Seeds of Tomorrow

Three

Victor returned to his little home with his little family, completely wiped out from the strenuous day he'd had. Twelve hours of physical labor was enough to knock anybody on their ass but nearly five weeks of it without a day off? Phew. Paid the bills though and nothing beat paying the bills with clean, legal money. Everybody had expected him to grow into a shady ass fool like his father had, like a lot of his family had, and even though he'd done some dabbling in dirt as a youngster, once Sergio was brought into the world, he knew he wasn't tryna be part of no cycle. His father had been in and out of lockdown, his aunt Karla was serving two life sentences on a double murder and uncle Cisco was doing fifteen in the feds for money laundering, drug, and gun trafficking-and that was just the shit they knew about. He would be damned if he exposed his kid to the things he had seen.

Of course, making money the legit way meant long days, less time at home, and missing out on memories that could be made with his family. Their safety and stability were worth it and it wasn't like crime offered a retirement plan or medical benefits.

"Come to bed, babe," Raquel called, poking her head out of the bedroom, he could see she was dressed in something little, red and satin. If he hadn't been so tired physically, he would have risen to the occasion in no time. Instead, he sat slouched in his favorite leather recliner, eyes drooping and a warm, half-empty beer in his hand.

"I'll be right there," he assured her, met with an all too familiar sigh of disappointment.

"Right," Raquel replied, disappearing behind the bedroom door as it closed with a loud slam.

Victor would be lying if he said it didn't upset him to know that he wasn't meeting her needs physically. It wasn't that he didn't want to, she was the sexiest woman he'd ever laid eyes on and nothing felt better than pleasing his lady, he just couldn't. Shit, one time he'd even fallen asleep mid-session which resulted in her understandably being hurt and him humiliated. Not to mention the many arguments caused by the lack of intimacy, Raquel accusing Victor of infidelity or no longer being attracted to her physically. Neither was the case.

She would also complain that he was never home, that she never saw him to which he would reply "If you don't want a broke man, you'll have to deal with a busy man." She'd get upset and tell him that money and material things were irrelevant when all she wanted was his time and affection, and he got that. He really did. Part of him, regardless of how he felt about her, often wondered if maybe she would be happier with someone other than him because the workaholic in him couldn't allow himself not to bust his ass. He was a hustler just like his father. Always on his grind.

Victor rose to his feet, entering the bedroom where Raquel was in bed, back to the door and blankets pulled all the way to her face. He kicked off his house slippers and carefully climbed into bed, slipping his arm over her waist as he nuzzled the back of her neck.

"You know I love you, right?" He asked her softly.

Raquel refused to look at her, "Is it because I've gained weight?" She wanted to know.

Victor pulled back, sitting up in bed, "I think you are beautiful, I'm just tired all the time."

Raquel rolled over, pulling herself into a seated position, her back against the fabric-covered headboard, "We are twenty-three years old, Victor, what twenty-three-year-old man doesn't want sex all the time?"

Hot tears stung his eyes, "I want it, my body is exhausted, it's got nothing to do with you or our relationship."

She looked at him, hurt in her brown eyes, "Is there someone else? I've been talking with my girlfriends and they agree that it's the only thing that makes sense. Why you never want to sleep with
Me and why you never get hard and why you fall asleep on me."

Victor reached for one of her manicured hands, taking it in his, "That's not at all true, I promise you, Raquel," he told her, "I know I am not home nearly enough and I know I'm missing out on you and Sergio..." he sighed, "My work is going to slow down soon and overtime will be gone...why don't I take Monday and Tuesday off? We can take Sergio to do something and have him stay the night at my Aunt Marisol's, we can get some dinner, get a room...and I can make it up to you?"

Raquel snuggled in, her soft skin against his, "I think that sounds like a solid plan," she smiled.

He grazed the skin of her neck with his lips, feeling himself stirring. Flashing a grin, he took her hand, placing it on his member, "See, told you I still think you're sexy."

She stroked him firmly over his flannel pajamas, biting her bottom lip as his rough hand slipped between her thighs, exploring the soft folds with his finger. She sighed, her full chest rising heavily as she savored the moment, crying out softly as she climaxed.

Freeing his member, Raquel straddled him as he guided himself inside of her, gripping her thick hips as she rode him, careful so that the headboard didn't slam against the wall. It had been nearly three weeks since they'd made love, Victor unable to hold back his orgasm. She sat on top of him, kissing him as he chuckled.

"Well, that was quick," he laughed, feeling the heat in his cheeks.

Raquel smiled, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck, "At least I know I still turn you on."

Victor laughed, "Even more than when we were young."