year-old blond boy.

�I have to break Maria before anything comes of
this." Tammy put her lemon tea down, making sure that none of it splashed on
her long-sleeved white lace dress. �Therełs no other way."

�Finally
youłre talking in the way I understand," Monica said.

Her sister had called her to talk over shopping. The
only thing was, she didnłt mention the fact shełd have to sit in her sisterłs
house playing dress-up with the two women whose sexual advice scared her most.
The two Korean sisters Sun Dae and Yi Hee sat across from her after they had
changed into their purchases, a short cream ruffle dress and a leopard
mini-dress.

�I told you she would get married quickly." Sun Dae
looked at her sister with a cheeky smile. �It was because of my advice."

�No, I think itłs because of mine, dear." Yi Hee
readjusted her short dress as she sat down.

�Since neither of you can decide on the winner, Iłll
disqualify both of you." Monica walked over to her sister in her new flowing
orange maxi dress.

Monica decided on Tammyłs dress, since it mirrored
the wedding dress she didnłt get to see her sister walk down the aisle with.
But she called the other women over to make sure that she would never have to
see her sister in another wedding dress again.

�We have older brothers, oppas, in Japan who could
flatten her out for you if you want," Yi Hee said. �I donłt think Lee Young
Oppa is available to do that, but Chun Min Oppa can with your convincing"

�Why do I always have to be the one to ęconvinceł
people?"

Tammy rolled
her eyes at the two other women. �So do we have a deal? Are you going to help
me out in this, or will we have bought all of these dresses for nothing?"

�No, we are going to the fashion show right now."
Monica went over to the table bowl to grab her keys. �Donłt worry about
anything other than that."

 

* * * *

Becoming a married man must have ruined my friendship
skills, Eric thought.

He had been sitting with his best friend since high
school, Thomas Grainger, just talking about the weather as they ate pasta in
Italy town. Both of them had come to the busy restaurant to make sure they had
their agendas straight when it came to each other, but now they were beginning
to seem like a pair of lovers who had lost their way to one another. The
conversation was tenser than fans watching the end of a close Olympic hockey
game.

�Are we going to start talking about something real,
or will we have to just look at each other for the rest of the time?" Eric
said.

�Therełs something going on with Tammy. Have you
heard about it?" Thomas poked at his ravioli with his fork. He had wanted to
tell the other man for days, but there hadnłt been enough time.

�Heard about what? Shełs just been around her
sisterłs house more than usual. I think they miss each other already."

�Really" Thomas balanced his straw between his
fingertips before placing it in his glass. �I wonder if you rushed into this
marriage without thinking about it enough. I met with Tammy out of the blue
again, and she told me a little bit about what happened, but I need more back
story from you. I mean, are you even overMaria?"

�She left me more than three years ago. Do you think
itłs even humanly possible to still have feelings for her right now?" Eric
twisted his spaghetti around his fork. �Tammy is my wife and the woman I chose
to marry."

�Well, you might have all of your feelings planned
out, but have you told her anything like that? Right now shełs acting like a
woman whołs getting her battle plan ready in case shełs going to be replaced
soon."

Eric dropped his fork loudly onto his bowl. He made a
gesture of apology to the crowd, but everyone was too busy talking to even
notice his action.

�Talk clearlywhat is Tammy doing now?"

�Look, Eric, the marriage process is easy. A man can
sign some papers and make a wife out of any ordinary woman. But you didnłt just
make her into your wife; she fell in love with you as well. How do I know? It
can only take the insanity of love for a person to go up to a police officer
and ask favors that are two slides away from federal offenses. Shełs in love
with you, man. But you did this all backwards. Have you even had a conversation
about what happens when Maria, the woman whom she basically thinks she
replaced, returns?" Eric shook his head at Thomasłs question. The other man
sighed. �This is why you need me in your life for all decision-making moments.
Iłm sorry for stepping outside the lines there; I just didnłt want to put on
another monkey suit for another year." He put up his beer glass for a toast.

�Its fine, man, Iłll make sure to handle it
properly."

 

* * * *

Even before the curtains opened, Tammy held her breath.
Once the show started, her cough was heard from around the audience. Monica
rubbed her sisterłs back and glared at anyone who dared to give them a dirty
look.

