I can’t wait to see my big warrior covered in pink butterflies.
Our wedding doesn’t really count as a date, I suppose, but we did go dancing afterward. Or rather, I danced and Jason smoldered at me, his hands roaming over my hips, his skillful tongue sliding along that full lower lip…
Lord, pregnancy makes a woman horny. This day really could not come fast enough.
As a little girl, I imagined a fancy, elaborate wedding with doves and sparkles. A lot like the one I ran away from. Maybe I only expected an extravagant wedding because I was supposed to. Because that’s what I knew was waiting for me. How could I have known that a civil ceremony on a Wednesday in city hall would be the most romantic wedding I ever imagined? Jason assured me he believed in my ability to provide for myself and care for our baby, but he wanted me to have the benefits of his military service should the worst happen. And I wanted to give him that peace of mind. I wanted him to have every single reassurance before leaving, so he wouldn’t be distracted. It goes without saying that I wanted to marry the man more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
So we did. I married the love of my life. All because I reached for more within myself and found it. Found enough to offer someone and got more than I ever expected in return.
I’ve found my more. I ran toward an adventure and got one that will never end.
Beauty Queens Unlimited has taken on a life of its own. Contestants from all over South Carolina travel to Charleston for lessons and consultations. I make sure to keep a percentage of my schedule open for girls who can’t afford the lessons and do the work pro bono. Birdie is living on campus in Tallahassee and sometimes she stays at the St. Augustine house, which I hope to still visit often with Jason, because of the memories it represents.
Birdie drives up to Charleston frequently on the weekends, too. She likes helping me with my pro bono contestants most of all, and it gave me the idea to start the coaching scholarship in Natalie’s name. We’re keeping the memory of Birdie’s twin alive, but I watch Birdie become her own person a little more every time I see her. I think she might even have a boyfriend, but she’s not giving up the goods.
“There he is.”
At Birdie’s words, every cell in my body lights up and I can’t feel the pain in my feet anymore. I can feel nothing but an overflowing of gratitude to the universe for bringing my husband back to me. He’s descending the stairs of the plane like an action hero, a gear pack strapped to his back. His hair is longer, his beard bushy, and there might even be some new lines on his face. Everything about Jason makes him the most handsome, wonderful man I’ve ever seen in my life. My breath grows short watching him stride toward me, brow furrowed, cutting through other soldiers and members of the crowd. His expression is so intense, I wonder how I can stand when the ground is surely shaking.
“My God,” Jason rasps, encompassing Birdie and me in the tightest, most welcome hug of my life. I wrap myself around him and cling, positive I’m soaking his uniform with tears and not caring. “My God.” His voice shakes. “How am I the lucky bastard who comes home to this?”
“All right, all right, I feel the love,” Birdie says, breaking the hug and slugging him in the chest. “Kiss your bride, man, before she expires.”
Jason’s mouth lands before Birdie finishes her watery command, his lips parting mine on a broken sound. His calloused hands cradle my jaw on both sides, sliding into my hair to tilt my head. His mouth is ravenous on mine, but there’s so much underlying tenderness and awe, that I wonder if I’ll ever be able to stem the moisture leaking down my cheeks ever again. His tongue flickers against mine, then dives back in for a more thorough taste, before he pulls away with a frustrated growl that echoes in my womb.
That’s not all that’s happening in my womb. I take Jason’s hand and place it on my belly, so he can feel his son kicking, and I’ll never forget the look of wonder on his face as I press our foreheads together, smiling up into my most beloved face.
“Welcome home, Blackbeard.”
He releases an unsteady breath. “I’ll never leave you again, Naomi.”
THE END