Dipped in Blue

Chapter Three

The sheets surrounded our naked bodies, capturing the reunion that we shared. Tia's giggles filled the unoccupied spaces and my chuckles accompanied them.

Our fingers intertwined like braided ropes and twisted candies. They were tangled, stuck, and never wanted to detangle.

Our skin pressed against each other and remembered each other and bonded like they were never apart in the first place.

Our lips were magnets of opposite poles, they never wanted to part, but of course we couldn't breathe if they didn't. But I wouldn't need air in my lungs with her energy in my bones.

Oh and when she moaned softly into my ear, my heart fluttered and seemed to turn from moth to butterfly. That's not how the cycle works but today it was.

Our climax was the breaking point. We reached the top of the mountain together and fell in unison. I'd never felt a more jaw dropping moment. A moment where every flower in the world blossomed because of our love making.

Our backs laid against the cold of the sheets and our chests rose and set with the moon and the sun. Our breaths were heavy and off beat, but when she looked to me, the rhythm began to flow again and the melody soothed the sunlight that peaked through the curtains.

"I've missed you," she said softly. She turned on her side and studied my face. "I swore I'd never be able to share a moment like that with you again."

I chuckled and reached to stroke her cheek with my thumb. "That's why you never swear, love."

Tia rolled her eyes with a gentle smile. "Whatever," she sat for a second, thinking. "This is crazy though. The real killer had the police to help fake your death and even after they caught him, they kept you dead?"

I nodded. "Exactly. To this day I'm still not sure how he convinced them to go with it."

"Maybe he bribed them?"

"With what money? Carlisle didn't have a job that paid him well."

She shrugged. "I guess you're right. He's still there, isn't he?"

I rubbed my face in thought. "From what I know and what I've heard, he's never getting out."

She nodded in understanding. "Good," she muttered. "I know he's your brother but-"

"No, you're right." I assured her. "He deserves it. He deserves anything bad that comes to him from here on out."

She seemed to be taking my words in, seeming like she felt bad for him. I wasn't sure what the hell he told her but he didn't deserve her sympathy. She didn't have to give him the dog shit she stepped in. God didn't come to me until prison, but I prayed that wasn't what she was thinking. Surely she had more sense than that.

"So there's been no one else," I changed the subject. "At all?"

She shook her head, sighing. "No one else."

"Well don't seem so upset by it." I smiled, trying to lighten her up.

She laughed, sitting up with the sheets covering her naked body. Ugh, she didn't have to do that. It wasn't like I was a stranger to her body. "No! It's not that I'm upset because I was alone." She clasped her hands together and put them in her lap. "It was just that.. it would have been nice to have some help with Oly. Not that she was a handful or anything, but there was just so many sleepless nights. So many times where I couldn't afford certain things for her like new bottles when she broke one or clothes that fit her or diapers. Sometimes I even had to ask Beck if she had some extra stuff."

Beck? Why would she ask Becky for baby stuff?

"Oh," Tia said softly. I figured she could make out my puzzled expression.

"'Oh' is right." I sat up and looked her in her eyes. "Rebecca has a child?"

She began fidgeting with her fingers. "I really thought she'd told you before everything happened. I at least thought that you could tell."

"No! She didn't tell me and she really wasn't home that often. Who is the father?"

She showed her teeth without smiling. "Her husband. David Frances."

"Quarterback David Frances?!" I didn't notice that my voice had gotten louder until I saw her flench. "Sorry."

She shook her head. "It's okay, but yeah. That David."

"They're married?!"

"Happily!"

"Fuck."

I really was gone for that long. My daughter had a child and she also had a husband. I felt horrible that I wasn't there or that I didn't even ask about them in my letters. But at the same time, I didn't know about neither of these things. My letters wouldn't have sent anyways.

"She's coming over today with Mickie. I'm not sure if David is coming," she informed.

"Mickie?"

"Michaela," she said. "Oly calls her Mickie. She's always called her that."

She even named the kid after me. "Michaela, Oh that's precious."

She giggled. "Isn't it?" She sat and stared at me for a few seconds then brought her hand to my cheeks. Her soft fingers made my spine shiver. I brought my hand to her wrist and held it. Her eyes glanced at my arm, to me, then back to my arm quickly. "Michael." She became concerned at the scar from my attempt a week prior. "What's that from?"

I looked at it, not sure what to say. Do I tell her the truth? That I tried to kill my self because I thought she really hated me and so did my daughter? Or do I lie and keep that truth for another day?

I began to lie but luckily there was a ring at the door. "That must be Beck," Tia said, getting up and pulling on clothes. "Take your time."

I shook my head, standing and pulling on clothes that she had pulled down from the attic for me."Let me answer it."

She scoffed, opening the door. "Don't be silly." She disappeared into the hallway, leaving me to look not so messy.

As I pulled on a McCray high school t-shirt, I could hear the door open and my daughter apologizing for not arriving to the park. My wife dismissed her apologies and their voices faded into the kitchen.

I fixed my hair and popped in a piece of chewing gum before going through the door which lead me to the staircase that went down to the living room. Olyvette was thankfully still passed out on the couch and stayed there even after I kissed her cheek.

"Ti Ti," a young voice interrupted their conversation. "Who is that?" I looked up to see a small brunette girl pointing at me.

A gasp and glass shatter came from the kitchen as well. "Oh shit," Rebecca's expressions were wide at the sight of me.

A tall muscled boy came up behind my frozen daughter and smacked her butt. "You forgot your phone in the car again." He noticed the attention of the room had been stuck into a different room and he followed it. "Oh shit."

Damn! Was that going to be everyone's reaction  when they saw that I was back? I can't wait to see what Boris's words will be.

That was sarcasm. It's going to be "oh shit" in Italian. Mark my words.

***********
Hey inkies! I'm back!
Hopefully you all like this chapter!
Because I sure as hell don't!

Anyways,
I love y'all and thank you so much for reading! I'm gonna go work on BORIS now!

~Shann