They were attending a fashion show for Mariałs
maternity line. Sun Dae and Yi Hee had gotten the tickets for them so there
would be no paper trail linking Tammy and Monica to the show in case something
happened. The women also sat ahead of them in line to make sure there would be
bodies blocking them in case they wanted to escape quickly. Tammy had felt like
escaping ever since she walked into the large room. There were chairs set
across the walkway in a straight line; they had gotten tickets for the very tip
of the stage. She would be able to see Maria all the way through to the end for
her final walk and then the pictures.

Her stomach did not like the idea of that.

�The show is almost over" Monica held her sisterłs
hand throughout the show while Tammy had her little spurts of uncertainty. She
made sure that she went nowhere up until the very end.

The last model came through in a long-sleeved lace
dress. Everything mirrored Tammyłs own except for the fact that the other woman
had a baby bump as well. The music skipped, and then played again, faster, as
the model walked off stage. All of the women came out of the back in a row.

Then Maria emerged in a flowing white dress, holding
a microphone.

�Thank you all for coming. Errthis is my first
fashion show here in Canada, though Iłve done a lot already in South America,
but Iłm still as nervous as I was at my first show." She smiled into the middle
of the crowd, catching Tammyłs eye before gazing to the rest of the crowd. �I
donłt know how many of you women have come here because you are expectant
mothers who will wear my designs, or if you are already mothers, or if you are
planning for the future. But I made this line for my child after I realized I
wouldnłt be able to give him the father hełs always wanted. I call this
seasonłs line ęFinally Pregnant,ł but I named my designs under the full name
ęWaiting,ł in dedication for that special person in your life who is waiting
for the child to come."

Maria gave the microphone back to the stage director
and waved one more time to the audience.

�Get up now, darling!" Monica pulled against Tammy to
go through the crowd pouring out of the theater. �Wełll have to wait for her in
the parking lot."

Both Sun Dae and Yi Hee posed as fans, waiting to ask
Maria questions about her line until all of the production managers, models,
and crews had gone without her. Then it was only Monica and Tammy waiting in
their car in the parking lot, with Maria coming up the elevator to go to her
own.

Tammy got out of the car with a cool head and walked
toward Maria. She had in her mind what she was going to say. Everything that
would come out with biting force

�Excuse me" Her words came out in a soft voice.

�Oh, uh, arenłt you the woman I saw with Hannah last
time?" Maria had her hand attached to the door and was waiting without humor on
her face for the answer.

�YesIłm her daughter-in-law. Well, Ericłs wife."

�And Iłm Eric ex-fianc�e I donłt really know what
the handshake protocol for this kind of situation is, so letłs just skip that."
Maria closed her car door and looked Tammy over. �I saw you in the audience,
but I didnłt know what your association to Hannah was or why you were coming to
my show."

�I wanted to know what the situation is now. Why did
you decide to come back here right now?"

�Itłs been four years since I left Eric. I was
curious for a second. I wanted to know if the rumors were true and hełs still
going to the church to wait for me. But I guess he got past that phase. Donłt
worry about anything."

Maria opened her door to get in the car again, but
Tammy held it still.

�Donłt worry about anything?" Tammy scoffed. Shełd
taken in everything the other woman had said without talking back, but now it
was her turn to speak out.

�What about the baby? You want to come back here and
ęcheck up on things,ł but you left your responsibilities here as well. Isnłt
that what you should check up on?" Tammy rolled her eyes. �I donłt know what
happened between you and Eric, but itłs not for me to meditate on. All I want
to know is if you have any tsunamis waiting for me in your little ęcheck-up.ł"

Maria wiggled the door out of Tammyłs hold without
hurting the other woman physicallyonly her pride. She got into the car and
rolled down the window.

�Hełs not Ericłs child, if thatłs what you came here
to figure out. You heard the speech. I named the line after a father that my son
couldnłt have. I meant that literally." Maria put the key in the engine. �Even
at this stage, you might be going around looking for reasons to avoid happiness
with Eric, finebut donłt make him wait now."
She looked Tammy up and down. �It seems like hełs a man who knows how to
move past love."

Tammy walked back to Monicałs car slowly after Maria
left. The other womanłs words resonated through her body. She took the
passengerłs seat as Sun Dae and Yi Hee talked in Korean in the backseat.

Monica drove onto the highway before finally looking
back at her sister. �Did you have a hard time hiding her body?"

Tammy smiled.

�No, it wasnłt even like that. She told me the baby
isnłt Ericłs, so wełd been worried for nothing."

