Page 37 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

Summer was right there, wrapping her body around mine the best she could. She didn’t speak, she didn’t have to. All I needed was her to be there, to not let me fall into a black puddle of my own misery. But it was hard, so hard not to break in half under the weight of responsibility and overwhelming grief.

I was a father.

And I had no fucking idea what to do. My body convulsed as the tears fell to the coverlet. Summer turned me around and gestured for me to sit. Once I was stable, she crouched and removed my shoes and socks one at a time, then my shirt. Next, she grabbed my hands, and I followed her lead, standing up while she undid my pants and slipped them off me until I was in my boxer briefs and nothing else. Then she led me to one side of the bed where she pulled the covers back.

“Get in, honey,” she encouraged.

My mind was so fried I did exactly as she said. My eyelids became heavier with each passing second as I watched her remove everything she was wearing but her panties. Then she slipped my t-shirt over her head, and it fell to just past her curvy ass. She left the door wide open, the hall light on, probably forTJ, in case he woke up and needed us, and flicked off the room’s lights. I felt her crawl into bed, wiggle until she was spooned up behind me, and tucked her face against the back of my neck.

“We’re going to make it through this, Jack. It will take time, but I’ve got you. Goodnight.” She kissed the back of my neck, and I grabbed her hand that was near my stomach, pulled it up to my mouth, kissed her fingers and held it next to my heart.

* * * *

The smell of coffee and the sound of someone singing a lullaby woke me from a deep sleep. Within seconds, all that had happened the day before came rushing back in a deluge of horrible images.

Hearing Ellen was in a coma.

Racing to the hospital and holding TJ.

Seeing Ellen in that hospital bed.

Having to say goodbye to someone I loved.

I jumped out of bed and raced the ten steps down the hall to TJ’s room. It was empty. Overwhelming panic unlike anything I’d ever felt before slammed into my chest like an oncoming bullet train. Then I heard the singing again. I dashed down the hall, following the sound, my heart beating double-time as I stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. There was Summer, TJ on her hip, sucking milk from a sippy cup while she scrambled some eggs. Already on the counter were cut-up strawberries and banana chunks, all perfectly sized for a child.

With my heart in a vise, I braced my hand on the counter and watched them.

Summer was a natural, singing and rocking TJ, all while cooking breakfast as if she’d done this every day of her life. She snuffled against TJ’s neck until the boy squealed with laughter and patted her cheek with his free hand.

“TJ in his PJs,” she sang and snuffled against him again to be rewarded with another squeal.

I cleared my throat, and her gaze lifted to mine and she smiled wide. My heart stopped for a full beat as I took in the most beautiful sight. Summer smiling, TJ turning to look at me and grinning with those adorable chubby cheeks. If I hadn’t known better, the two looked like mother and son. His blue eyes matched hers almost perfectly. The smiles both cheesy and big along with rosy cheeks. Their skin tone was even a similar summery bronze much like my own.

“Dada Yak!” TJ called out and made a grabby hand.

I went over to the boy and hefted him into my arms, hugging him close. “Eeeeegggg,” he dragged out the word egg in English and pointed at the pan.

Summer clapped. “Good boy!”

“Ga boy!” he parroted back to her.

“Good boy! Yay! TJ! You are so smart. Look at you learning English already!” She grabbed his hand, gave it a big kiss and then went back to the eggs. “Coffee’s ready, do you mind pouring us a cup? I’m almost finished with his breakfast,” she said.

“How’s my boy this morning?” I asked TJ and kissed the top of his head.

He patted my face and said, “Dada Yak, eeeeggggg!”

I chuckled as I got down two cups.

“Soup’s on!” Summer called out and prepared the scrambled eggs and fruit onto a tri-sectioned kid plate that had animals on it.

I brought Troy Jack to his chair and buckled him in then pushed him close to the table the way I had done many times before when sharing meals with Ellen and TJ.

Summer put the plate in front of TJ, and he immediately went for a berry.

“Oh, he needs his silverware. Ellen was teaching him how to eat with utensils.”

“Cool!” Summer snapped her fingers and then went to the appropriate utensil drawer as if she’d lived here forever and cooked in this kitchen all the time. She pulled out a toddler fork and passed it to me.

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