Epilogue
epilogue
. . .
M oving across country sucks. In hindsight, we should’ve left Evelyn with my parents until we were unpacked and settled in, but no, Ajay had the bright idea of bringing her with us. What should’ve been a five-day trip ended up being almost ten because we stopped at every tourist spot known to man along the way. Not a good idea, at least from where I was concerned. Honestly, I had this grand idea that Ajay and I would sow our oats in every State, like make it a game or something. A random pitstop in some unknown town, a romp in the trees along the highway, a backseat fuck in the middle of the night. Not that we’d tell people ‘Oh, yeah we screwed like rabbits in Oklahoma’, but that’s what I thought we were going to do. I get that Ajay was new to this whole parenting thing and he wanted Evelyn to love him, but I had a serious lady boner for my husband and wanted to screw his brains out every chance I could get.
However, I wouldn’t trade those two weeks for anything because I was with Ajay and Evelyn, and every single photo I have is filled with smiles. So what, if our honeymoon was spent with a five year old sleeping between us and the only privacy we had was in the middle of the night, in a cramped bathroom, with me screaming into a towel? We were together and that’s the important part. Despite the storms we drove through, heat wave we endured and the nasty fast food we ate, Ajay made our trip perfect.
Now that we’re settling in and enjoying California, Evelyn and I are finding a happy medium in our routine. During the day, Chandler, Evelyn and I drive my fully decked out golf cart over to the pool. I never thought I’d be the type of woman who drives a golf cart but let me tell you something: It’s the best, and I’m not the only one in the neighborhood who has one. Ajay teases me and the other ladies though, saying we need to have a drag race to determine the leader of the pack. Personally, I think he’s jealous.
I also never pictured myself as a subdivision mom, but that’s what I am. I attend the condo association meetings, I help with our community events, and I walk with the other stay at home wives in the early morning. But the best part is having a pool. The girls love it and are both taking swimming lessons. For me, being four months pregnant, it helps keep me from overheating. I don’t know how I did it with Evelyn and the east coast humidity, but this California sun is a killer. I don’t know how I’m going to make it another five months because right now I feel like a beached whale.
Someone whistles and I look over at the fence where I see Ajay coming through, looking hot as fuck with his sunglasses on. He bends down and gives me a scorching kiss, almost falling into the pool with me. He left early this morning with Keane to beat the traffic into the city.
“How’s work?” I ask, as if his job is a normal nine to five. Sometimes I wish it were, but then watching him on stage, banging on those drums, and knowing that he’s coming home with me after the show makes the long hours so worth it. I’m also very thankful for Katelyn and her eagerness to be a grandmother because she always volunteers to take Evelyn and Chandler, giving Keane a night off and allowing Ajay and I to pretend like we’re still on our honeymoon.
“Good,” he says. He slips off his shoes and socks and sit down on the edge of the pool, his legs in the water. I stand between them and put my wet hands up the back of his shirt. He shivers but laughs it off. “The new album is almost done.”
“Does it have a release date yet?”
He shakes his head. “No, Elle’s working on it. Doesn’t have a title either.”
“Know what else doesn’t have a name?”
“Our son,” he says, placing his hand on my ever-growing mid-section.
We found out about two weeks ago that we were having a boy. We wanted to have one of those gender reveal parties, but we didn’t tell the technician not to tell us in time and she pointed out that the baby growing inside of me had a penis. My husband — in his oh so classy way — commented with, “yeah, he does.”
“How is my boy?” he asks.
“Giving me butterflies. I can’t wait for you to feel him kick.”
“It should be soon, right? That’s what the book said.”
I nod, loving the fact that he’s taken a hands-on approach to becoming a Dad. My fear though, is that their next tour will start and he’ll miss the delivery.
“I’ll be there,” he says, stroking my cheek.
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“Because I know you, Whiskey. But I promise you, I won’t miss the birth of our son. I’ll be there to hold your hand. I’m not missing this.” I lean into him, not caring that I may be getting him wet, and if he has an issue with it, he’s not saying.
As soon as the girls are done with their lesson, they both come over. Ajay stands and prepares for Evelyn to launch herself into his arms. “Daddy, I can do the breasted stroke,” she says, causing us to laugh.
“Breast stroke,” he corrects her in his most serious tone. “Say it with me.” They repeat the word a few times before she finally has it right. Ajay sets her down and helps me out of the pool. He walks the three of us to the lot where the line of golf carts is, shaking his head and laughing. “I feel old.”
“Hush, the girls love it and it’s so much easier to drive this around the subdivision.” He gets in the back with Evelyn while Chandler sits next to me. She’s fiddling with the radio as Evelyn shows Ajay that she can ride without holding on. The whole drive home I’m laughing, knowing Ajay is probably having some sort of fit back there.
At home, Chandler tells me that she’ll see me in the morning and darts across our yard to her house while Ajay, Evelyn and I head inside ours.
“Fuck, it’s cold in here.”
“Daddy, you owe me a quarter.”
Ajay digs into his pocket and hands her the money for her swear jar. He tries hard but is likely putting enough away to fund her college education. It’s just a good thing no one is counting when we’re alone or he might end up broke.
“Sorry,” I tell him. “I was hot earlier.”
“Maybe we can keep the air conditioner at sixty-five and not fifty,” he says as he adjusts the dial to turn the AC back to normal.
“Noted. I’m going to go take a shower.”
I leave him and Evelyn downstairs and head to the second floor. The room that was Ajay’s band room is slowly being converted to a nursery. The walls are now a light blue and there’s a black crib in there, a gift from Harrison and Katelyn. I stand in the doorway and look at what’s becoming our son’s room.
“I thought you were taking a shower,” Ajay whispers into my ear as he presses against me. I lean back, molding into him.
“Just looking.”
His hands caress my stomach. He’s been waiting to feel his son kick since I told him he’s started. I wish I could tell him when it will happen because soon doesn’t seem to cut it anymore.
“He needs a name.”
“I know, we’ll make a list soon. Where’s Evelyn?”
“Downstairs, wrapped in her blanket and watching cartoons.”
“Mhm…”
“Does that mean what I think it does, Mrs. Ballard?”
“Like I said, I’m going to take a shower. Maybe you care to join me.”
“Lead me to salvation, Whiskey.”
I turn and look at my husband, thankful that I had the keen sense to listen to my heart when my thoughts were telling me to run. There isn’t any other place I’d rather be than right here, in his arms, loving him for the rest of my life.