Finding Sunshine (22 page)

I hadn’t realized until this very second just how much I want a future and a family with this woman. I just pray to God—something I haven’t done since my parents’ death—that she still wants a future with me once I tell her the truth about my past.

Pulling her even more tightly into my arms, I state, “When the time comes, we’ll just stop trying
not
to get pregnant.”

Nina drops her body back against mine with a sigh. “That makes no sense at all.”

“It makes prefect sense,” I argue, rocking her gently in my arms. “Think about it. Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d love some.”

Nina makes no effort to move, so I shake her gently saying, “Sunshine, you’ve got to get up, if you want your coffee.”

Nina reluctantly stands and I follow, kissing the top of her head. Once I make my woman’s coffee, just the way I know she likes it, I return to the table where she is relaying her night to Sarah. I set the coffee mug in front of her and place a kiss on her temple before grabbing a chair and sitting down next to her.

I haven’t mentioned Franklin’s offer to anyone yet. I’m not even sure if it was a job offer, or rather an opportunity to be interviewed. Before the group had departed the bar, he handed me his business card. Told me to give him a
jingle
.

Franklin D. Royal, CPA

The Sauvageaux Group, LLC

Pinetree, Vermont

I couldn’t help laughing as I wondered if Teddy’s business card says
enforcement
as his function within the ‘group.’ The job they spoke of may be legal, but their organization is far from it. As enticing as it may be, my Nina is here in Boston, and I’m not sure getting involved with them would be a step forward for me.
Or for us
.

“Do you remember asking the priest to spank you?” I chuckle at her.

“What? I did not!”

“Oh, you sure did,” I tease.

“What priest?” Sarah asks between fits of laughter.

I ignore the question.

“I’m going to hell, aren’t I?” Nina asks, hugging my arm and putting her head on my shoulder.

“You?
Never
.” I kiss the top of her head, breathing in the familiar sweetness that is my Nina.

Letting go of my arm, Nina pushes back her chair, stands up, and grabs her mug. “I better go start getting ready.”

I watch her and Russell leave to head down towards the basement.

“Don’t forget to leave a few minutes early, so you have time to stop and get flowers,” Sarah says, attempting to wipe up the mess that Harry has made of himself.

“What flowers?” I turn and look at her, confused.

Was I missing something?

“The ones you should buy for Nina’s mom.” Sarah rolls her eyes at me, as if this was the most obvious answer in the world.

“Nina didn’t say anything,” I say, confused.

“Of course she didn’t. The idea has to come from you.”

“But it didn’t. It came from you.”

“I don’t count. I’m your sister. I’m supposed to remind you how to woo a girl properly,” she states exasperatedly.

“’Woo a girl properly?’” I laugh, standing up and clearing the dishes from the table.

“Do you want to make a good impression or not?” Sarah asks, taking the dishes from where I’d placed them on the counter and rinsing them off, before putting them in the dishwasher.

“You know I do,” I say, before sighing and admitting, “I need all the help I can get.”

We hear a
bang
as the backdoor slams closed.

“I’m back,” Bennet calls out, returning from his morning run.

“We’re in the kitchen.” Sarah says, just as he walks through the door, red-faced and breathing hard.

“I’m kinda nervous.” I confess verbally, for the first time. I lean my back against the counter and cross my ankles, bowing my head.

For the past few days I’ve been in denial, not wanting to think about what meeting Nina’s parents means. I know she’s too good for me, and they obviously love her. So no mater how I portray myself, they’ll know the truth—my Sunshine could do much better.

“That’s right, you’re meeting the parents today,” Bennett says with a smile. He moves over towards the refrigerator, grabs a bottle of water, and asks, “Why are you nervous?”

“I don’t know,” I say in a stage whisper. “Maybe it’s because I’m an ex-con, who lives in his sister’s basement, and is a part-time bartender and dog trainer?”

“First of all, you’re an
ex
-con. Not a recent convict. Nor are you involved in any illegal activates now. Secondly, you don’t live with your sister. We share our family home—” Sarah says, before Bennett cuts her off.