�Thatłs even better news then. She doesnłt have to go
see Satan, and you can live peacefully with Eric. But how come your face hasnłt
changed from that ęI lost the wonł expression ever since you came into the
car?"

�Yeah, Iłve been thinking over something she said."

�What? Just forget all the insults that woman told
you. If I knew it was like that, then I would have gone myself and attacked her
for you, baby."

�There wasnłt any insulting from her, Monica," Tammy
said. ęWhat she said was closer to: ęI donłt have to destroy you. Youłre
destroying yourself.ł"

Tammy left her words at that. Saying any more would
be confirming her sisterłs suspicions of her relationship with Eric. She would
become another clich�, a black woman hesitating in finding happiness with a
white man. But no, her reason for hesitating wasnłt race. Marriage itself canłt
undo the pain of being abandoned by someone. New love can only erase the scars
of old love if the scars were healed beforehand.

�Drop me off at home." Tammy waved her hand.

Even before she opened the front door, she knew Eric
was not in the house. There wasnłt his familiar scent in the air to signal his
presence. The house felt a little colder on days when she came home before him.
She locked the door and went over to the living room. He had left a note on the
coffee table.

Iłm going to go
out for a trip after meeting Thomas. Iłll be back in a little while. Donłt wait
up for me.Eric

Tammy went into the bedroom and went straight under
the thick covers. She wanted to be ready to face Eric when he came back home.

***

Eric had been driving all day, but finally something
brought him back to the church.

It had been so long since he had come, but once hełd
gone up the stairs and knocked on the church doors, they had let him in
immediately.

�I guess news travels fast when it comes to these
things." He nodded to the choir boys and went into the church, sitting across
from the altar. It was the first time he had come wearing casual clothing, so
he felt a little out of place.

�Iłm finally the one waiting for you to come over."
Eric looked up and saw someone he hadnłt seen in almost four yearsat least not in his waking life.

Maria looked older to him. Her brown hair was
shorter, and the skin on her face looked a little worn out. She walked over to
a seat beside him. She sat close to him but not too close.

�So why are you back here on January twenty-eighth?
Isnłt it some kind of anniversary now?"

�Well, are you back here to pray for your sins?"

�Iłve already finished paying for them." Maria looked
over her shoulder. �Your new wife showed up at my fashion show and asked me
whether my kid is yours. Still keeping your women on the edge"

�woman. And shełs not on the edge. Iłm here out of
nostalgia."

�Ah, thatłs what it wassentimentality."

�Therełs nothing to be sentimental about. You chose
what you wanted when you left me waiting that day."

�I had a little case of Vertigo a day before the wedding. I found a six-foot something
else, blond, with a huge bank account and thought I might as well upgrade. I
didnłt know that he would be the one to run away."

�Oh."

Reasons for Maria not showing up to the wedding had
invaded his mind over the years, but now the only one he couldnłt think of was
realized.

She had left him for another man.

If he had found out about this three years ago, he
would have broken down. Right then, he looked over to see the woman hełd once
loved, but no words of venom could come to his lips. No matter what she said,
there was nothing waiting on the other side of her mouth that would comfort
him.

He got up first.

�Donate some money to the church before you leave,"
he said. She let out a laugh as he walked away from her.

He walked through the church that hełd married Tammy
in, realizing there would be no reason to come back without her any longer. He
didnłt stop walking until he reached his car.

The night brought him in as he drove, not knowing
where he was going. Then he remembered Mariałs words.

�ęSo why are you back here on January twenty-eighth?
Isnłt it some kind of anniversary now?ł" he repeated.

January twenty-eighth.

The meaning of the day had changed completely. It was
no longer the day he went to the church to wait for Maria to show up. Now it
was the day that he and Tammy would forever remember as their wedding day. He
didnłt know what was worse: the fact that both he and Tammy had to meet Maria
to find peace of mind, or the fact that both of them forgot their wedding
anniversary.

He turned onto a street with a lot of shops. There
had to be a store that was open. Either way, he knew he couldnłt go home empty
handed.

�Here we goan open cake shop."

 

* * * *

Tammy heard the front door open without waking up.
Eric opened the bedroom door even more lightly, coming in with muted steps so
as not to wake her. But her eyes fluttered open the moment he felt her watching
him. He came to the side of the bed and ran a hand over her forehead; he
dropped a package to the floor before getting onto the bed over the covers.

�You didnłt
change into your lingerie yet. Were you waiting for me?"

�How did you know I wasnłt asleep?"

