Page 36 of Levi
“Not here Levi.We’ve spent the last year being there for her and Halo.She’d be devastated if we ambush her like this.She doesn’t know everything that you went through, and her version is not a pleasant one with you,” he informs me.I can’t believe they’ve known her whereabouts for a year and not said a word.“I’m asking you to not be here when they get here.This might turn into a huge confrontation, and you wouldn’t want to do something you’ll regret in front of your daughter.”
“I’m not leaving,” I start to say, but Grandma interrupts me.
“You can stay but you must keep out of sight.All of you,” she demands, shaking her finger at all of us.“You’ve created a shit storm and it’s going to take some time to get out of it.Right now, you’re the enemy in Saylor’s eyes and until she can calm down and listen to what really was going on, she won’t hear a word out of your mouth and might try to hightail it out of here.This conversation needs to happen when Halo isn’t around in case things get heated.”
After a long moment, I concede.
“Fine.”
Mom, myself, and the security all make our way to my grandparent’s room to wait until after my wife and daughter leave.I want so badly to come out and surprise her, but deep down I know Grandma is right.Saylor doesn’t know the entire story and only thinks I’ve been living the single life.
We hear the front door open, and my wife’s angelic voice rings out in greeting our little girl.There are several voices in a conversation but I can’t make out what they are discussing.Mom and the security are waiting in the bathroom, while Mitch and I wait in the closet, with plantation bi-fold doors that you can see out of through little slits.
A man’s voice rings out in laughter and it grates on my nerves.It must be Brody Jackson, the man who’s been hiding my wife and daughter for the past two and a half years.A tightness forms in my chest, knowing that they’ve been under one roof longer than mine and Saylor’s entire relationship.I hate it.And him.My hands ball into fists as I want to punch the life out of the little fucker.
Dr.Blake has warned me that Saylor may have moved on since not knowing the whole truth, but I can’t bring myself to think about that.I know after the last letter she vowed to move on, but I’m hoping and praying that it’s not the case and that by some miracle she’s still mine.What am I saying, she’ll always be mine.
The door to the bedroom opens, and my heart stops.My body is frozen as I hold in my gasp.My beautiful wife slowly walks in and takes in the room, as if she’s looking for something.Our daughter is on her hip, playing with her short black hair.She’s still just as beautiful as the day I first met her, if not more holding our baby girl.She’s wearing a pair of short black athletic shorts and a team jersey with the name, ‘Bombers’, across the front.Saylor walks to the middle of the room next to the bed and scans the room.Something catches her eye and she lazily walks over to the bookshelf, next to the closet where Mitch is all but holding me back.
My grandparents are very proud of their family and display photos of all of us over every wall in this house and in the one in LA.I have the perfect view of her and it wouldn’t take much to reach out and touch her.Her chocolate eyes look over every picture and when she comes to the one of me outside of my first completed flip house, she runs her fingers lightly over my face.I long to have those fingers run over my skin, just to feel her again.I see a wedding band and engagement ring on her left hand and my throat starts to close up.She can’t be married, we aren’t divorced.She doesn’t know that; the documents have been sealed.I don’t think I could recover if she was ever married to anyone but me.Please God, don’t let her have remarried.
“Dada!”my perfect little girl says, looking at my photo, and my heart grows two sizes bigger.
Saylor gasps, then squeezes her a little tighter.
“Yeah, baby bear, that’s Daddy,” she whispers in her ear like it’s a secret, then kisses her temple.
A small gasp leaves my throat that I know she couldn’t have heard but suddenly Saylor looks right at me.She can’t see me, but it’s as though we are staring at each for the first time.Saylor takes two steps and is directly in front of my door.All she has to do is open the door and we’ll be reunited again.Slowly, I watch as she reaches up with her free hand that isn’t around our little girl and places it on the door level with where my heart is.
Does she know I’m here?Can she feel me like we used to every time one of us walks in a room?
My hand automatically reaches up and is placed against hers.Only a flimsy piece of wood separates us.I haven’t touched her in so long that my body is yearning to be pressed against hers.My hand presses harder on the door, wanting to feel her again and our eyes meet, locking into the wood as if it were glass.We both are holding our breath, and at the exact moment we both shudder from the top of our head down towards our toes.She goes to open her mouth but our moment is broken.
“Momma, you ready to head home and get our girl to bed?”A man walks into the room and steals my woman’s attention.She reluctantly turns to face him, taking her away from me.Mitch placed a hand over my growling mouth when that dick saidour girl.
“Sure.”The man, that I assume is Brody fucking Jackson, takes my daughter from my wife’s arms and cuddles her close.
“You okay?”he asks.“Grandpa said the SUV in the driveway was a rental since he put his in for a check on the motor.”He tickles my baby’s side and she lets out a squeal.“I told him to let me know next time their car needs anything and I’d have one of my guys look it over, or we could replace theirs with a new one for Christmas.”
Fat chance you family stealing fucker.You won’t be around for Christmas!Get your own family.
“Mhmm.”She’s not listening.Something is distracting her, and I know it’s our connection.She feels the buzz just like I do when our bodies are this close.He doesn’t even pick up on it because he’s too busy with my daughter, and I want to burst out of this closet and snatch Halo out of his arms.She’s mine!Not his.
“You ready?I could use a good rub down after that awesome game tonight.”He winks at her, and bile rushes from my stomach up through my esophagus.NO!Please don’t.I scream internally.
She smiles at him, then nods.He reaches out with his hand and she willingly places hers in his.They both start to walk out of the bedroom, but when they cross over the threshold Saylor looks back over her shoulder.She stares back at me with wonder, then bites her plump lip likes she’s inviting me to take ahold of it between my teeth.I actually groan and thankfully she is out of the room before she could hear it.
“Mitch, I want everything you’ve got on Brody Jackson and I want it as soon as we get to our hotel room.”My voice is a whisper, but it comes across with harsh authority.
“Yes, sir.Already in the works.”
I know Mitch is going to beat himself up for missing the signs with Brody, but I can’t blame him.He had only just woken from his coma and had been tirelessly working to find Saylor.Tina and Mom had said that he pushed himself too hard and ended up almost relapsing before I woke up.
Moments later, we hear the front door close, then foot steps down the hall.Grandma comes in and looks around the room.
“Come on out, they’re gone.”
We all step out and I feel like the weight of the world is pressing on my chest.I just allowed my wife and daughter to walk out of my sight while I stood by and let it happen.This will be the last time that ever happens.