“You could even say, you’re a homeowner.”

“Yes!” Sarah says excitedly, before continuing. “Plus, you don’t just have one job, but two.”

“Don’t forget, you also have a college degree from a good university,” Bennett adds in, grabbing a banana from the bowl on the counter.

“That’s right!” Sarah says. “See, there’s no reason for you to be nervous.”

“Thanks, sis,” I say, stepping forward and giving her a quick hug.

“So, what are you wearing?” Sarah asks.

Wearing?

I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “I’ll have Nina pick something out.”

Sarah nods her head and smiles with satisfaction at my answer.

“Tell Aaron that he needs to buy Nina’s mom flowers if he wants to make a good first impression,” Sarah demands of Bennett, turning back towards the sink to continuing her cleaning.

“Well, I don’t recommend buying her what I bought you,” Bennett chuckles, finishing off his bottle of water.

“Wait, what did you buy him?” Sarah asks, turning back around to face us.

“Nothing,” Bennett says quickly, just as I truthfully reply, “Porn.”

“Traitor,” he mutters, half glaring and half laughing at me.

“
What
?” Sarah says, her voice an octave higher than usual.

“I was visiting him—” Bennett begins, and then quickly scans the kitchen, clearly looking to be sure that Nina wasn’t around. Once he confirms that the coast is clear, he continues, “—in prison. I thought he could use it.”

“It was appreciated.” I give him a small fist bump and laugh at the memory. When he had walked into the visitor’s room at the prison, I hardly recognized him. The last time I saw Bennett before then, he’d been a scrawny, geeky teenager, complete with big glasses and a face covered in acne. He still wore the glasses, but he had bulked up, was clean-shaven, and walked in the door wearing a tailored suit. He could’ve passed as a lawyer. I remember telling him that he better treat my sister right, because I wasn’t going to be in prison forever. Bennett had only smiled and said he was glad that I was still the guy he had remembered me to be.

“You two are disgusting,” Sarah snaps, slamming the door to the dishwasher closed. She grabs Harry and leaves Bennett and I standing in the kitchen, laughing.

~:~:~:~:~

In no time, I’m driving my truck over the
Sagamore Bridge
and onto the Cape. I’ve got Nina sitting next to me, looking gorgeous as ever, and a bunch of fresh flowers for her Mom siting on the dashboard.

“I’ve never really done this,” I admit. Turning quickly to see her confused face, I add, “Meeting the parents.”

“That makes the two of us. I’ve never brought anyone home, either,” Nina says, reaching out and laying her hand on my arm. “I’m wicked excited for them to meet you.”

I move one hand off the steering wheel and link our fingers together. Bringing our joined hands up to my lips, I kiss the back of her hand before placing them both on my thigh.

Then my gut tightens.

I feel like a fraud.

During the entire drive, I’ve been chanting to myself all of the positive attributes that Sarah and Bennett had come up with for me earlier.
Employed. College degree. Homeowner.
I may be an ex-con, but they don’t know that.

Neither does my Sunshine.

“Remember, their names are Suzy and Bobby,” Nina says, breaking through my thoughts.

“I’ll start off with Mr. and Mrs. King, until they tell me otherwise.”

“It’s Gupta, not King.”

“Fuck. Right, sorry. Mr. and Mrs. Gupta. Got it,” I say nervously, squeezing her hand more tightly.

When we arrive at the large, beachfront house, I’m stunned by the surroundings. The house is set back on a long drive, and sits on a small cliff, overlooking the beach.

Nina’s parents greet us enthusiastically, and I can feel the love they have for their daughter. The obvious joy they have in seeing her is palpable. It reminds me of home—
when my parents were alive
. Whenever Sarah and I would come home from living on campus, they would greet us the same way.

“Mrs. Gupta, these are for you.” I say, holding out the bouquet of flowers to the woman who looks—except for the blue eyes—exactly like an older version of my woman.

“Please, it’s Suzy,” she says, giving me Nina’s identical smile. Then she takes the flowers and exclaims, “These are lovely! Aren’t they lovely, Bobby?”

