Wildflowers; After the long wait

chapter 8

"Dwayne the guys heard that you and Alice got married, and they want to hold a reunion," said Bill slapping Dwayne on his left shoulder as he walked over to him with his beer in hand. They were already working on their sixth beer. Dwayne and Bill were down at a local bar getting the drinks he had promised.

"Sounds good, I haven't seen the guys in so long." Everyone in their high school class had known each other since they were infants, they had all grown up together. Some of their friends had moved to the city, a few were married with kids and some worked for his dad. They had all grown up like a large family of siblings.

"Billy boy," Dwayne looked at his watch. "I've got to go; I want to kiss my daughter goodnight before Alice puts her to bed." He had gotten use to calling Emma his daughter, so it naturally spilled out of his lips. News traveled fast in their town and everyone knew Alice had adopted her sister's child. Naturally, they  had expected him to take on the role of daddy, she was his wife after all.

Dwayne knew he was playing a dangerous game with his heart, but he couldn't help it, he had fallen in love with the little baby. He wasn't naïve. He knew, even if everything seemed normal with him and Alice, it was far from the truth. The tension in the air was almost physical, she smiled often enough but sometimes they didn't quite meet her eyes, and he could see she was struggling.

"Well, look at you, all domesticated." Bill mocked, and Dwayne laughed, waving to the barkeeper to come over. He gave him a few dollars paying their bills.

"I'll give you a call when we set a day. Alice is in the group chat, so she can tell you when we can all meet up," he called as Dwayne headed toward the exit.

"Cool," Dwayne waved back.

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Dwayne, stepped into the house and he could hear Alice's giggles coming from upstairs so he followed its happy cord all the way to the second floor bathroom.

"You like that baby girl?" Alice cooed.

"Hey," he called poking his head through the bathroom door, Alice looked up at him in surprise, "why are you giving her a bath so late?" He asked. She was sitting on the floor next to the bath tub with Emma, who was all smiles playing in the warm water.

"Oh hi," She said, looking up in surprise. She was sure he wouldn't have come home until later that night. He did go out for drinks with one of his oldest and closest friends, who he hadn't seen in years. He walked into the bathroom. "Emma was a little hot," She explained in a cute baby voice, turning her attention back to the happy baby. "So, mommy decided to give her a bath. Isn't that right honey?" She continued playing with the baby. Splashing warm water on her tiny body.

Dwayne sat opposite  her on the floor, folding his long leg and rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, before putting his hand in the water. Scooping some of it into his palm and pouring it on Emmas head. Alice smiled, she was always more amicable towards him whenever she was with Emma, she was happier. 

"Can you give me her towel?" she asked as Emma began to show signs she had had enough of bath time. He got off the floor and grabbed the soft cotton towel off the rack, giving it to her. She bundled the baby in the towel, lifting her out of the sweet-smelling bubbled water. Dwayne took Emma from her in one arm, offering to help her up of the floor with the other. He intentionally pulled her up with a swift force. Alice fell against his chest next to Emma. He held them both securely in his arms, not minding the fact that his shirt was being soaked and at that moment he felt complete, this was how his life was supposed to be.

Alice was thinking the same thing for a second. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, she wanted to stop hating him. She loved this delusion of a life they were living right now, but there was still a little part of her that could not let the past go. She wasn't stupid. He was perfect before too, wasn't he? Her head screamed waking her up. Dwayne felt the tension in the air appear like a thick dark fog covering the little light the illusion had illuminated briefly and he knew then he should let go of her.