Page 64 of Free-Falling
I now notice that everyone watched our father-daughter dance. Jagger spins me carefully and pulls me back in his arms as the song changes. “I realize I didn’t give you that first dance either, baby. Today, it’s all about you and making you see that you deserve the world.”
Roseby Jereena Montemayor plays. Does Jagger seriously stalk my playlist or what? I smile at him as one of his hands slides down my back and stays there. While the other one holds one of mine in his, leading me. I place my hand on his shoulder. Jagger leads like he always does and I follow, not because I can’t do it myself. No, I follow Jagger’s lead because he showed me what a genuine leader does. How good it feels to not always have to decide alone or do things for yourself.
“Stop looking at me like that.” Jagger says with the biggest grin on his face.
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling even more than I already am. “How is it you give people this facade of not caring what anyone has to say but all you do is care, Jags? How can you be so perfect, yet I didn’t see that at first?”
Jagger spins me out of his arms and then back in. “Because, baby, sometimes time gives you the ability to see things for what they are. Love takes time but doesn’t at the same time. Just like fucking. I didn’t rush the way I made your body feel, I didn’t hesitate to fuck you in such a way that I knew would rock your world, no. What I did, baby, was show you that time not only heals all wounds but pieces that shit back together so you can fucking love much harder. Deeper, pretty baby, just like I love you. Even if I got thumped over the head with a fucking brick or log whatever and lost my memory, the first name I’d whisper is yours when I opened these fucking eyes of mine. You’re engraved in my system, Ainslee. So yeah, others couldn’t see how much I care but baby, that’s okay because the only one who needed to see it was you. That’s it. That’s fucking all.”
I can’t help but fall more in love with this man. “You, Jagger Liam Hanlon are a man of many and few words. I could just kiss you right now.” I tease him.
“Then fucking kiss me.” He commands.
I smirk and don’t get the chance to say something slick as he kisses me like the very first time he kissed me. It was terrifying, uncontrolled because I didn’t know what was going on or why I felt that kissing him back was a crime but now… Now, this was the way I became me. Kissing Jagger just as fiercely taught me one thing; that this man is mine for life and nobody can ever have him but me.
After breaking apart, Jagger grabs the mic, and he walks me over to my seat as the guest of honor.
“Hey guys, thanks for coming!” He says enthusiastically. “Gonna keep it short cause I’m sure the wife has got some shit to say. Just thought I’d ask my best friend, Oran and my wife’s best friend, Mikonos to come up. Oh! Bring your cupcakes too, assholes.”
Jagger hands me the mic and takes a seat by me. “Hey, hey, guys! Like Jagger said, thank you for coming out to the baby shower—gender reveal. Now, we wanted to do this a little differently. Karessa, the wonderful woman and my honorary sister who put this whole thing together. Please bring your cupcake along with Guiny too. Don’t hide from me, I see you.” I wait for them to come up, I smile. “Please, eat your cupcakes.”
Mikonos eats half of it like he always does. “Mine is blue. The hell you need them to keep eating their cupcake for?” He asks like a clueless nut job.
Karessa bites into hers and shows that she gets blue. Then Guiny bites into hers, getting pink right along with Oran. They face Jagger and I, all confused. I hand Jagger the mic. He grins. “So, we wanted you guys to have certain cupcakes because we’re having twins!” He screams out the guests clap. Jagger waits for it to quiet down, then continues. “It’s a boy and girl so, godparents, Mikonos and Karessa, your godson name is Orion Liam Bishops-Hanlon.”
Jagger hands me the mic. “And Oran and Guiny, your goddaughter name is Jamie Oren with an ‘e’ Hanlon. You guys take care of her, yeah?”
I look at Oran, who seems shocked because we’d give his name to one of my babies. I smile at him. I love him like he’s my husband’s brother; my brother-in-law. He deserves this. He mouths thank you to me and I say the same to him.
Jagger
The baby shower was the best, and I thank Karessa for it. I don’t think Ainslee or I would’ve thought this detailed about this. I sit back at a table with Oran just like we did at his wedding. I watch my wife dance with Karessa and her sisters. I snicker at Ainslee’s dancing with her belly, she’s a nut and I love her for it.
“You knocked her up so nobody could grind on her, didn’t you?” Oran says besides me.
I roll my eyes but the smile doesn’t disappear. “You fucking right and I’d do it again just to show how much I enjoy fucking my wife.”
“The dirty man can’t even say make love. Just fuck.” Mikonos says as he sits on the other side of me.
I snicker. “I don’t have that in my vocabulary. If you haven’t noticed, fuck was my first word out of my mother’s womb.”
“I’ve noticed. So, it’s funny, isn’t it?” Mikonos says.
“What is?” Oran asks, sipping his drink.
“That Ainslee would name her daughter after you. I just don’t see the appeal.” Mikonos states.
Oran flips him the finger. “Kiss my ass, Mikonos.” Oran turns the glare on me. “A godfather? Really? That means I have to actually fulfill the duties.”
I laugh. I know he’s both honored and annoyed, which makes him the perfect godfather. Oran can say whatever he wants, but I know as soon as he holds my daughter in his arms, he’ll be wrapped around her little finger.
“So then we have one of your own so I can be the godfather and spoil him or her rotten. I promise whatever you say not to, I’ll get for them just to spite you.” I smirk.
Oran chuckles. “I thought the name Orion was a wordplay on my name really but I guess not. Now, I’m wondering who the hell is that?”
I look at Mikonos, who nods. It’s not my secret to give but if he approves of Oran knowing then it means a lot not just to him but to me. “It’s Mikonos’s real name and you’re the last one to know besides Ainslee and I. That’s it.”
Oran nods. “I understand now.” We stay silent for a bit and then Oran speaks up again. “Can’t breathe?” He asks.