“Nina-love, your mother has missed you!” Mr. Gupta says, pulling her into a hug. I’m momentarily surprised by his British accent, but then I remember Nina telling me that he had been born and raised in London.

“I've missed you too, Dad.” Nina says, wrapping her arms around him as he pulls her into a tight hug.

“You know I love you, correct?”

“Of course I do. I love you, too,” Nina declares happily. After looking at him for a moment, she asks, “What's the matter?”

“Nothing, my little love,” he replies with a smile.

“This is Aaron.” Nina turns in his arms to introduce us.

“It’s good to meet you, son. Our Nina can’t stop talking about you,” Mr. Gupta says, smiling down at his daughter.

“Dad!” Nina smacks his shoulder lightly in embarrassment, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.” I say, reaching out and shaking his hand.

“Bobby, please.”

“Well, come on in. Lunch is almost ready. I hope you’re hungry,” Mrs. Gupta says, leading the procession into the kitchen.

It is clear that my Nina has been nurtured and cared for in no small amount of love and warmth here.

No wonder she is pure sunshine.

~ Nina ~

“You’re not vegetarian or a vegan are you? Nina didn’t say anything about you having any dietary restrictions.” Mom rambles nervously, as she places a large salad bowl on the round kitchen table.

“No. I’ll eat pretty much anything.” Aaron answers, before asking politely, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, you just make yourself comfortable.” Mom instructs Aaron, as she continues to flutter around the kitchen.

I’m not sure who’s more nervous about making a good impression, Mom or Aaron, who keeps tucking his hair behind his ears—one of his more adorable habits. I entwine my fingers with his and lead him over towards the table, where Dad has already sat down.

“Pumpkin, come and help me,” Mom calls. I walk into the U-shaped kitchen and pick up several glasses of ice water, bringing them to the table.

Soon we are all seated around the table, enjoying Mom’s delicious lunch—homemade barbeque chicken pizza with a fresh spinach salad. It’s my favorite, topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing, feta cheese, and strawberries.

I can tell Aaron has made a good impression on my parents, thus far. He has thanked them for inviting him, complimented Mom’s cooking, and has politely answered all of Dad’s millions of questions—mainly about his friends and family.

I hadn’t been lying when I told Aaron that I was excited for him to meet my parents. After my initial wave of anxiety, I realized that I wanted the two people who I love most in the world to get to know the man I am quickly falling completely in love with.

“Nina mentioned that you graduated from BC on a basketball scholarship. What did you study?” Dad asks, taking a bite of his salad.

“Business Administration,” Aaron answers, after swallowing his bite of pizza.

“No wonder you’re helping Nina create her business,” Dad says with a smile. “She has talent, and should be using it.”

“
Dad
,” I say in embarrassment, picking up my glass and taking a sip.

“I agree,” Aaron says, reaching under the table to squeeze my hand.

“I tell her she should be happy in this life, and worry about money in the next. Do you not agree?” Dad asks.

“Yes. A job isn’t worth doing unless you enjoy it,” Aaron states, turning to smile brightly at me.

“Do you enjoy training dogs?” Dad asks, taking a sip of his water.

“Yes, I love working with them.”

“How did you get into doing something like that?” Mom asks with curiosity, putting down her fork and giving him her complete attention.

I feel Aaron stiffen slightly next to me, then shift in his seat almost nervously. My automatic response is to put my hand on his leg, hoping to relax his tension. He grabs my hand and holds it tightly before answering.

“I’ve always loved dogs, and I fell into the position. An opportunity arose to do something new, and I took it,” he answers cryptically. His vague response makes me wonder—
once again
—what the real story is.

“This is good. You must seize opportunities when they arise. You never know if or when they will come about again,” Dad comments sagely. “Truthfully, I like dogs, but not in the house. They relieve themselves, lick their privates, and then you let them lick you? This is disgusting, no?”

Aaron chuckles, and I can’t help laughing myself.

Golly! It really is disgusting.

“It is gross when you think about it,” Aaron concedes with a smile.