�You are too well behaved. Do you know how many kicks
in the crotch I get when I sleep with you?"

�Itłs because youłre always trying to take off my
clothing."

Tammy pulled herself out of her covers to attack him,
but he had bent down to the floor, taking something into his arms.

�Wełre one year old now, baby."

Eric pulled down the covering to reveal a
fruit-topped, vanilla-icing-covered sponge cake.

�The only shop I could find open on the way home was
this Chinese bakery."

�The cake is so beautiful, Hubby C." Tammy took a
strawberry off of the cake and put it in her mouth slowly, smiling at the way
Eric observed her.

�You make that cake look even more delicious than it
already is, you know that?" Eric kept watching as Tammy took another
strawberry from the cake and placed it in her mouth. As she tried to take the
third one he grabbed her hand, almost dropping the cake, but he held it strong
with one hand.

�If you want me to feed you too you just have to ask,
Hubby C." She placed another strawberry in his mouth. He sucked all the whipped
cream off her finger. He finished eating as he looked into her face. She looked
less worried than she had in the previous days.

�Happy anniversary, baby" Eric sang to her.

Tammy shook her head. �Correctionhappy first
anniversary to us and many more to come, Hubby C."

They ate as much as they could before Eric put the
rest of the cake on the table.

�I feel like we should change out of our clothing before
we fall asleep, but today is too much of a special day for clothing"

�Is that how you lost your virginity? Talking your
way out of your pants and into hers?" She slipped off her shirt, her bra and
then her pants. �Ah, it seems like Iłm going to have to take off the pants in
this relationship"

She put his hand over his to take off his clothing.
Then she hugged him around the shoulders and then around the legs, pulling her
closer to him.

�You said you would take care of me, but your
responsibility isnłt over yet." Tammy wrapped her limbs tighter around him. He
ran a firm hand up and down her back.

�What should I do to make up for it, then?" He lined
kisses against her collarbone. She moaned as he dragged his lips down to her
breasts, nibbling her dark nipples. �You know what they say. Once you go
Scottish you donłt go back."

She reached down and bit his lip playfully.

�Iłll go back if I want to; donłt test me."

 

* * * *

It had been hours since Eric had left the house for
work, but the phone was ringing with force. She placed the pillow over her head
and covered her ears with it. It had been ringing on and off for the past few
days, but only after her husband was out of the house. But whenever Tammy went
over to answer the phone, the person on the other end hung up. She was getting
frustrated, but it kept ringing. Unwrapping herself from within the soft white
sheets, she finally reached over to answer the cordless phone.

�Youłd better answer the phone this time. Or else
stop calling my house, you jerk"

�Crazy baby, you finally picked up the phoneGET AWAY
FROM THAT, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Tammy could recognize her sisterłs voice, but she
pulled the phone away from her ear as the screams came through the phone.

�Iłm rushing there now, Monica!" She was running
around trying to get her clothing on so she would be able to leave quickly.

�Fly, donłt run! I already called ThomasAHHH! GET
AWAY YOU CRAZY JERK!"

She put the phone on the receiver, rushing to get her
keys and lock the front door. It was the first time Monica had ever called her
for help, so she half dove into the street to get a taxi. She told the driver
the address and tried to keep calm as he drove.




 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Five

 

Tammy got there as fast as she could with the taxi,
but she could see there was another person rushing there before her. As she ran
up the stairs, she could hear hard footsteps preceding her and then her
sisterłs cries of victory.

�Hełs over in the corner there! Hit him!"

She ran faster up the stairs. Once she got there, she
found Thomas standing over a body and her sister holding on to his arm. In a
normal scene, the woman would be holding a manłs arm to make sure he would stop
from hitting someone, but Monica was urging him forward.

�Monica, whatłs going on?!" Tammy went into the room
in a rush.

Before she could say any more, the man on the floor
got to his feet. It felt like all of the blood in her body disappeared as she
looked into the eyes of her ex.

�Marcus What are you doing here?"

�You know him?"

Tammyłs eyes met the ones of Thomas, the police
officer contact, who had rushed to her sisterłs rescue. The man looked
disheveled in his gym clothing and was panting hard. Her sister looked neat in
comparison for someone whołd seemed like she was fighting for her life on the
phone. Her hair was freshly washed and styled while she clung to him in a light
gray t-shirt dress that hugged her curves.

�No, she doesnłt know the crazy asshole. Wellshe
doesnłt have to know him anymore." Monica reached over to a couch pillow and
threw it at Marcusłs face.

