36. Chapter 36
Talmage
I scan the rows of people, smiling when I find familiar faces. I’m looking for one in particular, but I haven’t seen her green eyes yet.
I try not to let my shoulders slump in disappointment at the realization Mack’s not here. She didn’t come to welcome me home.
Why would she, though? Just because she came to my farewell doesn’t mean she’s going to show up now after two years of no contact.
I thought about reaching out to her a few times on my mission, but I didn’t know how, and we’re told to shut outside distractions out.
Every time I thought about Mack, I would open my scriptures and lose myself in the words of past prophets to get my mind on track. I had people to serve and gospel to teach.
I guess she’s well and truly moved on, and that’s great for her. She deserves to be happy .
The organ blares behind me, and I open my hymn book to the opening song, shaking off the slithering feeling coating my skin. I should be happy to be home. I had a good number of baptisms and conversions on my mission, and I worked hard. I should be feeling happy, fulfilled.
So why do I feel like something’s missing?
This time, instead of speaking about the hopes I had for my mission when I left, I recount the things I saw and the people I met.
I talk about how strongly I felt the presence of Christ with me.
And for the first time, a slither of doubt creeps in if what I’m saying is true.
Last night, after Mack clenched around me so tight I thought I’d be locked inside her forever—which would be a dream come true—we took our spent and exhausted bodies to the shower.
I slid my dick between Mack’s juicy thighs, our soapy bodies sliding together while nudging her clit with every thrust until we both came again.
Then, we tumbled into bed naked, and I slept deeper than I ever have. I woke up to my hard dick nestled against Mack’s ass. She spread her legs, and we had slow, sensual morning sex while we kissed and caressed before I came inside her again .
I swear I’m never going to get enough of her. I feel feral—like if I stop touching her I’ll die.
Is this what marriage is like? I can’t recall anyone I know exhibiting this kind of behavior. Maybe they do feel out of control, but they’re good at hiding it in public.
I hope I can keep it together long enough to have dinner at my parents’ house.
I have some questions now that I’m not drunk on Mack and hazy with lust. What did she mean when she said she couldn’t have kids?
I feel like it’s something we should discuss since we’re together for real now.
I know it’s expected of us to have children, and my parents will probably ask about it, but truth be told, I’ve never really thought about having kids of my own.
I love kids, and I think Hannah’s babies are adorable, but if Mack didn’t want any, I would be perfectly content to live out the rest of my days with just her.
The twins should be home in an hour, and Mack’s in the bathroom getting ready while I wait for Enoch to bring Siren back. I didn't want anything to interrupt us last night, luckily, he was willing to watch her so she wouldn't be neglected.
The doorbell rings, and I open the door to find my golden girl tippy-tapping on the porch. I drop to a crouch and give her head scratches, cooing about how much I missed her.
Her tongue laps at my face, and her tail wags with excitement at being back home.
I motion for Enoch to follow me inside while I let Siren out in the backyard so she can get some zoomies out .
“Congratulations, man.” He pats me on the shoulder with a big smile on his face.
“Um, thanks? What for?”
“Finally losing your virginity!”
I shush him. “Will you keep your voice down? Jesus, dude. How do you even know?”
Enoch shrugs. “You’ve got that post-orgasmic glow and a dopey smile on your face.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “You’re full of it, Smithe. I’m not talking about my sex life with you.”
Enoch’s smile becomes teasing, and he practically vibrates. “Oooh, so you have a sex life now, eh? I knew it. Like I said, congratulations.”
I roll my eyes but still can’t stop the smile on my face. “Thanks.”
He crosses his arms over his broad chest. “Now, tell me all about—”
“No.”
He nods. “Off limits. Understood.” Enoch leans in and whispers conspiratorially, “It’s fucking awesome, isn’t it?”
“What’s awesome?” Mack asks from the top of the stairs.
Oh no, that dress is… I’m in trouble.
I think she was going for something a little more modest, but the way the bust of the dress holds her breasts, tying in a pretty bow between them and cinching in at her waist before flowing down to her ankles; it’s downright sinful.
The pale green fabric looks stunning against the ink on her skin, and her makeup is subtle and simple. Her hair is loose, straight and sleek down her back. My little fairy.
She looks… different. And it’s a bit concerning because I want her to feel comfortable enough to be herself, but I won’t point it out in front of Enoch.
“Uh, not going to church on Sundays,” Enoch lies, his cheeks turning red as he studies Mack—a little too long for my liking.
“Stop staring at my wife,” I bark, startling all of us. I’ve never felt this… possessive of someone before.
Mack’s green eyes blink at me as a small smile tips her lips, and Enoch laughs.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to stare. But can you blame me?” Enoch tosses Mack a wink.
“Don’t flirt with her, either. What the hell’s the matter with you?” I stride over to her and wrap my arms around her from behind, taking in her citrus scent.
Oh no, I’m going to get hard in front of Enoch. This was a bad idea.
Mack tips her head back and gives me a chaste kiss on the lips, one I’m dying to turn deeper but won’t because Enoch would probably like it, the weirdo.
“Don’t worry, Tal, I only have eyes for you,” she whispers, stroking my cheek as I melt into her.
“Stop it, you two are too cute, and I can’t stand it. I need to get out of here before I start crying about dying alone.” Enoch pretends to wipe tears away.
I roll my eyes again. “Thank you for taking Siren last night. I owe you, man.”