“I’m definitely not letting Russell lick my face anymore.” I say, scrunching up my nose and returning to my salad. Aaron’s continued laughter is joined by my parents’.

“Nina has shown us pictures of your dog. She’s always loved animals,” Mom comments.

“She was chasing after one, the day I found her and Suzy,” Dad adds.

“You mean, the day we found
you
,” Mom argues back, giving him a hard stare.

“Trust me, Aaron, that’s not how it happened.” Dad persists, shaking his head and taking hold of my Mom’s hand and kissing it gently.

“Don’t worry. They’ve been arguing about this for the past twenty years.” I inform Aaron, rolling my eyes and spearing a large bite of salad with my fork.

“How did you two meet?” Aaron asks with interest, looking back and forth between them.

“Nina must have been about four, and I had taken her to the carrousel on Boston Common. She was standing next to me in line for popcorn one second, and the next, I looked down only to see that she was gone. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare. Scared me half to death, I tell you,” Mom begins telling the story.

“Our Nina had seen a dog, and wondered off, following it.
I found her,
” Dad continues, emphasizing ‘I found her’ with a smile and a wink. “She was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, crying. People where walking by, completely ignoring her, and I had no idea what to do. Between sobs, she kept telling me that she couldn’t talk to me, because her mother said not to speak to strangers—”

“I was frantic, when
I finally found
them sitting there,” Mom interrupts. “But then I recognized Bobby as one of the doctors at the hospital where I was working as a nurse. I had always thought he was
so
handsome,” she adds, giving him a loving smile. “Otherwise, I think I would’ve lost my mind seeing some strange man talking to my daughter.”

“The entire situation gave us an excuse to meet, since we worked in separate wards. It was her smile that enchanted me first,” Dad says, kissing the back of Mom’s hand again.

“I know what you mean,” Aaron says softly, placing his hand on my knee and leaning over to kiss my cheek sweetly.

My cheeks redden in embarrassment. I link my arm with his and bury my face in his shoulder.

Once Dad had exhausted himself asking Aaron questions, Mom moved on to telling him any and every embarrassing story she could think of.

“When Nina was little, she never understood why her last name was King. She’d say, ‘Mommy, I’m a girl. I should be a queen not a king.’” Mom says, laughing. Both Aaron and Dad join in with her amusement at my naiveté.

“You can stop with the embarrassing stories now.” I huff, crossing my arms against my chest. I lean back and attempt to sink further into my chair.

Maybe them meeting Aaron wasn’t such a good idea—I want him to like me, not run away as fast as possible.

After lunch, we all move into the cozy family room to relax and have tea. So far things are going really well, and I can tell that my parents are being completely charmed by Aaron.
Who wouldn’t be?

“Do you like American football?” Dad asks, making himself comfortable in his favorite recliner.

“Bobby!” Mom admonishes, rolling her eyes at him as she sits down on the sofa beside me, placing her cup neatly on the end table.

“What? I’m just asking the boy a question,” Dad says defensively.

“Yes, the Patriots of course,” Aaron answers from his place on my other side.

“Good!” Dad says excitedly. “Next season, we’ll get tickets and go to a game together. The ladies can spend the day shopping or whatever they usually get up to.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“I’m not invited?” I ask, faking a pout.

“No, love.” Dad says firmly, before turning to Aaron and explaining, “The first time I took them to a game, our little Nina fell asleep during the first quarter.”

“Dad. I was five and in a carb-induced coma from too many cheesy pretzels,” I argue back, taking a tentative sip from my steaming cup.

I inwardly groan as I watch Dad set his cup down before getting up and walking over towards the mantle, where he picks up an old photograph. It’s the one taken at that very game, where I’m curled up on his lap, sound asleep.

Dad walks back to the sofa. After placing his teacup on the coffee table, Aaron takes the photograph.

“Wasn’t she adorable?”

“
Dad
,” I whine, knowing that he’s now heading into a full-on trip down memory lane.

“Look at you, Sunshine. You’re so tiny, and with all that hair. You were adorable,” Aaron says, looking warmly down at the photograph.

“Were?” I ask, scowling at him, though I’m unable to hide my smile.

