It Begins With Us

11.

I press my lips to her shoulder, then her neck.

"We shouldn't do this out here." She sighs leaning closer and I shake my head nuzzling closer.

"No way am I letting go now that you've so persistently confessed your everlasting love for me." I mumble against her and she shivers. "It's been a way too long without you."

I look up and there's a wild blush taking over her face and crawling down her neck.

"Kiss me?" I ask and to my great relief, she does.

We walk into the house hand in hand a while later. I walk her straight over to where Marshall sits exactly where I left him and smack him as softly as I can manage.

"You've got guts, being all smirky in front of me after bringing Alba here." I smack him again. "And I know you were creeping on us while we were talking." Another smack.

"Stop man! I do you a damn favour and this how you repay me?" Marshall grumbles and Alba stops my hand before I could dish out another.

"Remind me to take you out on a date." I grunt as I pull out a chair for Alba to sit on, making Marshall grin. 

"You betcha." He laughs, and hold up a hand to give Alba a high five.

"So?" He wiggles his eyebrows and Alba wiggles them back. "I had to split halfway through my eavesdropping so I didn't hear the conclusion."

"Mission successful." She reports and he fist bumps himself.

"Great job soldier, great job! Now run along and give us boys time to girl talk." Marshall beams and turns to me.

Alba laughs and graciously offers her seat to me before walking off towards the kids.

Alba:

I leave Ryle in Marshall's trusty hands and make my way over to the little kiddies.

"Can I play too?" I ask pouting.

"It's not 'can'," a little girl pipes up informatively, "it's 'may'."

"Noooo." I tease. "It's December."

The kids giggle and teeter like little old people, and I just wanna pick them up and squeeze them.

'I can't wait to have my own kids.' I think picturing Ryle and I going through the stages.

Then my thoughts travel to Mama who I've left behind in Toronto.

'She's going to kill me when I get back.' I think falling into a daze.

"Come here!" The same little girl who fixed my grammar beckons me closer to the center of circle.

I blindly follow the instructions and sit cross legged in between waves of children.

"One!" The chant confusing me.

"Two!" They all grin.

"Wait wha-?!" I panic, trying to understand.

"Three!" They roar and then jump me.

I struggle as they smother me with their soft and warm little bodies.

"Wait you'll hurt yourselves! Don't-!" But they're not listening, they're having too much fun belly flopping on me over and over again.

"Stop it!" A voice rips through the chaos, then softly she says. "Is this anyway to treat a guest?"

The woman is none other than Alyssa.

Ryle's sister and Marshall's wife.

How should I feel towards such a person? A person who failed to complete her duty as family.

It just rubs me the wrong way when I think of how they all felt comfortable heaping all the blame onto Ryle alone. So I don't see why I should like them, then again I don't see why that should stop me from being a civil human being. I stand and dust off my dress.

"Thank you, so much." I put my hands on my hips and eye the little kids. "Why you!" I growl.

They freeze and watch me, caught off guard. Then I make a dive for them, making soft jabs at tummy's and armpit's wherever I spot them. They squeal and laugh filling my heart to the brim. I know people are staring, but what am I supposed to do? Ignore a perfect chance for a mass tickle attack? No way.

"Alba." Marshall calls my name from the kitchen and I quickly run my fingers over their tummies one more time before walking off towards the kitchen.

Avoiding Alyssa as she stares me down with sharp eyes.

"Yes sir!" I ask flopping back down into my now empty seat.

"I think we should introduce you to the family? What do you say?" He wiggles his brows and Ryle's face tells me exactly what he wants to say about this.

"I don't think Ryle wants me too." I confess scratching the back of my neck and I can feel Ryle's eyes glide over to me.

"Why not?" He asks furrowing his brows. "I don't like the idea but you are attending a family party for the first time. Not introducing you would get me in big trouble."

"That's right! My Issa would hang you up on our wall if she found out." Marshall says proudly.

"If Marshall thinks so, then I probably would." A sharp and cutting voice at and we turn to find Alyssa leaning against the wall.

She pushes off of it and walks over as agile as a feline.

"Introduce us, Ryle?" She suggests.

I watch, inwardly bewildered, as Ryle wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him. Something flickers dangerously over Alyssa's face.

"Alba," he says and looks down at me a glimpse of heart warming fondness flickers over his face, "this is Alyssa, my sister. Alyssa, this is Alba, my girlfriend." Alyssa's eyebrows shoot in and she stiffens.

"Ooooooh." Marshall mumbles under his breath and turns to Alba. "I've been waiting for this from the moment I knew you existed."

"A second, Ryle." She jerks her head to the patio and I look back to Ryle.

He leans down and kisses me.

"I'll be back." He mutters against my lips and follows Alyssa out.

"It's my time to shine!" Marshall rubs his hands together eagerly and tippy toes over to the patio door to eavesdrop. I sigh and lean back restless and worried.

'I just got him to keep me around. He'd better not change his mind.' I think running my tongue over my teeth.

"Marshall? What's going on?" I ask and he shushes me just as we hear yelling.

'Darn it!'

"What's going on out there?" Lily walks into the kitchen and Marshall rushes out with me and Lily in tow.