Biblical Paradise ©

wicked gyal

Omniscient

Atlanta, Georgia

One Week Later

Paradise drew in a deep breath as she sat at the table, accompanied by both the Carter and Hamilton family. She kept a small smile on her face for the sake of their boring eyes; though beneath the façade she had displayed for them; she had been anything but content.

For a while; since the night she had done the unthinkable; Paradise had felt nothing but guilt coursing through her, even amidst the morning she and her husband had shared with one another. In fact; that day had only contributed further to the rotting feeling she felt settling inside her, and even then; seven days later; the woman still could not push the memories of her actions to the back of her overactive mind.

She felt her heart drumming roughly against her chest as she glanced at all the awaiting faces surrounding her. Neither of the families knew exactly why she and Zebediah had called the meeting they had; but there the five sat; patiently waiting for the pair to get to the unknown, 'meat of the matter'.

"You all are 'prolly' wondering why we called you here." Zebediah had been the first to speak, and Paradise glanced at him, feeling his hand intertwine with her own beneath the table they sat around. The small gesture had given her a nostalgic feeling as she accepted it; remembering the first time they had sat in a similar position; with her professing lies to please the ears of her in-laws.

Though this time; the two sat; ready to reveal the secret they had kept to themselves for an entire week. In the back of Isaiah's mind however; he had been sure that this would be the conversation that would completely ruin his life.

He had already planned in his head an entire scheme for the way he would have handled Autumn for running her mouth, and destroying the twenty-nine years of love that had been formed between he and his wife.

Inevitably; different scenarios of the declaration that would be made that day; had consumed the thoughts of each party goer. At both heads of the table the main men sat; wives to their immediate left side. Dead in the middle of the oak counter; Paradise and Zebediah sat; both experiencing their own degrees of trepidation at the mere thought of delivering the news they would be.

"Wah happened?" Like the concerned mother she had always been; Sade had been the first one to speak; placing her eyes solely on her daughter; who had been seated adjacent to her.

In return, Paradise drew in a deep breath as she spared a final glance to each person surrounding her; before finally parting her lips to speak.

"Mi pregnant." The two words had required more courage than Paradise had ever possessed. Yet still; she had voiced them; allowing each syllable to fall upon the ears of those around her. The pair watched keenly as their families took in the words Paradise had spoken; waiting impatiently for each response.

"Congratulations!" The Carter ladies had been the first pair to speak. They both sported broad smiles against their blemish free skins; watching intently as the couple comforted one another. Behind her blinding smile however; Zaharia still felt a sense of uncanny suspicion when looking in the bright eyes of Paradise.

The thoughts of their small vacation had easily seeped through to her brain; fading away majority of every other thought she had once held.

Among every smiling face in the room, the one that had managed to captivate Paradise's sole attention had been her father's. He kept his face in its usual hard position; flickering his orbs between the pair whose marriage he had helped in arranging.