“Are?” he corrects himself. Laughing and reaching out, he tugs gently on a curl that had escaped my ponytail before tucking it neatly behind my ear.

“Would you like to see some more pictures?” Mom asks brightly.

“Mom!”

“Of course,” Aaron says, handing the photograph back to Dad.

“Good. Bobby, you go and get the album, and I’ll get us some cookies to go with our tea,” Mom says, standing up and heading towards the kitchen. Dad quickly returns the photograph to the mantle and heads out in search of our family album.

“Aaron, you’re not helping,” I hiss at him when my parents have both left the room.

“What? It’s only fair, you’ve seen all my pictures hanging on the walls.”

“You’re not naked in any of them.”

“Oh, I’ve seen you naked,” Aaron says, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“If you want to ever see me naked again, you’ll stop encouraging them,” I warn him with a scowl. He chuckles, putting his arm around me and kissing the top of my head.

“I’m not kidding!” I state, pulling away to stare up at him. His blue eyes are light and clear, twinkling with laughter.

Golly, I could get lost in them forever.

Once my parents have finished subjecting Aaron to the large photo album, and I’ve given him a tour of the house
—
including my childhood bedroom
—
we headed home.

Home.

When did I begin thinking of Aaron’s house as home?

“That wasn’t too bad, was it?” I ask, as we pull out of the driveway.

“No, your parents are great,” he answers with a smile, entwining our fingers and resting them on his knee. “When the weather’s nice, we’ll have to come back and bring Russell. He’d love to run along the beach and chase the seagulls.”

“That sounds like fun,” I say excitedly. I can already imagine the photographs I could take.

Maybe Aaron’s right. Having him meet my parent’s wasn’t so bad. Aside from my own embarrassment, it has been a wonderful afternoon. With the people I love.

~:~:~:~:~

“Sunshine?” Aaron calls from the open basement door.

“Hey,” I reply, just as I hear the undeniable sound of Russell and his steps descending the stairs.

Russell comes running up to greet me, wagging his tail and rubbing his body against my legs. Reaching down, I scratch him behind his ears as he continues to nuzzle up to me as close as possible. “Did you miss me today?”

“Of course I did,” Aaron answers for him, coming up behind me, wrapping me up in his warm arms and kissing my neck. “Russell did, too. What are you doing?”

“Packing.” I answer simply, as I continue to reorganize my suitcase, which is lying open on the bed in front of me. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the last few months, and still haven’t mastered how to keep clean and dirty clothes separated.

“Why?” he asks, tightening his hold on me and pulling me back further into his arms.

“Because when you leave for
St. Andrew’s
after dinner, I’m going to go back to the apartment.”

“You’re not sleeping here tonight?” he asks pitifully, letting go of me. I feel the loss of his warmth as he steps back. Then, placing his hands on my shoulders, he turns me around to face him.

Stepping forward, I wrap my arms around his neck before answering, “No. I haven’t been back there all week, I need to do laundry—”

“We can do laundry here tomorrow.” He interrupts, before adding playfully, “Or better yet, we could just be naked all day. Who needs clean clothes?”

“I also need to get my mail, and I thought it’d be nice to give your sister and her family some privacy.”

“They all like you. You know it’s not a big deal for you to—”

“Yes, I know it’s fine, but they don’t need me hanging around all the time, especially when you’re not here.”

“Are you coming back?” he asks, his face drawn in an adorable scowl. I can’t help but push myself up on my tiptoes while pulling his head down, in order to leave several kisses along his furrowed brow and on the tip of his nose.

“I had planned to. Unless you’re breaking up with me,” I tease, attempting to lighten his mood.

“Never.” One hand moves into my hair, while the other cups my bottom firmly.

“What are you doing?”

“Convincing. You. To. Stay.” He states hoarsely, each word followed by a kiss along my neck and shoulder.

“Russell’s watching,” I protest breathlessly as he hits just the right spot, the one that has my resolve weakening.

~:~:~:~:~

“Did you have a good weekend?” Becca asks, reaching for the ketchup and squeezing some onto her plate.