Page 17 of Run with Me

“Papi!”Mikey called out as he ran across the church, his two-year-old feet barely able to keep up with his excitement.

“Hey, buddy. Donde esta tu mamá?” I heard John say before I turned the corner. When I did, I saw Mikey point toward me and then John came into view. I smiled at my soon-to-be husband, who would be assisting Father Francis in today’s mass. I walked up to him, and he kissed me on my cheek before pulling me in for an embrace.

“Hey, gorgeous. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’mfine.”

“Anna…”

“It’s okay, John. Today is a goodday.”

Over the past three years, the good days had been rare, and I took any good day that came my way in stride. But I knew that today would be tough the moment I woke up. It marked the three-year anniversary since Ben had broken into my house.

“Good. Are you going to the fiesta aftermass?”

“I’m not sure.” I shook my head. I hadn’t gone to the fiesta last year or the year before that, but this time I wanted to. I didn’t want Ben’s sins to define me, but it wasn’t easy. Unfortunately, the only memories I had from the celebration three years ago were the ones I wished I could forget. The only good thing that came out of that night was my son. Or our son, I should say. John had accepted Mikey as his own the moment the secret I’d kept from him began swelling in my tummy and I was forced to tell him the truth about the evening.

That night, he removed his father’s gun from an old chest and stormed out of the house. It took three strong men – his father, brother, and uncle – to stop him, but they had. John sobbed that night. He sobbed like I’d never seen a grown man sob, tears of sorrow and pain, flowing like rivers of sadness. They drained him. They made him question the good in this world, faith, and hope. It hurt seeing him that way, especially since he sobbed not only for me, but also for the baby that was growing in my womb. It didn’t deserve a mobster for a father.

I had moved out of the parish and in with John and his parents as soon as they found out that I was pregnant. While I was pretty sure they were aware whose child I’d carried and gave birth to, they accepted Mikey as their grandson in the same way that John had accepted him as hisown.

“I’ll be the father,” he said, the night I told him the truth.

“What?”

“Don’t tell Ben. Don’t let that child anywhere nearhim.”

“John, I can’t ask that ofyou.”

“You don’t have to ask me. It’sdone.”

“Ben will suspect. He’ll know. He’ll… he’ll want mybaby.”

“Then let’s beat him to the punch. Let’s announce the pregnancy now. We’re engaged. It’s only expected that children would benext.”

“But we’re not married. What will everyone think? Their deacon has a child born out of wedlock?”

“Half this town was born out of wedlock, but if you want to get married, then we’ll do it tomorrow.”

“You’d do that for me? You would really raise him as yourown?”

He gently touched his hand to the slightly rounded bump over my belly. “Yes. I’d do anything for you and this innocent life, Anna. You knowthat.”

I did know that. My heart squeezed so hard afterward, that by the end of the night, those rivers he’d cried earlier were filled with my tears instead ofhis.

“Thankyou.”

“Hey, what’s the matter?” He lifted my chin with his finger.

“I… I wanted you to be my first.”

“I still will be, baby.”

“But… what Bendid...”

“What he did… that’s not your first. It never will be, okay? What he did was brutal, and I promise you that one day he will pay for it. He” – John pointed up to the sky – “will be our judge. And remember that what Ben did doesn’t change the fact that you’re the most beautiful, purest, and bravest woman I have ever known.”

That night, for the first time, John showered me with kisses and showed me how much he loved me. I hadn’t thought much of what Ben had done to me since then and did my best to concentrate on my new family. We decided to wait with our vows and promised we’d get married as soon as the Cortez family left town. We made it our mission to bring safety back to Pace. I volunteered for the youth group, turned to prayer, and so did John. We prayed for strength and patience, but most of all, we prayed for peace.

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