“Nah.” He waves me off. “You know I love spending time with her. The ladies love a dog dad.” He pumps his eyebrows, and Mack snorts. “I’ll see you later, lovebirds.”
With a salute, he walks out the front door.
“Your friend is odd but nice,” Mack says, still wrapped in my arms.
“He’s got a thing for Lizzie.”
Mack snorts again. “Oh no, Lizzie would chew him up and spit him out. Besides, I don’t think she’s had a serious partner in a few years since she’s so busy with the shop. She’s very particular about who she dates, too.”
“He’s determined to make her his wife, but we’ll see if it wears off after getting his back piece done.”
“He’s getting a back piece from her? That seals it. Lizzie doesn’t date clients.”
“That’s what I said, but he said he’s going to wear her down and get her to agree to go out with him after it’s done.”
“Well, I wish him luck, but he shouldn’t hold out for her.” She turns fully, her arms wrapping around my neck, and my hands rest just above the curve of her butt. “Do you like my dress?”
“I love your dress, Firefly, but…” I trail off, unsure if I want to ask.
“But… what?”
“But do you like it? I’ve never seen you dress like this, not since we were teens, and I want to make sure you’re doing it for you and not because you’re trying to impress my parents.”
Her smile is soft, grateful, and stunning.
“I’ll admit, I haven’t dressed like this in a while, and I did pick this dress to fit in with your family, but I like it.
It’s comfy, has pockets, and for the first time in a long time, I feel…
pr etty. Not just like a dark shell of a person trying to get by. ”
I want to dive deeper and ask her what she means. Obviously, the trauma of losing her parents would have an impact on her mental health. Not to mention the way she had to step into a parental role for her sisters—one of whom has health issues that have caused a financial strain…
Damn. Have I been so selfish in wanting to get closer to Mack that I haven’t paid attention to how she’s doing mentally? Have I missed some signs or misread things?
And now I’m going to add more stress to her plate by taking her to a potentially hostile environment at my parents’ house.
I don’t want to get into all of it right now, especially when we’ve just taken a huge step forward, so I stick a pin in the idea for now, and I’ll circle back later—after we get through dinner.
“As long as you’re comfortable, Firefly. That’s all I care about. I love your clothes.”
“Thank you, Tal.”
I dip my head and kiss her, getting lost in the gentle glide of her lips and the soft caress of her tongue as it swipes across my lips.
We pull apart only because the front door swings open, and Kinsley and Harper come barreling in as Kinsley talks a million miles an hour.
“I told her you called dibs! But the little slut can’t let anyone else have anything. Let me rip her a new one, Harp. Please? You know she deserves it. ”
Harper’s eyes are wide, bouncing between Kinsley’s scowling face and me and Mack still locked in an embrace.
Finally, she looks down and shakes her head. “It’s fine, Kins. I’m not… He didn’t want me anyway or he would have asked.”
Kinsley stomps her foot with her hands balled into fists. She opens her mouth to say something, but Mack beats her to it. “Woah, woah, woah. What are we talking about? Why are we so heated? Kinsley, we don’t slut shame, okay? That’s purity culture bullshit, and we don’t subscribe to it here.”
Kinsley scowls, scoffing as she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “Ashlynn Nelson was posting stories with Jeremy Newsom talking about how he asked her to prom!”
Who?
“Okay…” Mack starts, “and these people are important because…”
“ Jeremy Newsom ? The guy Harper was paired with in the musical? The one she has a huge crush on? The one who gives her Capri-Suns when her blood sugar is low? Ring a bell?”
I cough to cover my laugh. Is this how Mack and I acted at this age? Was everything the end of the world?
“Right. Harper, I’m sorry Jeremy asked Ashlynn to prom but—”
“You don’t get it! Jeremy told Michael who told Charity who told me he was going to ask Harper, but Ashlynn snagged her claws into him first and promised if he took her, she’d let him soak on prom night.”
Oh my gosh. What is happening right now?
Mack pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head, then opens her mouth to speak, but Kinsley looks at me. “Soaking, if you didn’t know, is when a guy puts his—”
“Nope. I don’t want to hear you explain it.” Mack holds up her hand and shakes her head, visibly cringing at the explanation.
I clear my throat. “I’m old but not that old, Kinsley. I know what soaking is.” I turn my attention to Harper. “I’m really sorry Jeremy is a bit of a douche. It sounds like he’s not the kind of guy you want to go to prom with, anyway.”
Harper shrugs, tracing the toe of her sneaker on the hardwood floor. “It’s not a big deal. It’s not like he was my boyfriend.”
“But it can still hurt, Harp. And your feelings are valid. I know it probably feels like the end of the world right now, but like Talmage said, he’s a bit of a douche. Next year, you’ll find someone even better to go to prom with,” Mack says, walking towards Harper with her arms open.
Harper only hesitates for a second before she wraps her arms around Mack’s waist in a tight hug. Harper’s face is to me, and I see a single tear track down her cheek.
Kinsley, clearly feeling left out, hugs Mack from behind. “I’ll kick him in the balls if he ever hurts your feelings again,” she whispers, making them all laugh. Kinsley lifts her head up and turns to look at me. “Get in here, Tal. This is a family group hug.”
Tears burn behind my eyes as I walk over and wrap all three girls in an embrace. Another puzzle piece settles in my chest as warm contentment spreads through me .
Whatever happens today at my parents’, whatever the future holds, these three are my family now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they’re happy, healthy, and thriving.