�What is going on here?" Thomas looked more confused
than Marcus did.

Marcus had his sleeping clothing on, his jogging
pants and an oversized t-shirt. But he was swaying even though he was now
sitting on the floor. Happy hour apparently started in the early morning for
him.

�I came over to the house to find Tammy"

�And instead you found yourself in a beat down,"
Monica interjected with another pillow throw.

�I donłt know who you are, but this is what I do
know. She is my friendłs best friendłs wife, which means if you screw her over
itłll be like screwing over my own wife, so Iłll kick your ass like youłve
never had your ass kicked before!" Thomas grabbed Monicałs hand and came out of
the room. �You have five minutes and counting."

Tammy sat on the counter table as Marcus paced.
Finally he looked up at her with a softened expression.

�It was my anniversary yesterday. I looked over at my
wifełs sleeping form and suddenly forgot her name. I could only remember the
name Tammy, so I didnłt want to speak. For that whole day, my only
communication with my wife was through grunts. Because of that the bitch took
my credit card and almost bought a mall full of brand names." He stopped pacing
and looked over at her. �I really donłt have any excuses. We broke up and
nothing was wrong with me. I think I had a harder time during a basketball
upset than breaking up with you. But yesterday I couldnłt think of anyone else
but you and your sweet dark body"

�Just stop there so I can go and call Thomas back in
here to kick your ass." Tammy got up from the coffee table and scoffed. �You
wanted to think of me, fine. But do it in a place that isnłt my sisterłs home."
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

�You think I donłt know about who youłre married to
now? Your moms are bragging all over church that you got yourself a Scottish
man. Their daughter sold herself off, so they must be so proud"

�Let go of me!" Tammy kicked back against him, but he
held on tightly.

�I figured you would never answer my phone calls, but
that didnłt stop me from trying to call you. I just hung up first. I bet you
miss some of my big cock! Youłre as dark as ever, but youłre still a good lay"

Thomas rushed back in and grabbed Marcus by the
collar to drag him out of the room.

�I knew it was your scream! Did he hurt you, baby?"
Monica rushed to Tammyłs side with her neat hair and clothing out of place.
Tammy could see that her sister had been releasing a little stress outside but
had managed to come when she needed her most.

�Iłm okay"

Ignoring her sisterłs words, Monica held onto Tammy.
She wrapped her shorter sister tight, holding her in place on the couch. Tammy
shook in the same way she had when Marcusłs mom told her she was too dark, in
the same way she had when Marcus broke up with her, in the same way she had as
she watched him get married to another woman. She shook and cried.

�Iłm so sorry, baby," Monica said as a few of her own tears fell. �I
had no idea that Marcus still had this effect on you. I thought that you would
have moved on with Ericthatłs why I pushed you toward him even though you felt
something was missing with him. But you know why youłre running around doing A,
B, and C to make Eric happythings that he doesn't even ask from you? It's
because your still hemorrhaging from the way this asshole Marcus broke your
heart. You didn't give yourself time to heal. You got married! You can
hemorrhage all you want here. Seriously hemorrhage. Then go back and give your
husband the baby that you deserve."

�Youłre both going to pass out if you keep crying
like that." Thomas leaned on the wall as they cried, but he could no longer be
passive. He brought a towel from the bathroom and dipped it in warm water. He
passed it to Monica with a stiff hand. The woman gave him a grateful smile
before she wiped down Tammyłs face.

�Iłm sorry. I donłt know w-why Iłm b-b-being so
emotional-l-l-l about this-s-s-s," Tammy stuttered out. She pulled away from
Monica and tried to walk to the bathroom but swayed in front of Thomas. He
caught her before she fell to the floor.

�BabyI mean, Thomas, bring her back over here. Let
her lie down." Thomas did what she suggested. She shook her head. �Itłs more
than a few weeks late for this, darling, but when was your time again?"

�I was thinking about Maria during that time, so I
completely forgot about my period. But noI havenłt had it for a while. Iłll
have to go home to figure out how late I am though."

Monica didnłt have to look over at Thomas to see his
smile. She could already feel hers growing on her face.

�One moment please, baby." Monica went outside,
pulling Thomas along with her. Tammy could hear a little bit of an argument
outside, though she could only catch bits and pieces of what was being said.

