Escaping to Ireland

Liam

My family would not arrive for a few hours; I needed time alone with Bennett and Vinessa. The more time she was around us, the more time she would see; she would know that it could all work out and that we could have everything we had talked about. When we pulled up into the garage, Bennett and Maggie jumped out Vinessa looked over at me.

"What time is everyone coming over at?" She asked me, her hand just a few inches from my arm, and I could feel that electricity; it had always been there, and I highly doubted there would ever be a day where it wasn't.

"A few hours give or take," I said, laughing as I jumped out of the jeep and ushered around to shut the jeep door she had already been closing.

"Chivalry acts are not going to get you extra points," She said as I walked behind her.

"Trust me, baby; I'm going to try everything I can," I whispered this as close to her ear as I could without physically touching her, but I knew from the blush on the back of her neck that I had affected her just like I wanted it too.

"What do you want to do?" Vinessa asked Bennett after the side effects of me had worn off.

"I would like to read," he said.

Vinessa's eyes darted about the room. "It is a nice day to be outside she said; I suppose we could grab some blankets and read outside."

"Read outside?" Bennett asked, questioning her. She shook her head yes at him. "I always read at my desk at home or in the library."

"It's okay," Vinessa said, pulling a blanket off of the couch, "It'll be fun."

The day went by too fast. Instead of reading outside, Vinessa and Bennett explored the trails behind the house. She seemed highly content for someone who seemed to have one foot wavering on staying or going.

When we picked her up, she had stepped out front in light blue jean capris, a few rips were in the right knee, and flat sandals. She had a loose-fitting grey t-shirt on, and even though she was dressed casually, she looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, but the curls were still coming down and framing her face. I had missed those curls so much while I was gone.

"Can we talk before everyone gets here?" Vinessa asked when Bennett had finally decided to sit on the blanket and look at a few of the books he had decided to bring outside. Maggie was lying on the blanket next to him.

"They will be here soon," I said to her, not wanting to know what she was thinking and wondering if she was going to ditch out before they got here. Her shoes were not meant for long trek walking, but I knew if she needed to, she would walk back to Wanda's in those sandals.

She bit her lower lip, she was nervous, and I hated knowing Vinessa was nervous around me. I wanted it all to go back to how it used to be when we were each other, and everything wasn't up in limbos. When she would let things about us having kids together slip out before even thinking about it. But since last night, I knew she was thinking about everything carefully before she said it.

"Tonight then?"

"Tonight. After Bennett goes to bed." I wanted to prolong her stay at my house as long as possible. I knew Bennett had just met her, but he had taken a strong liking to her, and I was just now wondering if I set him up for heartbreak like I had been setting myself up for. Maybe like Vinessa had thrown back in my face, that everything had happened for a reason. Maybe Vinessa had met me at the exact point in her life so she didn't go back stateside to an abusive man that she thought she loved, and maybe the only reason why she ended up crossing my path was so that I would return back to my normal Chicago hotel. If I hadn't gone back with her for the wedding, I wouldn't have received that package for another few months, if not a year, visits to Chicago had been coming few and far between. If Bennett's drug-addicting mother, Jewell, could have just remembered a little bit more information about me to tell Keith, I could have had him months before. Keith did not know I lived in Ireland. I wondered how bad off Jewell was with drugs, how she ended up that way with a son, and why she never told me about it and instead lied to me. The blood work returned, but I knew as soon as I saw him and his resemblance to me that he was indeed my son.