Wounded Love (G Street Chronicles Presents From Love to Loathe Series) (32 page)

I didn’t open anything until I got back home. I did something I’d never done before. I pulled out one of her wine glasses and poured a glass of her favorite Pinot. I took a couple of sips, and it wasn’t that bad. I waited another fifteen minutes and then opened the letter addressed to me.

“Jyme, My Love, My Soul mate, The father of my children, My Everything, My First, And the absolute BEST thing that’s EVER happened to Me,

I love you so much; and I am so sorry for all of this. If you’re reading this, then things didn’t turn out the way we had expected. First things first; the contents of the safe deposit box. I have the account set up for the next ten years, so there will be monthly deposits. I know you’re well off and I hope that continues, but if it doesn’t, I have a backup plan for you. I’ve made a DVD for the children. I just wanted them to see my face and to hear my voice. It’s only about thirty minutes or so, but I wanted them to know me. Give Babe a pair of the diamonds on her sixteenth birthday and then the other pair on her wedding day. As for the cricket ring, I can’t tell you what that ring means to me. Troy knew I wanted it and he had it repaired with the original diamonds. I can’t tell you what to do with it because you gave it to me. So, I’m giving it back to you. I know I can’t take it wherever I am now. As for the children’s savings bonds, I’m sure you know what to do with them.

Now, the black box…”

I opened the small black box. It was a thick, dark gray band covered in tiny small-engraved crickets. The inside of the band read, “You’re my best”. I turned the ring around and around in my hand. I picked the letter back up.

This was supposed to be your wedding ring
,
but I never had a chance to give it to you. The engrave inside… well, I’m sure you know by now that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m sorry I couldn’t be everything you wanted. I tried my best, I really did;, but once wounded I guess always wounded.

Jyme, I know I am not in a situation to ask you for any favors, but I beg of you for this. I would like for Chelle and Ayashe to be the children’s godmothers and D’Artagnan to be their godfather. I know you never cared for him, but he’s saved me more than once and I owe him so much. Please let him know the children. I want him to be a part of their lives. I want you two to be friends, if that’s possible. I love you both for two very different reasons.

It should be safe for you to go and get the children now. If you’ve tried already, I’m sure you know now. But you aren’t allowed to get them until you have this letter. I have also enclosed the codes for the children at pickup. Nan will not… and possibly did not, let you have them without this.

0012000200140002, 1198883245111009, 3331299878000221.

Please ask Chelle, Ayashe, and your mother for help if you need it. I’m sorry I can’t help you raise them. I don’t really remember my parents, so I don’t know the first thing about it. But babe, you grew up in a loving home and a caring community. You taught me how to love; there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you can do this. Tell them all the good things about me, and when little Babe is grown, tell her the absolute truth and leave nothing out. If Michael ever has to come to you for help, please Jyme, help him anyway you can. We both owe him. Your mother raised a fabulous man. I hope and pray you teach the children to be just like you. I know you’re not a churchgoer, but please take the children to church. I don’t know what denomination I am; but I’ve always liked the Catholic Churches.

Jyme, please find them a mother; find them someone who can teach them all the motherly things I could not. You’re beautiful inside and out. Long or short hair, it doesn’t matter, I always liked them both; but I loved you more. I’m sure I’ll be watching over you guys no matter where I am; heaven or hell, or maybe God will let me sit in between the lines. I love you and I never stopped loving you. Take care of our babies; hug, and kiss them every single day. I’ve done all that I could to make you guys safe; but if you need a safe haven, you know where to go.

Forever Yours,

Cricket

Thank You For Finding Me and Keeping Me Safe.

I sat there at the kitchen table and cried for a few hours. I watched Puget Sound from the kitchen window. I let my mind reminisce about the time when everyone came over and we all played outside like kids. That was one of the happiest moments in my life. I had tried three times to get the kids, but Nan told me each and every time, they weren’t ready yet. She promised me I would get instructions on when they would be, and I now had confirmation; I knew Cricket had a plan for us. I pulled the DVD out and placed it into the laptop tray. Cricket’s smiling face popped on the screen, and I was enchanted by her instantly all over again. She spoke to all three children calling them by their full names. She told them how we met and described their births. I noticed how she was fair with the storytelling of all three; even the twins. She made each story important, and she had the same animated excitement for all three. She ended the DVD by telling them she was sorry for not being there with them, but that she’d left them in good hands. She told Babe if she needed girly stuff to go to Aunt Chelle, Aunt Ayashe, Aunt Patty, and Grandma. She told the boys they had plenty of men to help them with stuff so just to pick one. She told them she loved them very much and if they ever wanted to talk to her, that they should. She told them she would be listening to them no matter where she was. She closed her eyes and then she said, “Take care of the babies, Jyme. I love you,” and then the screen went black. I didn’t get out of bed for the next three days.

Mom and I arrived in Nashville on that fourth evening after I read her letter. We rented a van and went straight to Aunt Nans. Cricket left me the codes I was to punch in on the back of her letter she wrote to me. We made it through the gates and then through the doors. The compound was heavily secured. We went through the same exact procedures as before. We were taken to a room, and we waited. They brought little Babe in first, and she ran straight to the blocks. Her attendant went and sat in the corner. I went over and sat on the floor next to her. She was giggling and talking with herself. Mom followed me and sat right beside me. Babe handed me a block and told me to share. I handed the block over to mom and then Babe handed me another block and told me I was a good boy. I guessed they had been learning how to share in her classes.

Her hair swayed down her back, and I noticed it was the texture of mine, but thick like her mother’s. Her skin was darker than mine was, but not as dark as her mother’s. When she smiled, it tugged at my heart.

