Page 55 of Slow Burn
Amelia begins to cry, not her usual fussy tears, and I feel like shit. I hate that she upset her, hate that she is popping up like this. But, I hate it more that she's kind of right. I did try with Isabel, that's true. It did no good, and when I saw the end coming, I ended it. Now, again, I ended things when I didn't like the outcome.
I have a plan this time though. Because, for Brynn, and for Amelia, I want to keep my promise. I don't want to make the same mistake twice. And I want to make Brynn feel like the queen I see her as. The queen to my Princess and me. I want that fucking fairytale, castle, princes and Princess, and all.
I make one more promise to my daughter, like the many before about Brynn.
“I am getting mommy back, Princess. Starting today. Going to bring our queen back to our castle. Slay our dragons. Fairytale shit, nugget. Fairytale shit.”
It was time to get it right, do the fairytale some fucking justice.
It begins with flowers. Peonies. Blush pink and soft green bouquets that I send to the condo every day for a week. There is a card in each one, with just two words.Our Queen. Day five includes a surprise: concert tickets to Fleetwood Mac at Millennium Park. Spent weeks listening to them as we missed Brynn; Amelia is partial to Mirage.
I get a text moments after that special delivery.
Brynn: Levi.
Me: Honey.
Brynn: Tomorrow night?
Me: Please. We miss you, honey.
Brynn: Dozens of peonies show me as much. How, peonies? It's October.
Me: Anything for my queen, baby.
Brynn: Why? Why now?
Me: I wanted to give you a fairytale, honey. Can't build you a castle without the right bricks. Needs to be about us, first. You and me. I need to treat you like the queen I said you were to me, starting now. Slay our dragons, build our castle with the right bricks.
Brynn: What, exactly, do you mean by the right bricks? I'm the architect, remember.
Fuck, I loved her.Me: The bricks that are about me and you being me and you first. We don't need to start fresh because you know everything about me. Always did. And, I knew everything that mattered about you, honey. But, we do need to start over.
Brynn: As in... dating? Before love, marriage and the baby in the baby carriage, you mean?
Me: Exactly what I mean. Although putting a baby in your baby carriage is still my end game. All that other shit, too.
Brynn: Har Har. Fine. Tomorrow.
Me: Fuck, I miss you. Tomorrow, my queen.
I don't think I sleep that night. Between anxiety, fear, hope and the idea of seeing my girl again, I'm a fucking wreck. Amelia is up and down, as if she senses something too. I promise to her every time before I lay her down, that mommy is coming home. And I don't promise my Princess something I won't deliver on.
Hunter picks up Amelia and whisks Lola and baby Ford out of the condo before I show up. I love Lola like a sister, I do; just don't need her cock blocking me tonight. Doubt my cock is getting any actual action tonight, but still. When I knock at her door at six-thirty, another bouquet in my hands, I'm more scared than going up against my first fire.
Fuck. Me. Sideways.
Brynn is stunning. No doubt. Always knew I was a lucky motherfucker to have that woman on my arm. Tonight, I am reminded of how lucky. How stunning. How positively perfect she is. With all her flaws, all her freckles, all her imperfections that are so familiar to me I don't see them. I just see perfection.
In a flowy flowered dress, with a plunging neckline and slits in the thighs, she takes my breath away. For a moment, I literally can't breathe. Her fiery red waves tumble down her back, a cute felt hat atop her head, some gold jewelry dangling between her luscious tits, sliding up and down her slender wrist. Fuck. Me.
“Jesus Christ.” Her skin is flawlessly creamy, and she somehow got some sun in Boston, because it’s shimmery tan.
“What...what is...” Brynn glances at herself, biting her bottom lip as I stare at her.
“You....you are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on.” It's something I said to her before, all those months ago, but I mean it. She is so stunning, everything in me stops to admire it.
“Levi.” Freckles pop out on her nose, her cheeks and fuck, I love it.