�You want me to do what? Okay, fine. Make sure that
you both donłt start crying again." Tammy heard the end of Thomasłs comments
before she heard heavy footsteps going down the corridor and toward the
elevator, she figured.

�I had to send him off on an errand" Monica said.
She returned to her sisterłs side with a smile. �Lie down on the couch and
donłt worry." Her sister rubbed her stomach with affection.

�Hey, stop that, youłre going to make me ticklish..."
Tammy pushed her sisterłs hands away. �What are you doing with Thomas that is
turning you so sentimental? I thought you said the only white guy you would
ever date would be an actor"

Monica gave her sister a sharp look.

�Most of them go into the acting game with baby
mommas; okay, you know I donłt get into that mess."

�Butis this a fling or is it for real?"

Monica redid her hair in a messy side bun.

�Aigoo, so many crazy words coming from the woman who
got married without little sister"

�You act more like the older one"

�Never mind that! Whatever is going on in my panties
is none of your business until you become an aunt." Monica smiled. �And until I
become one as well. Make sure you give me a girl first so we can have more
fun." She touched her sisterłs stomach. �Make sure youłre a girl, okay?"

Tammy brushed her hand aside again.

There was noise and banging coming from the hallway.

�Shełs going to have that manłs baby? Now Iłve really
seen everything. I would have never believed that Tammy is one to try and
lighten her children!"

Tammy tried to get up, but Monica brought her down as
she grabbed a vase from her tabletop. She watched her sister go out of the room
and waited a few steps before going to the door. Monica stepped in front of
Thomas, who was looking down at the angry man clutching the ripped half of a grocery
bag.

�After everything thatłs happened, you should be on
the floor thanking me that I still havenłt hired anyone to dispose of your
body. But now I canłt take your face anymore. Lightening her children? Are you
insane?! Those are my future nieces and nephews youłre talking crap about!"
Monica kept the vase at her sidemaking sure the man knew that she would be
ready to throw it at him at anytime. �Are you saying that you and your
toxically married ass want to be the father of your children? Wake up! Just
because your happiness depends on her unhappiness doesnłt mean you get to come
here and start something when you canłt have your way."

Tammy walked slowly out of the room with two more
vases in her hands as Monica defended her. Though the pair had gone to mostly
separate schools as children, Monica was always there to fight off bullies even
though she was the younger one. Tammy had always been the more reserved child,
the one who would only be able to fight if somehow in the middle of Monicałs
speech, the person ever tried to hurt her sister.

She saw Marcusłs hands turn into fists before both
Thomas and Monica did. She ran as Monica fell into Thomas from Marcusłs sudden
push. Tammy threw the glass angrily. Marcus had walked away after hełd pushed
her sister, but the glass caught up to him and broke in pieces in front of him.
It had been two inches away from the manłs head, shocking him enough to keep
him in place.

�I was never good at one-handed throwing. Lucky I
only have one vase to concentrate on this time."

Marcus turned back at her words. Tammy faced him
straight on with a tight smile.

�Iłm going to say this quick, so listen, Marcus.
Donłt come near my sister. Donłt come near my husband. Donłt come near any of
my figurative ęlightened children.ł Donłt come near my moms or extended family.
Donłt ever think of calling my house again. Donłt even say my name in jokes.
Because if I ever see your face again"

Tammy made to throw the other glass. Marcus bent down
to avoid the shatter. He looked up when the glass didnłt fall.

�I knew you wouldnłt be able to throw"

Tammy was right in front of him. She brought the vase
hard against his head, but not enough to break the glass.

�What the fuck?!" He bent down to the floor, holding
his head.

�Iłm not playing around here, but if you want to try
me, then go ahead." She walked back to her sister and threw the glass behind
herself. It landed a foot away from Marcus. He blocked the pieces with his arms
but was still hit by a few shards.

�Iłm fucking leaving, crazy bitch! Glad I left you!"
He went to the elevator but kept looking anxiously back to Tammyłs walking
form. He ran to the emergency stairs instead, running all the way down.

�This is why they say not to mess with the quiet
ones" Thomas trailed off. �Youłre not hurt from that glass, right? Monica,
help her change. Iłll put the test in the bathroom." Thomas got up as Monica
checked her sister over. There was no visible damage, but she looked hardened.

Both of them walked back to the apartment without
talking. Monica handed Tammy her clothing in the bathroom, a matching t-shirt
dress in black. She finally let out a smile. She changed and then found the
test that Thomas at been talking about on the bathroom countertop.

A pregnancy test.

