Premeditated Pseudonym

14|Better Late Than Never

So it's been nine months into our marriage and we're doing pretty fine. Jason was finally five years old today, so we're throwing a small birthday party for him. No clowns but a magician and a pinata along with all his pre-school classmates and teachers.

It wasn't a big pre-school so there were only fifteen students and four teachers.
Also present were Ryan, Lauren and Madison's friends Chandler and Mercedes. I've never met them until the wedding, but I've heard a lot about them, months before the wedding. Apparently, they moved and were finally close enough to hang out with Madison.

My wife couldn't be happier. With a husband, a ten-year-old, a five-year-old, her two best friends and parents that were happy for us both, what more could she ask for? Running and having fun in the backyard were Jason and Sarah along with Jason's classmates.

Time for cake, we allowed Jason's favorite teacher, miss Howard, to cut the cake with him. He took a bit of icing on his finger and pasted miss Howard's nose with it. She giggled and everyone gave a round of applause for them both. Jason laughed and clapped profusely along with everyone else under the tent.

Jason was the happiest he'd ever been, thanks to this awesome party, with us as his awesome parents. Sarah was also enjoying herself in the bouncy castle since she'd never had one before. I promised her I'd get her one for her birthday as well, so she was excited about that.

Chandler and Mercedes were with Madison, catching up on each other's lives, Ryan and Lauren were with the teachers, watching the kids and I was videotaping everything that was going on. I loved taping memories so we can look back at them in the future. I wanted my kids, Sarah and Jason to remember their special moments from young, even when they grew older and that was my mission.

When the kids tired out themselves and fell asleep one by one with the cool gust of wind that graced us, we adults were free to have a bit of chilled wine on the lawn in peace. The atmosphere was so peaceful and relaxing, I wished it would stay like this for a while.

As it grew later, the kids woke up one by one and it was time to go. The kids and teachers both enjoyed themselves today, especially when they were given party bags with snacks on their departure. Chandler and Mercedes also left and Ryan and Lauren were on their way as well. Madison didn't want them on the roads too late anyway.

We greeted them goodbye and pretty soon it was just Madison, Sarah, Jason and myself again. Peace and quiet at last, but now it's time to freshen up and relax or watch a movie with the family.

* * *

It's utterly amazing that it took me just two years to move on from Taylor, but I did it. I realized that he wouldn't be back anytime soon and I was becoming too depressed to be around anyone. Abby had moved on after the first eight months with this doctor named Ethan Joseph and they had a pretty stable relationship going. She wasn't thinking about marriage at the moment, but it was not ruled out as an option.

I met this amazing Nigerian surgeon named Rashidi Adebayo, one day at the hospital. Kavita was wheezing heavily and her father and I rushed her to the medical center for treatment. They got her back to a stable condition but she had to be transferred to the hospital for overnight observation. I rode the ambulance with her and as we arrived, I noticed this doctor staring at me while rushing another patient inside.

Later that night, he found me curled up on the chair next to Kavita and brought me a blanket and some hot tea to warm me up. He stayed with me for a bit before he was called into theater. It was only the next time we spoke, that I found out that he wasn't a doctor but a surgeon.

We occasionally met up at the mall after that and gradually we got closer until I started catching feelings for him. He was genuine and it took him about six months and a few dates well to enter my pants. I took my aunt's advice so I was a widow and an adulterer no more. I was free to have sex with anyone I so wished and since I'm a one-man woman, Rashidi would tend to all my sexual needs, since it's been a while.

The next year, I found out I had conceived and I was a healthy mother to be once more. On November sixteenth of that year, a bouncing baby boy was born into this world and also into my heart. I've always wanted a boy and now I'd finally gotten him.

Rashidi couldn't be any happier, as this was his firstborn and a boy at that. We made a conscious decision immediately that his name would be Josiah Adebayo. Rashidi shook his head in approval and even Josiah had a smirk on his face as if he also approved.

Now it's been three years since that faithful day and Josiah had already begun walking around, but still wobbly and falling occasionally. I wasn't too worried about the wobbly part since I knew he had now started, but the falling I was cautious about. Rashidi always told me to stop being so overprotective since Josiah was a boy and that's how he would get tough and be a man.

It's funny that he always tells me that, but when it happens while he is on daddy duty, he's just as overprotective as myself. I just laugh to myself at times. Abby, Sabina and I got to be the best of friends during those five years and our new significant others were just as close.

Who would have thought that the three of us would bounce back so successful in the future, especially after all the stuff we've been through. Sometimes I wonder if we were in the wrong relationship in the first place, but who am I to judge. I'm just thankful that everything worked out for all of us.

On Josiah's third birthday we didn't have a party, but we had a thanksgiving and shared out party bags to one hundred kids from around the neighborhood. My grandfather was a Spiritual Baptist so they used to do that all the time. The only difference is that we did it in the Pentecostal faith, which is what Rishidi and I were most comfortable with.

I have always liked church but I hadn't gone in a while with all the quarreling and fighting Taylor and I were doing at the moment. Pastor Simmons was happy to have me back in church and he also welcomed Rishidi. Pastor Simmons saw great things in our future and he just wanted to let us know that with constant attendance, we would see our way in this life.

I couldn't argue with him on that. He has never said anything that didn't come true. It's like he had all the knowledge on the members of the church and when he prays for you, miracles occur almost immediately. That's why we all love this church and Pastor was our blessing in human form.

Josiah would be starting pre-school in September of next year. He would be four years old and I know Rishidi would be the most emotional about it since it was his first time experiencing parenting on this scale. He was the oldest of four brothers, so he had the experience from taking care of his brothers when his mother was at work and his father came home drunk, but it's not the same when it's your own child and at this tender age.

I thought about all the things I had to experience again with Josiah and Camsea again. Kavita and Sandra were already teenagers and I'm already coping with them as it is, but the pre-school graduation and field trips, elementary school graduation and field trips and then secondary school and tertiary education for them all.

I'm just glad that Rishidi was making enough money to support us all, even though I work to support them all. Sandra and Kavita's father, even though he is an ass at times, still takes care of his children and I'm thankful for that. The strain was really on Camsea and Josiah, but since I met Rishidi I wouldn't have to bare the expenses on my own.

Christmas came quickly this year. I remember just the other day, Josiah said his first words and took his first steps. Now, Santa clause is coming to town. Josiah's third Christmas on this earth, thank God for his health thus far. There's something special about this time of year. Everyone is generally in a good mood and even though work may be stressful for both of us, I'm sure that when we get to see each other, the stress of the world was diminished.

I wasn't in any rush to live with anyone just yet and I'm glad Rishidi hadn't brought it up as yet. Something still told me that the question would come up at some point but I dreaded the conversation. Rishidi visited us and carried us all over and we were happy with that for the moment. Mom and dad liked him and he was free to come and go as he so pleased.

I don't think daddy wants me to leave again, but if it's necessary, then I will and not a moment before. While opening presents on Christmas day, Josiah, Camsea, Kavita, and Sandra all got big presents from Rishidi. I got a few things as well, perfume, jewelry, clothes, a new smart television for my room and a small box which I feared opening. As I opened it, a fourteen karat ring stood there, looking all shiny and new. Rishidi got down on his knee and asked me in front of everyone present to marry him.