“She looks just like her,” mom whispered.

The door opened again, and Chyna and Cinnamon walked in holding the boys. They looked the room over expectantly and then faded. I saw the disappointment in their eyes. They were looking for
her
and so was I. Deep down inside, I always thought she was here, but with those looks, I realized she was gone.

Chyna handed me my son, who was wearing blue, and Cinnamon handed mom the boy in red. They went and sat on the cushion blocks silently.

“Which is which?” I whispered.

Mom was in complete awe of both of them. She looked at the one she was holding, and then she’d look at the one I was holding. Babe played with her blocks and did not pay any of us any attention.

“You have Makael, and she has Christopher,” Chyna said.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Makael has a birthmark on his forearm, and Christopher’s is on his butt.”

Babe ran over to Cinnamon and gave her a block.

“Good girl, Babe,” Cinnamon said with much enthusiasm. Babe smiled, giggled, and went back to her blocks. The boys were sleeping soundlessly in our arms. They didn’t mind the noise coming from their big sister. I imagined they were used to it by now.

“Have you heard from her?” Chyna asked in a small voice. I looked up and shook my head.

“But you had the code to get in; she had to have given you the code.”

“I tried tracking down the postage from the bank. But I had no luck with that. She had the bank send me some papers, and when I went, there was safe deposit box with instructions. She left the kids a DVD and then some personal belongings for me to keep.”

Chyna’s hands went over her face, and Cinnamon wrapped her arms around her. Both of them were trying to keep it together, but it was hard.

“She left strict instructions for us all,” Cinnamon said.

“What did she tell you to do?”

They both looked at me, and then Cinnamon spoke, “We’re not supposed to tell you. She made us swear not to tell you.”

“What about the babies? You won’t see them again?”

“She told us to give you a few years, and then we were to contact you,” Cinnamon said.

I nodded; Cricket had her reasons for everything. I knew I could trust her; she had given her life up for all of us.

We exchanged email addresses and told each other to contact Aunt Nan if there was an emergency. She would now be the intermediary, and she had all of our contact information.

I saw Michael before I left; he was growing like a weed. I saw more of Troy in him, and all I could do was hope he didn’t end up like his twisted fuck of a father. Chyna and Cinnamon kissed the kids goodbye, and we left Aunt Nan’s.

I think of that day now more and more often. Cinnamon and Chyna contacted me a few weeks ago, and we’re meeting here at the house tomorrow. It will be Christmas Eve and Babe’s sixth birthday. Everybody will be here. I can’t wait for them to see the kids. They’ve grown so much since the last time they saw them. We’ve exchanged pictures through emails, of course; but there’s nothing like the real thing.

This morning, I got the kids fed and dressed, and we all piled up in the truck and headed for the market. Every weekend, we go to the market. Mom goes along now, and she normally keeps the boys in the trailer out back while we work. Babe insists on staying out with me; so we eventually got her a high-rise chair, a podium, and a platform to sit on. She plays the music through speakers and would announce when the orders are ready. She loves every single minute of it. During a break, Babe and I go for cotton candy down at one of the candy tents. Babe loves the multicolor one, and I like the blue one. We were heading back to our tent when we met up with Loon. He was murdering a hotdog hoagie, and Babe and I laughed at his facial expressions. Babe tripped over a loose power cord and fell onto the ground, skinning her knee and ripping a hole in her tights. She whined and wailed until I picked her up, kissed her boo boo, and made it all better.

We were getting ready to start back walking toward the tent when I thought I saw someone. The figure must have noticed me as well, because it wasn’t moving fast away from us through the crowd. I handed Babe over to Loon, who wasn’t done eating his hoagie. He dropped it and cursed me while taking hold of Babe.

“I’ll be right back,” I shouted over my shoulder as I started running in the direction the figure had gone. I bumped into, and stumbled over men, women, and even children. I was cursed at and pushed right back until I saw a wide path now and knew the figure must have come through this way because people were facing the opposite direction looking back at whoever had come busting through. I finally saw the figure, and it was almost at the gates. I knew I would never find it once it made it out. It wore dark denim jeans, a black hoodie, and black sneakers. I knew as soon as I saw the black sequins dancing from the light on her shoes, that it was
her
.

“Cricket!” I yelled through the crowd.

She slowed, and then she stopped completely. She didn’t turn to face me; she just stood there. I walked up behind her. The crowd was still moving, but there were over a hundred eyes on us now.

“Look at me.”

I looked down and saw an ass I would recognize in any pair of jeans from anywhere. She had the hood over her head, but I had seen her face back in the market and knew it was her instantly.

“Don’t you want to see the babies before you run off? Come with me. The boys are in the trailer with mom.”

“I can’t,” she whispered.

She took two steps, and I caught her arm.

“Don’t walk away from me…not like this. Turn around, and tell me goodbye,” I choked out. She turned slowly toward me. Her red eyes met mine. She looked exactly the same, and she was as beautiful as ever. I wrapped her up in my arms and buried my face in her neck. She whimpered, and then I yanked her arm and forced back the tears and halfway drug her with me. She didn’t speak a word.

There were still a few people looking at us from the spectacle a few minutes ago; but the majority of the now new crowd didn’t pay us much mind at all. I pulled around the outskirts of the market back toward the trailers. She jogged, keeping up with my long steps. I gripped her forearm tightly. I knew she would never get loose unless I released her, and I did not intend to release her. I heard the speakers blasting, and Babe was announcing someone’s order. The crowd was too thick for us to see the tent. We walked around the back, past the trucks, and right in front of the trailer.

“Jyme, don’t do this to them,” she whispered quickly.

“Why not?”

“I can’t stay, and it’s not fair to them if you do this.”