She held it in her hands and gave Monica a raised
brow.

�Ummwhat do you expect? You donłt remember your last
period, youłre tired and emotional and kind of hardcore right now. I figured
the only thing that would make you this way would be either a demon possession
or pregnancy."

Tammy rolled her eyes and returned to the bathroom.

�Both of them are wasting their time" she said. But
looking down at the box gave her a little pang of guilt. It was true that she
had stopped remembering her periods and had even given up on birth control
pills and condoms, but that was only because Ericłs baby talk had gotten to
her. The sooner she had someone who looked just like him and her, the sooner
her sudden urges would go away. Both the urge to stuff a pillow under her shirt
to see what she would look like pregnant, and the urge to answer when any child
was calling for their mother.

�I could try" She exited the bathroom after taking
the test. A little dreamily, she sat beside Monica with a nod she held her
hand. The other woman held back tightly.

 

* * * *

Tammy ran into her house, locking the door and
throwing off her shoes. She saw a light in the bedroom and ran toward it.

�Eric, Iłm" Her words cut off as she saw him sitting
on the bed beside an empty but opened suitcase.
An opened mailbox was beside his feet. It was a box with a familiar name
on the package. When she had gone shopping with Monica, Sun Dae and Yi Hee the
day of Mariałs fashion show, all of them had been talked into trying a new form
of birth control. The contest would give the winner a free yearłs supply.

�I guess I won," Tammy said. She smiled, but he did
not return it.

�How long have you been using birth control? I
thought that after we got married you would stop somehow. But itłs already been
a year. Why do you still need these things when wełre married?

�I feel like Iłm invisible in front of you, Tammy. I
seriously question whether you want to make a family here with me or if youłre
just waiting for someone better. I mean, I appreciate the way that you take
care of ęmy pleasureł in bed, but you hardly ever let me inside you Are you
using these pills so you can be with someone else?"

Eric wasnłt
yelling, but the tears poured down Tammyłs face even worse than if he was. She
knew Monica would most likely kill her for it, but she put the pills in the
garbage. She sat on Ericłs lap, wrapping her legs around his form.

�Sorry for not considering you and just acting on my
own. But Iłm not afraid to have a family with you." She pulled him closer,
feeling him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her body. �I really want our
family and our babies. Iłm in love with you, Hubby C."

�Why only now, though?" he asked.

�Because you
got me pregnant. Now take responsibility."

He couldnłt say anything as tears fell down his face.
He would only react with his body. He kissed her deeply, letting his tongue
embrace hers. He finally pulled away first with a smile.

�What was with
those birth control pills?"

�Your kind and lucky wife was woman-handed into
signing up for a contest with her sister and friends, and I won. Now your kind
and lucky wife wants to treat you to something special." Tammy grinded her
crotch down into Ericłs until she felt like she was going insane. The heat that
pooled into her pussy matched the wetness. It felt like if she didnłt stop
soon, she would become even more pregnant than she already was. �Do you think
it was easy for me to be away from this feeling? Itłs just that a woman needs
time to heal after round after round of such intense lovemaking. I felt like my
thighs were going to enter another galaxy if I didnłt stop for a while. But I
still wanted to please you"

�Iłd rather have the full thing, darling. And if your
legs are tired, donłt worry, Iłll do all the work." He rested her on the bed,
slowly going over her body as he took off both of their clothing and then
finally kissed her stomach. �Iłm going to be someonełs daddy."

Tammy looked up at the joy in Ericłs eyes, feeling like
she was seeing him for the first time. He had been feeling like an invisible
husband for a while, she figured. But she had made him into one of her actions.
She had been hurt by Marcus enough to forget about the great life she had now.
And Mariałs appearance had her concentrating on how to keep her great life,
instead of on the fact that her new husband made it great. Without her thinking about his feelings, he
became her invisible husband. But shełd realized the moment just before her
husband turned from invisible to simply gone.

The empty suitcase beside their naked bodies proved
itshe kicked at it. Eric held her in place, moving the suitcase under the bed
himself before returning to her body.

Tammy smiled.

But I smartened up, she thought. I deserve better
than what I put up with in the past. My scars are finally in check.

Eric ran his hands over her body, emitting moan after
moan from Tammy. He was back to doing what he did bestgiving her love. She
pulled him closer to herone body always, but now one mind as welland at that
moment she couldn`t think of a better place for her to be than under him,
receiving that love.

 

The End




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